Biathlon Australia Weekly Newsletter

IBU Congress: Biathlon Australia Represented in Berchtesgaden

BA Chair Dave Windsor and Sports Director & GM Sandra Paul OLY attended the 17th Ordinary IBU Congress in Berchtesgaden, Germany last week, joining representatives from biathlon National Federations around the world for four days of meetings, discussions and important decisions for the sport.

A highlight of the Congress was Dave’s participation in a panel discussion led by the Biathlon Integrity Unit’s Julia Cook, alongside Agnieszka ‘Aga’ Cyl, President of the Polish Biathlon Association, and Diego Zueger, Co-CEO of Swiss Ski.

The panel explored good governance, with the three panellists sharing their experiences and perspectives on the importance of strong governance structures within sport.

Having Dave participate on the Congress stage for the second consecutive Congress reflects the IBU and BIU’s recognition of the progress Biathlon Australia has made in governance and integrity in recent years.

“It was an honour to again share my insights and thoughts on the topic of good governance at my second Congress,” said BA Chair Dave Windsor.

“The work that the BIU do to make biathlon a premier sport and world leader in this space is critical to our ongoing success.

“We also caught up with our friends across Asia, the Americas, Europe, Scandinavia, Oceania and the UK. We had particularly good conversations with Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, Taipei, Ukraine and USA.

“Sandra and I had productive discussions with our NF Partners from Finland and Austria and we explored some exciting future partnerships with a number of nations.”

Dave also visited IBU Headquarters in Salzburg on Monday, spending time with Greg McKenna and the BIU team for a brainstorming session focused on governance and integrity.

“The Congress agenda was non-stop, exciting and somewhat exhausting. I can’t thank the IBU, BIU and our German hosts enough for such an outstanding Congress – the level of professionalism, preparedness and attention to detail is second to none,” Dave said.

“BA continues to go from strength to strength and our ongoing positive participation at Congress, IBU Camps, Education Courses and on the IBU Circuit, from World Champs to Regional Cups, is enhancing our now excellent reputation and standing.”

For Sandra, the Congress was also an important opportunity to strengthen Biathlon Australia’s international relationships and explore opportunities across the athlete pathway.

“Attending the IBU Congress was a valuable opportunity for me to meet with key IBU personnel, strengthen our existing National Federation partnerships and explore exciting new opportunities for collaboration,” said Sandra Paul OLY.

“The corridor conversations were particularly important, opening discussions around new partnerships and opportunities for our Development, Para, Youth, Junior and Senior athletes.

“It was very encouraging to see how well-respected Biathlon Australia is within the international biathlon community, reflecting the improvements we have made in our governance and professionalism. I’m excited about the future partnerships and opportunities these relationships can create for Biathlon Australia.”

Key Congress decisions

On behalf of Biathlon Australia, Dave and Sandra joined the other Congress delegates in voting on a range of important matters, including:

• Admitting the Icelandic Ski Association as a Full Member of the IBU.
• Confirming the Biathlon Union of Serbia as a provisional member.
• Electing a new IBU Executive Board for the next four years, led by President Tim Farčnik of Slovenia.
• Electing a new IBU Technical Committee.
• Approving constitutional changes covering governance, sports development, integrity and disciplinary/arbitral proceedings.
• Appointing Great Britain as host of the 2028 IBU Congress.
• Bestowing Honorary Presidency on Olle Dahlin in recognition of his contribution to biathlon.
• Confirming the IBU budgets for the coming years.
• Approving the annual reports of the Biathlon Integrity Unit and the BIU Board members.

The Congress also received an update on the current status of the Russian Biathlon Union and Biathlon Federation of Belarus and the ongoing suspensions decided by the 2022 Congress.

The IBU announced the extension of its exclusive media rights and production partnership with the European Broadcasting Union through to 2034.

The host of the 2031 IBU World Championships was also confirmed, with Östersund, Sweden selected to host the event.

Updates were also provided on upcoming World Championship venues including Otepää, Hochfilzen and Oslo.

IBU Awards for Excellence

The winners of the 2025/2026 IBU Awards for Excellence were announced at Saturday night’s Gala Dinner.

Congratulations to all the winners:

• NF Award for Excellence in Biathlon 4 All: Biathlon Federation of Ukraine
• NF Award for Excellence in Social Media: Czech Biathlon Union
• Athlete Award for Excellence in Social Media: Adam Runnalls (Canada)
• NF Award for Excellence in Gender Equality: Brazilian Snow Sport Federation
• NF Award for Excellence in Sustainability: Estonian Biathlon Federation
• OC Award for Excellence in Sustainability: OC Ruhpolding

Australia’s Boris Stanish was also shortlisted for the Athlete Award for Excellence in Social Media, finishing just behind eventual winner Adam Runnalls.

Congratulations, Boris, on the recognition of your work representing Australian biathlon online.

IBU Medals of Honour were also presented to Ingemar Arwidson, Olle Dahlin, Ekaterina Dafovska, Kalle Lähdesmäki, Dan Gheorghe Mihoc and Dr Franz Steinle, while Márton Simon received an IBU Certificate of Honour for his outstanding service to biathlon.

We extend our congratulations to Iceland, Serbia, the incoming Executive Board and Technical Committee, Great Britain, Östersund and all of the Award and Medal of Honour recipients.

Biathlon Australia Constitutional Q&A session

A reminder of the information session that is being held this Wednesday evening at 6pm via MS Teams.

Please see herefor a marked up copy of the Constitution showing the amendments.

The link to the meeting is: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/442642731105061?p=bm6NOwfursfW3S8pAv

Firearm Safety Certification Course – Canberra, 4 October

Canberra Rifle Club (CRC) is offering a NSW firearm safety certification course for BA NSW members who require the qualification prior to applying for a NSW firearm licence.

The course will coincide with the biathlon shoot on Sunday, 4 October, but is a separate activity.

When: Sunday, 4 October, approximately 11am
Where: Canberra Rifle Club clubhouse
Duration: Approximately one hour

CRC has a NSW firearm certifier who will conduct the course.

Participants are required to download and study the NSW Long Arms User Guide prior to attending.

NSW Long Arms User Guide:
https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/133133/Firearms_Users_Guide.pdf

A $50 donation to the ACT Teams Fund would be appreciated. Further details will be provided at the course.

For enquiries and registration, please contact the CRC Biathlon Manager, Paul Garai, at paul.garai1@bigpond.com.

Jindabyne Grand Opening and 50th Birthday Celebration

Biathlon Australia is looking forward to welcoming the Biathlon community in Jindabyne on Saturday, 3 October for the grand opening of the new facilities and Biathlon Australia’s 50th Birthday Celebration.

It promises to be a special occasion as we celebrate five decades of Australian biathlon and look ahead to the next chapter of the sport.

We look forward to seeing many of you there!

Ski Fast | Shoot Straight | Happy 50th Birthday