Context and planning process The sports

The sports of biathlon and cross-country skiing are gov- Biathlon Cross-country skiing erned by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Biathlon was introduced in Innsbruck in 1988 for athletes Cross-country skiing fi rst appeared at the 1976 Paralympic through the IPC Biathlon and IPC Cross-Country Skiing with a physical impairment, and in 1992, athletes with a Winter Games in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The competition is Technical Committee as the International Federation (IF) visual impairment also became eligible to compete. open to athletes with a physical impairment and visual im- and represent two of nine IPC sports under the umbrella of pairment. Depending on the impairment, a competitor may the IPC. IPC Biathlon and IPC Cross-Country Skiing have The events consist of a 2.0km or 2.5km course skied three use a sit-ski, a chair equipped with a pair of skis. Athletes developed this Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing Strategic or fi ve times in the free technique for a total race distance with visual impairment compete in the event with a sighted Plan as a sport-specifi c extension of the overall IPC Strate- between 6-15 km. Between the ski loops athletes shoot at guide. Male and female athletes compete in sprint, middle gic Plan 2011-2014 and in line with the mandate of the IPC fi ve targets located at a distance of 10m. The most impor- distance and long distance (ranging from 1km to 20km) International Paralympic Committee General Assembly to further strengthen the development of tant success factor lies in the capability of alternating the or participate in a team relay using classical or free tech- the IPC sports with the aim of making them self-sustaina- skills of physical endurance and shooting accuracy during niques. Cross-country skiing is practised by athletes in 24 ble. This strategic plan has been developed in parallel with overarching document “Overall IPC Strategic Plan on IPC the competition. Athletes with visual impairment are able to countries. The Sochi 2014 Para lympic Winter Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing the strategic plans of all other IPC sports following a com- Sports.” This present Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing aim assisted by acoustic signals, which depending on sig- Games count more than 150 competing ath- mon framework and recognising their commonalities and Strategic Plan is an excerpt of the overall plan focussing nal intensity, indicate when the athlete is on target. Since letes, compared to 125 at the fi rst Paralym- combined strengths, while it also carves out the sports spe- specifi cally on the priorities in the area of biathlon and 1988 the sport has grown rapidly from 36 athletes in Inns- pic Winter Games in 1976. Strategic Plan cifi c long-term strategies and objectives. cross-country skiing thus taking into account their specifi - bruck to more than 120 athletes in Sochi in 2014. A plan of IPC Biathlon and IPC Cross-Country Skiing for the period 2013-2018 cities and current stage of development. It has been written Cross-country skiing enjoys a The common elements which emerged from the integrated in a way to be a comprehensive and self-contained docu- Biathlon is in the beginning to cultivate a working relation- close working relationship development process are described in more detail in the ment in its own right. ship with its Olympic counterpart IBU (International Bi- with its Olympic counterpart athlon Union). The scope of the relationship between the FIS (International Skiing two organisations will outline various areas of co-opera- Federation). An agreement Vision, mission and values tion, such as development of emerging countries and their signed in 2011 outlines programmes, development of athletes and coaches, and various areas of co-opera- The strategic plan development process revealed con- In the context of biathlon and cross-country skiing this sharing of best practices in areas of marketing, sponsor- tion, such as sport rules, sensus and a common understanding about the vision, means to develop a sustainable biathlon and cross- country ship and broadcasting. training of technical mission and values of the nine IPC sports. It is also con- skiing sport system, nationally and internationally with offi cials and sharing and sidered important to have one common reference to guide successful biathlon and cross-country skiing competi- Many of the member nations already currently have close exchanging knowledge and strengthen the sports collectively. Hence here below tions, and to encourage, promote and contribute to the working relationships or are directly managed and funded and resources. you fi nd the vision, mission and values applicable development of biathlon and cross-country skiing at all by the relevant national federations. to all IPC sports while putting this into levels. To promote the sports of biathlon M the context of biathlon and cross- n issi and cross-country skiing to isio on country skiing. V Organise all eligible athletes. Provide a platform successful for para-athletes competitions as part to regularly practice of a stable calendar and to showcase their while encouraging ability to their participation and full potential and development at all to reach their levels and promoting sporting pinnacle the core values of and dreams the Paralympic Movement International Paralympic Committee Athlete Professional & centred Ethical Adenauerallee 212-214 [email protected] Collabora- Equitable & tive & 53113 Bonn, Germany www.ipc-nordicskiing.org Fair play Transparent & Engaging Accountable Tel. +49 228 2097-200 @IPCNordic

