History
The biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, originated in Norway as a training exercise for soldiers. The first known competition took place in 1767 between companies of guards who patrolled the border with Sweden. Late in the 19th century, local rifle and ski clubs in Norway and other Scandinavian countries practiced the sport to keep their members prepared for combat.
An early form of the biathlon, called "military ski patrol," was a demonstration sport at the first Winter Olympics in 1924, and it was a medal sport in 1928, 1936, and 1948.
Because few countries participated, and the few that did participate had trouble agreeing on the rules, the sport was dropped from the Olympics. However, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne et Biathlon was founded in 1948 to standardize rules for both the biathlon and the modern pentathlon.
The first world championship was held in 1957 and biathlon was added to the Winter Olympic program in 1960, but the U. S. didn't conduct a national championship until 1965. Following the lead of the international organization, the national governing body was originally the U. S. Modern Pentathlon and Biathlon Association. The U. S. Biathlon Association was spun off in 1980.
Conduct of Competition
Originally, there was just a single event, a cross country ski race over a 20-kilometer (about 12.2-mile) course. Racers carry rifles and ammunition. They have to stop at four points, located between the fifth and eighteenth kilometers, for the target shooting portion of the competition.
At the first and third stops, competitors shoot from a prone position at a 25-centimeter target with a 12.5-centimeter center ring. At the second and fourth stops, they shoot from the standing position at a 45-centimeter target with a 35-centimeter center ring. If a shot hits the outer ring, the competitor is penalized 1 minutes. If the shot misses entirely, the penalty is 2 minutes. Penalty times are added to elapsed times to determine the order of finish.
The four-man relay was added to the world championships in 1966 and to the Olympic program in 1968. In this event, each competitor skis two 7.5-kilometer (4.7-mile) laps and stops twice to shoot eight rounds at five breakable targets. Instead of a penalty time, a competitor has to ski a 200-meter (219-yard) penalty lap for each target missed.
A shorter biathlon event, called "the sprint", is a 10-kilometer (about 6-mile) race. It became a world championship event in 1974 and an Olympic event in 1980.
The first world championship for women was held in 1984 and the Winter Olympics introduced the women's biathlon in 1992. Women compete individually at 7.5 kilometers and 15 kilometers. Their relay race, like the men's, consists of four 7.5-meter laps.
In 1987, the National Shooting Sports Foundation created the summer biathlon with a race series in Memphis. Competitors run 5 kilometers (about 3 miles) with two shooting stops. Rather than being penalized for misses, they're rewarded for hitting the target. Fifteen seconds is subtracted from the runner's time for each hit from the prone position, 30 seconds for each hit from the standing position.
