Biathlon is a winter sport that combines the thrill of cross country skiing (skate) with the skill of rifle shooting.Athletes ski in both sprint and distance races that vary in length according age category. Biathletes carry a small-bore .22 rifle on their back and shoot at targets 50 metres away.
The skiing is around a set course and the rifle shooting occurs at the Rifle Range within that course. Athletes aim to shoot five targets on the Range. Each miss is recorded (rather than each hit). A penalty loop is skied for each target that is missed or a time penalty is imposed for each miss.
Biathlon Australia manages all levels of biathlon and aids in creating a pathway to participate in overseas Biathlon events. We promote Biathlon for all ages and levels of ability, including youth, developing athletes, high performance and masters. In Winter we ski and shoot; during the rest of the year we run and rollerski.