Fax +49 228 2097-209 /IPCNordicSkiing © Photo Credits: Lieven Coudenys, Getty Images, IPC, Arja Korhonen, Martin Naucler, James Netz, Brent Reid Values 1 2 3 4 5 6 Paralympic Games and Athlete Development Paralympic Brand Funding Organisational Capacity Strategic Partnerships World Championships Strategic priorities Strategic priorities Strategic priorities Strategic priorities Strategic priorities Strategic priorities ■ Ensure that the 2014 and 2018 Paralympic Winter Games and ■ Produce a long term competition schedule (for four years in ■ Organise an integrated elite competition structure starting in ■ Develop a biathlon and cross-country skiing marketing and sales ■ Provide quality service and support to World Championship ■ Build on the concepts and areas of collaboration outlined in 2015 and 2017 IPC Biathlon and IPC Cross-Country Skiing World advance) structure with a well-balanced worldwide spread of season 2014/2015 showcasing to a global audience the perfor- plan outlining clear revenue targets. Carve out new sponsorship and World Cups competitions. Enhanced focus by biathlon the working agreement with the FIS by leveraging all opportu- Championships event programme is attractive to athletes and World Cups for top athletes, with quality assurance through IPC mances and abilities of the world’s leading cross-country skiing packages building on the World Championship and World Cup and cross-country skiing in the development of Eastern Eu- nities in detailed follow-up and project work. National Paralympic Committees (NPCs), as well as to the pub- competition management support. and biathlon athletes in a prime environment. competitions concept. rope, Asia and Sothern Hemisphere. ■ Continue dialogue with the IBU on the concepts and areas lic and television audiences. ■ Produce a long term competition schedule (for four years ■ Ensure broadcast agreements and in-depth coverage for all ■ Sign agreements with key marketing & sponsorship partners to ■ Provide on-going support to existing classifi ers while mapping of collaboration in order to facilitate signature of agreement/ ■ Implement an athlete qualifi cation system that ensures in advance) regionally structured and including Europa major championships. contribute to the funding and development of IPC Biathlon and out the identifi cation of new classifi ers to establish the optimal memorandum of understanding. a) viability of all events, b) participation of top-ranked athletes, Cups/Continental Cups (North America, Asia and Southern ■ Create communication platforms that raise the profi le of lead- IPC Cross-Country Skiing. Increase funding opportunities with level by spring 2015. Proactively determine needs and pursue ■ Develop key partnerships with NPCs and NFs to ensure regional d) representative participation of all genders and impairments Hemisphere). ing athletes to a wide, global audience existing IPC partners. appropriate recruitment and training for classifi ers. delivery of this Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing Strategic plan from around the globe. ■ Promote and support low level competition IPC Biathlon and IPC ■ Create a brand development section in the biathlon/cross- ■ Use broadcast visibility and guarantee to further promote spon- ■ Cultivate a volunteer network across all regions through edu- ■ Use the Sport Technical Committee where appropriate to ■ Ensure regular communication and technical reviews with the Cross-Country Skiing races/National championship competition country skiing marketing plan with targets for further reach. sorship and advertising sales. cation; include programmes for technical offi cials, classifi ers, engage with partners where required to deliver development event organisers in order to promote management, presentation and youth competition circuit. ■ Engage other partners who can carry the brand message for ■ Invest additional IPC general funds in biathlon and cross- country competition manager, and committee contributors. opportunities for biathlon and cross-country skiing. and offi ciating of the sports at the expected level of excellence. ■ Increase the number of nations practising the sport of biathlon biathlon and cross-country skiing, such as marketing partners, skiing beginning in season 2013/2014 to get World Cup compe- ■ Continue development and activation of the newly established ■ Partner with the Agitos Foundation as well as with appropriate and cross-country skiing with focus on East Europe, Asia and the Olympic IF or its competitions and with National Federations. tition off the ground and to ensure quality management of pro- IPC Biathlon and IPC Cross-Country Skiing Coaches Advisory external institutions/universities/NGOs to strengthen develop- Objectives/outcomes