What happens when you combine the physical demands of cross country skiing with the precision of rifle shooting? A biathlon. Taking its roots from Scandinavian skiing traditions and militaristic training, the biathlon went on to transform into a sport and has continued to grow since its inclusion as an official men’s event in the 1960 Winter Olympics and an official women’s event in the 1992 Games.
We’ll further dive into the sport’s history, as well as its equipment, rules and scoring to examine what makes this one of the most popular winter sports in Europe.
