Strategic Alliance Information

Yes. U.S. Biathlon will remain the USOPC-recognized National Governing Body (NGB) for biathlon and the U.S. member of the International Biathlon Union (IBU). The U.S. Biathlon Board will retain the independent governance authority required of an NGB under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act.

This includes authority over matters reserved to the NGB, including athlete and team selection, eligibility and grievances, competition rules and sanctioning, SafeSport and anti-doping oversight, IBU obligations, bylaws, budget approval, and continued USOPC certification. U.S. Biathlon will also continue to meet all athlete-representation requirements.

Yes. Biathlon will have formal representation within U.S. Ski & Snowboard's governance and sport structure.

A Biathlon Sport Committee, with at least 33.3% athlete representation, will provide biathlon leadership and expertise and help guide plans, strategies and policies for the sport. Biathlon will also have representation on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Governing Board, creating a direct connection between biathlon leadership and the broader organization.

At the same time, the U.S. Biathlon Board will remain responsible for the governance matters that must remain under the authority of the biathlon NGB.

Yes. U.S. Biathlon will remain a separate legal entity, the recognized NGB for biathlon and the U.S. member of the IBU. The Strategic Alliance is not a merger and does not create a single combined organization.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard will provide operational infrastructure and services including accounting, HR, payroll, IT, legal, communications, sponsorship support, donor support and membership systems. U.S. Biathlon will retain its independent governance responsibilities, approve the annual biathlon budget, maintain separate financial reporting and conduct an independent annual audit.

The Biathlon Sports Director will lead the biathlon program and staff and will report regularly and be accountable to the U.S. Biathlon Board. The U.S. Biathlon Board will retain authority to hire and terminate the Biathlon Sports Director.

Resources reserved for biathlon will remain dedicated to biathlon through a "ring-fenced" funding structure. This includes IBU funding, USOPC biathlon funding, biathlon donor gifts, biathlon sponsorship revenue and other revenue designated for the sport. These resources cannot be reallocated by U.S. Ski & Snowboard to another sport.

U.S. Biathlon will maintain its own annual budget, approved by the U.S. Biathlon Board, with separate financial reporting and an independent annual audit.

Based on current projections, the Strategic Alliance is expected to provide approximately $3.3 million in additional resources and financial benefit to biathlon over the next four years through increased USOPC support, operating efficiencies and expanded sponsorship revenue. This figure does not include all of the potential upside from expanded fundraising, nor direct benefits athletes may see through individual sponsorship agreements and other commercial opportunities. We believe there is meaningful opportunity for the overall financial benefit to exceed this projection.

Yes. U.S. Biathlon will retain its name, logo and biathlon-specific identity. We will continue to maintain biathlon-specific communications and social media channels while also incorporating biathlon content into U.S. Ski & Snowboard's broader communications, media and fan platforms.

The goal is to preserve the identity and community that make U.S. Biathlon unique while significantly expanding the audience and visibility of the sport.

Yes. Athlete representation will remain an essential part of U.S. Biathlon's governance and the operation of the national team.

The U.S. Biathlon Board and Biathlon Sport Committee will continue to meet the requirement for at least 33.3% athlete representation. Biathlon will also have athlete representation on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Governing Board and Athletes' Council, and U.S. Biathlon athletes will continue to have a seat on the Team USA Athlete Commission.

At the national-team level, athletes will continue to have opportunities to provide regular input to coaches and leadership on team operations, logistics, culture and the athlete experience. The Alliance is intended to strengthen, not diminish, the role of athletes in decisions affecting their sport and their experience.

Yes. Strengthening the connection with clubs and expanding grassroots development are important objectives of the Alliance.

The community Sport Development Working Group identified opportunities including better scheduling coordination, expanded domestic events, joint development camps, infrastructure development, coach education, expanded pro-team opportunities, and simpler membership and club administration.

Not every element will be in place on day one. A sport-development strategy will be developed as part of implementation, with the Biathlon Sport Committee and its subcommittees helping guide priorities. Existing member benefits, including club insurance, are expected to continue.

