Steve Gann
Sandra 12010 Winter Olympics Guide: Biathlon
January 31st 2010 01:55
:
2010 Winter Olympics Guide: Biathlon
The biathlon at this year's Olympics will feature some of the best endurance athletes anywhere in the world. Hence the name the sport is made up of two skills, cross-country skiing and rifle shooting
There will be ten total medal awards with the events starting on February 13th and ending on the 25th. Because of the long races and then distance covered it is not one of the more televised events so check the schedule closely as it may be on one of the sister networks.
Men Women
4 x 7.5 km Relay 4 x 6 km Relay
10 km Sprint 7.5 km Sprint
12.5 km Pursuit 10 km Pursuit
15 km Mass Start 12.5 km Mass Start
20 km Individual 15 km Individual
The sport has its origins in an exercise for Norwegian soldiers, as an alternative training for the military. The world's first known ski club, the Trysil Rifle and Ski Club, was formed in Norway in 1861 to promote national defence at the local level.
Called military patrol, the combination of skiing and shooting was contested at the Olympic Winter Games in 1924, and then demonstrated in 1928, 1936, and 1948, but did not regain Olympic recognition then, as the small number of competing countries disagreed on the rules (see also Governing body, below). During the mid-1950s, however, biathlon was introduced into the Russian and Swedish winter sport circuits and was widely enjoyed by the public. This newfound popularity aided the effort of having biathlon gain entry into the Winter Olympics, where it has later become one of the most cherished sports.
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