Östersund selected to host 2031 Biathlon World Championships

The International Biathlon Union (IBU) has announced that Östersund, Sweden, will host the 2031 Biathlon World Championships. The decision was made during the IBU Congress held in Berchtesgaden, Germany, where the Swedish venue beat out Finland's Kontiolahti.

In addition to selecting the 2031 host, the Congress saw the election of Tim Farcnik as the new IBU President. Farcnik, a Slovenian, becomes the first non-Scandinavian to hold the position, succeeding Olle Dahlin.

The Congress also addressed membership updates, unanimously approving the Swedish Ski Association as a full member and granting temporary membership to the Serbian Biathlon Union. Regarding the suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes, the IBU Executive Board maintained the current embargo, noting that any potential reinstatement remains at the discretion of the board should conditions change.