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, 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.
Ricco Groß is a former German biathlete. He is one of the most successful biathletes of all time at the Winter Olympics and the World Championships.
Vincent Defrasne is a former French biathlete. He won a gold medal in the 12.5 km pursuit at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and a bronze medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Egil Gjelland is a former Norwegian biathlete. He is olympic champion in the biathlon relay from the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Nikolay Nikolayevich Kruglov is a former Russian biathlete. His father, Nikolay Kruglov, was also a biathlete. Kruglov Jr. has won a couple of medals with the Russian relay team. He is a two-time World Champion in the men's relay and a two-time World Champion in mixed relay. Also he won silver medals at the 2005 World Championships and the 2006 Olympics.
Vladimir Petrovich Drachev is a former Soviet, Russian and Belarusian biathlete. He formerly had Russian citizenship and started for Russia until 2002. Drachev has four world championship titles in his career. He also has two olympic relay medals for Russia. During his career he took a total of 11 World Championship medals and 15 World Cup race wins. He was also known as one of the fastest shots in the sport whilst competing.
Daniel Mesotitsch is an Austrian former biathlete.
Dominik Landertinger is a retired Austrian biathlete.
Arnd Peiffer is a German former biathlete. His greatest achievements were sprint victories in the 2018 Winter Olympics and the Biathlon World Championships 2011. During his career, he also won three World Championship relay golds as well as several other Olympic and World Championship medals.
Simon Schempp is a German former biathlete.
Christoph "Sumi" Sumann is a former Austrian biathlete.
Simon Eder is an Austrian biathlete.
Tarjei Bø is a Norwegian professional biathlete. Awarded Olympic gold medals, World Championship gold medals and World Cup victories from 2010 to 2022. Bø debuted in the Biathlon World Cup on 26 March 2009 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. In the 2010 Winter Olympics, he earned his first gold medal in the 4 × 7.5 km biathlon relay. On 10 December 2010 he won the World Cup sprint race in Hochfilzen, his first world cup victory. He also won the following pursuit race and anchored the winning relay team. Bø is the older brother of biathlete Johannes Thingnes Bø.
Dorothea Wierer 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. At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, she won her first individual medal in the Sprint. She is the 2019 Mass Start World Champion and the 2020 Pursuit and Individual World Champion.
Tiril Kampenhaug Eckhoff is a Norwegian former biathlete.
Laura Dahlmeier is a retired German biathlete. Dahlmeier started in her first world cup races in the 2012/13 season. In 2014, she participated in the Winter Olympics in Sochi. She won a record of five gold medals at the World Championships of 2017. In 2018 she became the first woman to win the biathlon sprint and pursuit in the same Olympics. During her career she has won a total of two golds and one bronze at the Olympics, seven gold medals, three silver medals and five bronze medals at World Championships, one overall World Cup and two discipline World Cup titles. Dahlmeier announced her retirement from competition in May 2019, at the age of 25. In October 2019, she released a children's book.
The 21st Biathlon European Championships were held in Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic from January 29 to February 4, 2014.
Nathan Smith is a Canadian biathlete.
Katharina Komatz is an Austrian biathlete. She was born in Zell am See.
Marte Olsbu Røiseland is a former Norwegian biathlete and 3 time Winter Olympic gold medalist. In addition, she won two Olympic silver medals and two bronze medals. Her world championships achievements include winning two gold medals and eleven relay victories. She won the overall Biathlon World Cup in 2022.
