Biathlon World Championships in 2028 and 2029 to Austria and Norway

Finland applied to host the 2028 and 2029 World Championships. The Event would have taken place in Kontiolahti, North Karelia.

“Hochfilzen has hosted the World Championships three times. Oslo has hosted the event four different times. The World Championships will be held by experienced organizations – Congratulations to both!” says Kalle Lahdesmaki, President of the Finnish Biathlon Association.

Next application possible in 2026

The next time IBU will decide on a World Championship host will be in 2026. The event location of the 2031 World Championships will be decided then. In 2030, there will not be Biathlon World Championships due to the Winter Olympic Games.

“We are going to gather feedback from the round of applications that ended and focus on the World Cup season opening in November. We will assess the potential application for the next World Championships in the spring”, says Kimmo Turunen, President of Kontiolahti Sport Club. Kontiolahti Sport Club is the organizer of biathlon World Cups and major international biathlon events in Finland.

World Cup circus’s first stop in Kontiolahti

Biathlon World Cup season 2024-25 opens in Kontiolahti in the end of November.

“The teams will arrive at the end of November, possibly already in mid-November. The season opening is always more electrifying for the teams than an average World Cup event”, says Sami Leinonen, World Cup Event Manager of Kontiolahti Sport Club.

The competition program is exceptionally broad. Ten events take place during seven competition days.

“Kontiolahti has never organized a World Cup with such a broad and versatile program. For the spectators, it is positive that the weekday events take place in the evenings”, says Leinonen.