Biathlon

In biathlon the athlete skis with a rifle on his back and, at the range, fires at five targets 50 metres away from prone and standing positions. Every miss costs a penalty loop or a penalty minute, so calming one's breathing is the key to victory.

History

Biathlon grew out of the skiing and shooting skills of Scandinavian hunters and soldiers. Men have competed at the Olympics since 1960 and women since 1992. The International Biathlon Union (IBU) was founded in 1993.

Major competitions

The Olympic Games, the IBU World Championships and the World Cup.

Biathlon in the Turkic world

Kazakh biathletes have competed in the World Cup and at the Olympics for many years, and Almaty hosted the biathlon events of the 2017 Winter Universiade. In Türkiye, Erzurum's Kandilli complex was built with biathlon and cross-country courses for the 2011 Universiade. Biathlon is also one of the favourite winter sports in Tatarstan and Bashkortostan.