How do blind athletes aim in para biathlon?
Officials' detail · Shooting and penalties · 1 of 1LW athletes shoot a 4.5 mm air rifle at metal knock-down targets 10 m away. Vision impaired athletes use an electronic rifle that turns aim into a tone in their earphones, at electronic targets. Rifles are inspected and marked before the race, and athletes zero on paper targets in the 30 minutes before. A team may keep three reserve rifles.
How it works
- LW rifle: air, 4.5 mm, 5.5 kg at most.
- Power: 8 joules at most.
- LW targets: metal, five plates.
- VI rifle: sound through earphones.
- VI targets: electronic.
- Zeroing: 30 minutes, paper targets.
- Marking: IBU sticker on the stock.
- Reserves: up to three rifles.
The glossary has the air rifle, the VI rifle, the metal target, the electronic target, the zeroing and the reserve rifle.
Tricky cases
An athlete races with an unmarked rifle. Result?
Disqualification.
Can a metal target be used for zeroing?
No. Paper only.
Where do VI athletes shoot?
The left half of the range.
Do VI athletes pick their lane?
No. They go in lane order.
Why the rule exists
Sound replaces sight for VI shooters. Marking rifles stops changes after inspection.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| LW | Metal targets | E 3.4.4.1 |
| VI | Electronic | E 3.4.4.1 |
| Unmarked rifle | DSQ | E 11.3.4 |
From the rule book
IBU, Para Biathlon Event and Competition Rules (version 2025), articles 3.4, 4.2, 5.3, 8.2.1 and 8.6, with IBU, Para Biathlon Event and Competition Rules (version 2025), Annex A (Materials Catalogue), articles 3.1.6 and 3.2.1. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: IBU Para Biathlon ECR 2025.