Finland to Bid for the 2031 Biathlon World Championships

The Finnish Biathlon Federation and Kontiolahti Sport Club are applying for Finland to host the 2031 Biathlon World Championships in Kontiolahti.

According to Markus Hirvonen, Regional Mayor of North Karelia, both the bid itself and the development of the Kontiolahti Biathlon Stadium as an international competition venue, a national training centre and a location for major international events form a key regional priority.

“Applying for major championships clearly reflects the commitment of the region’s municipalities, educational institutions, the business community, public authorities, sports clubs and the academic sector,” Hirvonen says.

A solid foundation for hosting the Championships

Jaakko Puurula, Chair of the Finnish Biathlon Federation, says Finland’s strengths lie in its long-standing experience in organising major events, its commitment to responsibility, and its strong collaborative culture.

“The Biathlon World Cup events in Kontiolahti have repeatedly received praise from the International Biathlon Union (IBU) for their smooth organisation. This creates an excellent, confidence-building and stable foundation for hosting the World Championships,” Puurula says.

Continuous development remains essential.

“At next March’s World Cup event in Kontiolahti, we will further enhance the spectator experience by offering more opportunities for fans to meet the athletes. Easy and natural interaction in the event village is one of Kontiolahti’s distinctive strengths,” Puurula says.

Info: Finland’s Bid for the 2031 Biathlon World Championships

• The Biathlon World Championships are held annually in February–March, except in Winter Olympic years.
• The event was held for the first time in Finland in Hämeenlinna in 1962.
• Kontiolahti has hosted the Championships in 1999 and 2015. In 1990, the men’s relay world title was decided in Kontiolahti.
• The host of the 2031 Championships will be selected at the IBU Congress in Berchtesgaden, Germany, in September 2026.
• The IBU Evaluation Commission will visit bidding venues during summer 2026 to examine their sustainability plans and commitments to service development.
• The bid is prepared in cooperation with a regional and national network including Kontiolahti Sport Club, Municipality of Kontiolahti, City of Joensuu, Regional Council of North Karelia, North Karelia Chamber of Commerce, North Karelia Entrepreneurs, University of Eastern Finland, Karelia University of Applied Sciences, North Karelia Municipal Education and Training Consortium Riveria, VisitKarelia, Kontionloikka Oy, Business Joensuu Oy, ISLO (Sports Institute of Eastern Finland) and the Finnish Biathlon Federation.