Biathlon: from military patrol to Olympic event

Biathlon, the combination of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, is rooted in the skiing traditions of Scandinavia [1]. As military patrol it was contested at the 1924 Winter Olympics, and the sport returned to the Olympic Games in 1960 [2][3].

According to Encyclopædia Britannica, biathlon is rooted in the skiing traditions of Scandinavia, where early inhabitants revered the Norse god Ullr as both the ski god and the hunting god [1]. In modern times, the activity was an exercise for Norwegians as alternative military training [4]. Norwegian skiing regiments organised military skiing contests in the 18th century, divided into four classes [4]. One class was shooting at a mark while skiing at top speed [4].

Called military patrol, the combination of skiing and shooting was contested at the Winter Olympic Games in 1924 and demonstrated in 1928, 1936 and 1948 [2]. Norway and Finland were strong competitors in this period [2]. At Chamonix in 1924, the military patrol team member Camille Mandrillon took the Olympic Oath on behalf of the competitors [5]. The patrol had four members, one leader and three others, and the leader did not take part in the shooting [6].

In 1948 the sport was reorganised under the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne et Biathlon, and it was re-accepted as an Olympic sport in 1955 [2]. The first Biathlon World Championship was held in Austria in 1958, and in 1960 the sport was included in the Olympic Games [3]. The competitions from 1958 to 1965 used high-power centrefire cartridges such as the .30-06 Springfield and the 7.62×51mm NATO [7].

The sole early event was the men's 20 km individual, with four separate ranges at 100, 150, 200 and 250 m [8]. The target distance was reduced to 150 m when the relay was added in 1966 [8]. The change to the .22 Long Rifle with only 50 m to the targets came in 1978 [9][7]. Mechanical self-indicating targets made their debut at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid [8].

Women entered the World Championships in 1984, and the Olympic biathlon first allowed them at Albertville in 1992 [9][10]. In 1985 the sport moved from classical style to free technique, or skating [9]. The pursuit start featured at the 1997 World Championships and the mass start at those of 1999 [9]. The pursuit was added to the Olympic programme in 2002 and the mixed relay in 2006 [10].

Today a shooting bout means five targets at 50 m, with a diameter of 45 mm when prone and 115 mm when standing [11]. The 20 km individual race, 15 km for women, is the oldest biathlon event [12]. In a pursuit, each missed target means a penalty loop of 150 m [13]. For the 2018–2019 season, fully electronic targets were approved as an alternative to mechanical steel targets in IBU events [14].