From 22 to 25 August, over 300 biathletes from 30 countries will compete at the IBU Summer Biathlon World Championships in Otepää. Among them, Estonian Tuuli Tomingas will be defending her World Champion title in sprint, alongside several of the world's top biathletes.
During the four days of competition at the Tehvandi Sports Center, 12 world championship titles will be up for grabs—six in the senior category and six in the junior category. “This will be a high-level event, with all the nations that value the Summer World Championships taking part, alongside top winter athletes and aspiring juniors, including the Estonian team with strong medal hopes,” said Hillar Zahkna, Chairman of the Competition Committee. Top athletes from Finland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Poland, and Belgium will be making their way to Otepää. Among the notable participants are the French brothers Fabien and Emilien Claude, along with Swedish athlete Jesper Nelin.
Tehvandi Sports Center is considered one of the most ideal locations for hosting summer biathlon events on an international scale. "The Tehvandi tracks have excellent asphalt surfaces and are well-developed, and the shooting range is in top condition. For summer biathlon training, Tehvandi is one of the premier locations globally, as more and more national teams are choosing it for their summer training camps,” Zahkna stated.
Norway will be sending a development team, several members of which secured medals at the Youth and Junior World Championships in Otepää last winter. “As part of our cooperation between federations, we held joint training camps with the Norwegian and Estonian development teams last year. Since the Norwegians appreciate the conditions at Tehvandi, they will return to Otepää for a training camp during the Summer Biathlon World Championships and will compete in the event,” said Kauri Kõiv, Sports Director of the Estonian Biathlon Federation, who also confirmed that the Estonian team will be competing in Otepää with its strongest lineup.
The IBU Summer Biathlon World Championships will be held in Otepää on 22–25 August, 2024. Spectators can cheer on the athletes from both the shooting range grandstand and the track. In the evenings, you can enjoy concerts by Nublu, Curly Strings and Põhja-Tallinn.
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