Grand Tour Biathlon: Astana's Central Park Hosts First-Ever Children's Biathlon Festival
At the start of last winter season, the Kazakhstan Biathlon Union changed the format of the Cups and Championships for young biathletes. Now, competitions are held under the brand "Grand Tour Biathlon," which includes 4 winter and 2 summer stages. This new format is similar to the Biathlon World Cup for adults, where top performers wear red bibs and overall leaders wear yellow bibs.
The first stage of the Grand Tour Biathlon took place in East Kazakhstan, followed by stages in Aksai, Pavlodar, Shchuchinsk, Petropavlovsk, and the final stage in Central Park, Astana.
Around 100 children from 7 regions of the country participated in the events in the capital. Over two days, young biathletes competed in sprint and individual races. The festival featured an official opening, fan giveaways, gifts from the federation, free ice cream, and water. Season winners received crystal cups and cash certificates totaling 15 million tenge.
In the boys' sprint for ages 2009-2011, Nikita Dudchenko took first place, followed by Evgeny Poltoranin in second and Egor Nemtsev in third. For the girls, Varvara Nebogatova led, with Angelina Afanasyeva in second and Albina Khafizova in third. In the younger boys' category, Denis Chirvin won, followed by Aryn Tazhibayev and Vyacheslav Dymovskikh. For the younger girls, Evelina Timofeeva finished first, with Ksenia Krashkevich in second and Elena Tokmyanina in third.
The individual race for older boys took place on roller skis and was very exciting. Evgeny Poltoranin claimed first place, followed by Egor Nemtsev and Nikita Dudchenko. Among the girls, Angelina Afanasyeva won, with Varvara Nebogatova in second and Albina Khafizova in third. For the younger boys, the winner was Damir Raikhanov, followed by Aryn Tazhibayev and Vyacheslav Dymovskikh. Evelina Timofeeva won the younger girls' race, with Ksenia Krashkevich in second and Elena Tokmyanina in third.
Over the two days, transportation was provided from the accommodation to the park. They were also given mineral water from a sponsor and free ice cream. A photo booth was set up so kids could take printed photos to remember the event.
After the individual race, the final rankings were revealed, and champions were announced. In the boys' category for ages 2011-2013, Aryn Tazhibayev from West Kazakhstan became the champion. Although biathlon opened in the Aksai region only two years ago, Aryn consistently led in all Grand Tour Biathlon stages.
In the girls category for ages 2011-2013, Ksenia Krashkevich from Pavlodar won the Crystal Cup. For boys aged 2009-2011, Egor Nemtsev from East Kazakhstan claimed victory, taking first place in the last two stages. Varvara Nebogatova from East Kazakhstan became the champion for girls in the same age group. These champions will now participate in an international sports camp in Shchuchinsk.
In addition to gifts for winners at each stage, the Federation allocated money certificates to five regions participating in the Grand Tour Biathlon. The winners were determined based on all six stages:
- Akmolinskaya Region - 3,500,000 tenge
- Pavlodar Region - 2,500,000 tenge
- East Kazakhstan Region - 1,500,000 tenge
- North Kazakhstan Region - 1,000,000 tenge
- Abay Region - 700,000 tenge
The Grand Tour Biathlon is a major project by the Kazakhstan Biathlon Union to promote children's sports and biathlon in the country. With the support of the sports management in Astana, children aged 9-11 now have the chance to train in biathlon for free in Central Park.
Congratulations to all the winners, and thanks to the young biathletes, their parents, coaches, judges, sponsors, volunteers, and everyone involved in this initiative. We aim to make the Grand Tour Biathlon a brand of Kazakhstan biathlon!
The Kazakhstan Biathlon Union will continue to work hard to make biathlon a favorite sport in Kazakhstan, creating the best conditions for our athletes. Love sports and become fans of biathlon!
