• The working group has been formed to send out the message to the world that DEI will invariably play a notable role in biathlon.
• Members come from various countries where the sport is active, including Germany, Australia, and the USA.

The governing body for biathlon, the International Biathlon Union (IBU), has recently instituted a new Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group to make the winter sport more inclusive and participative.

The recent move aims to transition its current Gender Equality Strategy, which runs until 2026, into a broader DEI strategy until 2030. The group will also throw weight behind its sustainability goals and, more importantly, its Target 2030 vision.

The working group comprises seven members from numerous national federations and organisations within the biathlon community. They come from countries such as Finland, Great Britain, Australia, the USA, Norway, and Germany, as well as include a representative from the Biathlon Integrity Unit.

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Every member brings expertise and experience in managing DEI work, sports governance, or athlete advocacy, which helps in forming the new strategy.

The group officially began operations on 6 May and held its first meeting on the same day. In the first leg of the strategy, they will focus on best practices to be followed and identify important focus areas to improve diversity, equality, and inclusion in biathlon.

All efforts are funnelled towards supporting the IBU Executive Board in developing and publishing a full DEI strategy by early 2026, to permeate DEI into every part of the sport—from how it is organised to how athletes are valued and appreciated.

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Source: IBU