Biathlon
Biathletes in the shooting area of a competition | |
| Highest governing body | Military patrol (1920–1953) / UIPMB (Union de Pentathlon Moderne et Biathlon) (1953–1993) / International Biathlon Union since 1993 |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | |
| Team members | Single competitors or relay teams |
| Mixed-sex | Yes |
| Equipment | Skis, poles, rifle |
| Presence | |
| Olympic | 1924 (military patrol) 1960 (officially) |
Biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It developed from the sport of military patrol, which began in 19th century Scandinavia and originated in ski warfare. In the Nordic languages, the sport is called "ski-shooting". The sport of biathlon involves many different types of races, with the commonality being contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into shooting rounds called bouts. The shooting rounds do not have a time limit, but depending on the competition, missed shots result in extra distance or time being added to the contestant's total.