Ticket sales for Biathlon World Cup events are opened - audience areas are safely demarcated

According to the decision of the Regional Administrative Agency of Eastern Finland, the restrictions on gatherings in Eastern Finland will remain unchanged in November. With this, ticket sales for biathlon World Cup events in Kontiolahti will be opened. In the event area, public movement and services are restricted from the entrance.

The Regional Administrative Agency of Eastern Finland made 22.10. of the decision according to which the gathering restrictions in Eastern Finland will remain unchanged in November.

Based on the decision, Kontiolahti Urheilijat ry will open ticket sales for biathlon world cup events at the turn of November-December.

—The Regional Administration Office's decision concerns the opening of the World Cup on 28-29 November, but we will also open ticket sales the following week, 3-6. for the event to be organized in December. If the official instructions change so that the public is not allowed, the money will be returned to those who bought tickets, says Jarno Lautamatti from Kontiolahti Urheilijat ry, responsible for ticket sales.

Special arrangements for the safety of the public

According to the instructions of the Regional Administration Office, the event organizer must ensure the public's access to sufficient safety distances and to clean their hands.

—The stands are outside, which gives the audience better opportunities to spread out. Clear routes and blocks are reserved for the public, where only a limited number of people are allowed, Lautamatti says.

After the construction of the blocks and the restrictions, there are seats for 4500 spectators in all the stands of the biathlon competitions.

—The people of each block are in their own area at all times, starting from the entrance gate.

The arrangements will also change regarding the stadium's public transportation. For safety reasons, free bus transportation offered by the city of Joensuu and Kontiolahti municipality is not organized for the public.

—The public arrives in their own cars, which gives them the opportunity to avoid contact with strangers, Lautamatti says.

Ticket sales openon Monday

Ticket sales start on Monday, October 26. at 9.

—Tickets will be sold for the familiar A stand next to the stadium, the curved stand and the off-road stand, Lautamatti says.

He urges those who buy tickets to familiarize themselves with the map of the competition area.

—We are adding a regional map to our website, which shows the different grandstand areas and blocks. In the near future, we will add practical instructions related to a safe visit to the pages.

IBUvisit in October 

Borut BorutNunar, the competition director of the International Biathlon Union IBU, familiarized himself with Kontiolahti's competition arrangements earlier in October.

He emphasizes the safety of athletes, teams and spectators in events under the IBU.

—IBU has created separate corona guidelines for events during the summer. Together with the official guidelines of each country, these guidelines outline event arrangements, Nunar says.

—Kontiolahti biathlon stadium is the first stadium that was tested in the exceptional conditions brought by the corona in March. Then we had to adapt to the changes very quickly. Now, at the opening of the season, the stadium's services will be implemented in accordance with the new IBU corona guidelines.

Photo: Johannes Bö in March 2020 in Kontiolahti. Photographer Heidi Lehikoinen

More information:   

Jarno Lautamatti, Kontiolahti Sportsmen's Association, 043-218 0573

Kontiolahti world cup events program