Countdown to 2021 biathlon world championships in Pokljuka starts
Pokljuka, 14 September - The organisers of biathlon events in Pokljuka finalised on Saturday the last contractual formalities to host the IBU World Championships 2021 by signing a declaration with the International Biathlon Union (IBU). The countdown has thus started to one of the largest sport events in Slovenian in the coming years.
Pokljuka
Representatives of the organisers of the IBU World Championships 2021 in Pokljuka and of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) sign a declaration to finalise the formalities about the event.
Photo: Nik Jevšnik/STA
Pokljuka
Representatives of the organisers of the IBU World Championships 2021 in Pokljuka and of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) sign a declaration to finalise the formalities about the event.
Photo: Nik Jevšnik/STA
Pokljuka
Representatives of the organisers of the IBU World Championships 2021 in Pokljuka and of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) sign a declaration to finalise the formalities about the event.
Photo: Nik Jevšnik/STA
Pokljuka
Representatives of the organisers of the IBU World Championships 2021 in Pokljuka and of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) sign a declaration to finalise the formalities about the event.
Photo: Nik Jevšnik/STA
Pokljuka
Representatives of the organisers of the IBU World Championships 2021 in Pokljuka and of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) sign a declaration to finalise the formalities about the event.
Photo: Nik Jevšnik/STA
"This is in a way a symbolic start of the 2021 IBU World Championships project in Pokljuka," said Tim Farčnik, the vice-president of the organising committee, as the declaration was signed exactly a year after the venue was awarded the event.
The first test of the venue after the signing will be held in January 2020, as Pokljuka hosts biathlon World Cup events, followed by final preparations for the world championships. The works will be focused on the media centre, facilities for athletes and logistics plans.
The declaration signed today regulates technical details of the organisation of the event and its financial plan, which is estimated at EUR 7.8 million, as well as the obligations of the IBU and the organisers.
The signing was attended by IBU Secretary General Niklas Carlsson, who said that "Pokljuka is an experienced host of international events in biathlon, so we don't doubt that the championships will be organised successfully."
According to Carlsson, the IBU is satisfied with the organisation plans. He has assessed that the most of the work will relate to maximising the use of space given the limitations, as the event will be organised in a national park.
For this reason, the number of visitors (around 150,000) is expected to be lower that at past world championships, but the organisers promise that this is what will make the championships in Pokljuka special.
"It will not be the largest world championships by the number of spectators, but it will be certainly be remembered, as the venue stands in the middle of the Triglav National Park," said Tomaž Šušteršič, the secretary general of the organising committee.
Earlier today, the organisers from Pokljuka and the local authorities of Bled and Bohinj opened an information point in Bled to inform the tourists visiting the picturesque lakeside resort about the upcoming championships.