In the coming years, German biathlon fans will have to prepare for a new appointment for the home world cup in Oberhof.
As the World Association IBU announced after a meeting of its EB Board on Friday, the races on the Rennsteig, traditionally held in the first week of January, will only take place in the future at the end of February or even early March.
At the beginning of the upcoming Olympic cycle, which runs from 2026 to 2030, the second home world cup in Ruhpolding will move into the first, but will be back in the second week of January in the following years.
Due to difficult snow conditions and bad weather conditions, the Oberhofer Organizational Committee had recently had the appointment at the start of the year and expressed wishes regarding a laying.
OK boss Bernd Wernicke had already said at this year’s World Cup race in Thuringia: “I can also well imagine that Oberhof can become a good location at the beginning of the third trimester.”
The world association now fulfills the wishes.
Some structural changes in the World Cup calendar
“At first glance, it may be surprising if a proven system is to be reformed,” said DSV board member Stefan Schwarzbach in an interview with the “Sportschau”: “The plan that was presented to us today seems to be most of our joint considerations Consider.
The EB Board generally decided some structural changes in the World Cup calendar. So there will only be partially the classic structure with three trimesters. 2026/27 and 2028/29, for example, the second competition block is expanded to include one station. A completely new two-day World Cup will then be introduced at the Pokljuka at the turn of the year. The World Championships, on the other hand, are still planned for mid -February.
The World Cup 2027 is held in Otepää in Estonian. As a result, the highlight of the year 2028 in Hochfilzen and 2029 in Oslo Station. The start of the season will take place in the upcoming Olympic cycle in KontiaLahti and then in Östersund, and the World Cup final 2029 takes place in Canadian Canmore.