Participation, Rules, Juries
Participation, Entries and Draws
Participation at IBU events is set by specific regulations for each type of event. For example, the number of competitors that a nation may enter into a World Cup competition is based on a quota which is the result of the nation‘s performance, while World Championships participation is based primarily on the right of every nation to enter four Men and four Women into both the Individual and Sprint competitions. The team leaders of each team will decide how many and whom they will enter into each competition within their quota.
The new qualification system for World Cups introduced with the start of the season 2007/2008 limits the total number of participants to a number of about 100 athletes, but guarantees that each member federation has the right to enter one qualified male, and one qualified female athlete.
Start numbers of competitors for Individual and Sprint competitions are done by random draw 24 to 15 hours before the competition. Starting from the season 2007/08, the athletes are assigned to one of three or four draw groups at World Cups according to their rank. The 30 best ranked athletes are assigned to group 3 at the first World Cup of a season and at the World Championships and to group 2 at all other World Cups. Assignment of start numbers for other competitions is subject to various conditions and is described under the specific competition.
Rules
The technical rules which are used for all IBU Biathlon competitions are the IBU Event and Competition Rules, edition 2006, as emendet provisionally by the EB in 2007. Additionally, the IBU Constitution itself, the IBU Anti-doping Rules and the IBU Disciplinary Rules are an integral part of controlling various aspects of all IBU competitions.
Juries and representative Appointments
Two types of Juries are set up for all IBU events: a Jury of Appeal and a Competition Jury, for men and for women separately.
The Jury of Appeal deals with appeals made from decisions of the Competition Juries, but it has no powers to initiate actions on its own part. The Jury of Appeal is chaired by a member of the IBU Executive Board who is the official senior representative of IBU at the event, and its members are comprised of any other Executive Board members who are present at the event, with the remainder of the five members being elected from among the team captains.
The Competition Juries deals with all competition-related matters and protests. Both Competition Juries are chaired by the Technical Delegate appointed by IBU and its members are the Competition Chief and three elected team captains.
There are five technical officials appointed by the IBU to oversee the conduct of the Biathlon competitions: the Technical Delegate with overall responsibility, and four International Referees to officiate at the Course, Range, Start/Finish and for Material Inspections. For the Olympic Winter Games, there is a Technical Delegate, an Assistant Technical Delegate and eight International Referees.
