About the Sport Additional Information Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics
About the Sport Additional Information Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics Search FranaisSign InEdit Profile930 pm PST Complete Schedule & Results 55 days to goFollow the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay Today Dec 19 Day 51Brampton ON Hamilton ONSee yesterdays highlights from Toronto ON Brampton ONThe Olympic Cauldron will be lit in VancouverFebruary 12 2010 Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games Alpine Skiing Biathlon Bobsleigh CrossCountry Skiing Curling Figure Skating Freestyle Skiing Ice Hockey Luge Nordic Combined Short Track Speed Skating Skeleton Ski Jumping Snowboard Speed Skating BiathlonSchedule and Results Historical Medals Legendary Athletes News Olympic News Best of the Web Podcast Biathlon Photos Biathlon Videos Tickets Olympic Tickets How to Buy Tickets Ticket Prices International Ticket Sales Tickets FAQs The Olympic Store Spectator Guide Venues Celebrations and Ceremonies Transportation Accommodation At the Games Travelling to Canada Accessibility Consumer Awareness Buy Real Essential Contacts Spectator Information FAQs More 2010 Information Cultural Festivals and Events Sustainability Education Programs Aboriginal Participation Mascots Games and More Olympic Torch Relay Work and Volunteer Winter Games History About VANOC Media Centre Local Business Organization and Resident Information Paralympic Games Alpine Skiing Biathlon CrossCountry Skiing Ice Sledge Hockey Wheelchair Curling Schedule & Results Medals Athletes News Photos Videos Tickets Store Spectator Guide More 2010 Information About the SportBiathlon which combines crosscountry skiing and rifle shooting did not start as a sport but as a way for northern European hunters as early as 2000 BC to put food on the table Beginning in the mid16th century however Scandinavian countries began using troops on skis to defend against their enemiesThe word biathlon comes from the Greek word for two tests Today biathlon consists of 10 separate events that involve both crosscountry skiing and target shooting The objective in biathlon is to complete the course in the least amount of time hitting as many targets as possible to avoid time penaltiesThe first world championships in biathlon were held in 1958 at Saalfelden Austria Biathlon became an Olympic sport (for men only) at the Squaw Valley 1960 Olympic Winter Games Womens biathlon joined the Olympic Games 30 years later in 1992 at the Albertville Games in FranceHow It WorksThe skiing portion of the biathlon requires fast and physically demanding crosscountry free technique racing while the rifle shooting requires accuracy and controlWhen the athletes ski into the shooting range they must put down their ski poles and take five shots at a metal target located 50 metres away Each target has five plates fixed in a straight row which the athlete must hit The hit area size changes depending on whether ...