The Ukrainian biathlon team was formed based on the results of the control starts, which took place in November at the Swedish Open Championship in Idre. The team announced the lineup exclusively to Suspilne Sport.
The leader of the women’s team, Yulia Dzhima, will miss the start of the season. Instead, Valeria Dmitrenko, who will compete in the World Cup for the first time, has been included in the team.
World Cup debutant Bohdan Borkovsky will join the team from last season’s series.
The Ukrainian national team for the World Cup stage in Östersund
Men: Bohdan Tsymbal, Dmytro Pidruchnyi, Artem Tyshchenko, Anton Dudchenko, Vitalii Mandzyn, Bohdan Borkovskyi
Women: Valeria Dmytrenko, Khristina Dmytrenko, Oleksandra Merkushyna, Anastasiia Merkushyna, Olena Horodna, Daryna Chalyk
Mykola Zots explained Dzhima’s absence at the starting stage. The Olympic champion is expected to join the team at the second stage of the season in Hochfilzen, Austria.
Dmytro Pidruchnyi prepared for the season separately. He worked with Taras Lesyuk under the guidance of former national team coach Yuriy Sanitra. At the same time, Lesyuk, who competed in five World Cup stages last season, remained outside the main team and will start the competitive year at the IBU Cup level.
Nadiya Belova, head coach of the men’s national team, said that there had already been starts at the Swedish Championships.
‘There was no selection as such. We looked at shooting, running, and how they felt,’ she said.
World Cup 2025/26 stage in Östersund: competition schedule
- Saturday, 29 November. 14:15. Relay, women
- Saturday, 29 November. 17:55. Relay, men
- Sunday, 30 November. 15:00. Single mixed relay
- Sunday, 30 November. 17:40. Mixed relay
- Tuesday, 2 December. 16:30. Individual race, women
- Wednesday, 3 December. 16:30. Individual race, men
- Friday, 5 December. 17:00. Sprint, women
- Saturday, 6 December. 17:30. Sprint, men
- Sunday, 7 December. 14:15. Pursuit race, women
- Sunday, 7 December. 16:20. Pursuit race, men
The start of the new biathlon season is scheduled for 29 November with the World Cup stage in Östersund. The competition will last until 7 December. The first events on the competition programme will be the classic relays for men and women on the opening day of the stage.
Earlier, Yevhen Marusiak and Vitalii Kalinichenko finished their performances on the ski jump at the 2025 World Championships in skiing.
