Biathlon is a challenging combination of cross-country
skiing and target shooting. The competitor skis a designated loop with a specially adapted .22 rifle harnessed
on his or her back, pausing to shoot at a specified number of ranges along the route. Biathlon requires athletes
to master the physical and mental demands of two
somewhat conflicting disciplines—the strength and
stamina to ski a long course and the self-control to concentrate upon arriving at the shooting range. Biathlon
has been an Olympic event for men since 1960. Today
there are Olympic events for both men and women, as
individuals and relay teams, and national and international competitions for junior athletes as well.
History
The ancient origin of biathlon is revealed in rock carvings found in Norway that date from about 2000 B.C.E.,
which show two hunters on skis stalking animals.
Modern biathlon has military origins in Scandinavia,
where the terrain and climate required troops to be
trained and equipped for combat in winter conditions.
The earliest recorded biathlon event occurred in 1767
between “ski-runner companies” who guarded the border between Norway and Sweden. In the late 1930s, the
Finnish Army, outnumbered 10 to 1 but outfitted with
skis, routed the Russians from their border.
The first international biathlon competition was held
as a demonstration event at the 1924 Winter Olympics in
Chamonix, France, and repeated at the Winter Olympics
of 1928, 1936, and 1948. After 1948, biathlon was
dropped from the Olympic program in response to the
antimilitary sentiment that followed World War II.
In 1948, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon
Moderne et Biathlon (UIPMB) was founded to promote
both sports as Olympic events. The UIPMB instituted
annual World Championships for biathlon in 1957 and
it was first included as an individual event for male
athletes at the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, in 1960. In 1966 the biathlon relay was introduced at the World Biathlon Championships and added
to the Olympic program in 1968. The first Women’s
World Championships were held in Chamonix, France,
in 1984, and women’s biathlon events were included at
the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.
Rules and Play
There are three race events in biathlon—individual,
sprint, and relay—each with different distances, rules,
and penalties. Competitors ski a set number of loops of
the course depending on the event, taking four stops
for shooting.
The equipment used in biathlon competition has
changed over the years. From 1958 to 1965, competitors
used NATO caliber rifles, first 3.08 and then large bore
.223. In 1978 the .22 caliber was adopted as the official
rifle.
Skiing technique shifted from the classic, diagonal
cross-country stride, but in 1985 the “skating” technique was introduced. This revolutionized the physical
techniques of the sport and required new equipment:
longer ski poles and shorter, stiffer skis. Skating has
also reduced race times. World Cup winners have
“cleaned” every set of targets and finished a 20-kilometer race in under one hour.
—BONNIE DYER-BENNET
Bibliography: United States Biathlon Association Bulletin.
(1994) 14, 2.