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Biathlon was
originally a tactic of survival rather than a sport.
Northern Europeans skied to hunt for food and, later, skied
with weapons to defend their countries. The word "biathlon"
stems from the Greek word for two contests. Today it is
interpreted as a joining of two sports: cross-country skiing
and rifle shooting.
In 1960, Biathlon joined the International Modern Pentathlon
Union (UIPM). But in 1993, an agreement was made to retain
the Union as an umbrella body under which the UIPM and the
IBU could act autonomously. It took effect in 1998, but the
two sports maintain relations in various projects.
Biathlon
Biathlon consists of eight events in the Olympic programme.
Men and women compete in a sprint, pursuit, individual and
relay.
Although all biathlon disciplines combine skiing and
marksmanship, the sport features several distinct events.
Sprint
During the sprint, women race 7.5km and men race 10km.
Competitors stop twice and must hit all five targets with
five bullets. For each target missed, athletes take a lap
around the 150m penalty loop. The top 60 finishers of this
competition qualify for the pursuit.
Pursuit
In the pursuit, the competitors start at intervals based on
their finishing time in the sprint competition. Women race
10km and men race 12.5km. Competitors stop four times and
must hit all five targets with five bullets. For each target
missed, athletes take a lap around the 150m penalty loop.
Individual
In the individual event, women race 15km and men race 20km.
All competitors stop four times at the firing range and must
hit all five targets with five bullets. For each target
missed, one minute is added to their total time.
Relay
The relay is a fast-paced team event in which four-person
teams tackle four 7.5km legs for a total of 30km. It begins
with a mass start by the first skiers of their respective
teams. Each team member has two firing sequences and is
allowed three extra bullets (a total of eight) to hit five
targets, yet must load the three extra bullets one by one.
For each target left standing, competitors ski a lap around
the 150m penalty loop.
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