Biathlon, a dynamic sport featured in EYOF, combines the excitement of cross-country skiing with the precision of rifle shooting. This unique blend of endurance and focus challenges young athletes, offering a thrilling winter experience that tests both physical stamina and mental sharpness. Embrace the adventure and aim for greatness!

In the sprint races, girls cover distances of 6 km and the boys cover 7.5 km. They stop twice and must hit five targets with five bullets each time (once prone, once standing). For each missed target in this event, the athlete must ski additionally the 150 m penalty loop.

In the individual races, girls cover 10 km and the boys cover 12.5 km. Athletes stop four times at the shooting range and must hit all five targets with five bullets each time (twice prone, twice standing). For each missed target in this event, the athlete gets 45 seconds penalty time.

In the single mixed relay each team is composed of two athletes – one girl and one boy – on a 1.5 km course. Each team member has two shooting sequences, one in the prone position and one standing, after which an athlete hands over the relay to the next athlete. This sequence repeats one more time. In each shooting sequence, competitors are required to hit five targets and for every missed target, athlete has to ski additionally the 75 m penalty loop.

In the mixed 4×6 km relay each team is composed of four athletes – two girls and two boys – who each ski 6 km. Each team member has two shooting sequences: one in the prone position and one standing. In each shooting sequence, competitors are required to hit five targets and at each shooting are given three extra bullets for missed targets (for a total of eight). If after 8 shots there are still missed targets, athlete has to for each missed target ski additionally the 150 m penalty loop.  

HISTORY

Biathlon combines the power and aggression of cross-country skiing with the precision and calm of marksmanship.  

The word “biathlon” stems from the Greek word for two contests, and is today seen as the joining of two sports: skiing and shooting. Biathlon has its roots in survival skills practiced in the snow-covered forests of Scandinavia, where people hunted on skis with rifles slung over their shoulders.  

Biathlon-type events in Scandinavia are known to have been held as early as the 18th century. The first modern biathlon probably occurred in 1912, when the Norwegian military organized the Forvarsrennet in Oslo. An annual event, it consisted initially of a 17 km cross-country ski race with two-minute penalties incurred by misses in the shooting part of the competition.  

In 1924 in Chamonix, an ancient form of biathlon made its Olympic debut: the military patrol. This event was then in demonstration in 1928, 1936 and 1948. After some attempts to incorporate it into a winter pentathlon, biathlon appeared at the Games in its current form in 1960 in Squaw Valley. Women’s biathlon made its first appearance on the Olympic program in Albertville in 1992.

Until the 1976 Games in Innsbruck, the events comprised an individual race and a relay. In Lake Placid in 1980, a second individual event was introduced.

In Salt Lake City in 2002, a 12.5 km pursuit event was added for men and 10 km for women. From Turin in 2006, a new mass-start event was introduced for both men and women. This brings together the 30 best athletes from the World Cup.

(source: https://olympics.com/en/sports/biathlon/).