International Biathlon Union Elected Tim Farčnik
The IBU congress in Germany has chosen a new president while extending the suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes.
Updated on Sept. 19, 2026 in Olympics
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The International Biathlon Union elected Tim Farčnik as its new president at the congress in Berchtesgaden. The organization also confirmed that Russian and Belarusian biathletes will remain excluded from international competition during the upcoming winter season.
Why it matters
The IBU maintains its exclusionary policy against Russian and Belarusian federations citing the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. A monitoring group determined that the conditions that led to the original 2022 ban have not sufficiently changed to permit their return.
Tim Farčnik, 46, steps into the role previously held by Olle Dahlin, who served since 2018. The governing body continues a ban on two nations that has been active since 2022.
The players
Tim Farčnik
He is the newly elected 46-year-old president of the International Biathlon Union from Slovenia.
Olle Dahlin
He is the outgoing president of the International Biathlon Union from Sweden who held the office starting in 2018.
Sofia Domeij
She is the newly appointed vice president of the International Biathlon Union.
International Biathlon Union
This is the international governing body for the sport of biathlon that oversees world championships and the World Cup.
The details
Tim Farčnik assumed the presidency unopposed at the IBU congress, with Sofia Domeij joining the leadership team as vice president. The decision to keep Russian and Belarusian athletes sidelined followed a review by a monitoring group that found no grounds to alter the status of the suspended federations.
Timeline
Olle Dahlin began his term as IBU president in 2018.
International competition bans for Russian and Belarusian athletes began in 2022.
The IBU last confirmed the suspension of these athletes in August 2025.
The IBU congress took place on September 19, 2026, in Berchtesgaden.
Russian and Belarusian athletes will remain excluded for the coming winter season.
Season Trajectory
This leadership transition and the maintenance of the ban confirm that the competitive landscape for the upcoming winter season will remain unchanged from the previous several years. The exclusion of key athletes continues to limit the field, ensuring that the Olympic and World Cup qualification paths remain restricted.
The continuation of the suspension ensures that Russian and Belarusian athletes will not participate in World Cup points races or qualify for upcoming international championships. This leaves the current competitive field largely consistent with the rosters seen in the previous winter seasons.
The takeaway
The IBU transition marks a new era in sport leadership during a period of geopolitical instability. Readers should note that international federations continue to prioritize diplomatic stances over the full integration of excluded national teams.
Further reading
For more information on major governing body updates, visit the Olympics section.
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Should international sports federations continue to ban athletes from countries involved in ongoing military conflicts?
