The International Biathlon Union (IBU) has changed the qualification rules for World Cup mass starts. From the 2026/27 season, only the top 20 in the overall standings will be automatically eligible, down from 25. The remaining ten places will go to the athletes who score the most points at the World Cup venue in question. The field stays at 30 starters.
Böhm explains how the field is filled
Daniel Böhm, the IBU's sport and event director, confirmed the change in a conversation with the portal chiemgau24.de. According to Böhm, the field will be completed by the ten athletes with the most points at that venue who are not in the top 20 of the overall standings.
The aim is to reward current form more strongly. According to the portal Dicodusport, this frees up five extra places for the strongest athletes of the week. It also gives athletes further down the overall standings an additional chance to score points. Dicodusport adds that the IBU has made the change official in its rulebook.
Athletes asked for the change
The request came from the athletes themselves. According to Böhm, the Athletes' Committee submitted the request. The IBU Executive Board approved it as the final authority. The Athletes' Committee is made up of five elected athletes and has a seat on the IBU Technical Committee.
The mass start is the only individual race in which all biathletes start at the same time. It traditionally closes the individual events at certain World Cup stops and at major international championships. bild.de also reported on the new rule.
BiathlonFrance biathlon: Seven men fight for five World Cup spots in GeiloFive venues, ten races – World Championships excluded
The new rule will apply at five World Cup venues, covering ten races in total:
- Le Grand-Bornand (France)
- Antholz (Italy)
- Nové Město (Czech Republic)
- Östersund (Sweden)
- Oslo (Norway)
The World Championships in Estonia, scheduled for 7 to 21 February, will not be affected. There, the top 15 in the overall World Cup and the medallists from the individual races are seeded. The rest of the field will be filled by the highest-scoring championship participants who do not meet those criteria.
The 2026/27 World Cup season will open on 26 November in Kontiolahti, Finland.
