Work has officially begun on a new state-of-the-art biathlon training center in Östersund, Sweden, a multi-million-euro initiative that has sparked enthusiasm from top skier Elvira Öberg. The Swedish star didn’t hide her excitement and even made a bold prediction about her future in the World Cup circuit.
“I really want to be part of a World Championship here in 2031 if it happens,” the 27-year-old told SVT during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new high-performance center.
Öberg, the younger sister of Hanna Öberg, has been a mainstay on the Swedish World Cup team since 2019. Since then, she has secured 11 individual victories, finishing second overall in the 2021/22 season—her best career ranking to date—and fourth in the past two campaigns.
She earned silver in the relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics and previously won gold with the Swedish quartet in Beijing 2022. In 2025, she became world champion in the mass start event.
13 Million Euro Investment for a State-of-the-Art Facility
Sweden aims to boost its chances of hosting a major championship with the construction of this new training center at the national arena in Östersund. The 140 million Swedish kronor (approximately 13 million euros) project is set for completion in 2027 and will include a fitness studio, an indoor shooting range, and biathlon treadmills.
“The idea emerged during the World Cup events here. We thought about how we could improve sustainability aspects, and then the concept evolved alongside performance considerations,” explained Sofia Domeij, chairwoman of the Swedish Biathlon Association.
The last Biathlon World Championships were held in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, in 2025, with Otepää, Estonia, set to host in 2027. Sweden last welcomed the world biathlon elite to Östersund in 2019.
