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International biathlon competitions From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The first Biathlon World Championships (BWCH) was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The original team event, Team (time), was held for the last time in 1965, to be replaced in 1966 by the team event, Relay (4 × 7.5 km), which we know today. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in joint Biathlon World Championships. In 1978 the development was enhanced by the change from the large army rifle calibre to a small bore rifle, while the range to the target was reduced from 150 to 50 meters.[1]
| Biathlon World Championships | |
|---|---|
 Magdalena Neuner and Kaisa Mäkäräinen during the 2012 World Championships in Kontiolahti, North Karelia, Finland | |
| Status | active |
| Genre | sporting event |
| Date(s) | February–March |
| Frequency | annual |
| Location(s) | various |
| Inaugurated | 1958 |
| Organised by | IBU |
 Biathlon World Championships 2024 | |
The Biathlon World Championships of the season takes place during February or March. Some years it has been necessary to schedule parts of the Championships at other than the main venue because of weather and/or snow conditions. Full, joint Biathlon World Championships have never been held in Olympic Winter Games seasons. Biathlon World Championships in non-IOC events, however, have been held in Olympic seasons. In 2005, the then new event of Mixed Relay (two legs done by women, two legs by men) was arranged separately from the ordinary Championships.
Past Championships:
Saalfelden, Austria
Courmayeur, Italy
Umeå, Sweden
Hämeenlinna, Finland Seefeld, Austria
Elverum, Norway
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany
Altenberg, East Germany (first event in East Europe)
Zakopane, Poland Östersund, Sweden Hämeenlinna, Finland
Lake Placid, New York, United States (first event outside Europe and in the Americas)
Minsk, USSR Antholz-Anterselva, Italy Antholz-Anterselva, Italy (Sprint) Vingrom, Norway Hochfilzen, Austria Ruhpolding, West Germany Lahti, Finland Minsk, USSR Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
Chamonix, France (Women) Ruhpolding, West Germany (Men) and 
Egg am Etzel (near Einsiedeln), Switzerland (Women) Oslo, Norway (Men) and Falun, Sweden (Women) Lake Placid, New York, United States (Men) and Lahti, Finland (Women) Chamonix, France (Women) Feistritz an der Drau, Austria (first joint Biathlon World Championships) Minsk, USSR; Oslo, Norway and Kontiolahti, Finland Lahti, Finland
Novosibirsk, Russia (Team)
Borovets, Bulgaria
Canmore, Canada (Team) Antholz-Anterselva, Italy Ruhpolding, Germany
Brezno-Osrblie, Slovakia
Pokljuka, Slovenia (Pursuit) and Hochfilzen, Austria (Team) Kontiolahti, Finland and Oslo, Norway Oslo, Norway and Lahti, Finland Pokljuka, Slovenia Oslo, Norway (Mass start)
Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia Oberhof, Germany Hochfilzen, Austria and Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia (Mixed relay) Pokljuka, Slovenia (Mixed relay) Antholz-Anterselva, Italy Östersund, Sweden
Pyeongchang, South Korea (first event in Asia) Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia (Mixed relay) Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia Ruhpolding, Germany
Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic Kontiolahti, Finland Oslo, Norway Hochfilzen, Austria Östersund, Sweden Antholz-Anterselva, Italy Pokljuka, Slovenia Oberhof, Germany Nové Město na Moravě, Czech RepublicUpcoming:
Lenzerheide, Switzerland
Otepää, Estonia Hochfilzen, Austria Oslo, NorwayBold numbers in brackets denotes record number of victories in corresponding disciplines.
