Biathlon is a combination of cross country skiing and rifle shooting, and was first included in the World Championships in Austria in 1958.

This sport eventually went on to become a permanent Winter Olympic sporting event in 1960 at Squaw Valley. Women’s biathlon made its debut in the 1992 Winter Olympic Games at the Albertville Games in France.

A biathlon competition consists of five programs – the individual event, sprint event, pursuit event, relay and the mass start. In all the events, biathletes have to race down a given distance and then fire five shots at a given target. Missing a shot results in a penalty.

This sport requires vigorous training and elite athletes sometimes ski for 35 kms or more in one session. Mostly all training sessions cover two disciplines – marksmanship and Nordic skiing. Training lasts for 2½ hours, and high performance biathletes train 13 times per week. At the Olympic Games men cover a distance of 20 kms, while women cover a distance of 15 kms. Though training for both the disciplines are required in this sport, some athletes concentrate more on precision marksmanship in the shooting range, while others focus more on skiing.

Biathletes train for strength and endurance not bulk and take a slightly different approach to their weight training and overall body conditioning, focusing on strengthening rather than bulking up. Much of their weight training includes core strength training and back conditioning exercises.

During the competitive season athletes are advised to increase their VO2 Max and engage in high volume aerobic training to help build muscular endurance and cardiovascular efficiency. Cardiovascular training forms an integral part of the training program for biathletes. Roller skiing, hiking, running, jogging and use of rowing and elliptical machines in the gym is a pre-requisite in maintaining a strong heart. Proper breathing techniques is also mandatory for biathletes and therefore, swimming for breath control is ideal.

Biathlon is a combination of balance, strength, grace, physical endurance and power, together with amazing precision, perfect mental fitness and concentration for accurately shooting at targets almost 50 meters away. To be able to succeed and rank in the Winter Olympic Biathlon, an athlete must be physically and mentally fit, since the game involves immense physical exertion and mental concentration. High performance nutrition is also equally important for post-recovery and combating fatigue.

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