Biathlon Osrblie

The Biathlon area is a part of the municipality Osrblie, lying between the mountains of the Slovak Rudohorie mountain chain, not far away from the town Brezno which is the cultural, social and administrative centre of the Horehronie region and about 20 km far away from the coveted tourist centre of the Low Tatra mountains – Chopok South.

The Slovak biathlon association is owner of the said area. It is the only biathlon area within Slovakia where the international and national biathlon competitions can be organized. We ensure in here the optimum trainings conditions for the active athletes, amateurs and also for the general sports public throughout the year.

In 2001, the Biathlon area Osrblie was integrated into National sport development program and nowadays it belongs among the areas with the extraordinary contributions for the inhabitants of the Slovakia and for the development of the tourist traffic at the Horehronie region.

The National biathlon centre Osrblie serves for training of biathletes from the papillary categories up to the national teams. There are the national Viessmann Cup and IBU (International Biathlon Union) international competitions in the standard winter and also in the summer biathlon organized in the centre year round. It regularly concerns the Slovakia biathlon championships, IBU Cup (World cup – B category). Beside it, the Biathlon area is setting for further biathlon competitions (Central-European Cup, Competitions of the Olympic Hopes, World Winter Universiade) and many events of the summer biathlon. Also another non-biathlon events, like a motorcyclists meeting, trainings and competitions in cross-country skiing, orienteering, sport days of the resorts and companies, or various promotion and presentation events, teambuilding (e.g. Viessmann day) are held in the NBC ....

The Osrblie´s biathlon area history started to be written in 1981, when the biathlon in its then time form moved into Osrblie from “Low Tatra protected area” Tále. The first competitions were held “on the green meadow”. The area started with its construction and its changing step by step. The shooting range had been built as the first object which in the coming years was rebuilt several times. The most notable area modification, with the largest investment being under very strong support of the  company Železiarne Podbrezová management, were realised in years 1995 up until 1997 – before the Biathlon World Championships 1997. At that time the Biathlon area Osrblie belonged among the best and the most modern areas its kind in the world. Within further years Slovakia has written similarly a significant chapter also in organizing World Championships and European Championships in Summer Biathlon. Beside it, we managed to organize Junior World Championships and five times Biathlon World Cup in cooperation with the town Brezno and the Brezno local government, whereby a great support for cooperation was provided to us also by Biathlon Club Osrblie.

NBC area description

The area of the NBC Osrblie has its surface of 5,2 ha.  It is located at an altitude of 600 m up until 670 m above sea level, whereby its main parts – stadium with shooting range, start/finish area and penalty loop are located at the altitude of 600 m a.s.l.

Parts of the area are:

  1. Stadium, where the shooting range with 30 shooting lanes with protective walls, bank and boxes for targets servicing, start and finish area, penalty loop and building with technical and social settlement background are located.
  2. Racing tracks (4 km loop) with a warm-up round, test tracks and necessary upperbridges and tunnels. The courses lead through meadows and sloping track in spruce forest. Segmentation of the courses is very demanding.
  3. Waxing cabins – 14 old waxing cabins with the social settlement and 20 newer ones, built in 2002, that fulfil the technical requirements partially. There is also a clothes room for the competitors with each waxing cabin.
  4. Hard surfaces determined for snow production.
  5. Parking lots for athletes, teams and TV staffs.
  6. Multipurpose tent determined for spectators refreshment providing and for the further social activities.
  7. Asphalt track (in summer) in the length of 1,2 km.

The event held

The first biathlon competitions were held in 1981 and already in 1984 the ČSSR Championships were held in Osrblie. In 1986 Osrblie had its international premiere. The further international competitions within former “socialist block” were here in years 1987 and 1989. In 1991 the European Cup organized by International Biathlon Union  had its premiere in Osrblie. This event was held in Osrblie also in years 1992, 1993 and 1995. In 1994 the Junior World Championships were held in Osrblie. In 1997 the event of Biathlon World Cup was held for the first time in Osrblie as a proof before “adult” Biathlon world championships. In December 2006 Osrblie should be the organizer of the above mentioned top sporting event – BWC – already for the eighth time, but the event was relocated to Slovenian Pokljuka because of lack of snow in Osrblie. Osrblie also was the venue of the biathlon competitions of the World Winter Universiade in 1999 and 2015. In addition to winter events, Osrblie was the venue of the international event of the summer biathlon on various levels whereby the World Championships in Summer Biathlon were held twice here.

The most important milestones in area existence in the chronological sequence

1981 - District championships in Sokolovo Race of the military fitness

1983 - National classification race in Sokolovo Race of the military fitness (ČSFR)

1984 - Championships of ČSFR in Sokolovo Race of the military fitness

1986 - International biathlon competitions

1991 - European Biathlon Cup

1992 - European Biathlon Cup

1993 - European Biathlon Cup

1994 - Junior Biathlon World Championships

1995 - European Biathlon Cup

1st biathlon area rebuilding

1996 - Biathlon World Cup

1997 - Biathlon World Championships

1998 - European Biathlon Cup

1998 - Summer Biathlon World Championships

1998 - Biathlon World Cup

1999 - World Winter Universiade

2001 - Biathlon World Cup

2002 - Biathlon World Cup

2003 - Biathlon World Cup

2004 - Summer Biathlon World Championships

2005 - Biathlon World Cup

2007 - IBU Biathlon Cup

2008 - IBU Biathlon Cup

2008 - IBU Summer Biathlon Cup

Beginning of 2nd biathlon area rebuilding

2009 - IBU Biathlon Cup

2010 - IBU Summer Biathlon Cup

2010 - Open European Summer Biathlon Championships

2011 - IBU Biathlon Cup

2011 - IBU Summer Biathlon Cup

2012 - Open European Biathlon Championships

2012 - IBU Summer Biathlon Cup

2012 - Open European Summer Biathlon Championships

2013 - IBU Biathlon Cup

2014 - IBU Biathlon Cup

2015 - World Winter Universiade

2015 - IBU Biathlon Cup

2016 - IBU Biathlon Cup

2017 - IBU Biathlon Cup

2017 - IBU Youth & Junior World Championships Biathlon

2018 - IBU Biathlon Cup