The International Biathlon Union (IBU) intends to decide the fate of biathlon competitions in the first part of the new season within a month.

In connection with the coronavirus pandemic, the media have expressed concerns that the first stages of the World Cup will be canceled or postponed.

As winter approaches, the sports federations are gradually determining whether they will hold their competitions under the circumstances or not.

So, the International Skating Union (ISU) for the first half of the season left only a modified series of Grand Prix in figure skating.

In addition, the fate of the two stages of the Short Track World Cup in Seoul and Beijing has not yet been determined.

The other two starts in Montreal and Laval have been canceled along with all World Speed ​​Skating Cup events.

The International Ski Federation (FIS) has so far refused to host alpine skiing starts in North America.

Biathlon is one of the most popular winter sports, and its fate worries many fans.

On the eve of the All Sport agency reported that the International Biathlon Union is allegedly considering the possibility of canceling all of its pre-New Year competitions, including the World Cup and the IBU Cup, due to a new increase in morbidity and closed borders.

The stages of the world cup in Kontiolahti, Ostersund, Hochfilzen and Annecy were under threat.

Soon the TV commentator Dmitry Guberniev also spoke about this.

He also noted that a format could be used whereby the competition would be held in one specific location.

Thus, according to him, the IBU will adopt a strategy that is actively used in North American sports leagues.

“There was information that the four December stages of the Biathlon World Cup may be canceled.

But the story is being discussed that all the teams can be concentrated in one northern place - either Sweden or Finland.

And all the December races will be held there.

Without spectators, of course.

A kind of closed "bubble", as it is now in the NHL and the NBA, "Guberniev wrote in his Telegram channel.

He also said that if international competitions are canceled, Russian biathletes will compete in the Russian Cup stages, which are usually qualifying starts for the national team.

The IBU, however, did not claim that they were considering such a pessimistic scenario for the fans.

On the contrary, the organization promised to try to keep all the starts scheduled for November and December.

“We are not planning to cancel the competition.

Our priority is to keep all scheduled events.

But we also need to evaluate alternative scenarios that require fewer crossings.

But even in these scenarios, the same number of competitions is assumed.

Another thing is that all this is still a plan, because in a pandemic we must remain flexible, ”the IBU press service quotes TASS.

The final decision on the holding of the Biathlon World Cup will be made during the next meeting of the IBU Executive Committee, which will be held on September 26-27.

The idea of ​​holding all races in one place can also be discussed, and this option was previously supported by the head coach of the Russian national team Valery Polkhovsky.

“We expect the biathlon season to take place.

We are all waiting for the IBU's decision when it will decide on the place and time of the start.

In my opinion, the most acceptable option is to get together in a certain country and hold the first stages of the World Cup there.

It will be the safest for the athletes, and the spectators will be able to enjoy the competition, "said Polkhovsky" Match TV ".

The Russian Biathlon Union (RBU) announced that they are ready to cancel international starts.

If this happens, then the organization, following the example of the Russian Figure Skating Federation, will offer its athletes an alternative in the form of its own competitions.

The President of the SBR, Viktor Maygurov, spoke about this.

“First of all, I want to say that we have no official information about the cancellation of international competitions.

But in the calendar of the All-Russian competitions, stages of the Russian Cup are planned.

And if it suddenly happens that the stages of the World Cup and the IBU Cup are canceled, the athletes of the national team will perform at the stages of the Russian Cup, "the head of the SBR noted.

The first test for Russian biathletes will be the country's summer championship, which will be held from September 17 to 23 in Tyumen.

Usually this event is missed by the leading athletes, but in the current conditions, the presence of all the leaders is planned, which was also reported by Polkhovsky.

In particular, Ekaterina Yurlova-Perkht expressed her intention to come to Tyumen.

But at the same time, she noted that it would be difficult for her to get there from Austria, where she is preparing for the season.

The participation of the Russian national team in the summer biathlon competition may influence the further formation of the national team.

Before each season, it is this question that becomes the subject of discussions between specialists and fans.

Disputes about who can enter the team are often conducted due to the fact that the face-to-face meeting of the strongest athletes simply does not take place.

Now, the balance of power in biathlon will soon become known, and this should shed light on who deserves to be included in the national team at the World Cup stages, if they really take place.