As a lifelong Minnesota resident who enjoys a wide variety of outdoor sports year-round, I enjoy watching the winter Olympics more than the summer Games. As a hobby I love snow skiing, both alpine and Nordic (cross country), and I’m also an avid hunter/shooter. So it’s no surprise that for me biathlon is must-see TV.
There will be a variety of biathlon competitions during the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and I encourage you to watch it whenever you can. If this isn’t a sport you know inside and out, then let me pass along five shooting facts that you might find surprising.
1. The targets are tiny.
You’ll see biathletes shoot from both prone and standing, and target size varies depending on position. For prone, which is the most stable, the bull’s-eye measures 1.8 inches in diameter. For standing, the bull’s-eye is 4.5 inches in diameter. Distance is always the same: 50 meters (54.7 yards).
2. Wind can be a nightmare.
Even though the distance isn’t tremendous, wind can be a major factor because the rimfire rifles used in biathlon are .22 LR (long rifle). If you’ve never tried shooting a .22 LR at distances beyond 15 yards, then you might not understand how wind can wreak havoc at 55 yards. Biathletes can look to wind indicators (flagging) placed on the shooting range, but of course, wind gusts are unpredictable.
3. Biathletes can “zero” rifles before each race.
During a 45-minute period prior to each race, biathletes are allowed to “zero” their rifles to best match the current weather conditions. A coach watches through a spotting scope as his or her athlete fires five shots at a paper target, then the athlete can adjust their rifle sights if needed.
4. Open sights only.
That’s right, biathletes are trying to hit a 1.8-inch-wide bull’s-eye from nearly 55 yards (prone position) without a magnified scope. The rear sight is a peep, and the front sight has a ring, which the shooter will center over the bull’s-eye (see below).
5. Trigger timing is everything.
Skiing as fast as you can for up to 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) with a rifle weighing at least 7.7 pounds strapped to your back is exceedingly difficult, and a biathlete’s heart rate is often near 180 beats per minute while skiing. To accurately shoot a rifle, however, an athlete must lower his or her heart rate and control their breathing as they approach a shooting station. Studies show that these highly trained athletes can lower their heart rate by 20-25 percent, to about 140 beats per minute, in only a few seconds as they prepare to shoot.
Of course, 140 beats per minute certainly isn’t a totally relaxed state, so a biathlete has to manage their breathing to shoot accurately. Click here to see a video that shows the breathing pattern for a biathlete as he aims and fires. Note how he take two deep/quick breaths, then holds his breath to fire, then takes two quick breaths, holds to fire, etc.
Putting It All Together
During each round in most competitions, biathletes shoot one bullet at each of five bull’s-eyes. The penalty for missing a single target depends on the race. For team events, an athlete must ski one extra 150-meter lap (164 yards) for each miss; in individual competitions, one minute is added to an athlete’s total race time for each miss. In the longer individual races (20 kilometers for men; 15 kilometers for women), skiers will stop at four five-target stations along the course, meaning the total number of targets is 20. Those competitors who stand on the podium often shoot “clean” 20 for 20, or miss only one or two targets.
Competition photos from U.S. Biathlon Facebook.
