Biathlon at the Winter Olympics Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Biathlon at the Winter Olympics

Governing body	IBU
Events	11 (men: 5; women: 5; mixed: 1)
Games
1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 Note: demonstration or exhibition sport years indicated in italics
Medalists

Biathlon is a cool winter sport that combines two very different skills: cross-country skiing and rifle shooting! Athletes ski long distances and then stop to shoot at targets. It's a real test of both speed and steady aim. If they miss a target, they usually have to ski extra penalty loops or get time added to their score.

Biathlon first became an official Olympic sport at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California. Back then, only men competed in a 20-kilometer (about 12.4 miles) individual race. Over the years, more exciting events were added.

History of Biathlon at the Olympics
Olympic Biathlon Medal Table
See also

History of Biathlon at the Olympics

Early Days: Military Patrol

Before biathlon became an official Olympic sport, there was a similar event called military patrol. This event was held at four early Winter Olympic Games: in 1924, 1928, 1936, and 1948. In 1924, medals were given out for military patrol. For the other three Games, it was a demonstration event, which means it was shown off but didn't award official medals. Many people see military patrol as the original version of biathlon.

New Events Added Over Time

When biathlon officially joined the Olympics in 1960, it only had one event for men. But it quickly grew!

In 1968, the men's 4 x 7.5 kilometer (about 4.6 miles) relay race was added. In a relay, teams of four athletes each ski and shoot, then tag their teammate.
The 10-kilometer (about 6.2 miles) sprint event for men debuted in 1980. This is a faster, shorter race.
Women's biathlon joined the Olympics in 1992 at the Albertville Games. Women competed in the 15-kilometer (about 9.3 miles) individual race, a relay, and a 7.5-kilometer (about 4.6 miles) sprint.
A new type of race called the pursuit race was added in 2002. In this event, the top 60 athletes from the sprint race get to compete. The winner of the sprint starts first, and other athletes start a bit later, based on how much time they were behind in the sprint. This makes for a very exciting chase! Men's pursuit is 12.5 kilometers (about 7.7 miles) and women's is 10 kilometers.
At the Turin Games in 2006, the mass start event was introduced. In this race, the top 30 athletes from previous events all start at the same time. It's a thrilling race from beginning to end! Men's mass start is 15 kilometers and women's is 12.5 kilometers (about 7.7 miles).
Finally, a mixed relay event was added in 2014, where teams are made up of both men and women.

Summary of Events Growth

Biathlon has grown a lot at the Winter Olympics. From just one men's event in 1960, it now features 11 different medal events, including races for men, women, and mixed teams! This shows how popular and exciting the sport has become.

Olympic Biathlon Medal Table

This table shows which countries have won the most medals in biathlon at the Winter Olympics, up to the 2022 Winter Olympics. It includes all gold, silver, and bronze medals.

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Norway (NOR)	22	18	15	55
2	Germany (GER)	20	21	13	54
3	France (FRA)	12	9	11	32
4	Russia (RUS)	10	5	8	23
5	Soviet Union (URS)	9	5	5	19
6	Sweden (SWE)	6	6	6	18
7	Belarus (BLR)	4	4	3	11
8	East Germany (GDR)	3	4	4	11
9	Slovakia (SVK)	3	3	1	7
10	Unified Team (EUN)	2	2	2	6
11	Canada (CAN)	2	0	1	3
12	West Germany (FRG)	1	2	2	5
13	Ukraine (UKR)	1	1	3	5
14	Bulgaria (BUL)	1	0	1	2
15	Czech Republic (CZE)	0	4	4	8
16	Finland (FIN)	0	4	2	6
17	Austria (AUT)	0	3	3	6
18	Italy (ITA)	0	1	6	7
19	Republic of China (ROC)	0	1	3	4
20	Slovenia (SLO)	0	1	1	2
21	Kazakhstan (KAZ)	0	1	0	1
	Poland (POL)	0	1	0	1
	Switzerland (SUI)	0	1	0	1
24	Croatia (CRO)	0	0	1	1
Totals (24 entries)		96	97	95	288