The biathlon community has recently experienced the unexpected loss of one of our top athletes. This is a profound tragedy, and our thoughts remain with their family, friends, teammates, and everyone affected.

Elite sport brings many moments of pride and success, but it also brings pressure. The competition season is a high-stress period. Expectations, travel, performance demands, injuries, and time away from home all place added strain on athletes and support staff. When difficult life events or personal challenges sit alongside these pressures, the impact can feel overwhelming.

Tragedies do happen, both within sport and beyond it. When they do, it is normal to experience grief, confusion, sadness, anger, or emotional exhaustion. There is no single right way to respond, and no timeline for how people should feel.

What matters most is knowing that you do not have to deal with these moments alone.

Help and support are available across the biathlon community. Many National Federations already provide access to mental health professionals, welfare officers, medical teams, or national support services. In many countries, National Olympic Committees and recognised national organisations also offer confidential mental health support tailored to athletes and high-performance environments.

If you feel you want to talk but are unsure where to turn, or if access to support in your country is difficult, the Biathlon Integrity Unit can help. The BIU can assist in identifying appropriate support options and help connect you with the right services. Reaching out for support will always be treated with care and confidentiality.

We also want to reassure athletes and support staff that work is well advanced on the IBU wellbeing support programme, developed through the Mental Health Working Group. This programme is designed to strengthen access to support, reduce stigma, and improve mental health literacy across the sport. We are aiming for this programme to go live in May 2026. Until then, support remains available through existing national and international pathways, with the BIU ready to assist where needed.

Alan Currie, a psychiatrist who works closely with the IBU’s Mental Health Working Group and has extensive experience supporting athletes in elite sport, has said, “The intensity of emotions in the face of a tragedy can feel overwhelming, though we all respond in different ways and our thoughts and feelings change over time (sometimes quite quickly). We recognise and value the importance of having someone to turn to. This could be a friend, family member, trusted colleague or counsellor. There may be other times when we want to be left alone, and no one should feel under pressure to talk. However, this should be a choice. The power of a sporting community is reflected in the way that we reach out to each other and offer support in difficult times.”

If you are struggling, or if you are concerned about a teammate, coach, or member of staff, please reach out. Starting a conversation can feel difficult, but it can also be the first step towards support and understanding.

We are a community. Looking after each other matters, on and off the snow.