Biathlon as a sports discipline. Biathlon: history of origin and development

Biathlon Is an Olympic winter ski sport that combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting. Biathlon is divided into male and female.

The history of the emergence and development of biathlon

For the first time, in 1767, border guards on the Swedish-Norwegian border staged a competition vaguely reminiscent of biathlon. Participants, descending a slope of medium steepness, had to hit a specific target from a gun at a distance of 40-50 steps.

At the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, the first ever "military patrol competition" was held - a sport very similar to modern biathlon.

In 1954, the International Olympic Committee officially recognized biathlon as a sport, and on November 17, 1956, the International Modern Pentathlon Federation approved the rules for conducting modern biathlon competitions.

Biathlon rules

Participants of the race start at the command of the referee. Depending on the discipline, the start can be common or separate (athletes start at set intervals). After passing a certain distance, target shooting awaits the athletes. In the event of a miss on targets, the athlete is penalized with penalties or simply receives a penalty time.

During the race, athletes are prohibited from: cutting circles, ignoring penalty circles, and intentionally exerting physical pressure on other athletes.

The winner of the race is the biathlete who has shown the best time at a distance.

Race stages

The cross-country skiing stage is clear and understandable, it is no different from the usual cross-country skiing. Athletes use a free skiing style. Let us dwell in more detail on the stage of target shooting.

Depending on the race, athletes can randomly occupy the shooting lanes (sprint or race) or strictly in order (pursuit, race and sprint with a group start), starting with the first free one. In the masstart at the first shooting range, the athlete fires from the shooting lane, the number of which corresponds to his start number. In relays, the shooting lane is determined by the team's start number.

In all types of races, except for the relay, the biathlete has 5 shots at each shooting range. In the relay, you can use 3 additional cartridges at each turn.

Biathlon Shooting Positions

Lying position

When shooting from a prone position, athletes must follow these rules: the rifle may only touch the athlete's arms, shoulders and cheeks. The inside of the hand (palm) that supports the rifle must be clearly raised from the ground (snow cover).

Standing position

Athletes stand without any support; only the arms, shoulders, cheek and chest (side corresponding to the shoulder) can touch the rifle; the hand holding the rifle may rest on the chest or thigh.

Track and shooting range

The requirements for biathlon tracks are the same as for regular cross-country skiing:

1. Biathlon competitions are held at facilities that include the area of ​​the central stadium, surrounded by a network of ski runs. The stadium area usually includes a shooting range, start and finish area, suitable for a mass start; 150 meter penalty loop, technical building, testing area, ski lubrication team rooms, spectator area and other necessary infrastructure.
2. The start and finish areas, the shooting range, the penalty loop and the relay zone must be located nearby, on a level with a good view of the progress of the competition by the majority of spectators. These areas and critical sections of the course must be fenced off to prevent athletes from straying off the course during competition and to prevent non-participants from accessing them. However, the height and number of fences should be minimized as much as possible so as not to interfere with the broadcasting of television broadcasts.
3. A start line at right angles to the direction of the track must be marked in red.
4. Starting tracks must be numbered according to their number. The number of markers must correspond to the number of teams in the race. A sign should be located to the left of each track and show the number from the front and back. Sign numbers must be at least 20 cm high and clearly visible to athletes and television.
5. In the start area there must be a scoreboard with the circuit and the profile of the track. There must be a colored marker on the start line that shows the sequence of the competition course.
6. The start area for individual and sprint races must have a start timer clearly visible from the start line. For a Pursuit Race, start clocks must be in each start lane. There is also a clock with the current time of day in the same place or near the start zone, clearly visible to athletes from this zone.
7. The course must be marked in such a way that the athlete does not doubt the correct movement at any time.

Shooting range- the place where shooting takes place during training and biathlon competitions. It must be located in the central part of the stadium so that both the targets and the firing line are clearly visible to most spectators. The shooting range must be level and horizontal and surrounded by safety shafts on the sides and behind the target installations. The location and equipment of the shooting range must ensure safety on adjacent courses, in the stadium area and the surrounding area. The shooting direction, mainly to the north, should help to create better lighting conditions during the competition. Safety equipment must not obstruct the view of the competition for spectators or television.

An area at least 25 m wide must be fenced off in front of the shooting range for judges, technical personnel and competitors. In the area of ​​the finish and the handover of the relay for the period of the competition, a food point and warm dressing rooms for each team must be equipped.

