Today a holiday opening ceremony of the IBU World Cup Final 2010 started in Khanty-Mansiysk.

     The bright show has begun with the dramatized composition symbolysing the origin of the earth, the nature and the man. The symbol of the biathlon in Ugra Belchonok was the first at the march of the traditional teams parade. This year about 170 strongest biathletes from 23 countries have arrived to Khanty-Mansiysk on the IBU World Cup Final. 250 judges and 3 representatives of the World Anti-Doping Agency will serve these competitions.


     The general broadcaster of the Competitions is the TV company "Ugra". It is supposed to broadcast a television signal on 40 countries of the world. A course of competitions will be broadcasted by the 100 journalists who represent more than 50 mass media companies. Among of them are Germany, Sweden, Norway, Austria. Representatives of 5 international news agencies, 15 Russian, 18 regional and 10 city mass-media have confirmed the arrival.


     The President of the International Biathlon Union Anders Besseberg has evaluated the changes after the reconstruction of the Nordic Ski Center. He has noted that «in the coming days all the world best biathletes will fight not only for the off-set points and the medals of world championship mixed relay. For them and the organizing committee it’s also an important test before the World Championship which will take place here in this stadium in March, 2011». The President has wished «athletes good and fair competitions, organizing committee all possible success, the spectators really exciting competitions in the coming days». Welcoming the participants and spectators of the IBU World Cup Final the chairman of Physical Culture & Sport Committee of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug Viktor Maigurov has wished sportsmen to rich the highest points and all the goals of themselves and to receive the maximum pleasure from these competitions.

     The honorable right to raise the flag of the International Biathlon Union has been given to Olympic champions of 2010 in Vancouver Svetlana Sleptsova and Evgeny Ustyugov.

     The official opening ceremony of the IBU World Cup Final has come to the end with creative collectives of Ugra and the fireworks.

     Press Centre