The Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics will begin in early February, with the biathlon competitions taking place in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy. If you have only followed biathlon occasionally so far, or are planning to watch it for the first time during the Olympics, this article will help you get oriented. Below, I introduce the most important facts, competition formats and basic concepts of biathlon from A to Z.
Basics
The roots of biathlon go back to Norwegian ski troops. Military patrol competitions were held, which is how the sport first appeared at the Olympic Games as a demonstration event in 1924. Biathlon is based on the combination of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Race distances vary depending on the format, but one constant remains: athletes must hit five targets at each shooting bout.
In the early 1950s, biathlon came under the governance of the International Modern Pentathlon Union, until the International Biathlon Union (IBU) was founded in 1993. Biathlon officially became part of the Olympic program in 1960. Women were allowed to compete for the first time in 1992. The first male Olympic champion was Sweden’s Klas Lestander, while the first female champion was Anfisa Reztsova.
Individual
The individual race is the longest biathlon format. Men compete 20 kilometers, women 15 kilometers. The race consists of five laps and four shooting bouts (two prone, two standing). This is the only format without penalty loops: each missed target results in a one-minute time penalty. The individual was the discipline in which the first Olympic biathlon race was held.
Legends
One of the greatest winter athletes of all time, Ole Einar Bjørndalen, leads the all-time Olympic rankings with 8 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze medal. Among women, his wife Darya Domracheva won the most gold medals, with four. The most decorated female biathlete overall is Germany’s Ursula Disl, who won nine Olympic medals. Among active athletes, Quentin Fillon Maillet has won the most Olympic medals on the men’s side (five), while Anastasiya Kuzmina has collected six Olympic medals among women.
Mass start
Only 30 athletes are allowed to start in the mass start. Fifteen starters are already known ahead of the Olympics, as the top 15 athletes in the World Cup standings automatically qualify. The remaining 15 spots are filled based on medals won and overall performance during the season. The mass start made its Olympic debut in 2006. Men compete 15 kilometers, women 12,5 kilometers
Medal table
Norway leads the all-time Olympic biathlon medal table with 22 gold, 18 silver and 15 bronze medals. Germany and France follow behind. Interestingly, biathlon is the only winter Olympic sport in which the United States has never won a medal.
Penalty loop
In most race formats, missed targets result in penalty loops. Athletes must ski one loop for each missed target. In most competitions, a penalty loop is 150 meters long, although in some events it is shortened to 75 meters.
Pursuit
In the pursuit race, the top 60 finishers from the sprint qualify, starting with the exact time gaps from the sprint results. Men compete 12.5 kilometers, women 10 kilometers, with four shooting bouts (two prone, two standing). Missed targets again result in penalty loops. The pursuit was added to the Olympic program in 2002.
Quotas
A total of 210 Olympic quotas were allocated. The strongest nations were allowed to earn up to six quotas per gender. In total, 28 countries are represented in the men’s competition and 29 in the women’s competition.
Relay
Three relay events are held at the Olympics: men’s relay, women’s relay and mixed relay. Each team consists of four athletes. In the men’s relay, each athlete skis 7.5 kilometers, while in the women’s relay the distance is 6 kilometers per athlete. Unlike individual races, athletes have more than five shots per shooting bout: after the initial five shots, up to three spare rounds may be used. Any remaining missed targets after the spare rounds result in penalty loops. Spare rounds must be loaded manually, which causes additional time loss. In the mixed relay, both men and women ski 6 kilometers each. The relay debuted at the Olympics in 1968, while the mixed relay was introduced in 2014.
Rifle
Athletes use a .22 caliber rifle with a minimum weight of 3.5 kilograms without ammunition. The rifle must be carried throughout the entire race, which adds significant physical strain.
Shooting
There are two types of shooting in biathlon: prone and standing. In prone shooting, athletes must hit a target with a diameter of 4.5 centimeters, while in standing shooting the target diameter is 11.5 centimeters. A biathlon range has 30 shooting lanes, with the targets placed 50 meters from the athletes.
Sprint
The sprint is one of the most traditional biathlon events and is held at every World Cup venue. Men race 10 kilometers, women 7.5 kilometers, across three laps with one prone and one standing shooting bout. Each missed target results in a penalty loop. Completing a 150-meter penalty loop usually costs between 20 and 25 seconds, depending on speed and conditions. The sprint has been part of the Olympic program since 1980.
Venue
The Olympic biathlon competitions will be held at the venue in Antholz-Anterselva. The site is notable for its high altitude, located at around 1,600 meters above sea level. Antholz has hosted six Biathlon World Championships, most recently in 2020, and is a regular place in the World Cup calendar.
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