The biathlon target is a black circle in the recess of the plate, 115 mm in diameter. When shooting while standing, a hit into any zone of the circle is counted, and when shooting while prone - only a black circle with a diameter of 45 mm, the center of which coincides with the center of the circle 115 mm.

Equipment and equipment for biathlon

1. The weapon for biathlon is a small-bore air rifle. The biathlon rifle has a 22 gauge and weighs no more than 3.5 kg. It is equipped with a trigger-locking mechanism and manual reloading. In addition, the clips are designed for only five rounds.
2. Biathlon skis. The minimum ski length must be at least 4 centimeters less than the height of the athlete himself. The ski poles for biathletes are longer than those for regular skiers, usually extended to the chin or mouth.
3. A special one-piece suit that maintains body temperature and reduces wind resistance.

Types of races in biathlon

Sprint. In this discipline, the track for men is 10 km, and for women it is 7.5 km. Athletes must cross two shooting ranges - one standing, the other lying down. If the biathlete misses, then he must go to the penalty loop (length 150 meters). In this race, the athletes run in turns. Sprint is the very first stage in biathlon competition.

Pursuit (graze). In this discipline, athletes start in the order in which they finished the sprint. The length of the track in the pursuit is 12.5 km for men and 10 km for women. In contrast to the sprint, there are 4 shooting lines in a pursuit - 2 in the prone position and 2 in the standing position.

Mass start. As the name implies, there is a general start in this discipline. A distinctive feature of the mass start is that 30 best athletes in the current ranking for the year take part in this race. Mass start distance - 15 km for men and 12.5 km for women (with 4 firing lines).

Individual race. This is the biggest race in biathlon. Distance in individual race- 20 km for men and 15 km for women (with 4 firing lines). In this discipline, athletes for misses receive not penalty loops, but penalty minutes.

Relay race. This race involves teams of 4 athletes. Each of them has its own stage of 7, 5 km and 2 firing lines. It is important that if the athlete misses, then he can use additional cartridges (3 pieces), reloading is done manually. The relay, like other types of biathlon, is held separately for men and women.

Biathlon Cup Competitions

1. Biathlon World Cup. Consists of stages, each of which includes several races for men and women. Competitions are held between men and women, and include performances in the individual race, sprint, pursuit, mass start, relay, mixed relay, single mixed relay. According to the results of the World Cup, a rating of the best biathletes is conducted, both in individual disciplines and in the overall standings.
2. Open European Cup (IBU Cup). In terms of importance and representativeness, the IBU Cup is second only to the World Cup.
3. North American Cup.
4. South American Cup.
5. Asian Cup.

Non-Cup Biathlon Competitions:

1. The Olympic Games are the most prestigious international biathlon competition.
2. The Biathlon World Championship (WCH) is the largest international biathlon competition, second only to the Olympic Games in prestige.
3. Open European Biathlon Championship.
4. North American Championship.
5. South American Championship.
6. Asian Championship.
7. Russian Biathlon Championship.
8. Race of Champions is an annual commercial biathlon competition that has been held in Russia since 2011.

Commercial biathlon competitions include the World Team Challenge, better known as the Christmas Biathlon Stars Race.

The forefather of biathlon is the military patrol competition, a sport whose rules are reminiscent of the modern biathlon team race. Today there are many types of biathlon, combining skiing and shooting sports bow, snowshoeing and rifle shooting (snowshoe biathlon), hunting skiing and hunting rifle shooting (hunting biathlon). Among the non-winter types of biathlon, summer biathlon is distinguished - it combines running and shooting (cross biathlon), roller skiing and shooting (roller ski biathlon), and mountain biking (mountain biking) and shooting (mountain bike biathlon). Of all types of biathlon, only "classic" winter biathlon, Snowshoe Biathlon and Summer Biathlon are curated by the IBU.

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Story

Ski hunting has long been a part of the life of many northern peoples. However, they began to consider this activity as a kind of sports competition only from the 18th century. The first official competitions, remotely resembling biathlon, were held in 1767. They were organized by the border guards on the Swedish-Norwegian border. Despite such an early origin, biathlon has not become widespread in other countries. For the first time at major international competitions, competitions resembling modern biathlon were included in 1924 at the I Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix, France. They were called "competitions of military patrols" (in some sources also referred to as "races of military patrols") and were held as demonstration competitions (although later their participants were officially awarded medals). In the status of demonstration competitions, the military patrol competitions were later presented at the 1928 Winter Olympics, after which they were excluded from the official calendar due to the growing pacifist sentiments in the world after the end of World War II.