This event was first held in 1958.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 11 | 10 | 11 | 32 |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 10 | 10 | 6 | 26 |
| 3 | Finland | 6 | 3 | 6 | 15 |
| 4 | France | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 5 | East Germany | 5 | 5 | 1 | 11 |
| 6 | Germany | 4 | 5 | 4 | 13 |
| 7 | Russia | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 8 |  Poland | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 9 | Austria | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| 10 |  United States | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | Czech Republic | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Sweden | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | |
| 13 | Italy | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Slovenia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 15 |  Belarus | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 16 | Bulgaria | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Romania | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 18 | West Germany | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 19 |  Croatia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Czechoslovakia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Latvia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (21 entries) | 50 | 50 | 50 | 150 | |
This event was first held in 1974.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 12 | 12 | 10 | 34 |
| 2 | East Germany | 7 | 4 | 4 | 15 |
| 3 | Germany | 5 | 4 | 1 | 10 |
| 4 | France | 4 | 4 | 5 | 13 |
| 5 | Russia | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 |
| 6 | Soviet Union | 4 | 3 | 5 | 12 |
| 7 | Italy | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| 8 | Finland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Sweden | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | Austria | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Czech Republic | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 12 | Canada | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| West Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 14 |  Ukraine | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 15 | Belarus | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Latvia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Slovenia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (17 entries) | 39 | 39 | 39 | 117 | |
This event was first held in 1997.
Medal table
This event was first held in 1999.
Medal table
This event was first held unofficially in 1965. It was a success, and replaced the team competition as an official event in 1966.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 10 | 15 | 6 | 31 |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 9 | 5 | 3 | 17 |
| 3 | Germany | 6 | 3 | 8 | 17 |
| 4 | East Germany | 6 | 3 | 4 | 13 |
| 5 | Russia | 5 | 5 | 1 | 11 |
| 6 | France | 3 | 5 | 3 | 11 |
| 7 | Italy | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 8 | Finland | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 9 | Belarus | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Sweden | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | |
| 11 | West Germany | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 12 | Austria | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Poland | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 14 | Canada | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Russian Biathlon Union | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Ukraine | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (16 entries) | 44 | 44 | 44 | 132 | |
This event was held from 1958 to 1965. The times of the top 3 athletes from each country in the 20 km individual were added together (in 1958 the top 4).
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Sweden
|
Soviet Union
|
Norway
|
| 1959 | Soviet Union
|
Sweden
|
Norway
|
| 1961 | Finland
|
Soviet Union
|
Sweden
|
| 1962 | Soviet Union
|
Finland
|
Norway
|
| 1963 | Soviet Union
|
Finland
|
Norway
|
| 1965 | Norway
|
Soviet Union
|
Poland
|
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soviet Union | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Finland | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Sweden | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Norway | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| 5 | Poland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (5 entries) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | |
This event, a patrol race, was held from 1989 to 1998. 1989–93: 20 km. 1994–98: 10 km.
| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Soviet Union
|
West Germany
|
East Germany
|
| 1990 | East Germany
|
Czechoslovakia
|
France
|
| 1991 | Italy
|
Norway
|
Soviet Union
|
| 1992 |  CIS
|
Norway
|
Estonia
|
| 1993 | Germany
|
Russia
|
France
|
| 1994 | Italy
|
Russia
|
Germany
|
| 1995 | Norway
|
Czech Republic
|
France
|
| 1996 |  Belarus
|
Russia
|
Italy
|
| 1997 | Belarus
|
Germany
|
Poland
|
| 1998 | Norway
|
Germany
|
Russia
|
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Italy | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Belarus | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Germany | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | East Germany | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Soviet Union | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 7 |  CIS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Russia | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 9 | Czech Republic | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Czechoslovakia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| West Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 12 | France | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 13 | Estonia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Poland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (14 entries) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | |
Bold numbers in brackets denotes record number of victories in corresponding disciplines.
This event was first held in 1984. Through 1988 the distance was 10 km.
