The first Biathlon World Championships (BWCH) was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. 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.
Ole Einar Bjørndalen is a retired Norwegian professional biathlete and coach, often referred to by the nickname, the "King of Biathlon". With 13 Winter Olympic Games medals, he is second on the list of multiple medalists behind Marit Bjørgen who has won 15 medals. He is also the most successful biathlete of all time at the Biathlon World Championships, having won 45 medals, more than double that of any other biathlete except Martin Fourcade. With 95 World Cup wins, Bjørndalen is ranked first all-time for career victories on the Biathlon World Cup tour, more than twice that of anyone else but Fourcade. He has won the Overall World Cup title six times, in 1997–98, in 2002–03, in 2004–05, in 2005–06, in 2007–08 and in 2008–09.
Raphaël Poirée is a retired French biathlete who was active from 1995 to 2007. With his 44 World Cup victories and several World Championship medals he ranks among the most successful biathletes ever.
Magdalena "Magda" Forsberg is a Swedish former cross-country skier and biathlete. She was the dominating female biathlete from 1997 to 2002, when she retired, winning the Biathlon World Cup for six years straight. She is also a six-times world champion, a two-times Olympic bronze medalist, and holds the record for the most World Cup victories in women's biathlon.
Andreas Zingerle is an Italian former biathlete. At the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, Zingerle won a bronze medal in the relay. At the World Championships Zingerle accumulated one individual gold medal and three golds and a bronze in relay and team events.
Pieralberto Carrara is a former Italian biathlete. He grew up in Serina. At the 1998 Olympics he won a silver in the 20 km individual. In the 1992–93 season he ended in third in the overall World Cup standings behind Mikael Löfgren and Mark Kirchner.
Patrick Favre is a former Italian biathlete. At the Biathlon World Championships 1997 in Osrblie he won a bronze medal with the Italian relay team. Two years later at the Biathlon World Championships 1999 in Kontiolahti he won a silver medal in the sprint event. In the 1994–95 season he came second in the overall World Cup behind Jon Åge Tyldum. After the 2000–01 season, he retired as biathlete, though he had a short-lived comeback during the 2003–04 season. Following his retirement, he became a coach, spending seven years with the Italian national biathlon team before joining the French national men's biathlon team in June 2018 on a four-year contract.
Wilfried "Willi the Kid" Pallhuber is a former Italian biathlete. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin he competed in his fifth olympics.
René Cattarinussi is a former Italian biathlete.
Nathalie Santer-Bjørndalen is a biathlete and cross-country skier. She has dual Italian and Belgian citizenship.
Michela Ponza is a retired Italian professional biathlete, who competed on the World Cup circuit from the final round of the World Cup in the 1997–98 season to the final round in the 2013–14 season.
Lukas Hofer is an Italian biathlete.
Hubert Leitgeb was an Italian biathlete.
Christian De Lorenzi is a former Italian biathlete.
Dorothea Wierer Corradini is an Italian biathlete competing in the Biathlon World Cup. Together with Karin Oberhofer, Dominik Windisch and Lukas Hofer she won a bronze medal in the Mixed relay at the 2014 Winter Olympics, in Sochi, Russia. At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea she won again the bronze medal in the Mixed relay with Lisa Vittozzi, Lukas Hofer and Dominik Windisch. She is the 2019 mass start world champion, and 2020 individual and pursuit world champion.
The 2013–14 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union. The season started on 24 November 2013 in Östersund, Sweden, and ended on 23 March 2014 in Holmenkollen, Norway.
Dominik Windisch is an Italian biathlete.
The 2014–15 Biathlon World Cup is a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union. The season started on 30 November 2014 in Östersund, Sweden, and ended on 22 March 2015 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.
Lisa Vittozzi is an Italian biathlete. She competes in the Biathlon World Cup, Vittozzi has won a bronze medal at the Biathlon World Championships 2015 in Kontiolahti.
The 2020–21 Biathlon World Cup (BWC) was a multi-race series over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union. The season started on 28 November 2020 in Kontiolahti, Finland and ended on 21 March 2021 in Östersund, Sweden.
Ukraine 
Slovakia 
Russia 
Germany 
Norway 
Czech Republic 
Sweden 
United States 
Italy 
Finland 