Austrian Ski Association Submits Application For IBU Biathlon World Championships 2028 & 2029

The Austrian Ski Association officially submitted the application documents for the IBU Biathlon World Championships 2028 & 2029 to the world association. Now they hope to be awarded the title competitions in 2028 or 2029 during the award ceremony at the IBU Congress on September 28 in Belgrade.

Even though the 2017 Biathlon World Championships in Hochfilzen were several years ago, the images of this magnificent sporting event are still fresh in our memories. In addition to exciting competitions, fantastic weather and an inspiring atmosphere with 150,000 spectators from all over the world, the infrastructure measures and the associated development of the Hochfilzen Biathlon Center into a state-of-the-art, year-round training and competition center were a prime example of the successful and sustainable implementation of a major event.

According to ÖSV Secretary General Christian Scherer , it should stay that way. "Biathlon in Hochfilzen is a success story that was not only written by the visionaries of the first hour, but is also characterized by the good cooperation between the federal government, the state, the municipality, the Austrian Armed Forces and the ÖSV. All planned infrastructure measures were worked out in close coordination with the Austrian Armed Forces and are intended to benefit not only the sport but also the military training area located there."

Plans include the reconstruction of the main grandstand, under which a weight room will be built, a new underpass and overpass at the entrance to the shooting range, tunnel connections for athletes and spectators, and modifications to the roller ski track, which will be adapted to the IBU regulations for training and roller ski competitions. Smaller adaptations to the existing infrastructure are also planned.

Scherer is also pleased that Hochfilzen has a dedicated organization team with a lot of experience – another important prerequisite for making a World Cup bid a success.

For Franz Berger, the chairman of the organizing team, a bid for the 2028 World Championships would be a great success: "Hochfilzen has established itself as the 'Home of Biathlon' over the past few decades. Now we hope, of course, that in 2028, which would be exactly 70 years after the first Biathlon World Championships in Austria and 50 years after the first World Championships in Hochfilzen, medal decisions will be held here again. These would be the fourth World Championships that we would be able to organize and host together with the ÖSV, the Austrian Armed Forces and Hochfilzen."