Overview
- The International Biathlon Union has ordered that rifles must remain fully shouldered until an athlete reaches the shooting mat and must be re-shouldered before leaving, with breaches carrying the penalty of disqualification.
- Swedish stars including Sebastian Samuelsson called the change unhelpful for safety and warned of possible 'VAR-like' disputes over marginal infractions, while teammate Jesper Nelin described the rule as 'a bit ridiculous.'
- Norwegian biathlete Martin Uldal added that adrenaline and race stress could make athletes revert to old habits, creating real safety and rule‑compliance risks during competition.
- The IBU says it announced the rule early to give competitors time to practice the new routine, and officials will implement it at the start of the World Cup season later this month.
- The Kontiolahti season opener will be the first test of whether the rule reduces handling incidents or instead produces controversial disqualifications and lengthy jury reviews, and it will shape whether the IBU clarifies or adjusts enforcement.