Hundreds of workers in Pokljuka are still battling the weather to prepare for the start of the BMW IBU World Cup Biathlon. Despite challenging weather conditions, two short individual races are scheduled for Thursday. The women will start their 12.5 km race at 11:30, while the men’s 15 km race will begin at 15:15.
Due to the poor weather forecast, warm temperatures, and heavy rain, we had to change the competition schedule, as only the women’s 15 km individual race was originally planned for Thursday. In the shortened events, the penalty for a missed shot will also be slightly reduced. Athletes will lose 45 seconds for each missed shot at the shooting range instead of a minute.
The situation is tense in preparing the venue, and similarly, the competition among athletes is also intense. Before the penultimate stop of the World Cup season, the fight for the overall title in both individual categories has become incredibly tight.
Particularly intense is the men’s competition, where the best biathlete of the last decade, Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Boe, is targeting his sixth overall World Cup victory as he prepares to retire. After the races in Nové Město, Czechia, he moved into first place in the overall standings, pushing his compatriot Sturla Holm Laegreid down to second, with only five points separating them.
The women’s competition has also become complicated. The nearly 100-point lead that Germany’s Franziska Preuss had over France’s Lou Jeanmonnot, has shrunk to just 36 points after the races in the Czech Republic. It is clear that, barring injuries and illnesses, the Pokljuka plateau will decide the fight for the overall World Cup title.
The Slovenian team, led by head coach Janez Marič, remains unchanged for the final part of the season. In the women’s race, Slovenia will be represented by Anamarija Lampič, Polona and Živa Klemenčič, and Lena Repinc, while men’s team will consist of Jakov Fak, the 37-year-old currently ranked 13th in the World Cup, Miha Dovžan, Anton Vidmar, and Lovro Planko.
“For us, the race in Pokljuka is important. The home venue brings biathlon closer to the local audience. Given the conditions, this year, we just hope for nice weather,” said Tomas Globočnik, head of the biathlon section at the Ski Association of Slovenia, at a press conference before the event.
Nearly 300 biathletes from 28 countries will participate.
