"How it works Some liken biathlon to running up 20 flights of stairs and then trying to thread a needle. Skiing stresses the muscles and lungs, while target shooting requires intense mental focus. Each racer carries a .22-caliber rifle on their back as they ski trails that run between 1.5 kilometers and 3.5 kilometers (0.9 to 2.2 miles), depending on race format."
"They enter the shooting range and try to hit five targets 50 meters (55 yards) away first in the prone position at targets the size of a golf ball and then standing, at targets the size of a compact disc. Racers must ski a 150-meter penalty loop or take a time penalty for each missed shot and head out for another lap. The fastest racer wins."
Biathlon combines cross-country skiing with precision rifle shooting. Races vary with trails between 1.5 and 3.5 kilometers per lap and athletes carry .22-caliber rifles. Racers stop to shoot five targets at 50 meters, first prone at small targets then standing at larger ones. Each missed shot triggers a 150-meter penalty loop or a time penalty. The fastest overall time wins. Norway, France, Germany and host Italy feature leading contenders, including Sturla Holm Laegreid, Johan-Olav Botn, Eric Perrot, Quentin Fillon Maillet, Franziska Preuss, and Dorothea Wierer. Dorothea Wierer plans to retire after competing on her home track.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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