The first virtual Belgian biathlon championship will be held on 1 October in Hasselt, to "put sport in the spotlight," enthused Philippe Heck, president of the Belgium Biathlon federation.
The federation is partnering with Sparkx, the largest sports entertainment park in Europe, which was inaugurated in May. Sparkx is located in Hasselt and covers an area of 3,500 m2.
"In recent years, we have made a lot of effort to develop our sport in Belgium. After the debut of the men's team at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, we started working with a women's team," Heck stated in a press release. "The aim is to qualify for the next Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina in 2026. We are curious to see if we can spot any new talent."
The virtual event will consist of a 240 m cross-country ski short sprint, followed by five shots. This is followed by a final sprint with another potential cross-country ski run as a penalty for missed shots.
Five Belgians took part in last year's Beijing Winter Olympics: Cesar Beauvais, Thierry Langer, Florent Claude, Tom Lahaye-Goffart and Lotte Lie.
While there are already Belgian championships in cycling or rowing online, this is a first for biathlons. Anyone can sign up for free, and Sparkx wants to demonstrate on its open day that "it is possible to use technology to encourage people to take up sport and discover sporting talent."
People can explore other sports at the entertainment park on 1 October. "With the first virtual Belgian biathlon championships, Sparkx wants to raise awareness of the benefits of physical exercise among Belgians and, at the same time, put the spotlight on a lesser-known but solid sport like biathlon."
