The IBU Congress today awarded Hochfilzen, Austria and Oslo, Norway the rights to host the BMW IBU World Championships in 2028 and 2029 respectively, on a day that saw a number of key decisions to secure the sport’s long-term future.

The Congress received comprehensive presentations from Hochfilzen, Kontiolahti, Finland and Holmenkollen Ski Arena before deciding the hosts.

Hochfilzen regularly features as the second stop on the World Cup circuit. Its iconic venue is one of the most historic on the IBU circuit, yet one of the most up-to-date stadiums having been recently renovated ahead of hosting its last IBU World Championships in 2017.

Oslo’s historic Holmenkollen Ski Arena has regularly been selected for the World Cup season closer bringing competitions to a dramatic finish in a major capital city. The venue last played host to the IBU World Championships in 2016.

Looking to the future, the Congress also approved the adoption of the new Target 2030 strategic plan. Target 2030 builds on the great success of Target 26, which has largely been implemented two years ahead of schedule, and sets ambitious objectives and targets to drive the sport forward. The strategic plan has been developed in collaboration with the biathlon family to ensure it is representative of the priorities of the National Federations and IBU stakeholders.

The Congress approved changes to the Constitution including amendments to extend IBU’s governance to include Para-Biathlon and Esports. Following proposals by the Technical Committee, the IBU also approved changes to IBU Rules. Most important rule changes for the upcoming season can be found here.

Among the other Congress approvals were confirmation of the updated budget for 2024/2025 and budget frames for 2025/2026 and approval of the members of the Biathlon Integrity Unit (BIU) Board.

Photos: IBU/Manzoni