From Thursday to Sunday, Canmore will host the opening round of the 2025/26 IBU Para Biathlon World Cup - the first step into what promises to be a landmark season. These upcoming months will conclude the first full Paralympic cycle since the IBU took over governance of the discipline. The focus is firmly on the Paralympic Winter Games in Milano-Cortina in 2026, and every athlete competing in Canmore approaches this journey with determination.

This winter brings few noteworthy changes. Updates to the regulations include a new group-draw system based on IBU points rather than World Cup standings. Additionally, two venues, Notschrei and Jakuszyce, will host para biathletes for the first time. The late-January event in Poland will be particularly important, serving as both the World Cup final and their last major rehearsal before the Paralympics.

The highlight of the season opener is undoubtedly Oksana Masters's return to World Cup competition. The multi-Paralympic champion missed the entire previous season due to health issues, and her journey back to the starting line has been challenging.

The renewed rivalry in the sitting women category between Masters, her fellow American Kendall Gretsch, and Germany's Anja Wicker is set to be one of the defining themes of the season. Early results in cross-country indicate that the 36-year-old's skiing is at the necessary level. However, her shooting remains uncertain - an essential factor that has caused Masters to reconsider her medal ambitions for Val di Fiemme.

“My shooting form is far from what it used to be, and everything feels like it is only at the level I can realistically achieve given the limited training time I’ve had. It’s hard to admit, but last season’s health challenges have influenced and changed my Paralympic goals. While I wouldn’t say I’ve entirely changed my goals for Milan, I have set smaller objectives along the way to guide me. I’m realistic about the time left before the Games and recognize that I lost significant time with my rifle, so I'm focusing on what I can control.”

Rebuilding her confidence in skiing, maneuvering, and pushing herself once again has become central to her process. For this reason, she plans to compete in nearly every race this winter to reacquaint her body with the rhythm of competition and recovery. In many ways, this World Cup season will serve as a broad testing ground for all athletes. Preseason indications suggested that many teams are structuring their training to peak in March, not every nation would follow the full World Cup calendar. Nevertheless, for those competing, the stakes are high: several athletes are still fighting for quota places for Milano–Cortina.

The start list in Canmore features 70 athletes from 17 national federations, though there are notable absences, including traditionally strong teams from China and Kazakhstan with last season's Crystal Globe winner, Yerbol Khamitov. Even without him, the sitting men’s field remains one of the most competitive on the circuit. Key athletes to watch this season include Derek Zaplotinsky, Aaron Pike, and Scott Meenagh, who has already announced that this will be his final year.

In the standing categories, all eyes will be on whether experienced athletes such as Oleksandra Kononova and Mark Arendz can maintain their positions against the emerging generation. Meanwhile, in the visually impaired categories, a lingering question persists: can anyone disrupt the long-standing dominance of the German women and Ukrainian men?

Three days of competition await in Canmore. The season opens on Thursday with the sprint, followed by a rest day before athletes return on Saturday for the Sprint Pursuit. The weekend concludes on Sunday with the Individual, rounding out an intense start to the Paralympic season.

Photos: Kacin | IBU, Vanzetta | IBU, OIS