Disciplines

The Biathlon is a Winter Olympics Sport that combines freestyle cross-country skiing with target shooting using a small caliber rifle. It demands great physical stamina and strength, but also a capacity for concentration and considerable technical abilities. For each race a 2 km, 2.5 km, 3 km or 4 km long ring piste is used, varying in relation to the specialty, with the athlete carrying out a series of target shooting, five shots each, at the shooting range. The penalties are compensated for by racing an additional 150 m for each target missed, or, in the individual race only, with a minute for each target missed added to the total time. The time taken to carry out the shooting is not detracted from the total time, so the winner is whoever succeeds in covering the entire course with the best time together with the addition of any penalties as a result of the target shooting.

There are ten competitions included in the Olympics program, five men’s and five women’s: individual, sprint, pursuit, relay and start in line.

Individual
The 20 km is the oldest discipline in biathlon. The athletes start at 30” intervals. They have to cover the overall course of 20 km, with a total difference in altitude of between 600 and 750 meters, and fire off 20 shots in four rounds of target shooting. The competition is carried out with a series of five shots at as many targets over a 4 km section of piste, and so on for another three series, covering another last round of 4 km before passing the finishing line. Shooting is carried out in sequence: prone, standing, prone, standing. For each target missed there is a penalty of 1', to be added to the total race time. The time employed for the four series of target shooting is not deducted so that each athlete tries to remain in the shooting range for as short time as possible, with the best keeping it down to 30”, succeeding in hitting five centers in 15'' from the first shot. The time taken to complete the 20 km generally varies from between 53'-55', with 0' or 1' penalty; the time for the 15 km individual women’s tends to be around 46'.

Sprint
The athletes start at 30” intervals. Men have to cover an overall course of 10 km with a total difference in altitude of between 300 and 450 meters, Women 7,5 Km. There are two target shooting series, with five targets each: prone - standing. For each target missed the athlete has to carry out a penalty loop of 150 m. The best finish the race in approx. 27' without any penalty rounds.

Pursuit
60 athletes take part in this competition based on a qualifying competition which is normally held the previous day. The winner of the qualifying shooting competition starts and the remainder follow in the order and time that finished behind. The men race over a course of 12.5 km, the women 10 km, with 4 shooting series every 2-2.5 km, the first two prone, the next two standing. The athlete that enters the shooting range first shoots from line number 1 at target number 1, with the others following in order i.e. the second shooting in line 2 and so on. The competition is spectacular because it is also possible for a non expert public to follow and understand it but especially because there is constant updating on the leading positions.

Relay
Each of the four athletes comprising the team has to cover the entire distance involved before making the exchange with a team companion and carry out two shooting series of five targets each: prone – standing. The athletes have available, in addition to their five shots, another three in reserve, which have to be loaded individually for security reason. After the first shooting phase the athletes line up at the shooting range on the basis of their position in the race, the first in line one and so on. If, despite the three reserve shots, they fail to hit all the targets, they must enter the penalty round on the basis of the missed targets.

Mass Start
This competition comprises the best 30 athletes i.e. all those who have won a medal in the individual, sprint and pursuit competitions, the leader in the World Cup and, where there are any missing places, the best in the total world cup classification. Five 3 km rings are covered by the men, for a total of 15 km, and five 2.5 km rings by the women, for a total of 12.5 km. After each round a series of target shooting is carried out, the first two prone, the second two standing, each of five shots. For each target missed the athlete has to do a round. The athlete leading the competition shoots from line one, the second from line two and so on. The overall competition lasts approx. 35‘ and is the simplest and easiest to follow. The winner is whichever athlete passes the finishing line first. The classification is drawn up on the basis of the order of arrival. This discipline will enter the Olympic Program for the first time during the Torino 2006 Olympic Games.

Shooting range
The targets are placed at a distance of 50 m from the shooting ramp edge and have a diameter of 45 mm for prone and 115 mm for those made while standing. The athlete can choose the line from which to shoot in the individual competition; in all the others he must follow the sequence, starting on the right with number one, for the first, and moving on to the next line that is free, with the exception of the first round of the relay, where each team is assigned a line corresponding to the number on their bib. The rifles used are small bore (5,6 mm), L.R (long rifle) and weigh at least 3.5 kg. Only manual loading is permitted.