International biathlon union

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International Biathlon Union (IBU)
Seat	Anif , Austria
founding	2nd July 1993
place	London , UK
president	Olle Dahlin
Secretary General	Niklas Carlsson
Members	54 national associations
Website	biathlonworld.com

The International Biathlon Union (IBU) ( English International Biathlon Union ) is the umbrella organization of all national biathlon associations. It was founded in 1993 in Heathrow . It currently consists of 56 associations. It has been based in Anif since May 2020 , after having previously been based in neighboring Salzburg since 1998 .

In addition to the classic biathlon , the sports of roller ski biathlon, cross-country running biathlon and mountain bike biathlon also have their home at the IBU.

history

On July 2, 1993 in Heathrow near London, the national biathlon associations decided in a founding congress to separate the sport of biathlon from the world association UIPMB (Union Internationale de Pentathlon Modern Biathlon), where it had been integrated since 1953, and to create its own world association, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) to be founded. At this inaugural meeting, the new association adopted its constitution and elected its first board. The previous 57 biathlon members of the UIPMB were automatically accepted as members of the IBU. In August 1998 the International Olympic Committee recognized the IBU as an independent international Olympic winter sports association and in the same year the GAISF (General Assembly International Sports Federations, today's name Sportaccord ) accepted the IBU as a full member.

Legal status

In June 1999 the IBU established itself as an association based in Salzburg . The constituent general assembly required by Austrian association law took place in September 1999 in Minsk . A working partnership has been entered into with UNESCO , the most important component of which has been joint development projects for the biathlon sport since 1999 within the framework of existing UNESCO programs under the umbrella of CIGEPS (Conseil International Gouvernemental de l'éducation physique et du sport). The IBU thus fulfilled the legal requirements of a non-governmental organization ( NGO ) under Austrian law and was granted this status by the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs in 2000.

Competitive nature

Since the IBU was founded, world championships for men and women as well as world championships for juniors have been held annually - with the exception of the years in which the Olympic Winter Games take place. Since 2002, together with the world championships for the juniors, world championships for the youth classes have also been held. 9 World Cup events are currently held annually . Since the 1994/95 season, European championships have been organized for senior and junior classes. Furthermore, the former European Cup was converted into the IBU Cup , a second, worldwide series. In the summer of 1996 the first world championship in summer biathlon was held in Hochfilzen . Since 2010, European championships in summer biathlon have only been held in cross biathlon and world championships in summer biathlon only in roller skibiathlon. From the 1999/2000 season, the IBU took over the leadership of the FITA (Federation Internationale de Tir a l'Arc) for the sport of Archery Biathlon (shooting with a bow and arrow instead of a rifle) and has since given it up again. The highlights every four years are the Olympic Winter Games , at which in the year after the IBU was founded, biathlon was represented in the program with 3 competitions each for men and women and since 2006 with 5 competitions each for men and women. The mixed relay was held for the first time at the Olympic Games in Sochi 2014 .

Raid on IBU headquarters in April 2018

The Federal Criminal Police raided on 10 April 2018, the business premises of the IBU in Salzburg. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency , the raid, which was carried out in coordination with the Norwegian police and Interpol , is related to doping. The investigation is in particular against President Anders Besseberg and Secretary General Nicole Resch .

The Vienna Business and Corruption Public Prosecutor's Office , which usually does not investigate doping matters, is responsible. On the same day - according to the EU Commission - there were raids across the EU on companies involved in the marketing of rights for the transmission of sporting events. There is a suspicion of violating antitrust law.

President Besseberg told Reuters that “the investigation related to doping issues that the IBU did not pursue. This is about suspicious blood samples. ”Besseberg wanted to wait for the judicial investigation and temporarily resigned from his position as President of the IBU. On April 12, 2018, he officially resigned from his position as Association President.

The WADA accuses Besseberg, among other things, of "having allowed himself to be bribed with paid hunting trips to Russia and the placement of prostitutes" in order to campaign for the 2021 Biathlon World Championships to be awarded to Tyumen . In the case of Nicole Resch, it is said that she "practically had sole sovereignty over the doping administration program in the association and denied access to other IBU employees." Up to 100,000 euros should be given to members of the IBU committee. In the 2017/18 season , 17 out of 22 Russian athletes are said to have started doping in World Cup and IBU Cup races. Overall, the IBU is said to have covered up a total of 65 doping cases by Russian athletes since 2011.

Types of competition

World championships

→ Main article : Biathlon World Championships

The World Championships are the most important event for which the IBU is responsible and - with the exception of the Olympic years - are held annually.

