Östersund is marketed as the Winter City and has a long history of winter sports.
It is internationally perhaps most known as one of the regular Biathlon World Cup hosts in late-November and early-December.
World Cup competitions have been held there since 1989.
The Biathlon World Championship 1970 were hosted in Östersund in 1970, 2008 and 2019.

The cross-country skiing stadium is located two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the city centre and is one of the most well-equipped and spectator friendly ski stadiums in Sweden.
The stadium is also internationally renowned due to the topography of its ski tracks, the compact track-system and the fact that Östersund is usually quite a reliable locality for snow during the winter months.
A number of biathlon world cup races have been held at the stadium as well as several national championships in cross-country skiing.

Nationellt Vintersportcentrum (NVC, Swedish Winter Sports Research Centre) is a research and training project run by the sports movement, the university, the municipality and the county council.
The Swedish Olympic Committee (SOC) use its lab for various tests.

Östersund, in association with the neighboring municipality of Åre, had plans to be the candidate of Sweden for the organization of the XXII Olympic Winter Games, the 2014 Winter Olympics, but the candidacy proposal was rejected by the government.
It would have been the fourth attempt of this city (after 1994 where Östersund lost the bid with the score 45–39 to Lillehammer in the final round, 1998 and 2002).

Östersund has a basketball team in Sweden's highest division (Ligan), Jämtland Basket.

Östersund's Fallskärmsklubb is the oldest of Sweden's drop zones and was formed in 1958.
The very first civilian parachute jump was done actually on the ice of Storsjön in February 1956.
The jumpers were officers from the Swedish Parachute rangers regiment that also wanted to jump on their spare time.
Östersund's Fallskärmsklubb is today localized to Optand's airfields, approximately 13 km (8 mi) south from Östersund where one carries out education of students and sky diving for the experienced jumpers all year around with the exception from late autumn until early winter.

Other sports clubs include:
IFK Östersund
Ope IF
Östersunds FK
Fältjägarnas IF
Östersund is marketed as the Winter City and has a long history of winter sports. It is internationally perhaps most known as one of the regular Biathlon World Cup hosts in late-November and early-December. World Cup competitions have been held there since 1989. The Biathlon World Championship 1970 were hosted in Östersund in 1970, 2008 and 2019.
The cross-country skiing stadium is located two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the city centre and is one of the most well-equipped and spectator friendly ski stadiums in Sweden. The stadium is also internationally renowned due to the topography of its ski tracks, the compact track-system and the fact that Östersund is usually quite a reliable locality for snow during the winter months. A number of biathlon world cup races have been held at the stadium as well as several national championships in cross-country skiing.
Nationellt Vintersportcentrum (NVC, Swedish Winter Sports Research Centre) is a research and training project run by the sports movement, the university, the municipality and the county council. The Swedish Olympic Committee (SOC) use its lab for various tests.
Östersund, in association with the neighboring municipality of Åre, had plans to be the candidate of Sweden for the organization of the XXII Olympic Winter Games, the 2014 Winter Olympics, but the candidacy proposal was rejected by the government. It would have been the fourth attempt of this city (after 1994 where Östersund lost the bid with the score 45–39 to Lillehammer in the final round, 1998 and 2002).
Östersund has a basketball team in Sweden's highest division (Ligan), Jämtland Basket.
Östersund's Fallskärmsklubb is the oldest of Sweden's drop zones and was formed in 1958. The very first civilian parachute jump was done actually on the ice of Storsjön in February 1956. The jumpers were officers from the Swedish Parachute rangers regiment that also wanted to jump on their spare time. Östersund's Fallskärmsklubb is today localized to Optand's airfields, approximately 13 km (8 mi) south from Östersund where one carries out education of students and sky diving for the experienced jumpers all year around with the exception from late autumn until early winter.
Other sports clubs include:
IFK Östersund
Ope IF
Östersunds FK
Fältjägarnas IF
Östersund