"Tickets for the program on Sunday are already sold out. For Friday and Saturday we have only a few hundreds left. The interest of our audience is huge," said at the press conference in Prague Mr. Jiří Hamza, President of the Czech Biathlon Union. He expects that Nové Město might break the spectator record of the season. The race-track can hold around 15 thousand spectators and the entrance is free of charge. That means every competiton day could possibly host around thirty thousand visitors.

"I just want to advise our spectators who are planning to visit the race-track spots on Friday to show up later in the evening when the Mixed Relay starts (at 17:30). The afternoon race Single Mixed Relay (which starts at 15:10) will be held only on short track around the stadium," said Hamza.

Czech biathlon supported by the great success of last year's Olympics in Sochi and also by outstanding performances of Czech biathletes this season became a phenomenon of sports fans in the Czech Republic. "Well, we are really enjoying this situation. It is rewarding when people in the pub don't discuss only football and hockey, but also biathlon. But we know that such a victorious wave can't last forever," says Hamza.

World Cup program starts in Vysočina Arena on Friday at 15:10 with the Single Mixed Relay. It is followed at 17:30 with the Mixed Relay (two men and two women in each team). On Saturday take place the Sprints (12:30 women and 15:30 men) and on Sunday the Pursuit competitions (13:00 women and 15:00 men).

Jiří Pošvář