August 3, 1948 was created International Federation modern pentathlon (fr. Union internationale de pentathlon moderne, UIPM - UIPM), which since 1953 began to supervise biathlon. In 1954 he recognized biathlon as a sport. In 1957, UIPM in Stockholm declares itself responsible for the winter biathlon competition. The very next year, 1958, the first major international biathlon competition was held - the World Championship in Salfelden, Austria. Two years later, biathlon is included in the official program of the Winter Olympic Games. In 1967, for the first time at the World Championships, juniors began to compete (in the same place as the adults). The history of the World Cup also begins in 1978. Initially, the competition included only men's races. Since 1983, women have started to compete in the European Cup (now the IBU Cup), and the following year, the first Women's World Championship is held in Chamonix, France. From the 1987/1988 season, women's disciplines are included in the World Cup calendar, and from the next season, men's disciplines will appear on the European Cup calendar. In the same year, the International Olympic Committee decides to include women's disciplines in the program of the 1992 Winter Olympic Games in Albertville, France.

Rules and equipment

In biathlon, a free skiing style is used. The length of skis depends on the height of the athlete - they should not be shorter than the height of the athlete minus 4 cm, the maximum length is not limited. The minimum width of the skis is 4 cm, the weight is at least 750 grams. Normal skis and ski poles are used for cross-country skiing (the length of the poles must not exceed the height of the athlete; poles of variable length and pushing are not allowed).

• snaps off the protective cover of the barrel bore and rifle front sight (protects against snow ingress)
• puts ski poles on the ground
• without removing skis, it becomes (when shooting while prone - lies down) on a special mat. Some athletes, based on weather conditions, when shooting from a standing position, due to the possible formation of a sliding surface on the mat or strong wind, step with any part of the ski on the put poles, thereby increasing the stability of the posture.
• removes the rifle from his shoulders
• removes the magazine from the cassette located in the stock stock or on the side of the barrel and inserts it into the rifle magazine window
• snaps off the protective cover of the diopter sight
• attaches the shooting strap on the rifle to the loop on the arm (for stability of the rifle when firing, usually only when shooting while prone)
• points the rifle at his targets, checking by number that they are not strangers
• looks at the wind flags and, in case of strong wind, adjusts the sight calibrators
• shoots at targets, manually reloading the rifle with the handle after each shot.

Types of races

Today, within the framework of the largest international biathlon competitions, seven types of races are held:

As for penalties for misses, in one type of race - in an individual race - it is equal to a penalty minute, in others biathletes have to overcome a penalty loop, which in a single mixed relay is 75 meters, and in other races - 150.

Shooting. In the sprint and at each stage of the team types of races, biathletes shoot twice - first from a prone position, then - while standing. In the pursuit and mass start, there are four shots: first two from a prone position, then two more from a standing position. There are also four shooting sessions in the individual race, but the shooting is carried out alternately: on the first and third firing lines from a prone position, on the second and fourth - from a standing position.

There is also a species not included in the world cup called mega mass start

Types of competition

Biathlon competitions are held at a wide variety of levels. Conventionally, all competitions can be divided into two groups - varietal, which, in addition to biathlon disciplines, include other sports, as well as biathlon competitions proper, which can be divided into cup and non-cup. In addition, various unofficial commercial biathlon competitions are held.

Biathlon in various competitions

In various competitions, the decision on whether to include biathlon in the competition calendar or not is decided by the international organization in charge of the corresponding competition, in conjunction with the International Biathlon Union. When conducting multi-disciplinary competitions, the rules of the IBU may be slightly adjusted depending on the specifics of the competition, on the composition of their participants. So, for example, at the Winter World Games of Masters, participants over 60 years old do not carry a rifle along the track, but leave it at the shooting range.

