From 23 February to 2 March, 2024, Otepää is hosting the IBU Junior and
Junior World Championships, the largest event in terms of the number of
participants in the International Biathlon Union (IBU) competition calendar. The
competitions were kicked off with a spirited opening ceremony in Otepää.
Organising Committee Chairman Aivar Nigol commented that the World Championships were an ideal opportunity for young biathletes to proudly represent their country, as well as put themselves to the test at the international level. “I believe that the opening ceremony is a good place where athletes can get to know each other better, reduce their competition anxiety and also proudly represent their country,“ Nigol added.
At the opening ceremony, biathletes from 38 participating countries marched with
flags across the Tehvandi biathlon stadium. The teams were greeted by Tarvi Pürn
(Deputy Under-Secretary for Sports at the Ministry of Culture), Rein Pullerits
(Chairman of the Otepää Rural Municipality Council), Aivar Nigol (Chairman of the
Organising Committee), and Max Cobb (IBU Secretary General). To the delight of
the athletes, the dance music duo WATEVA with vocalist m els also took the stage at
the opening ceremony. The Estonian national anthem was performed by local singer
Hans Markus Danilas, who gained momentum from the Estonian version of the TV
show “Pop Idol”.
The World Championships in Otepää is the last international competition for youth
and junior class athletes this season. Over the eight days of competition, we will see
nearly 500 take start in Otepää. Spectators can purchase competition passes,
weekend passes and day tickets, which will give them an access to the shooting
range grandstand of the Youth and Junior World Championships. You can enjoy the
competition by the track free of charge.