World cup

→ Main article : Biathlon World Cup

The World Cup is a racing series that takes place annually from the end of November to the end of March and includes nine venues with 25 to 30 races. Then there are the World Championships, which are also part of the World Cup.

Open European Championships

→ Main article : European Biathlon Championships

The European Championships take place annually, but despite their name, they are not continental championships in the strict sense, but part of the IBU Cup.

IBU Cup

→ Main article : IBU Cup

The IBU Cup is the second highest annual racing series in biathlon. Until the 2007/08 season the official name was European Cup , but non-European athletes were also allowed to take part in this. It includes eight venues and the European Championships.

Junior World Championships

→ Main article : World Junior Biathlon Championships

Youth and junior world championships are organized annually for male and female youth and for juniors.

Junior Cup

→ Main article : IBU Junior Cup

The IBU Junior Cup was introduced as the third racing series for the 2015/16 season . It includes three venues as well as world and European junior championships. In the course of the introduction, the latter will be separated from the regular European championships and have since been held as a separate event.

Continental championships

Most continents organize their continental championships annually according to their rules based on the IBU competition rules:

• Asia
• North America
• South America

Continental Cups

In Asia, North and South America and Oceania, a different number of continental cups are organized annually according to their rules on the basis of the IBU competition rules.

World championships in summer biathlon

Summer biathlon world championships are held annually for men, women, juniors and juniors with roller skiing and small bore shooting.

Acting persons

President

Besseberg is different	July 2, 1993 - April 12, 2018
Klaus Leistner (Interim)	April 12, 2018 - September 7, 2018
Olle Dahlin	September 7, 2018 - acting

Managing directors / general secretaries

Peter Bayer	July 2, 1993 - 2004
Michael Geistlinger	2004 - April 30, 2008
Nicole Resch (Interim)	April 30, 2008 - November 12, 2008
Nicole Resch	November 12, 2008 - April 13, 2018 *
Martin Kuchenmeister (Interim)	April 13, 2018 - February 28, 2019
Alf Koksvik (Interim)	March 1, 2019 - August 31, 2019
Niklas Carlsson	September 1, 2019 - acting
* suspended

Board

The current board consists of:

• Olle Dahlin, President
• Jiří Hamza, Vice President
• Klaus Leistner, treasurer
• Max Cobb
• Tore Bøygard
• Franz Steinle
• Ivor Lehotan
• James Carrabre
• Clare Egan , Athlete Representative

Senior staff

• Niklas Carlsson, General Secretary
• Felix Bitterling, sports director
• Christian Winkler, communications director
• Dagmara Gerasimuk, Development Director
• Borut Nunar, Race Director Biathlon World Cup
• Kristjan Oja , IBU Cup Race Director
• Arne Eidam, IBU Junior Cup Race Director

Technical Committee

Franz Berger (Austria), Tomasz Bernat (Poland), Gerald Hönig (Germany), Vlastimil Jakeš (Czech Republic), Kari Korpela (Sweden), Matej Kordež (Slovenia), Henrik L'Abée-Lund (Norway, athlete representative), Lorenz Leitgeb (Italy), Wolha Nasarawa (Belarus), Christophe Vassallo (France, Chairman), Hillar Zahkna (Estonia)

Athletes Committee

Clare Egan (United States, Chair), Aita Gasparin (Switzerland), Erik Lesser (Germany), Martin Fourcade (France) (since March 2018)

Members

The International Biathlon Union has 54 national associations as full members:

