What you can't watch without
The rules you will see every few minutes, in the order you meet them. Each opens on its answer.
B · Beginner · 6 rules · Step 1 of 3The competitions
- How does biathlon work?Biathletes ski a course carrying a small-bore rifle and stop at a range to shoot five targets 50 metres away, lying down or standing.
- How does the biathlon sprint work?The sprint is 10 km for men and 7.5 km for women, over three loops with one prone and one standing bout.
- How does the biathlon pursuit work?In the pursuit, skiers start in the order and gaps of a qualifying race, usually the sprint, so the leader starts first.
Shooting and skiing
- How far away are biathlon targets?The targets are 50 metres from the firing line.
- What are the shooting positions in biathlon?In the prone position the rifle may touch only the hands, shoulder and cheek; the wrist of the supporting arm must be raised well off the snow.
- What happens when a biathlete misses a target?Each target left standing after the shots for a bout costs one penalty: a 150 m loop in most races, 75 m in short-loop formats, or added time in the individual.