From Podium Success to Reforestation

The Forest of Champions project operates on a simple yet powerful premise. Throughout the 2025/26 season, every podium finish and flower ceremony appearance across the IBU’s competition structure will trigger the planting of a tree seedling. The initiative spans the IBU World Cup, IBU Cup, Junior Cup and Para Biathlon World Cup, embedding sustainability across all levels of elite biathlon.

By the end of the season, the IBU expects that more than 1,000 seedlings will have been earned by the world’s top biathletes. These trees will be planted during a dedicated reforestation session in spring 2026 at Untersberg, the IBU’s home mountain and a location closely linked to the sport’s heritage, just a short distance from the iconic venue of Ruhpolding.

A Measurable Commitment to Nature

Rather than a symbolic gesture, Forest of Champions has been designed as a transparent and measurable environmental intervention. By directly linking sporting results to ecological outcomes, the project highlights how elite sport can move beyond awareness-raising towards practical climate action.

“Rather than focusing on symbolic gestures, Forest of Champions is designed as a measurable and transparent contribution, turning concrete sporting results into real-world action,” the IBU notes.

The initiative builds on the momentum of the Loop One Festival held in October 2025, where athletes, fans and partners came together to support hands-on environmental activities. Forest of Champions represents the next step in embedding sustainability into the core of biathlon’s competitive calendar.

France Leads the ‘Tree Rankings’

Following the conclusion of the season’s first trimester, the IBU released its inaugural Nation Tree Rankings, offering an early snapshot of which countries are contributing most to the new forest.

France currently leads the standings with 106 ceremony positions, followed by Norway (54) and Germany (35). Sweden (33) and Ukraine (28) complete the top five. In total, 358 seedlings were “collected” through athlete performances in November and December alone, with strong contributions also coming from Italy, Czechia, the USA, Canada and Austria.

Cultivating a Sustainable Future

The partnership between the IBU and Viessmann reflects a shared ambition to demonstrate leadership in climate responsibility within winter sport. By embedding sustainability directly into competition outcomes, the initiative sends a clear signal that environmental stewardship can be integrated into elite sport without compromising performance or integrity.

By connecting athletic success with environmental action, the IBU and Viessmann aim to show how sport can play a meaningful role in sustainability, competition by competition and tree by tree.

As the 2025/26 season progresses, every shot fired and every second gained on the track now carries significance beyond the scoreboard, contributing to a living legacy that will outlast medals, rankings and seasons.