The European Youth Biathlon Championships will be held in Imatra from 19 to 25 January 2026.

The European Youth Biathlon Championships will be held in Ukonniemi from 19 to 25 January 2026. The four-day competitions will include normal distances, mixed and mixed pair relays, speed competitions and mass starts. 

– 21 countries have currently registered for the competitions. 104 athletes have registered for the women's categories and 110 for the men's categories, says Saku Miikki About Imatra's Athletes. 

According to Miikki, preparations for the competitions have started well in advance in February 2025. The preparations are being carried out in accordance with the agreement signed with the international sports federation IBU. In August, the IBU Junior Cup Race Director conducted an inspection at the Ukonniemi Stadium. 

– Based on the registrations made, we began planning both the competition area and the general areas in the stadium area. We are currently scheduling the week leading up to the competition and looking for missing volunteers. 

– There is still time to register to volunteer. So far, about 100 of the 140 volunteers needed have been recruited, Miikki advises. 

Imatra has been working for years to promote competitive conditions 

Imatra has been working to promote biathlon conditions for a long time. In 2022, the Ukonniemi stadium was granted a B license enabling international competitionsSince the license was granted, Ukonniemi has hosted four international Baltic Biathlon Cup competitions. 

– The European Youth Championships to be held in January are a great demonstration of how the city’s investments in Ukonniemi’s sports infrastructure and the long-term work of Imatra Athletes as a ski event organizer bring vitality to the area. The competition will raise Imatra to the international biathlon community’s awareness, on par with other well-known biathlon destinations, the City of Imatra’s Tourism and Marketing Director Jaakko Jäppinen says. 

More information about the competitions and their schedules can be found at From the Imatra Athletes website. 

Ticket shop 

For more information: 

Imatra athletes 
Saku Miki, sakumiikkiservice.com (saku[at]miikkiservice[dot]com), tel. 040 669 6596 

the city of Imatra 
Marketing and Tourism Director Jaakko Jäppinen, jaakko.jappinenimatra.fi (jaakko[dot]jappinen[at]imatra[dot]fi), tel. 020 617 7008