The most significant and massive variety competition in which biathlon is presented is the Winter Olympic Games. Biathlon in it modern form represented at these competitions since 1960 (women's starts began to be held only since 1992), although since 1924 military patrol competitions have been held - the progenitor of biathlon. The modern Olympic biathlon program includes competitions in the individual race, sprint, pursuit (pursuit), mass start, mixed relay and relay for men and women. In addition, biathlon is presented at the Winter Universiades, the World Ski Championships among the military, the Winter World Masters Games and the Winter World Military Sports Games, and since 2012 it has been planned to hold biathlon competitions as part of the Winter Youth Olympic Games. [ ]

Biathlon starts have been and are taking place not only at international, but also within the framework of regional (for example, at the Arctic Winter Games and the Festival of the North) and local variety competitions (for example, at the Winter Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR and the Canadian Winter Games).

Cup biathlon competitions

The second most important biathlon cup competition is the European Open Cup, also known as the IBU Cup. In terms of representativeness, the IBU Cup is second only to the World Cup. It is also divided into stages that include competitions for men, women, juniors and juniors. The IBU Cup (originally called the European Cup) has been held since the 1988/1989 season for men and since the 1982/1983 season for women. According to the results of the performances, the rating of biathletes is carried out both in individual disciplines (individual race, sprint, grazing), and in all disciplines combined (overall standings of the IBU Cup). There are no official ratings for national biathlon federations in the IBU Cup. In addition to the World Cup and the IBU Cup, there are two more continental cup biathlon competitions at the international level - the North American Cup and the South American Cup. The Asian Cup is planned to be held.

Biathlon is also represented at regional (for example, the Balkan Cup) and local (national) cup competitions (almost every major national biathlon federation organizes cup competitions in their country).

Non-cup biathlon competitions

Competitors

Division by class

In official international cup and non-cup biathlon competitions, all athletes are divided into three classes:

• men and women;
• juniors and juniors;
• boys and girls.

Biathletes and biathletes who, before December 31 of the year in which the biathlon season began (starts in the last days of November), turned 21, are called "Men" and "Women", and are eligible to compete only in senior competitions of this season. Persons who turned 19 years old before the above date are called "Juniors" and "Juniors"... They have the right to compete in both junior and junior competitions and senior competitions. Persons who have not reached the above ages are referred to as "Young men" and "Girls"... They have the right to perform at any level of competition: for boys and girls; for juniors and juniors; for men and women. However, in any competition (for example, at the World Championships among juniors, where both juniors and juniors and among boys and girls are scored; or the European Championship, where both men and women, and among juniors are scored) juniors) in Individual, Sprint and Pursuit, they may only compete in the same class of athlete. In addition, boys and girls can only participate in one of the relay races of the junior world championship. At certain competitions, the regulations may provide for other restrictions on the age of the participants. So, for example, since the 2008/2009 season, men and women were allowed to participate in the European Championships, who on January 1 of the year, when the corresponding championship is held, were under 27 years old. This restriction has been lifted from the 2014/2015 season.

In varietal competitions in which biathlon is represented, as well as in commercial biathlon competitions, the above division of participants into classes is usually not taken into account. Organizations responsible for holding various competitions, and the organizers of commercial biathlon starts themselves establish the permissible age of participants, their division into one or another category.

Winter sports have a large number of types, each of which is interesting in its own way. Let's look at one of the representatives - what kind of sport is biathlon, what are the requirements for athletes.

What kind of sport is it?

One of the wonderful and interesting sports is biathlon. Its popularity is quite high, and during the competition, many people stay on TV for a long time. He also found reflection in the electronic reference resource - Wikipedia . As a winter type of competition included in Olympic program, it is a combination of the classic, with shooting at specially designated firing lines.

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To win, athletes will need to cover certain distances to the line, then hit all the targets and continue running. In the event of a miss, the athlete receives penalties or a penalty time is added to him.

To win the competition, it will be necessary not only to run fast on skis, but also to shoot accurately from a small-bore rifle.

History of appearance

Biathlon takes its history from hunters who hunted the animal in winter. And only starting from the 18th century, winter ski hunting began to turn into sports competition... So, in 1767, in Norway, at the official level, the first competition was held in which professional ones participated. The athletes were the border guards guarding the Swedish-Norwegian border. Naturally, such specific competitions could not attract the attention of a large number of participants.

However, as a sport, biathlon has not disappeared and even since 1924 it has become a compulsory discipline for Olympic Games held in winter. Since then, the popularity of this sport has grown steadily.

What is the essence of the game

Considering what kind of sport biathlon is, it is worth studying the rules of this type of competition.

The Olympic program assumes the presence of 5 disciplines in which athletes can participate.

