Georgian-French experts designing Olympic biathlon track in Bakuriani

French and Georgian experts are designing a modern biathlon track for Georgia’s Bakuriani winter resort to bring the forgotten sport back to life.

Almost 800,000 GEL will be spent on designing and building the new biathlon track in the central Georgian winter wonderland, announced the Prime Minister’s press office today.

This was part of a larger plan to gradually build Olympic-standard infrastructure in Bakuriani, which set forth a prerequisite for a "very realistic plan” of holding the Olympic Games in Georgia within the next 10 years, said Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili.

Experts from Georgia and French engineering firm ABEST have started designing an Olympic standard biathlon track in Bakuraini. The track would be of the highest modern standards, allowing the alpine village to potentially host international sporting competitions in the future.

Once complete, this will be the first time in about 30 years Georgia has enjoyed a proper biathlon track.

Biathlon – a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting - was a popular sport in Soviet times however popularity for the sport dwindled after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. The Government believed with the introduction of the new biathlon track, enthusiasts will be able to rekindle their love for the sport.

Once complete, this will be the first time in about 30 years Georgia has enjoyed a proper biathlon track. Bakuriani. Photo by N. Alavidze/Agenda.ge.

Georgia’s Prime Minister said this was a "major infrastructural project” that would bring many benefits to the country as a whole, and would increase the year-round visibility of Bakuriani winter resort through increased demand by people practicing the sport of biathlon.

Furthermore, there are plans to develop sports infrastructure that will increase the number of guests to Bakuriani throughout the whole year. This will be beneficial for neighbouring villages as well as Bakuriani itself,” said Kvirikashvili.

As well as a new biathlon track, other facilities will also be built in Bakuriani and the nearby area such as a rifle-range, ice hockey rink and a stadium for spectators and a number of residential and entertainment areas.

We are gradually creating a whole complex of Olympic-standard infrastructure. This sets forth a prerequisite for a very realistic plan of holding the Olympic Games in Georgia within the next decade,” said Kvirikashvili.

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