Medal table
This event was first held in 1984. Through 1988 the distance was 5 km.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 9 | 5 | 4 | 18 |
| 2 | Norway | 9 | 4 | 4 | 17 |
| 3 | France | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 4 | Soviet Union | 3 | 5 | 3 | 11 |
| 5 | Russia | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 |
| 6 | Ukraine | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| 7 | Czech Republic | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 8 | Slovakia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 9 | Canada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| West Germany | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 11 | Sweden | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 12 | Belarus | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 13 | Bulgaria | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Finland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Poland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| United States | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 17 | Austria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (17 entries) | 32 | 32 | 33 | 97 | |
This event was first held in 1997.
Medal table
This event was first held in 1999.
Medal table
This event was first held in 1984. Through 1988, the event was 3 × 5 km. 1989–91: 3 × 7.5 km. 1993–2001: 4 × 7.5 km. In 2003, the leg distance was set to 6 km.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 10 | 7 | 5 | 22 |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 3 | Norway | 6 | 6 | 5 | 17 |
| 4 | Russia | 5 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| 5 | France | 1 | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 6 | Italy | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 7 | Czech Republic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Ukraine | 0 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| 9 | Sweden | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 10 | Bulgaria | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Belarus | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Finland | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 13 | Czechoslovakia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| United States | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (14 entries) | 32 | 32 | 32 | 96 | |
This event, a patrol race, was held from 1989 to 1998. 1989–93: 15 km. 1994–98: 7.5 km.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soviet Union | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | Norway | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | Germany | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Belarus | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Russia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 6 | France | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 7 | Bulgaria | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Ukraine | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| West Germany | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 10 | CIS | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Czechoslovakia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Finland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Poland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (13 entries) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | |
Bold numbers in brackets denotes record number of victories in corresponding disciplines.
This event was first held in 2005, at the Biathlon World Cup finals in Khanty-Mansiysk. In 2005–20, the women biathletes did the first two legs and the men did the following two (except 2006 when sequence was woman–man–woman–man), the women's ski legs were 6 km each while men ski legs were 7.5 km each (except 2005, 2006 and 2020 when ski legs were 6 km each for all relay members). In 2021, the starting gender became the result of an alternation: for the first time, men opened the relay and women closed it. Since then, this sequence alternates for each following edition. The distance skied became the same for all genders and depending on the one running the first leg (7.5 km if men run first, 6 km if women do), but in 2024 it became 6 km for every relay member no matter who runs first leg.
Medal table
This event was first held in 2019. Each team consists of two members - man and woman. The first of the team members runs the first and third legs (3 km each), the other team member – the second and fourth legs (3 km and 4.5 km respectively). In 2019 and 2020 the women biathletes started single mixed relay and the men biathletes finished it, in 2021 this order was reversed. Since then, this order alternates for each following edition.
Medal table
Updated after the 2024 Championships.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 93 | 82 | 72 | 247 |
| 2 | Germany | 64 | 55 | 38 | 157 |
| 3 | France | 45 | 38 | 47 | 130 |
| 4 | Soviet Union | 44 | 29 | 21 | 94 |
| 5 | Russia | 28 | 41 | 28 | 97 |
| 6 | East Germany | 19 | 12 | 10 | 41 |
| 7 | Sweden | 18 | 19 | 31 | 68 |
| 8 | Italy | 12 | 12 | 15 | 39 |
| 9 | Finland | 10 | 10 | 16 | 36 |
| 10 | Ukraine | 7 | 10 | 22 | 39 |
| 11 | Belarus | 6 | 9 | 14 | 29 |
| 12 | Czech Republic | 6 | 6 | 9 | 21 |
| 13 | Austria | 3 | 8 | 11 | 22 |
| 14 | West Germany | 2 | 4 | 7 | 13 |
| 15 | Slovenia | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 16 | Poland | 1 | 6 | 7 | 14 |
| 17 | United States | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| 18 | Canada | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Slovakia | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| 20 | CIS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 21 | Bulgaria | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 22 |  China | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 23 | Czechoslovakia | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 24 | Latvia | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 25 | Romania | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 26 | Croatia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Estonia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Russian Biathlon Union | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (28 entries) | 364 | 362 | 364 | 1,090 | |
Boldface denotes active biathletes and highest medal count among all biathletes (including these who not included in these tables) per type.
