June 08, 2014 (Quebec City, QC) – Biathlon has received official confirmation for the 2015 Winter World Masters Games (WWMG) to be staged in Quebec City from Jan. 31-Feb. 8 next year. The news was contained in an email from the International Masters Games Association (IMGA) this week.

“After a few months of analyzing the costs and feasibility of adding biathlon to the program of the WWMG, I’m happy to inform you that biathlon will be part of the Games,” wrote Samantha Hayward of the IMGA.

The following distances will be offered:
– Individual Men: 5km, 7.5km, 10km, 12.5km
– Individual Women: 7.5km
– Sprint Men: 9km, 6km, 5km
– Sprint Women: 5km
– Relays Men: 3x6km
– Relays Women: 3x5km
The distances will depend on the age categories.

According to Hayward the exact dates of races will be announced when the website is launched “…but without big changes”. The races will take place on the second weekend (Feb 5-8, 2015) and the venue will be the Centre de biathlon Myriam-Bédard, a world-class biathlon range on Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Valcartier, about 20 minutes west of Quebec City – read more here.

The World Masters Games in Quebec City will be the second edition of the WWMG. The IMGA is also planning other international events including the 2015 European Masters Games in Nice, France; 2016 The Americas Masters in Vancouver, Canada; and the 2017 World Masters Games in Auckland, NZ.