From the snowy forests of 18th-century Scandinavia to the grand stage of the Winter Olympics, biathlon has travelled a remarkable journey. First officially contested around 1912, the sport combines endurance, precision, and nerves of steel—and this year marks its 18th Olympic appearance. Over the decades, the Games have taken biathlon across three continents, and this year it returns to Europe for the ninth time, continuing to captivate audiences around the world. And speaking of the sport’s enduring appeal, two names stand above all: Norway’s Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Olympic medal record holder with 13 medals, and his female counterpart, Belarus’ Darya Domracheva, whose six Olympic medals have made her a true icon of biathlon.

The Very Beginnings and the Road to the First Olympic Games

It might not have been called biathlon back then, but the essence of the sport was already visible at the inaugural Olympic Winter Games in 1924 in Chamonix, France. A direct ancestor, military ski patrol, took the spotlight: teams of skiers raced together over snowy courses, stopping periodically to shoot at targets. While military patrol would only return as a demonstration sport in St. Moritz (1928 and 1948) and Garmisch-Partenkirchen (1936), the concept of testing both endurance and shooting skill had been firmly established.

It would take a couple of decades for biathlon to secure a permanent place on the Olympic program. That moment finally came in 1960 at Squaw Valley, USA, with the men’s 20 km individual race—the first Olympic solo competition. Competitors were challenged to shoot accurately over four distances—200 m, 250 m, 150 m, and 100 m—with the first three bouts taken prone and the final one standing. Miss a target, and a two-minute penalty was added to the time, a stark reminder that precision could outweigh pure skiing speed. Four years later in Innsbruck, the scoring system was slightly adjusted: hits in the inner circle incurred no penalty, outer rings added one minute, and shots outside the target cost two minutes. Athletes of the era used high-power centre-fire rifles, typically 7.62 mm, very different from the small-bore rifles used today.

A name forever etched in biathlon history is Sweden’s Klas Lestander, the first Olympic champion. Despite posting only the 15th fastest skiing time out of 30 competitors in Squaw Valley, he hit all 20 targets—the only man to do so that day—and secured the gold medal.

From Tradition to Innovation

As biathlon expanded through the following decades, adding new formats and modernizing its rules, the sport was steadily moving toward one of its biggest milestones: the introduction of women’s competitions in 1992. Along the way, the men’s program continued to evolve — Grenoble 1968 saw the debut of the 4×7.5 km relay, won by the Soviet Union, and Lake Placid 1980 introduced the fast, tactical 10 km sprint, shifting biathlon toward a more dynamic spectacle. Technical standards advanced as well: in 1978, biathlon adopted .22 LR small-calibre rifles and unified all shooting at 50 metres, defining the format that still exists today, and by Sarajevo 1984, self-indicating targets flipped from black to white when hit — instant feedback for both athletes and fans.

1992: A New Era Begins

The Albertville Games in 1992 reshaped the sport forever: women competed in Olympic biathlon for the first time, after nearly a decade on the World Cup circuit and regular appearances at the World Championships since 1984. Their program mirrored the men’s, featuring the individual, sprint, and relay, with distances adjusted to 15 km, 7.5 km, and 3×7.5 km respectively (expanded to 4×7.5 km two years later).

The very first women’s Olympic event — the sprint — delivered a historic champion. Anfisa Reztsova of the Unified Team, already a two-time Olympic medalist in cross-country skiing, stormed to gold despite three missed shots, her sheer skiing power proving untouchable. In the individual race, precision ruled: Germany’s Antje Misersky missed just one target and claimed the title.

The relay brought one of Albertville’s biggest surprises. Long dominated by the Soviet team, the women’s relay seemed destined to follow the established script — until France’s Anne Briand-Bouthiaux unleashed a stunning final leg, lifting the host nation to an emotional and unexpected gold.

Women’s participation not only broadened the sport but also accelerated its global rise, opening the door for many of the icons who would later define modern biathlon.

The Final Piece: How Modern Biathlon Took Its Olympic Form

The 21st century injected fresh excitement into Olympic biathlon, with new disciplines testing athletes in thrilling and unique ways. Salt Lake City 2002 saw the debut of the pursuit, where the starting order was set by the sprint results, allowing the top 60 finishers to chase the leader — and every missed target meant a penalty lap. In Turin 2006, the program expanded again with the mass start, a heart-pounding race where the top 30 athletes of each gender went head-to-head, shoulder to shoulder. Eight years later in Sochi 2014, the final piece of the puzzle fell into place with the mixed relay, combining men and women on the same team to create one of the most unpredictable and electrifying events on the Olympic program.

These additions brought biathlon to the lineup we know today — 11 medal events brimming with drama, speed, and precision, all ready to captivate fans once more at the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, where the fastest skis, steadiest aim, and fiercest rivals will clash for glory — and write the next unforgettable chapter in Olympic biathlon history.

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