| Rank | Biathlete | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ole Einar Bjørndalen | Norway | 1997 | 2017 | 20 | 14 | 11 | 45 |
| 2 | Johannes Thingnes Bø | Norway | 2015 | 2024 | 20 | 13 | 5 | 38 |
| 3 | Martin Fourcade | France | 2011 | 2020 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 28 |
| 4 | Emil Hegle Svendsen | Norway | 2007 | 2016 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 21 |
| 5 | Tarjei Bø | Norway | 2011 | 2024 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 26 |
| 6 | Frank Luck | East Germany Germany | 1989 | 2004 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 20 |
| 7 | Alexander Tikhonov | Soviet Union | 1967 | 1979 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 17 |
| 8 | Ricco Groß | Germany | 1991 | 2007 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 20 |
| 9 | Frank Ullrich | East Germany | 1977 | 1983 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 14 |
| 10 | Raphaël Poirée | France | 1998 | 2007 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 18 |
| Rank | Biathlete | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ole Einar Bjørndalen | Norway | 1997 | 2017 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 26 |
| 2 | Martin Fourcade | France | 2011 | 2020 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 18 |
| 3 | Johannes Thingnes Bø | Norway | 2015 | 2024 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 19 |
| 4 | Raphaël Poirée | France | 1998 | 2007 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 14 |
| 5 | Emil Hegle Svendsen | Norway | 2008 | 2016 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| 6 | Frank Ullrich | East Germany | 1978 | 1983 | 5 | 3 | – | 8 |
| 7 | Alexander Tikhonov | Soviet Union | 1969 | 1979 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| 8 | Ricco Groß | Germany | 1995 | 2005 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 9 | Mark Kirchner | East Germany Germany | 1990 | 1993 | 4 | – | – | 4 |
| 10 | Eirik Kvalfoss | Norway | 1982 | 1991 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 |
| Rank | Biathlete | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marte Olsbu Røiseland | Norway | 2016 | 2023 | 13 | – | 4 | 17 |
| 2 | Magdalena Neuner | Germany | 2007 | 2012 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 17 |
| 3 | Tiril Eckhoff | Norway | 2015 | 2021 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 15 |
| 4 | Elena Golovina | Soviet Union | 1985 | 1991 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| 5 | Petra Behle (Schaaf) | West Germany Germany | 1988 | 1997 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 13 |
| 6 | Uschi Disl | Germany | 1991 | 2005 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 19 |
| 7 | Andrea Henkel | Germany | 2000 | 2013 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 16 |
| 8 | Tora Berger | Norway | 2006 | 2013 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 18 |
| 9 | Liv Grete Poirée (Skjelbreid) | Norway | 1997 | 2004 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 13 |
| 10 | Laura Dahlmeier | Germany | 2015 | 2019 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 15 |
| Rank | Biathlete | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magdalena Neuner | Germany | 2007 | 2012 | 6 | 2 | – | 8 |
| 2 | Magdalena Forsberg (Wallin) | Sweden | 1996 | 2001 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 12 |
| 3 | Liv Grete Poirée (Skjelbreid) | Norway | 2000 | 2004 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| 4 | Olena Zubrilova | Ukraine Belarus | 1997 | 2005 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| 5 | Laura Dahlmeier | Germany | 2015 | 2019 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
| 6 | Tora Berger | Norway | 2008 | 2013 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| 7 | Marie Dorin Habert | France | 2015 | 2016 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 8 | Andrea Henkel | Germany | 2005 | 2013 | 4 | 1 | – | 5 |
| 9 | Petra Schaaf | West Germany Germany | 1988 | 1993 | 4 | – | 1 | 5 |
| 10 | Hanna Öberg | Sweden | 2019 | 2023 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
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