The IBU Executive Board (EB) met in Lenzerheide, Switzerland this week as the Swiss resort hosted a series of meetings of the Biathlon family including the IBU Mentorship Programme, Para Biathlon Development Forum and Organising Committee meeting.

The EB was held on 11-12 June 2024 and saw a number of reports and discussions on several rule changes such as safety regulations, adjustments in the points system and flexibility in the start group system for the upcoming season. The rule changes will need to be assessed further and some will require Congress approval.

The EB also decided that the same total prize money will be made available to athletes in an Olympic season as in a non-Olympic season by increasing the prize money for the World Cup, when there are no IBU World Championships. This will provide athletes with greater consistency across the quadrennial.

Congress preparation was also high on the agenda with the EB suggesting several changes to the IBU Constitution.

A presentation of the strategic project “Closing the Gap” was also delivered, which aims to help National Federations develop their national teams and increase the representation of nations on the medal podiums.

Prior to the EB meeting, the second edition of the IBU Mentorship Programme concluded with a final workshop in Lenzerheide where the 14 mentees gave their final presentations. The year-long individual mentoring porgramme is carried out together with SheSkillzGlobal mentors and focuses on female leadership skills development.

On 7-9 June, the Para Biathlon Development Forum was held to drive discussions on the strategic development of the sport. The Forum was attended by National Federations and industry partners ahead of the IBU taking full responsibility for staging the Para Biathlon World Cup events from the 2024/2025 season onwards. The cooperation on Para Nordic with FIS will focus on ensuring optimal calendar planning without scheduling conflicts, creating administrative synergies and close coordination of anti-doping efforts. The Forum was followed by a two-day workshop to develop a new Annex on Para Biathlon to be included in the IBU Event and Competition Rules.

The week of meetings in Lenzerheide concluded with the annual IBU Organising Committee Meeting. Participants from 25 IBU Organising Committees provided their input and experience on strategic priorities included in the new Target 2030 plan for “Enhancing our Events” and discussed operational topics around the conduction of the events like accommodation and sustainability requirements.

Photo: Manzoni/IBU