Did you know?

• The first ever competition

  is believed to have been held in 1767 in Norway as a military training exercise?

• In 1958 

  the first biathlon World Championships were held in Saalfelden, Austria with only men competitors?

• From 1957 until 1993 

  the biathlon union was part of a joint union with modern pentathlon? The formal separation took place in 1998, 5 years after IBU was formed

• Skis

  can only be 4 cm shorter than the athlete him or herself?

• 0.1 seconds 

  is all that sometimes matters over 15 km?

• In 1978 biathlon rifles

  .22 caliber small-bore rifles became the standard for biathlon?

• The weight of a rifle 

  must be at least 3.5 kg?

• The standard distance 

  between the biathlete and target is 50 meters?

• The penalty loop 

  is 150 meters long? It usually takes the athletes around 23 seconds to ski the loop. That’s the same time some of the fastest shooters need to knock down the...

• The First Women's Biathlon World Championships

  were held in 1984 in Chamonix, France; men and women have been competing at the same World Championships since 1992?

• Standing targets 

  are more than twice as big as the prone targets? Standing remains the more difficult task for most athletes

• Athletes

  occasionally mix up the home straight with another lane?

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