| Host city | Ruhpolding, Bavaria |
|---|---|
| Country | West Germany |
| Events | 3 |
| Opening | 15 February 1979 |
| Closing | 18 February 1979 |
The 17th Biathlon World Championships were held in 1979 in Ruhpolding, West Germany. [1]
| Medal | Name | Nation | Penalties | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Klaus Siebert |  GDR | - | - |
 | Alexander Tikhonov |  URS | - | - |
 | Sigleif Johansen |  NOR | - | - |
| Medal | Name | Nation | Penalties | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Ullrich | GDR | - | - |
| Odd Lirhus | NOR | - | - |
| Luigi Weiss |  ITA | - | - |
| Medal | Name | Nation | Penalties | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Germany | GDR | ||
| Finland |  FIN | ||
| Soviet Union Vladimir Alikin | URS |
| Place | Nation | | | | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Germany | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | Norway | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | Finland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Italy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
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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.
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