Basic concepts

A biathlon competition consists of a race in which contestants ski around a cross country trail system, and where the total distance is broken up by either two or four shooting rounds, half in prone position, the other half standing. Depending on the shooting performance, extra distance or time is added to the contestants total running distance time. As in most races, the contestant with the shortest total time wins.Depending on the shooting performance, extra distance or time is added to the contestants total running distance time. For each shooting round, the biathlete must hit five targets; the skier receives a penalty for each missed target, which varies according to the competition rules.