The Alliance is intended to provide additional capacity and resources to grow biathlon at the grassroots level and create a stronger pathway from local clubs to international competition.

Yes. The high-performance program will retain its centralized, standalone national-team and training model.

Biathlon will continue to have dedicated coaching and support staff, European operations, ski service and athlete-support programs. High-performance leadership will continue to determine biathlon programming within the approved biathlon budget.

Where collaboration with U.S. Ski & Snowboard can benefit athletes, such as sports medicine, strength and conditioning, mental health, nutrition, ski service or other performance services, we will pursue those opportunities based on what is best for the biathlon program.

Yes. The Strategic Alliance is intended to be the long-term operating structure for U.S. Biathlon, not a four-year trial, but it also includes meaningful review and accountability provisions.

Strategic objectives and measurable KPIs will be established annually, including athlete performance, membership and club growth, fundraising and sponsorship, and financial performance. An interim assessment will take place following the 2026-27 season, followed by a comprehensive review after the 2029-30 season and after subsequent Olympic quadrennials.

If significant problems arise, the organizations will first work through a formal corrective-action process designed to address them. Only if there are persistent, material failures or fundamental problems that cannot reasonably be resolved may either organization terminate the Alliance.

If that extraordinary step becomes necessary, the Operating Agreement provides for an orderly transition designed to protect athletes, competitions, funding, staff, data, sponsor and donor relationships, and U.S. Biathlon's ability to resume independent operations.

Discussions about a potential Strategic Alliance began in late 2024, building on existing collaboration between U.S. Biathlon and U.S. Ski & Snowboard and exploring whether a closer relationship could create greater opportunities for athletes and the sport.

Discussions were paused in mid-2025 to avoid distracting from preparations for the 2026 Olympic Games. Following the Games, the concept was presented to the U.S. Biathlon Board in March 2026 for formal consideration.

The discussions gained additional urgency following a significant reduction in USOPC funding this spring and the need to identify sustainable resources to support U.S. Biathlon's long-term goals.

Since then, the proposal has evolved substantially through Board discussions, athlete and community town halls, direct stakeholder feedback and community working groups. That input has helped shape the proposed Operating Agreement, including protections for athlete support, U.S. Biathlon's independent governance responsibilities, biathlon's identity, dedicated financial resources, sport development, accountability and a defined process for reviewing - and, in extraordinary circumstances, ending - the Alliance.

The Alliance is designed to combine U.S. Biathlon's dedicated sport expertise with the broader infrastructure and resources of U.S. Ski & Snowboard.

U.S. Biathlon staff are expected to transition to U.S. Ski & Snowboard while remaining focused on biathlon. The Biathlon Sports Director will lead the biathlon program and staff, work closely with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Sport, and report regularly and be accountable to the U.S. Biathlon Board. The U.S. Biathlon Board will retain authority to hire and terminate the Biathlon Sports Director.

Biathlon staff will remain focused on high performance, the Elite Team and European operations, sport and youth development, IBU relationships and other biathlon-specific priorities. Shared organizational functions, including accounting, HR, payroll, IT, legal and other administrative services, will be supported through U.S. Ski & Snowboard.

The objective is to allow biathlon staff to spend more time supporting athletes, growing the sport and building the biathlon community while gaining access to the capabilities and infrastructure of a larger organization.

The Alliance is designed to preserve the specialized expertise and structure of U.S. Biathlon's high-performance program while giving athletes and coaches access to additional resources.

Athletes may benefit from expanded sports medicine, strength and conditioning, mental-health, nutrition, career-development and commercial resources. Coaches and staff will also have greater opportunities to collaborate with specialists and other high-performance programs while maintaining biathlon-specific decision-making and programming.

Performance will be measured through defined objectives and KPIs extending from the Olympic Games, World Championships and World Cup through the IBU Cup, development pipeline and overall growth of the sport.

The objective is not to change what is working in U.S. Biathlon's high-performance program, but to add resources, expertise and organizational capacity that can help accelerate progress toward our 2030 Olympic medal goals and create sustainable competitive success beyond 2030.