Medals
| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 5 | 6 |
Biathlon
Photo by Laurent Salino/Agence Zoom/Getty Images
Individual
Pursuit
Sprint
Mass Start
Relay
Mixed Relay
What's this sport all about:
The biathlon we know today was added as an Olympic event in 1960, but women didn't compete until 1992.
The word "biathlon" comes from Latin and Greek and means "two contests," which makes sense since it is two events: cross-country skiing and shooting.
The size of the target depends on the shooting position of the athlete. In the prone position (that's where they lie down), the hit area is 45 millimetres, while in the standing position it is 115 millimetres wide.
The targets are 50 metres away from the athletes, whether they are in the standing on in the prone position.
Every time the athletes miss a target during the shooting portion of the event, they get a penalty which could make them lose time and a chance at a medal.
When to watch
of events:
of events:
Our Canadian Athletes
Things to watch for
ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images
Everyone go!: If you don't want to wait for each athlete to take their turn at skiing and shooting, check out the mass start event where all the athletes start at the same time.
MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images
Black and white: When an athlete hits a target on the shooting range, it flips from black to white so they can easily see if they missed or made the shot.
ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images
4 centimetres: Cross-country ski technique is used in biathlon, and the minimum ski length must be the same as the height of the skier, minus 4 centimetres.
