The world was a different place when Duszniki-Zdrój last hosted the IBU Open European Championships. There was no COVID-19 to fight in 2017 with, but this year, the IBU OECH will be conducted in a tight IBU bubble. Under the highest level of safety and hygienic standards, the competition schedule includes the standard sprint/pursuit, individual, and mixed relays giving the athletes multiple opportunities to fight for the medals. With 40 countries registered, the IBU OECH will definitely tickle the nerves of the biathlon fans.

Home team star

With the IBU World Championships scheduled a week after the IBU OECH, most of the stars have already started preparing for the highlight of the season. Nevertheless, a high level competition can be expected in Duszniki-Zdrój with all the top IBU Cup athletes competing at the Polish venue. To spice up the competitions, biathletes coming straight from the BMW IBU World Cup will definitely shuffle the “favourites” cards.

Claiming a season-high sixth place in the Oberhof pursuit, Monika Hojnisz-Starega of Poland has for surely set her eyes on the shiniest medals. After 17th place in the sprint, the 29-year old started the pursuit 1:15 behind the leader. With only one penalty in the last standing stage, Hojnisz-Starega jumped 11 places to finish sixth leaving Dorothea Wierer and Hanna Oeberg behind her. "Last couple of starts were not easy for me. I did not feel fresh on the course, so the times I achieved were a bit of a surprise for me. I want to run as best as I can and focus on shooting. Hopefully it will get me some decent results."

In addition to Hojnisz-Starega, teammate Kamila Zuk, will also join Poland’s IBU OECH team.

Norwegians to protect their IBU Cup wins

Coming straight from Arber, the Norwegian team is undoubtedly hoping for high places. With four Norwegians in the top 6 of the Men’s IBU Cup Total Score, There will likely be some high-level performances from the young Norwegian team. Filip Fjeld Andersen, the 21-year old front-runner of the team arrived in Poland with high hopes.

With two victories and a second in the three Arber sprints, there is no doubt that Andersen is thinking about Gold medals this week. “After having such success in Arber, I really hope to be able to fight for the medals in the European Championships, but we will see. Competitions are normally a bit stronger here, but hopefully I will be able to fight for the medals.”

The young Andersen currently is atop the Men’s IBU Cup Total Score, followed by Philipp Nawrath of Germany, Norwegians Sivert Guttorm Bakken and Aleksander Fjeld Andersen, Daniele Cappellari of Italy and Norway’s Endre Stroemsheim in sixth. All six men have shown good results during the first two IBU Cups weeks meaning that retaining the lead in the Men’s IBU Cup Total Score will not be an easy task for Andersen.

Single mixed relay dream duo

Defendants of the last year’s gold medal, Endre Stroemsheim and Karoline Erdal proved once again in Arber that they are the single mixed relay’s “dream team.”  As for the IBU OECH, the hopes are definitely high for Stroemsheim-Erdal, should the coaches keep this duo together.

Stroemsheim reiterated that hope. “For the European championships we are hoping that we can be the same team and defend the gold. To have had a test in Arber and get some training on the single mixed relay, I think it was really a great advantage before the European Championships.”

With many great athletes entered in this week’s competitions, defending the title will definitely be a challenge. Their main rivals from Arber, the German, Italian, Russian and the French teams will probably be looking for revenge.

Will the Russian women continue their domination?

After winning every women’s individual competition except one in Arber, there is no doubt that the Russian team is craving more. Valeriia Vasnetcova holds the lead in the Women’s IBU Cup Total Score with Anastasia Shevchenko fourth; the Russian team will undoubtably be strong in every competition. Nevertheless, Elisabeth Hoegberg of Sweden, last year’s Women’s IBU Cup Total Score winner has high hopes along with teammate Ella Halvarsson, sixth Place in the Women’s IBU Cup Total Score.

The French team although young, with several top six finishes and excellent shooting abilities, is definitely one to watch. Holding the second place in the Women’s IBU Cup Total Score, Lou Jeanmonnot plans to have a word or two to say about how the medals will be divided. Camille Bened’s fast shooting in the Arber mixed relay, makes her a candidate for a top performance.

OECH competitions

First up on the January 27, are the individuals. As was already seen in Arber, the individuals are always up for a surprise. With four shooting rounds and 20km for men, 15km for the women, there is no way to know who will earn the highest step on the podium. Scheduled for January 30, one day after sprints, the pursuits are bound to offer high level biathlon entertainment. For Mixed relays close out the competitions on Sunday January 31, with one final opportunity to claim an IBU OECH medal.

Venue conditions

Due to warm weather last season, the IBU Cup was relocated from Duszniki-Zdrój. To avoid this situation this year and to be sure that the Championships take place no matter what, the organisers have rented two snow factories that have been working full speed for the last two months. With this and luckily  having natural snow on top of  the man-made white stuff, the venue is ready to host the IBU Open European Championships in a nice winter setting.

Strict COVID-19 rules

Like all the other IBU events, the OECH will also be held without spectators while following the IBU COVID-19 regulations, mandatory for everyone. This means that the participants are tested on a regular basis, different interest groups are separated and strict hygiene rules are followed. Moreover, a negative COVID-19 test carried out 72 hours prior is required for entrance into the bubble. During the event, all the athletes, officials and coaches are required to wear masks at all times, except when competing or training.

Live streaming

The IBU Open European Championships will be live-streamed Saturday and Sunday on www.biathonworld.com and many of the regular television outlets.

The competition schedule (all times CET):

Wednesday, January 2710:30 Women 15km Individual14:15 Men 20km Individual

Friday, January 2910:30 Women 7.5km Sprint14:00 Men 10km Sprint

Saturday, January 3010:30 Women 10km Pursuit13:00 Men 12.5km Pursuit

Sunday, January 3110:30 Single Mixed Relay (W+M)13:00 4x6km Mixed Relay (W+M