Biathlon

There is a winter sport that brings together two seemingly irreconcilable skills: the unbridled race on cross-country skis e the rifle target shooting. It is the biathlon, a unique mix of endurance, concentration and cold-bloodedness. If curling is "chess on ice," biathlon is a Mental challenge in the midst of physical exertion. And the result? One of the most compelling sports of the Games.

Military Origins

Biathlon has its roots in the practices of Scandinavian soldiers, who as early as the 18th century trained on skis carrying firearms. It was a means of patrolling snowy areas and fighting in extreme conditions. Over time, this form of military training turned into a sports discipline.

The first official biathlon-like event was held in the 1924 in Chamonix, under the name of "military patrol" as a demonstration sport. Only in the 1960, at the Games of Squaw Valley (USA), biathlon officially entered the Olympic program as a men's discipline. Women were admitted only in the 1992, ad Albertville.

How does it work?

The biathlon is contested on snowy cross-country skiing trails (free technique), interspersed with rifle shooting sessions on targets 50 meters apart. Athletes must alternate stretches of skiing with moments of shooting, either in prone position than standing. Every mistake at the range carries a penalty: either a 150-meter penalty lap, or 30 seconds added To total time.

The main Olympic disciplines are:

• Individual: long race, with time penalties. Requires stamina and absolute precision.
• Sprint: shorter and faster. Few mistakes are allowed.
• Pursuit: distance start based on sprint results.
• Mass start: everyone leaves together. Spectacular and unpredictable.
• Relay (men's, women's and mixed): teamwork, changes and strategy.

Biathlon is A Television Sport

Few sports are so tense and unpredictable. An athlete can be in the lead and lose it all with one mistake at the range. The contrast between the labored breathing and the quiet moment to shoot is a poem of tension. It is one of the reasons why in countries like Germany, Norway, France and Russia, biathlon is widely followed on TV.

Biathlon in Italy

Italy also has its protagonists. Out of all Dorothea Wierer, capable of winning World Cups and Olympic medals, becoming an icon of Italian winter sports. Also Lisa Vittozzi, and male Lukas Hofer e Thomas Giacomel, carry on a growing tradition.