Biathlon at the Winter Olympics

Biathlon at the Winter Olympics: "Biathlon" means "dual event". The sport event consists of two disciplines-cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Biathlon was developed in the eighteenth century, when it was a popular exercise in the military camps. The sport "military petrol" can be referred to be the predecessor of biathlon. The sport has become extremely popular in Norway, Finland, Russia, Sweden, Slovenia, Germany, Belarus, Estonia and Bulgaria. The International Biathlon Union or the IBU is the governing body of the sport at the international level.

Biathlon in the Winter Games: Biathlon was included in the Olympic schedule at the 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Games. At the 1960 Games, the only biathlon event contested was the men's 20 kilometer individual event. With the growth of the Games, the number of events has also increased. Women started competing in the biathlon events at the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics. Currently ten events are contested during the biathlon competition at the Winter Games.

Detailed biathlon events:

• Men's 4 x 7.5 km Relay
• Women's 4x6 km Relay
• Men's 10 km Sprint
• Women's 7.5 km Sprint
• Men's 12.5 km Pursuit
• Women's 10 km Pursuit
• Men's 15 km Mass Start
• Women's 12.5 km Mass Start
• Men's 20 km Individual
• Women's 15 km Individual

Categories of Biathlon: On the basis of the competition format, biathlon can be divided into various categories. The most common biathlon categories are-

• Individual biathlon
• Sprint biathlon
• Pursuit biathlon
• Mass start
• Relay biathlon
• Team biathlon

There can be other variations of biathlon also. Some of the variations contested at the international level are-

• Summer biathlon
• Archery biathlon
• Roller-ski biathlon
• Mountain bike biathlon
• Orienteering biathlon

Rules of Biathlon: The International Biathlon Union or the IBU is authorized to set rules for biathlon at the international level. Some of the rules, which are followed during the international biathlon competitions, are-

• The biathlon competitions are divided is various classes. The schedule of the program is set by the IBU rule-book
• The athletes are not allowed to use any support or assistance during the competitions.
• The competitors are not permitted to receive any kind of information through the radio transmitters during the competitions.
• The shooting range should be properly marked during the competition.
• Obstructing other competitors during the competition is prohibited. The team members of the competitors are allowed to run up to the first 50 meter beside the course.
• One competition jury is appointed during the competition, which is authorized to take all the decisions regarding the competition.
• The nature and dimension of the start areas in all the biathlon categories have to be as per the IBU rule-book.
• The trails or the competition courses should be appropriately marked during the competition for the participants' convenience.
• The distance of the race should be determined by the IBU.
• All the competition gears and the uniforms of the competitors should be specified by the IBU.
• In the competitions, the participants have to carry the rifle on their backs. During the shooting round, the contestants are given a certain number of chances to shoot at the targets.
• If there is a tie between two competitors, the tie is not broken. Both the competitors are given equal ranking in the result.

Medal winners in Biathlon: Michael Greis, Ole Einar Bjorndalen, Sven Fischer, Vincent Defrasne, Tomasz Sikora, Michael Rosch, Svetlana Irekovna Ishmouratova, Martina Glagow, Albina Khamitovna Akhatova, Florence Baverel-Robert, Anna Carin Olofsson, Magnar Solberg, Halvard Hanevold, Ricco Grob, Uschi Disl , Anna Carin Olofsson , Kati Wilhelm, Lilia Yefremova, Anna Bogaliy-Titovets, Katrin Apel and Sandrine Bailly are some of the famous biathletes at the international level.