Facts about Biathlon

Rifle: 22 inch caliber, minimum weight: 3,5 kg, maximum muzzle velocity for a bullet: 380m/s

Shooting distance: 50 m

Target diameters: prone: 45 mm

standing: 115 mm

Length of penalty loop: 150 m

Oldest discipline: 20 km Individual Men

Further disciplines: Men: 10 km Sprint, 12,5 km Pursuit, 15 km Mass Start, 4x 7,5 km Relay, Team competition, Mixed Relay

Damen: 15 km Individual, 7,5 km Sprint, 10 km Pursuit, 12,5 km Mass Start, 4x 6 km Relay, Team competition, Mixed Relay

First Worldchampion: Adolf Wiklund,SWE Verena Tchernichova

First German worldchampion: Dieter Speer/GDR 1971 Petra Schaaf/FRG 1988

First Olympic champion: Klas Lestander/SWE Antje Misersky

First German olympic champion: Frank Ullrich/GDR Antje Misersky/GER

Types of Competition

Women: 7,5 kms Sprint (shooting: prone/standing, penalty: one loop per missed target)---10kms Pursuit (shooting: prone, prone, standing, standing: penalty: one loop per missed target)--- 12,5 kms Mass Start ( shooting: prone, prone, standing, standing, Penalty: one loop per missed target)--- 15kms Individual Race (shooting: prone, standing, prone, standing, penalty: 1 min per missed target)---4x 6kms Relay (shooting: prone/standing + 3 extra rounds for each shooting, penalty: 1 loop per missed target)

Men: 10 kms Sprint (shooting: prone/standing, penalty: one loop per missed target)---12,5kms Pursuit (shooting: prone, prone, standing, standing: penalty: one loop per missed target)--- 15 kms Mass Start ( shooting: prone, prone, standing, standing, Penalty: one loop per missed target)--- 20 kms Individual Race (shooting: prone, standing, prone, standing, penalty: 1 min per missed target)---4x 7,5kms Relay (shooting: prone/standing + 3 extra rounds for each shooting, penalty: 1 loop per missed target)

Men/Women: Mixed Relay (2x 6kms + 2,7,5kms, shooting: prone/standing + 3 extra rounds for each shooting, penalty: 1 loop per missed target)

History

While hunting on skis was a means for existence in ancient times, the combination of skiing and rifling was of great importance for warfare during the centuries afterwards.

Skiing regiments as well as hunting bataillons were founded in mountain areas. Out of these means of warfare the millitary patrouille competition emerged. In the past, this competition served to demonstrate the capacities of millitary troops. 

The patrouille competition has been on the official programm of international millitary championships since the 1930s. Moreover, it was a demonstration discipline at the 1928 Olympic Games. 

During the years after World WarTwo sports took a back seat. Only after the new formation of the International Olympic Commitée in 1949, different types of wintersports were discussed again and the combination of shooting and skiing was accepted for international competitions. This was the onset of modern biathlon.

The first WCH in biathlon took place in 1958 in Saalfelden/Austria, after the International Union of Modern Pentathlon had accepted biathlon in their programm. Biathlon became an Olympic discipline in the Squar Valley Games of 1960. 

Before the rifle had been changed into a small 22 inch caliber, only members of millitary or border guard organizations performed biathlon. Only after this innovation biathlon opened to the public. In the course of the time even many women gain interest in this kind of sports, thus the first international women competition took place at the WCH 1984 in Charmonix /France. 8 years later, women’s biathlon became an Olympic discipline, either.

Because of the growing interest, an independant organization for biathlon was founded in 1993 on a world congress in London: the IBU.

Portraits of active international athletes Martina Glagow Birthday: 21.09.1979 in Garmisch- Partenkirchen Residence: Mittenwald  Hobbies: meeting friends, shopping Her greatest successes until now: Overall World Cup victory 2002/2003, Worldchampion Pursuit 2003, Silver Medal Pursuit and Bronze Medal Sprint WCH 2004, Silver Medals 15kms, Relay and Pursuit Torino 2006 Favorite discipline: Pursuit  Favorite venue: Ruhpolding Her breakfast before a competition: Bred with honey or cheese on it Do you prefer shooting or skiing? “It depends, but most of the time I like both” Your room mate during the Wold Cup tour: mostly Andrea Henkel Major contents of her summer training: Mountainbike, cycling, muscular power, smimming, roller skiing, running, sportive games, shooting, canoeing The first thing she does after coming home when the season had finished: emptying my bags and putting away my skis and rifle for some time How important are Fans for you: “Without fans biathlon wouldn’t be so popular, thus fans are very important” The happiest day in your life: many, but they have nothing to do with sports Favorite music: I listen to nearly all kinds of music Favourite meal: Pizza  Favorite drinking: Coke, Multi-vitamin juice, Milk cafe Autograph address: Rehbergstr. 40  82481 Mittenwald  Germany   Andrea Henkel Birthday: 10.12.1977  Residence: Großbreitenbach Hobbies: shopping or just looking what would be nice to buy. Her greatest success until now: Olympic Campion Individual and Relay 2002, World Champion Individual 2005 Favorite discipline: Relay, Pursuit, Mass start  Favorite venue: I’m flexible Her breakfast before a competition: dark bred with cheese and marmelade, cereals with joghurt and milk Do you prefer shooting or skiiing? depends on the day and my shape Her room mate during the World Cup tour: Martina Glagow Major contents of her summer training: muscular power training, mountainbiking, cycling, roller skiing, canoeing, jogging, sportive games, shooting,.. The first thing she does when she comes home after the season had finished: washing and relaxing if I have time to do so How important are fans for you? Fans show you that they like what you’re doing. For me it’s nice to have fans. Moreover, they are important for the development of biathlon How would you characterize yourself? ambitious, very orderly, I like laughing Favorite meal: Spinacy Autographaddress: Friedensstraße 37  98701 Großbreitenbach  Germany   Alexander Wolf Birthday: 21.12.1978  Residence: Herges-Hallenberg Hobbies: Oldtimer, photographing Favorite discipline: Sprint  Favorite venue: Oslo His breakfast before a competition: cereals with joghurt and fruits FDo you prefer shooting or skiing? Skiing  Major contents of his summer training: roller skking, cycling, running, canoeing How important are fans for you: “OWithout fans, our sport would only be half as nice.”  How would you characterize yourself: ambitious The goal he wants to achieve in his career: Olympic games Favorite movie: Brave Heart  Favorite music: Rock musikc Favorite meal: Pasta  Favorite drinking: Water Autograph address: Am Bahnübergang 9a  98587 Herges-Hallenberg  Germany   More portraits will follow soon....