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These are types such as:

• individual race - divided into male and female. Moreover, men should cover 20 km, and women - 15. Allocated 4 firing lines;
• race, with a common start - the second name is a mass start. 30 biathletes who have been identified as the best in the overall or Olympic standings will compete here. This competition uses the rules of the individual race. Differs in the presence of such lines as shooting 2 times prone and 2 times standing;
• sprint - divided into male and female, respectively, the distances will be 10 and 7.5 km. In this case, you need to successfully hit targets at 2 firing lines: lying and standing;
• relay race - a team race, in which 4 athletes from a team take part. The track is 7.5 km for men, and 6 km for women with 2 shooting lines. The next participant will start only after touching the one who completed his stage;
• pursuit race - the second name is graze. It is divided into male and female - 12.5 and 10 km, with 4 shooting lines. The start takes place according to the results of the end of the sprint race, taking into account the lag time.

It is worth starting to train an athlete from an early age, starting the practice of fast skiing. It's all accessible to children . And only then can you start practicing shooting.

Biathlon is generally considered one of the most difficult sports, requiring excellent physical form, focus and skill.

Outcomes

We examined such a complex sport as biathlon, what it is and what types of competitions include.

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On the eve of the start of the 2010 Games in Vancouver, Sportbox.ru found answers to nine naive questions about one of the most popular winter sports - biathlon.

1) What are the targets made of, what diameter are they and how many meters are they from the shooting area?

In modern biathlon, two types of targets are used - metal (during competitions) and paper (for zeroing in weapons before the start). It is curious that the targets were originally exclusively paper targets. And at the first official competitions, a silhouette was generally used, in the center of which was drawn a circle with a diameter of 250 mm (for prone shooting) or 350 mm (for standing shooting). If the athlete did not get into the circle, then he received a minute as a penalty, and for a slip in the silhouette - two. It was very difficult to count at that time, and often the final results of the shooting were determined only after the finish.

It is clear that the system was imperfect and regularly led to conflicts of interest. Therefore, the idea of ​​a silhouette did not take root, the organizers of the competition began to experiment. Initially, they suggested shooting at the rubber tubes stretched behind the metal shield. Soviet science went further: there was an attempt to make targets glass. So, in 1974, the Saratov glass plant launched the production of special glasses. Their peculiarity was that when hit by a bullet, they did not crumble into fragments, but flowed down, as if they had been melted. However, this idea was also doomed to failure - glasses often shattered during transportation.

Currently, the target size is 45 mm for prone shooting and 115 mm for standing fire. Shooting is carried out from a distance of 50 m.

2) How is the time at reference marks determined?

Before the start of each biathlete, special electronic sensors are attached to their feet. You cannot refuse this procedure. It is thanks to these sensors that you can always track in real time how fast each athlete is moving along the track. The sensors react every time a biathlete passes one of the control lines.

3) How much does the rifle weigh and what bullets do athletes use?

In modern biathlon, weapons and ammunition are not considered separately, but as a whole. The result of shooting depends not only on the accuracy of the athlete and the manufacturer of the rifle, but also on the quality of the cartridges. So, in biathlon, rimfire cartridges of 5.6 mm caliber are used. They were invented in 1888 and received the name "22 Long Rifle", which means "22 caliber long rifle", although later these cartridges were used when firing a pistol. International athletes usually devote a lot of time to preliminary shooting of cartridges of various brands. Today the best are English Tenex, P-50 for Anschutz rifles, which are produced by the German company Dynamite-Nobel, and Russian-made Olympus cartridges. On average, a professional biathlete fires up to 1200 rounds a month.

A small-bore rifle for biathletes, designed specifically for this sport. It weighs no more than 3.5 kg. The clip is designed for five rounds. And the speed of a bullet fired from such a weapon reaches 380 meters per second.

4) What is the penalty for an athlete if he shoots at the wrong target or confuses prone with stance?

The story of the Belarusian athlete Daria Domracheva, who was embarrassed for the second year in a row in the German Oberhof, is known to all biathlon fans. In the 2009/2010 season, in the mass start, the hope of all Belarus fired three shots at someone else's target, depriving itself of the chance to win. And a year ago, on the "prone", Domracheva suddenly began to shoot at targets while standing.

However, such situations are not uncommon in biathlon. At one time, other people's targets were also shot by Russian biathletes Anfisa Reztsova and Natalya Guseva. The second, to match Domracheva, was embarrassed in this way twice. It is believed that such mistakes stem from an overwhelming desire to win. After all, Domracheva, and Reztsova, and Guseva were wrong when they came to the shooting range first.

