Biathlon World Cup kicks off in Östersund
Östersund lies in the heart of Sweden, in the province of Jämtland, and hosts the opening event of the Biathlon World Cup today, Wednesday. The combination of cross-country skiing and shooting is hugely popular not only with winter sports fans in Germany, but is also considered one of the most spectacular and exciting skiing disciplines worldwide.
Biathlon: a spectator sport
Biathlon enjoys a very high profile in Germany, not least thanks to the outstanding performances of its male and female ski hunters. The women and men coached by national team coaches Uwe Müssiggang and Frank Ullrich are once again among the leading favorites this winter, both for the World Cup and for the Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada.
Biathlon World Cup kicks off in Östersund
Date: 30/09/2026
German biathlon stars
In Östersund, the German biathletes are already looking to make their mark in the first World Cup races of the winter and qualify for the Olympics as early as possible. Biathlon star Magdalena Neuner will not be competing in Sweden just yet, however, as she is still recovering from a viral infection and does not want to take any risks at the start of the winter. It will therefore be up to Kathrin Hitzer, Kati Wilhelm, Martina Beck, Simone Hauswald and Andrea Henkel to come through for Germany in today's 15-kilometer individual race in Östersund.
Östersund: a cross-country skiing destination
Apartments and hotels in Östersund are, of course, also available through us at our usual affordable rates. This centrally located winter sports resort in Sweden is also very popular with tourists who want to try their hand at cross-country skiing or similar disciplines. Östersund has hosted the Biathlon World Championships twice and narrowly missed out on being awarded the Winter Olympics several times. The infrastructure in Östersund therefore leaves nothing to be desired and ranks among the best that winter holidays in Sweden have to offer.
