Today on Pokljuka organizers ended a very important preparation and storage of snow for the coming winter season. The IBU World Championships Biathlon 2021, which will be hosted by Pokljuka from 9 to 21 February next year, has a new spatial layout.
At Pokljuka, we managed to store 19,000 cubic meters of snow, which is enough to cover almost two-thirds of the tracks. In order to keep it as much as possible, we took care of it with the felt, which was provided to us under particularly favorable conditions by the company Filc Ltd., and a half-meter blanket of wood chips, which together required as much as 700 cubic meters.
Next week, TV broadcasting rights holders will receive a Broadcaster Information Manual prepared by the Organizing Committee Pokljuka together with Host Broadcaster RTV Slovenija and Eurovision Sport.
This also defines a new layout of the Championships venue. New and enlarged are all Media Areas – new is Media Center, enlarged is the Mixed Zone, TV Studios, the new location is also for Media Catering tent, new are the positions for HB, RHBs and IBCs (this part is more than 4000 square meters in total).
The changes also include updated areas for Teams and waxing, a new is position of Spectators tent in size of 1200 square meters, and a changed traffic regime, which provides that both spectators and staff at Pokljuka as well as media representatives will use organized transportation. Only competitors and service teams will be allowed access with vehicles to the venue.
The grandstands are also new and enlarged. The main grandstand capacity is 7,700 spectators, while an additional 550. Sitting area in the grandstands will be available only to spectators with general and/or multipass tickets which are on sale from the 24th of January, when the Pokljuka this year hosted the World Cup. It is also possible to buy course tickets, which is also a novelty of the event. Together the capacity for stadium spectators will increase to almost 13,000.
“We would like to emphasize that virtually all innovations are only of temporary use. We are in the Triglav National Park, which gives Pokljuka a special status but also a special responsibility. That is why the organizers also strive to actively protect and preserve nature in this environment,” says Organizing Committee Vice- president Tim Farčnik.
With a clear picture of the venue, despite the difficulties caused by the coronavirus, OC Pokljuka will be able to continue preparations for the World Championships.
OC Pokljuka will together with the IBU and Eurovision Sport host the next major events in Bled in August and October. World Broadcasting Meeting in August will be followed by a meeting of the organizers (OCs and NFs) of the Biathlon competitions in the 2020/21 season in the beginning of October.