According to the rules of the International Biathlon Union, in punishment for shooting at someone else's target, an athlete is recorded a miss, as if he shot correctly and simply did not hit. So, Domracheva in Oberhof-2010 caught herself and after three shots at someone else's target hit two of her own. But the punishment for shooting from the wrong position ("standing" instead of "prone" or vice versa) is much tougher - disqualification.

5) What happens if the athlete starts shooting from the wrong mat?

Official rules state that it is forbidden not only to shoot from someone else's rug, but also to stumble and get off your own if the rifle is not worn over your shoulders. Surprisingly, the observance of this rule is monitored quite strictly, and the organizers sometimes punish even eminent athletes mercilessly. So, the Norwegian Halvard Hanevold once accidentally dropped a cartridge and, trying to pick it up, got off the mat, for which he was immediately disqualified.

A much more curious incident occurred with the American Jay Hakkinen. In one of the races, he made five mistakes and was so upset that when he got off the mat, he forgot the poles. Returning for his inventory, Hakkinen dropped his gloves. I had to go back for them too. The judge already wanted to disqualify the absent-minded athlete, but Hakkinen removed a heavy burden from the referee's soul, throwing off his skis in a fit of rage and ending the race.

6) What to do if a rifle breaks during a race?

With the Russian team, this happened at the 2008 World Championships in Ostersund, when Albina Akhatova, who was running the second stage in the relay, got a rifle jammed in the first prone. While the weapons were being changed, the Russian team lost a lot of time and, as a result, did not reach the podium. Nevertheless, such cases are from the category of force majeure, because before the start, the rifle is checked not only by the athlete himself, but also by a special team. Particular attention is paid to the pulling force of the trigger, which should not exceed 500 grams.

According to the regulations, each athlete, in addition to the main one, has two more spare rifles. In the event of a weapon breakdown at a distance, it can only be changed at the shooting range, and only one of the representatives of his team can transfer it to the athlete. Those who violate this rule will be disqualified.

Interestingly, if a biathlete loses a clip or sight during a race, it is not fatal. The main thing is to bring the barrel and the trigger mechanism to the finish line, otherwise the result will be canceled. So, Belarusian Yekaterina Ivanova's rifle once just fell apart, and she had to grab the parts in an armful and drag them to the finish line.

7) What is the penalty for an athlete if he forgot or did not want to drive the penalty loop at all?

Such a curiosity happened to the Russian biathlete Nikolai Kruglov. While shooting from a standing position, he made two penalties, but was so carried away in pursuit of the Frenchman Vincent Defrand that he forgot to drive the second penalty loop and, thanks to this, beat the Frenchman at the finish line, becoming the third in the pursuit. For this, two penalty minutes were added to Kruglov's time, because of which he lost his place on the podium.

8) What is the punishment to threaten an athlete if he "cut" the distance?

An unpleasant story at the 2009 World Championships still does not allow Russian biathlon fans to sleep peacefully. Norwegian Ole Einar Bjoerndalen cut the distance by ten meters in the pursuit, for which a special commission deprived him of gold and awarded the victory to Maxim Chudov. However, the Norwegian team filed an appeal, and to the surprise of many, Bjoerndalen's already long list of awards was added with another gold medal. The decision really turned out to be flagrantly unfair - according to the regulations for any violation during the passage of the track, allowing you to gain time, you must be disqualified. At the same time, for many Russian fans, it was not the commission members who became persona non grata, but Bjoerndalen, who did not share the award with Chudov, contrary to the fair play principle.

9) What punishment is threatened by a biathlete-slugger who refuses to let a faster athlete who is not his direct competitor?

In motorsport, this is called overtaking laps, in biathlon, such situations often arise in time trial races. According to the new traffic rules, the driver must give way to a pedestrian, but in practice this does not always happen. In such cases, careless motorists should be fined. It's the same in biathlon. Refusal to let a faster colleague pass is punishable by a penalty minute. So it is difficult to understand whether the majority of biathletes are really so well educated that they always give way, or they are simply afraid of severe punishment.

Tatiana Pomelnikova, Sportbox.ru

Biathlon(from Latin bis - twice and Greek ’άθλον - competition, fight) - winter, combining cross-country skiing with rifle shooting. From 1993 to the present, official international competitions in biathlon, including the World Cup and World Championships, are held under the auspices of the International Biathlon Union (IBU).

