The effects of the public ban on the World Cup event are being evaluated

The financial sanctions of the Biathlon World Cup event organized in Kontiolahti will be investigated in the coming weeks.

In accordance with the instructions of the Finnish government and the regional administration agency, the Biathlon World Cup event in Kontiolahti was organized without an audience and with a competition organization reduced to a minimum. The background was the requirement that the total number of people at the event must not exceed the limit of 500 people. The decision was aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

With the public ban, the organizer will be without ticket sales revenue, which was estimated at 400,000 euros.

─The loss of ticket revenue is felt in the organizer's cash register. Paid trips and accommodations weigh unnecessarily on the wallets of the public who traveled to the place. The partners have no reason to rejoice either. Financially, there are no winners in this equation, says Kimmo Turunen, chairman of the Kontiolahti Sportsmen's Association, which organized the event.

Financial statements start immediately after the event

Turunen says that the economic effects caused by the exceptional situation will be investigated immediately after the event.

─A lot of events are in the same situation as us, when they don't receive ticket sales revenue. Now we are going to do a situation review together with our partners, Turunen says.

The organizer will find out the policies related to the return of purchased tickets as quickly as possible and will inform about it by the end of next week.

The chairman hopes for peace at work, so that the organizer's resources can be directed to investigation work and the creation of an action plan.

─ Kontiolahti Urheilijat has been organizing the Biathlon World Cup for 30 years. There have been challenges along the way before. Now we are facing a new kind of situation, but we will also leave this with straight backs and chins up towards the future.

More information: Chairman Kimmo Turunen, Kontiolahti Athletes, 050-5633480