South America. ■ Ensure visibility of the cross-country skiing and biathlon brand grams and priorities. Group. ment of IPC Biathlon and IPC Cross-Country Skiing. ■ Build a programme for the above mentioned competitions which ■ Conduct classifi cation and education on at least one occasion at all IPC major events such as Europa & Continental Cup, World ■ Use available resources from corporate sponsors, major donors, ■ Set up a sport-specifi c equipment expert group to implement ■ Leverage expertise and resources of partners such as NPCs, features highly competitive events which appeal to spectators in each region annually. Championships and Paralympic Winter Games. the Agitos Foundation, broadcasting and general membership to and endorse the IPC Equipment Rules. LOCs and host cities in the staging of major competitions. and media with reasonable session lengths to promote ticket ■ Provide knowledge and education resources and programmes ■ Utilise the IPC communications platforms which includes sport support the IPC Biathlon and IPC Cross-Country Skiing priorities. ■ Foster engagement with biathlon and cross-country skiing com- sales and television viewing. to NPCs for coaches, technical offi cials and classifi ers. websites, Facebook and Twitter to support IPC Biathlon and IPC munities through social media and web forums. Objectives/outcomes ■ Increase the percentage of female participants to at least 35 per Cross-Country Skiing. Objectives/outcomes ■ Defi ne strategy of sharing staff resources collaboratively with ■ Ensure that by 2019 IPC Biathlon and IPC Cross-Country Skiing cent. Establish further athlete quotas and qualifi cation princi- Objectives/outcomes ■ Secure at least one biathlon and cross-country skiing specifi c other IPC sports to increase effi ciency. bid books are supported within the FIS/IBU bid documents. ples at least two years prior to the competitions. ■ Stable competition schedule with at least six World Cups, four Objectives/outcomes sponsor by 2016. ■ Increase number of qualifi ed technical delegates. ■ Enhance relationship to ensure that biathlon and cross- country ■ Conduct at least three technical visits to the host cities and es- Europa Cups and six Continental Cups. ■ Create competition/event highlights in between Paralympic ■ Secure appropriate sponsorship for the World Cup competition ■ Development and distribution of LOC manuals and best prac- skiing has a presence on the FIS/IBU website. tablish a routine to fi nalise the sports technical agreements ■ More IPC Biathlon and IPC Cross-Country Skiing competition Winter Games and World Championships to engage the world’s structure by 2016. tices guides to future organising committees. ■ Develop relationship to ensure IPC Biathlon and IPC Cross- with the organisers no later than 10 months prior to the start opportunities for athletes to develop and experience interna- media in biathlon and cross-country skiing. ■ Increase overall IPC Biathlon and IPC Cross-Country Skiing Country Skiing and FIS/IBU Technical offi cials’ education. of the competition. tional competition. ■ Increase visibility of biathlon and cross-country skiing competi- revenues by at least 30 per cent until 2017 mainly through Objectives/outcomes ■ Enhanced working relationships with all parties involved in ■ Increased visibility and promotion of participating athletes and tions and its high-profi le athletes in order to allow for continuity additional sponsors and other innovative partnerships. ■ Establish standard competitions levels with a consistent defi - stagistagingng majormaajor competitionscompetitions and use of synergies and teams through the IPC communication platforms. and for fans to follow the sport on an on-going basis. nition of IPC involvement. effi cienciesciencies inin budgetsbudgets anandd resources.reesources. ■ Enable athletes of all regions to follow their own career and ■ Promote brand with national skiing and biathlon federations. ■ Establish a pool of highly qualifi ed classifi ers and a network of qualifi cation path in order to reach elite competitions or the ■ Reach consistent application of brand and terminology with good other volunteers in accordance with the competition and ath- Paralympic Games through own achievements thus reducing understanding of commercial rights and implications. lete development plans previously outlined. wildcard needs. ■ Measure brand visibility against initial plans. Establish a set of ■ Reach a fair gender balance and regional spread with suffi cient ■ Establish a fair classifi cation system which is supported by objective criteria to be determined. numbers of classifi ers and offi cials. sports and scientifi c evidence. ■ Increase the capacity of supervision of offi cials throughout ■ Increase the number of female athletes engaging in IPC Biathlon the season. and IPC Cross-Country Skiing by promoting opportunities for ■ Increase consistency of teaching methods and rule interpre- girls and women. Aim for a 35 per cent female representation tations. among licensed athletes and at major competitions. ■ Enhance communication with key biathlon and cross- country skiing communities such as athletes, coaches, offi cials and other organisational partners.