Dear Biathlon Family Australia,

Biathlon Australia Director Katerina Paul, and Chair David Windsor, are currently representing AUS NF at the 16^thOrdinary IBU Congress in Belgrade (Serbia). The Congress will select World Championship hosts, consider changes to the IBU Constitution and Rules and approve the IBU’s Target 2030 strategic plan.

Katerina and David took part in Congress workshops on the eve of the Congress reporting back on key developments including on para biathlon. Some brief para highlights:

• FIS and IBU cooperation:
  • Be classified for Para Cross Country and Para Biathlon competition by single classification system delivered by FIS Snowsports and shared with IBU
  • Both International Federations (IFs) will do their best efforts to avoid scheduling conflicts in the best interests of their athletes
  • Coordinated anti-doping program managed by both IFs
• All active para biathletes and NF officials will be registered in IBU Member Centre
• IBU doesn’t yet have IBU Points system for Para
• This season all athletes with valid classification and FIS points will be qualified for Para Biathlon. See IBU 2024-25 Para Biathlon Calendar here:
  • PBWC1, Vuokatti, Finland 10-15 Dec 24
  • PBWC2/PWG Test Event, Val Di Fiemme, Italy 27-30 Jan 25
  • PBWCH, Pokljuka, Slovenia, 4-9 Feb 25
  • PBWC3, Torsby, Sweden, 6-11 Mar 25

Thirty-six years ago when Director Katerina Paul’s grandparents, Alice and Colin Paul, represented AUS NF at the 1988 UIPMB Congress in Canmore there was no livestreaming of the sessions like there is today. It’s great that Katerina is able to join David Windsor at this year’s Congress given her family’s strong history of Australian biathlon over the last five decades. Trevor Paul was second to Bob Cranage in Biathlon Australia’s first race on 23rd of July 1977 and both of Katerina’s parents (Sandra Paintin-Paul & Andrew Paul) competed for Australia at the Olympics in biathlon. AUS NF is again well represented at IBU Congress.

And, if you are experiencing FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), and wish you were with Kat and Dave at the IBU Congress in Serbia, so you get to hear the key decisions first hand, don’t forget to tune into the YouTube livestream later today.

The IBU Congress sessions can be watched live on YouTube:

Friday, 27 September: https://youtube.com/live/Vp1LmM784xI
Saturday, 28 September: https://youtube.com/live/YcnloH6_Oqg

Biathlon Australia: your biathlon, since 1976.

David, Sandy, Murray, Brett, Tristan, Mark, Libby and Katerina