The public can enter the opening event of the IBU Cup free of charge. Esa Kinnunen/Kontiolahti Biathlon.

26.09.2023

Biathlon IBU Cup opens in Finland and Kontiolahti in November-December

Kontiolahti Biathlon World Cup

The opening event of the international IBU Cup in Kontiolahti, North Karelia, 30.11.-3.12. offers great experiences to the future promises of the sport in a World Cup-level stadium in snow-sure conditions.

The international biathlon competition season 2023-24 will start in Kontiolahti with the opening competition of the IBU Cup at the turn of November-December 30.11.-3.12.

The IBU Cup is an important springboard for future top athletes towards World Cup representation. In the IBU Cup, you can also often see tough tops, who are looking for speed and representation in the national team.

In addition to Finland, during the season the IBU Cup competes in six other countries and seven different locations in Sweden, Norway, Italy, Slovakia, Germany and Austria.

Schoolchildren as audience

In accordance with the opening event of the Biathlon World Cup organized a year ago, school children will also be seen in the stands of the IBU Cup.

The city of Joensuu has offered ten schools the opportunity for bus transportation from their school to the biathlon stadium and back. The schools were selected through a joint open application by the city and the event organizer Kontiolahti Urheilijat ry, in which all elementary schools had the opportunity to participate.

Three schools from Kontiolahti have signed up for the school campaign.

Themed days to speed up the event

The IBU Cup in Kontiolahti is an entry-free event.

The Kontiolahti Athletes have planned a program for the three competition days of the IBU Cup according to different themes. On theme days, more audiences are attracted to the grandstand.

"Thursday's theme is school children and students. The theme of Saturday and Sunday is family exercise - then we gather organizations from Joensuu and Kontiolahti to the stadium to carry out pleasant and active activities for families", says the event manager Sami Leinonen.

The sports city of Joensuu encourages you to feel the atmosphere of an international event.

"As a sports city, we encourage schoolchildren to get to know top sports on the spot, when international athletes arrive in North Karelia. I hope that the schools will spend an unforgettable excursion day at the biathlon IBU Cup", says the marketing director of the city of Joensuu Markku Pyykkönen.

INFO: Biathlon IBU CUP 2023-24 program