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Biathlon at the Winter Olympics Milano Cortina: What are the rules, how does scoring work, medal prospects
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Published 06/02/2026 at 22:58 GMT
Biathlon returns to the Olympic spotlight in Milano Cortina, combining cross-country skiing with precision rifle shooting across 11 events. Norway, led by Sturla Holm Laegreid, and France head the medal contenders. Germany’s Franziska Preuss and France’s Lou Jeanmonnot are among the women to watch. You can watch and stream all the biathlon action on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Who are Team GB’s best medal hopes in Milano Cortina?
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One of the ultimate tests of nerve, biathlon has been on the Winter Olympic schedule in its current form since 1960 - but it was preceded by a military-style version of it before that.
Between 1924 and 1948, the ‘military patrol’ was included in the programme - a combination of cross-country skiing, ski mountaineering and rifle shooting - but it was only in 1924 when medals were handed out for that.
Now it is a combination of cross-country skiing - almost exclusively using the skate skiing technique (which looks like ice skating on skis) - and rifle shooting, either from a standing or lying down position. Depending on the event, athletes are punished for missing targets by either having to race an extra distance, or they receive a time penalty.
The sport originated in Scandinavia, where people would hunt on skis with a rifle strapped to them. Norway are the most successful biathlon team in Winter Olympics history, with 55 medals (22 gold, 18 silver and 15 bronze), followed by Germany with 54 (20 gold, 21 silver and 13 bronze) and France with 32 (12 gold, 9 silver and 11 bronze).
The greatest biathlon competitor in the sport’s history is also the most successful male athlete ever at the Winter Olympics. Ole Einar Bjorndalen is a Games legend who won 13 medals across his Olympic career - eight of which were gold.
Germany’s Ursula Disl is the most successful female athlete, with nine medals in total.
Eleven events will be contested in Milano Cortina, five for men, five for women and one mixed.
Biathlon participants and medal prospects
Biathlon has not really taken off in the UK, with 2022 marking the first time that Team GB did not have a competitor in any event. Indeed, Amanda Lightfoot, who competed in both Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018, is the most recent competitor for Team GB.
Despite the retirement of Johannes Thingnes Bo, Norway’s team still includes defending World Cup champion Sturla Holm Laegreid and early-season leader Johan-Olav Botn. France, meanwhile, can call on rising star Eric Perrot and veteran Quentin Fillon Maillet, a five-time Olympic medallist in Beijing, including two golds.
On the women’s side, Germany’s Franziska Preuss and France’s Lou Jeanmonnot, last season’s World Cup title rivals, are both medal contenders in Milano Cortina.
Hosts Italy will look to Tommaso Giacomel and former world champions Lisa Vittozzi and Dorothea Wierer, while 23-year-old Campbell Wright is targeting the US’ first biathlon medal.
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Highlights: Perrot secures individual victory in Nove Mesto
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Biathlon events and format
210 quota spots are available to qualify for the Winter Olympics and there will be 11 events in total in Milano Cortina. They are:
Men
Women
Mixed
All of the events apart from the mass start begin in intervals. They all follow a format of cross-country combined with either two or four shooting rounds, depending on the distance - half of these will be in the standing position, with the other half prone (lying on an athlete’s front). Events differ, but missed targets will result in either a time penalty or a having to complete a penalty lap.
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Highlights: Norway’s Dale-Skjevdal claims 12.5km pursuit victory in Ruhpolding
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Biathlon rules
Apart from the mass start - which is a race to the finish line - all disciplines are ranked on times with the addition of any penalties for missing shooting targets added on top.
Athletes can use any skating style they wish, which is why freestyle - or skate skiing - is almost exclusively used, given it is by far the fastest. At each shooting range, competitors have to hit five targets from 50 metres - either from a standing or prone position. This happens two or four times, depending on the length of the race. When athletes are lying down, they must make sure that the rifle is not touching the ground.
If they miss, penalty times are added on, or they will be made to race around a loop at the end of the shooting range.
Biathlon relay rules explained
In the relay, four athletes each race over 7.5km for men and 6km for women with two rounds of shooting - one standing and one prone. For the five targets, there will be eight bullets available for each. Those on the first leg all go off at the same time - therefore, the first of the fourth leg athletes to cross the line is the winner.
In the mixed relay, two men and two women form a team and they all race over 6km each.
Biathlon mass start rules explained
The mass start is the only discipline where all athletes go off at the same time - with the top 30 all taking part. The first athlete to cross the finish line is the winner.
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Watch every event of Milano Cortina 2026 live on discovery+. Available across all subscription plans, starting at £3.99.
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