Biathlon: the IBU wants to innovate
What if the 2025/2026 biathlon season kicked off on 19 October with an urban show in Munich (Germany)? According to the Norwegian media outlet NRK, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) is considering this possibility, which would mean the Olympic winter would start a month earlier than usual.
“It would be fun,” commented Johannes Thingnes Boe. His team-mate Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen also agrees: “The fact that you don’t have to go far into the mountains or forests to see biathlon, I think that’s the salvation of our sport,” he told Scandinavian public television.
The IBU has not yet taken a definitive decision, and does not wish to comment on the project, which is currently under negotiation. Moreover, this race should not count towards the overall classification of the World Cup, scheduled to kick off at the very end of November 2025 in Östersund (Sweden).
A proposed date… probably at the same time as the Summer Tour d’Arçon
However, there are a few voices against this proposal, starting with Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold, a member of the IBU Athletes’ Committee. “I love competition, but we can’t do too much for the athletes,” she says, pointing out that there are already a lot of races on the programme. Sturla Holm Lægreid, for his part, announced that he would probably not be taking part in this event, which is scheduled just a few months before the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympic Games.
“Of course, if it’s important for publicity [for our sport], we have to consider it. But as far as we’re concerned, it’ll be in the middle of a high-altitude training camp, so we’re a bit divided,” says Per Arne Botnan, manager of the Norwegian national team.
Without the Norwegians, the event would lose its importance. Especially as, for the French team too, the date of 19 October comes at a bad time: that’s traditionally the weekend when the very popular Summer Tour d’Arçon (Doubs) takes place, awarding the national sprint and pursuit titles.