country	Association
Argentina	Federacion Argentina de Biathlon
Armenia	Hajatani Biathloni Federazia (Հայաստանի բիաթլոնի ֆեդերացիա)
Australia	Australian Biathlon Association Inc
Belgium	Royal Belgian Ski Association
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Skijaški Savez Bosne i Hercegovine
Brazil	Confederação Brasileira de Desportos na Neve
Bulgaria	Balgarska Federatsija po Biatlon (Българска федерация по биатлон)
Chile	Federación Chilena de Biathlon
People's Republic of China	Chinese Ski Association
Denmark	Danmarks Ski Association
Germany	German Ski Association
Estonia	Eesti Laskesuusatamise Föderatsioon
Finland	Suomen Ampumahiihtoliitto
France	Fédération Française de Ski
Georgia	Sakartvelos Erovnuli Biat'loni Pederatsia (საქართველოს ეროვნული ბიატლონი ფედერაცია)
Greece	Ellinikí Omospondía Chionodromías (Ελληνική Ομοσπονδία Χιονοδρομίας)
Greenland	Greenland Biathlon Federation
United Kingdom	British Biathlon Union
India	Indian Biathlon Association
Ireland	Snow Sports Association of Ireland
Italy	Federazione Italiana Sport Invernali
Japan	Japan Biathlon Federation (日本 バ イ ア ス ロ ン 連 盟)
Canada	Biathlon Canada
Kazakhstan	Soyuz Biatlonistow Respubliki Kazakhstan (Союз биатлонистов Республики Казахстан)
Kyrgyzstan	Kırgız Respublikasının Biatlon (Кыргыз Республикасынын Биатлон)
Croatia	Hrvatski biatlonski savez
Latvia	Latvijas Biatlona federācijas
Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein Ski Association
Lithuania	Lietuvos Biatlono federacija
North Macedonia	Ski jacket federacija na Makedonija
Moldova	Federația de Biatlon a Republicii Moldova
Mongolia	Mongolyn Biatlony Cholboo (Монголын Биатлоны Холбоо)
New Zealand	Biathlon New Zealand
Netherlands	Nederlandse Ski Vereniging
Norway	Norges Skiskytterforbund
Austria	Austrian Ski Association
Poland	Polski Związek Biathlonu
Romania	Federatia romana de Ski Biathlon
Sweden	Svenska Skidskytteförbundet
Switzerland	Swiss ski
Serbia	Biatlon Sawez Srbije (Биатлон Савез Србије)
Slovakia	Slovenský zväz Biatlonu
Slovenia	Smučarska zveza Slovenije
Spain	Real Federación Española Deportes de Invierno
South Korea	Korea Biathlon Union (한국 바이애슬론 연합)
Taiwan	Chinese Taipei Modern Pentathlon and Biathlon Association
Czech Republic	Český svaz biatlonu
Turkey	Türkıye Kayak Federasyonu
Ukraine	Federatsija Biatlonu Ukrajiny (Федерація біатлону України)
Hungary	Magyar Sí Szövetség
United States	United States Biathlon Association
Uzbekistan	O'zbekiston Respublikasi Texnik sport Respublika markazi
Belarus	Belorusskaja Federatsija Biatlona (Белорусская федерация биатлона)
Cyprus	Omospondía Kýprou Víathlo (Ομοσπονδία Κύπρου Βίαθλο)

In addition, the national associations of Andorra , the Dominican Republic , Iceland , Mexico and Russia are provisional members of the IBU.

Advertising and sponsors

As a television sport with millions of viewers, biathlon attracts major sponsors . The International Biathlon Union and its marketing partner Infront Austria organized a so-called scarce sponsorship concept . The IBU has signed a contract with the marketer Infront Austria, as well as with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for television broadcasting rights since 1993 and until 2022 . In 2014, after twenty years , BMW replaced E.ON and Ruhrgas as the title sponsor of the World Cup, plus there are five premium sponsors ( Viessmann , DKB , Erdinger alcohol-free , Bauhaus and Hörmann ). These companies are present at the Biathlon World Championship and at all Biathlon World Cups.

Web links

• Official website (in German, English and Russian)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ History of the IBU ( Memento of the original from December 15, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
2. ↑ Investigations against the biathlon boss and IBU general secretary. Süddeutsche Zeitung , April 11, 2018, accessed on August 27, 2020 . 
3. ↑ fuss raided Biathlon Association on sport.oe24.at, accessed on April 11, 2018
4. ↑ IBU President resigns from office for the time being on salzburg.orf.at, accessed on April 12, 2018
5. ↑ After allegations of corruption at the Biathlon World Federation: President Besseberg resigns on merkur.de, accessed on April 15, 2018
6. ↑ Doping and prostitution: Biathlon Association in the Crossfire ( Memento of the original from April 17, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. at sport.de, accessed on April 16, 2018 
7. ↑ Types of competitions ( Memento of the original from January 30, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
8. ^ IBU Congress: Olle Dahlin (SWE) elected as new IBU President
9. ↑ International Biathlon Union announces new Secretary General, accessed September 1, 2019
10. ^ IBU announces new Directors of Communications and Sport
11. ↑ Members of the new IBU Athlete's Committee elected on biathlonworld.com, accessed on August 18, 2018
12. ↑ IBU Member Federations
13. ↑ Constitution of the IBU Annex 3, accessed on November 5, 2019
14. ↑ EBU and IBU sign exclusive media rights agreement until March 2022 on ebu.ch, accessed on August 18, 2018
15. ↑ Lars Becker: Thanks to Laura Dahlmeier & Co: Biathlon World Cup inspires millions - and sponsors . In: ispo.com . November 28, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2018.