Over 70 physicians, coaches, and sports directors among 170 registered candidates dialed into the IBU Team Physicians Webinar held on 4-5 September 2021. Experts from sports medicine and psychology discussed challenges concerning COVID-19, medical treatment of athletes, and mental health issues in biathlon.

Expert´s contribution – Day 1

Dr. Katja Mjosund reported about the IBU Covid-19 strategy and strategies for team illness prevention in these challenging times.

Dr. Kathrin Steffen focused on injury and illness surveillance and showed several relevant examples from her work with the teams in Norway.

Prof. Dr. Bernd Wolfarth gave an overview of the medical preparations of athletes from Germany at the age of Covid-19.

Dr. Irina Zelenkova reported about the return to play after a Covid-19 illness and that the effects of Covid on an athlete´s health are very individual.

Prof. Dr. Ansgar Thiel highlighted the need to pay more attention to the psycho-social factors in the development of injuries and illnesses.

In the panel discussion, which was moderated by Dr. Jim Carrabre, the experts discussed the mental health management of elite athletes during Covid-19.

Expert´s contribution – Day 2

Dr. Margo Mountjoy focused on her two presentations on the relative energy deficiency (RED) in sport and on the treatment of psychological issues in athletes.

Dr. Henrik Gustafsson reported about the scientific field of burnout and motivation in elite sport. He strongly recommended using stress-reducing interventions.

Dr. Lykke Tamm gave an overview of the medical preparation of Swedish athletes for biathlon competitions.

Dr. Huo Da and Dr. Jiang Yang from the medical team of the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing reported about the medical treatment of athletes and officials during the Winter Games and the Covid-19 regulations in China.

In the final panel discussion Dr. Carrabre, Dr. Mountjoy, Dr. Tamm, and Dr. Gustafsson discussed the health problems of elite athletes from different perspectives. The experts also debated on the upcoming Olympic Games and strategies for team physicians during this event.