Big change in biathlon.
Then several of the world’s best crash – and force Sebastian Samuelsson to act.
– We hope to find a solution, says the Swede.
The biathlon season is now just a few months away, but this year could see a big change. In the past, the very best riders in the world, during World Cup races and during the WC, had to choose which starting group they wanted to go in. Many have chosen to start early to get the best conditions possible, but this has led to lower ranked riders gets to finish – and the end of the competitions thus often lacks any excitement.
The big change
The IBU, the International Biathlon Union, now wants to change that. They have therefore come up with a proposal that you no longer get to choose, but that the riders will automatically be allocated to one of the four starting groups. The IBU’s proposal is that the best riders are allowed to start in group three, i.e. late in the race, in order to make the television viewers stay longer in each competition. But the proposal has not been well received.
According to Norwegian NRK, several stars have reacted with anger as they believe they may be forced to start in worse conditions. The Norwegian star Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen also believes that the proposal is counterproductive, as many people may not be able to finish watching the competitions.
– We were a little unsure if a viewer who watched biathlon and didn’t see some of the best from the start could sit and watch starting numbers 60-70-80 before the leader in the World Cup started. At least we hadn’t. Then we would have quickly switched over to a new channel or something like that. So we think it’s a bad argument, he tells NRK.
Sebastian Samuelsson is forced to act
Now, according to NRK, a campaign is underway to get the IBU to change its mind – and Sebastian Samuelsson plays a big role there. He is on the activists’ committee, and can now be forced to find a solution with the IBU to make everyone happy.
– Our committee is in dialogue with the IBU and hopes that we can find a solution that both active, IBU and TV will be satisfied with. The most important thing for us is to represent the active, says Samuelsson.
There must also be a signature campaign from several countries to stop the proposal. Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen draws a comparison with alpine skiing.
– As a rule, the TV broadcast is cut there after the first thirty. We know that there are 30-40-50 good riders at the start. Sometimes there are surprises. Then you accept to read the news afterwards that a surprise came in and beat Kilde or won or came on the podium, says Christiansen.
Sign up for our newsletter
Share