Olympic Schedule Change: Women 12.5km Mass Start moved to Friday

With stronger winds forecast in addition to cold temperatures below -15°C, the Women's 12.5km Mass Start has been advanced and will now take place on Friday, 18 February instead of Saturday, 19 February.

Originally scheduled to be the final biathlon competition of the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing 2022, BOCOG confirmed the Women 12.5km Mass Start is now going to take place one day earlier.

The competition is now scheduled to take place on Friday, 18 February at 08:00 (CET) / 15:00 local time in Beijing.

The Men 15km Mass Start will take place as originally scheduled on Friday, 18 February at 10:00 (CET) / 17:00 local time in Beijing.

In the IBU Event and Competition Rules, Art. 6.6.2 states the following for weather conditions at the start of a competition:

6.6.2 Wind Chill

If it is colder than minus 15°C, wind chill and humidity must be considered before starting and during the competition. In the case of a high wind chill factor, the competition jury will decide whether to start or continue the competition, in consultation with the Competition Physician. The course to be skied may also be changed to avoid windy areas.