Biathlon consists of two sports combined cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It's generally accepted that biathlon generated in Scandinavia resulting from the activities of hunters who used to skiing in snowy winter woods while carrying rifles. Sometimes when men gathered for rest, they used to arrange real competitions who were the fastest skier and the most accurate rifleman. Skiing and rifles shooting have also been combined for military use, as ski-wearing troops can travel off roads area where vehicles cannot. Biathlon also was used as an alternative training for the military.
Thus, the first biathlon club, the Trysil Rifle, was formed in Norway in 1861 to promote national defense at the local level. The first standardized rules for biathlon were elaborated in 1948 with the founding of Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne et Biathlon, and in 1998 the International Biathlon Union was established.
During the 1950s biathlon was widely developed in Russia and Sweden and was enjoyed by the public. This popularity promoted to entry biathlon into the Winter Olympics. In 1958 in Austria the first World Championship in biathlon was held, and in 1960 the sport was finally included in the Olympic Games. At Albertville in 1992, women were first included in Olympic biathlon.
A biathlon competition consists of a race in which participants ski around a cross-country track, and where the total distance is divided by either two or four shooting rounds, half in prone position, the other half standing. Olympic biathlon shooting distance is 50 meters. All cross-country skiing techniques are allowed in biathlon, which means that the free technique is usually the preferred one as the fastest.
The 20 kilometers individual biathlon race for men and 15 kilometers for women is the oldest biathlon competition. The participants start in intervals; they complete five laps and shoot four times totaling 20 targets. Shooting positions include: prone, standing, prone, standing. Depending on the shooting results, extra distance or time is added to the rival's total running distance/time. The participant with the shortest total time wins.
The Olympic sprint biathlon is 10 kilometers for men and 7,5 kilometers for women. The participants start at intervals, usually 30 seconds apart and must complete three laps. They shoot twice, once prone and once standing, for a total of 10 shots. For each miss, an additional 150 meters must be skied before the race can be continued.
In a pursuit, men's distance is 12,5 kilometers, and women's one is 10 kilometers - both done in five equal laps. Starting intervals are based on time differentials from the sprint. The athletes shoot the first two times in the prone position, and the last two standing. For each miss, a 150 meters penalty lap must be skied. The participant crossing the finish line first becomes the winner.
The relay teams consist of four biathletes, each ski 7,5 kilometers for men or 6 kilometers for women. Each team member will ski one leg, consisting of three laps and two rounds of shooting: one prone, one standing. For every round of five targets there are eight bullets available. For each missed target one 150 meters penalty loop must be skied taken. The first-leg players start all at the same time, every member of a team will touch the team's next-leg participant to perform a changeover. The team of the first racer to pass the finish line is the winner.
Women ski 12,5 kilometers and men ski 15 kilometers in mass start race, which is done in five laps. It is very similar to pursuit, but all competitors start racing at the same time. Winners and ranking are determined by the order in which the competitors cross the finish line.
Although biathlon usually is considered as the winter sport, there is a popular variant as summer biathlon, which includes cross-country running with shooting, or competition, combining running with swimming.