VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
Winter sports competitions of any category can be held in South Kamchatka due to its mild oceanic climate and heavy snowfalls from October till late spring. Skiing and snowboarding competitions can be held till at least mid-June.
The international biathlon tournament for the prize of Merited Coach of the USSR Vitaly Fatyanov has been held regularly in the Kamchatka Territory since 2009. A modern biathlon complex, which meets all international standards and is capable of hosting large competitions, was built from scratch a few kilometres away from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The stadium's biathlon tracks, which are 1.5 to 3.5 kilometres long and 10 to 12 metres wide, meet IBU regulations. The vertical drop corresponds to standards for holding winter, cross and roller-ski biathlon competitions. Featuring a warm-up lap of 600-1,000 metres, the stadium has a total area of 37,500 square metres. The sports stadium has a shooting range with 30 electromechanical installations, firing positions, start and finish areas, a press zone, stands with 3,000 seats, sports pavilions and special facilities. This complex, which is in line with the second category, is the only one in eastern Russia to meet all international standards.
Fifty biathletes from ten countries worldwide took part in Kamchatka's first international competition in April 2009. The following year, the number of participants in the International Biathlon Tournament for the Vitaly Fatyanov Prize increased to 80 from 18 different countries. The best biathletes from Russia, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Finland, Slovenia and other countries with Olympic and world champions, winners of the Biathlon World Cup events among them, took part in the competition. Kati Wilhelm and Ivan Tcherezov won the Gazprom Cup in 2010. Experts from both the International Biathlon Union and the Russian Biathlon Union stressed that the level of organisation for the 2010 tournament held in Kamchatka was even higher than that of some world championships.
The Kamchatka Territory is preparing to make a bid to host the Junior World Championship in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in 2014 or 2015 and the Biathlon World Championship in 2016.
In early September 2010, an International Biathlon Union conference will be held in St Petersburg, and the Kamchatka Territory will give a presentation and begin preparing an application for hosting the Biathlon World Championship in 2016.
In order to meet the requirements for these events, the biathlon complex will be reconstructed in accordance with the international category A, thereby equipping the roller-ski track with proper facilities and building special sports areas for general physical training. There will also be a large sports park with ice rinks, stadiums, ski and mountain ski bases, administrative buildings and hotels.
The sports park that will be built must become a basis for establishing a large year-round centre in Kamchatka for preparing biathletes and skiers for national teams in the Russian Federation and the Asia-Pacific Region.
