The M4Energy City Biathlon Dresden has confirmed its complete start list for the 23 August edition, with Switzerland's Amy Baserga and Germany's Philipp Horn named as the final additions to a twenty-athlete field drawn from nine nations.
Organisers have now closed the entry, giving the race a definitive shape ahead of the third edition of the event, which is held at the Heinz-Steyer-Stadion and along a 2.3-kilometre course that passes through the old town of Dresden, running past landmarks including the Saxon State Parliament and the Semper Opera on the banks of the Elbe.
Men's Field: Perrot Defends Against World-Class Opposition
France's Eric Perrot, the defending Dresden champion and double Olympic gold medallist from the 2026 Antholz Games, headlines the ten-man entry alongside Norway's Sturla Holm Lægreid and Sweden's Martin Ponsiluoma, who took the individual pursuit gold at the same Olympics. Germany contributes three athletes in Philipp Nawrath, Justus Strelow and the newly confirmed Philipp Horn.
Italy's Lukas Hofer, Czech Republic's Vitezslav Hornig, Ukraine's Vitalii Mandzyn and Slovenia's Jakov Fak complete the men's ten. According to organisers, nine Olympic medal winners from the Antholz Games are represented across the combined field — a figure that reflects the quality of the entry relative to the event's three-year history.
Women's Field: Vittozzi Faces Continental Depth
Italy's Lisa Vittozzi, one of the most consistent performers of the past World Cup cycle, leads the women's line-up, joined by Germany's Vanessa Voigt and Janina Hettich-Walz. Sweden's Anna Magnusson and the newly confirmed Amy Baserga of Switzerland give the women's field an additional layer of experience from the Alpine region.
Czech Republic's Tereza Vobornikova, Estonia's Regina Ermits, Austria's Anna Gandler, Belgium's Lotte Lie and Bulgaria's Lora Hristova round out the ten-woman roster. The geographic spread — from Ukraine to Belgium — reflects the IBU's growing footprint beyond its traditional Scandinavian-German stronghold.
Format and Summer Racing Context
The Dresden City Biathlon uses real rifles on a conventional shooting range set against the city-centre backdrop, with athletes tackling the Elbe-side circuit in summer conditions. The format gives fans close access to competition-standard biathlon without the snowbound logistics of the World Cup winter.
For the athletes, Dresden functions as a mid-summer pressure test — real rifles, real competition nerves and direct comparison against peers at a point in the season when national championship events and altitude camps dominate the calendar.
What to Watch On the Day
Perrot arrives as a two-time defending force at this event, having won the Dresden title in its previous edition and then claimed two Olympic golds at Antholz. The question is whether the summer circuit will reveal any early-season form shifts among his rivals.
Ponsiluoma, fresh from Olympic pursuit gold, and Lægreid, who has been a fixture in the World Cup top five for several seasons, are the most likely challengers on the men's side. Among the women, Vittozzi's shooting consistency will be tested by a field that includes several athletes with strong summer competitive records.
The 2026-27 Biathlon World Cup season is expected to open in Östersund in late November. Dresden on 23 August is the last major international test before athletes head into their final autumn preparation blocks.