Third Edition Set for 23 August in the Heart of Dresden
The M4Energy City Biathlon Dresden returns on 23 August for its third edition, once again turning the Heinz-Steyer Stadium and the banks of the Elbe into a biathlon race venue. Ten men and ten women will each compete in a qualifying race before the fastest shooters advance to the mass start final — an urban spectacle broadcast live on German public television ZDF. A para-biathlon relay and the Youngster Team Challenge round out a full day of competition in the Saxon capital.
Dresden sits between the Blink Festival in Sandnes, which closed on 8 August, and the German Biathlon Association's national championships in September, making it one of the final elite-level measurement points before teams close their summer preparation camps and turn toward the World Cup opener in late autumn.
Men: Perrot Defends as Rivals Circle
Defending champion Éric Perrot arrives in the finest form of his career. The Frenchman won the 2025 Dresden event in a narrow finish over compatriot Quentin Fillon-Maillet, but his 2025-26 season was transformational: two gold medals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and the Crystal Globe as World Cup overall winner cement his status as the sport's dominant figure heading into the new cycle. He has not lost momentum since — at the Blink Festival in Sandnes last week, he pushed reigning Blink-king Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen to within one second across both biathlon finals.
Norway's Sturla Holm Lægreid, himself an Olympic champion, is the most credible threat to a Perrot repeat. Sweden's Martin Ponsiluoma, a multiple World Cup stage winner and one of biathlon's most powerful cross-country skiers, adds a third dimension at the sharp end. Germany's Philipp Nawrath and Justus Strelow will aim to give the home crowd a podium result, backed by Italian Lukas Hofer, Slovenian veteran Jakov Fak, Czech Vitezslav Hornig and Ukrainian Vitalii Mandzyn. One further starter is yet to be named.
Women: Vittozzi Headlines a Deep Field
Italy's Lisa Vittozzi, Olympic pursuit champion from Milano Cortina 2026, leads the women's entries. Two of Germany's most established current biathletes — Vanessa Voigt and Janina Hettich-Walz — stand as the home favourites in front of a ZDF prime-time audience. Sweden's Anna Magnusson, Czech Tereza Vobornikova, Belgium's Lotte Lie, Estonian Regina Ermits and Austria's Anna Gandler complete the confirmed entries; two women's slots remained open at time of publication.
What Dresden Does Differently
Dresden's appeal lies partly in its city-centre setting — athletes race past the Elbe waterfront rather than through a traditional forest loop — and partly in its laser-shooting format, which eliminates live ammunition and allows the start-finish area to be positioned closer to spectators than a conventional biathlon venue permits. The format also makes the event accessible for broadcasters: ZDF's coverage reaches an audience unacquainted with biathlon's usual winter context, giving the sport rare summer visibility in Germany's largest TV market.
The full start list, including the remaining women's entry, is expected to be confirmed in the days ahead. The German national championships in September follow as the last domestic preparation test before the IBU World Cup season resumes.