The first race, which vaguely resembled biathlon, took place back in 1767. It was organized by the border guards on the Swedish-Norwegian border. As a sport biathlon took shape in the 19th century in Norway as an exercise for soldiers. Biathlon was represented at the Olympic Games in 1924, 1928, 1936 and 1948. In 1960 he was included in the program of the Winter Olympic Games.

Rules and equipment

In biathlon, a free (that is, skating) style of skiing is used. The length of skis depends on the height of the athlete - they should not be shorter than the height of the athlete minus 4 cm, the maximum length is not limited. The minimum width of the skis is 40 mm, the weight is at least 750 grams. Normal skis and ski poles are used for cross-country skiing (the length of the poles must not exceed the height of the athlete; poles of variable length and reinforcing the push are not allowed).

For shooting, rifles with a minimum weight of 3.5 kg are used, which are transported on their backs during the race. Automatic and semi-automatic weapons are prohibited. When triggering the hook, the index finger must overcome a force of at least 500 g. The rifle scope is not allowed to have the effect of enlarging the target. The caliber of cartridges is 5.6 mm or 22 (until 1977 - 7.62 mm; 6.5 mm rifles were also used). The bullet velocity when fired at a distance of 1 m from the barrel cut should not exceed 380 m / s.

On the shooting range, the distance to the targets is 50 meters (up to 1977 - 100 meters). Targets used in competitions are traditionally black, in the amount of five pieces. As they hit, the targets are closed with a white flap, which allows the biathlete to immediately see the result of his shooting. (Many types of targets have previously been used, including shatter plates and balloons.) Pre-competition shooting is done with paper targets similar to those used in bullet shooting... The diameter of the targets (more precisely, the zone in which the hit is counted) when shooting from a prone position is 45 mm, and from a standing position - 115 mm. In all types of races, with the exception of the relay, the biathlete has five shots at each shooting range. In the relay, you can use additional cartridges, manually loading, in the amount of 3 pieces for each firing line.

Types of races

Individual race- a classic type of biathlon race for 20 km for men and 15 km for women with four firing lines. Biathletes start at intervals of 30 seconds to 1 minute. The first and third shots are prone, the second and fourth are standing. Biathletes choose their own places on the shooting range. For each miss, a penalty minute is added to the biathlete's total time.

Sprint(English sprint - short distance running) - a type of biathlon race for 10 km for men and 7.5 km for women with two firing lines. Biathletes start at intervals of 30 seconds to 1 minute. The first shooting is prone, the second is standing. Biathletes choose their own places on the shooting range. For each miss, a penalty loop equal to 150 m is provided. According to the results of the sprint in modern biathlon, as a rule, a pursuit race is held, in which 60 best biathletes of the sprint race take part.

Pursuit(graze, from the English. pursuit - pursuit) - a type of biathlon race for 12.5 km for men and 10 km for women with four firing lines, which is held at the end of the race with a time trial. The athlete who took first place starts first, followed by the second with an interval equal to the lag in the sprint race. In total, a maximum of 60 athletes will start. For each miss, the athlete is provided with a penalty segment of a distance equal to 150 meters.

Mass start(race from the general start) - a type of biathlon race of 15 km for men and 12.5 km for women with four firing lines. 30 strongest athletes take part in it according to the results of the past competitions. All athletes start at the same time. The first and second shots are prone, the third and fourth are standing. Biathletes are placed on the firing lines in accordance with the order of arrival at the shooting range (in the first - in accordance with the order of numbers). For each miss, a penalty loop equal to 150 m is provided.

Relay race- team competition in biathlon. The team consists of 4 athletes from one country. Each biathlete goes through one stage, 7.5 km for men and 6 km for women, with two firing lines. One representative from each country will start at the same time and, having run their stage, pass the baton to the next biathlete from their team. The first shooting is prone, the second is standing. Biathletes take their places on the shooting range according to their starting number. Unlike other types of biathlon competitions, the athlete has three spare cartridges for each shooting. If the biathlete uses up spare cartridges, then for each subsequent miss, a penalty loop of 150 m is provided.

Mixed relay- both men and women take part in this relay. The first and second stages (6 km each) are held by women, the third and fourth (7.5 km each) - men. Shooting rules are similar to the "classic" relay.