The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into shooting rounds. The shooting rounds are not timed per se, but depending on the competition, missed shots result in extra distance or time being added to the contestant's total.
The Biathlon World Cup is a top-level biathlon season-long competition series. It has been held since the winter seasons of 1977–78 for men and 1982–83 for women. The women's seasons until 1986–87 season were called the European Cup, although participation was not restricted to Europeans.
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.
Anfisa Anatolyevna Reztsova was a Soviet and Russian biathlete and cross-country skier who competed in both sports from 1985 to 2000. In 1992 she became the first female athlete, and as of 2024 only 1 of 2, to win Olympic gold in two separate disciplines.
Emil Hegle Svendsen is a retired Norwegian biathlete. He has won eight medals at Winter Olympics and five individual gold medals and seven relay gold medals at World Championships.
Stian Kampenhaug Eckhoff is a former Norwegian biathlete. He has 2 World Cup victories and in the 2004–05 season, Eckhoff placed tenth overall. Since his retirement he has become involved in coaching the Norwegian national biathlon team, and was appointed head coach of the Norwegian women's biathlon programme ahead of the 2014–15 season. He is the brother of fellow biathlete Tiril Eckhoff.
Egil Gjelland is a former Norwegian biathlete. He is olympic champion in the biathlon relay from the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Gisle Oddvar Fenne is a former Norwegian biathlete. His best-known international achievement was the silver medal in the 20 km individual in the World Championships 1989 in Feistritz an der Drau. He succeeded in many duels with teammate Eirik Kvalfoss. He was among the top Norwegian biathletes from the mid-1980s until the mid-1990s, and became twice the Norwegian champion in the 20 km individual. He is the father of biathlete Hilde Fenne.
Tora Berger is a retired Norwegian biathlete and Olympic champion.
Dmitry Vladimirovich Vasilyev is a former Russian biathlete. At the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Vasilyev won a gold medal with the Soviet relay team, which consisted of himself, Juri Kashkarov, Algimantas Šalna and Sergei Bulygin. He received another relay gold medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.
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.
Johannes Thingnes Bø is a Norwegian biathlete who has achieved significant success in the sport. Thingnes Bø has won the Biathlon World Cup five times, in the 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2022/23, and 2023/24 seasons. He is the second male biathlete in history with the most individual World Cup victories, totaling 85, including victories at the Winter Olympic Games.
Tiril Kampenhaug Eckhoff is a Norwegian former biathlete.
Erlend Øvereng Bjøntegaard is a retired Norwegian biathlete. He has competed in the Biathlon World Cup, and represented Norway at the Biathlon World Championships 2016. Bjøntegaard represents the club IL Bevern in a remote part of Kongsberg.
Philipp Nawrath is a German biathlete. He competed at the Biathlon World Championships 2019.
Ida Lien is a Norwegian biathlete. She is the 2021 World Champion in the women's relay.
Marit Ishol Skogan is a Norwegian biathlete. She has competed in the Biathlon World Cup since 2023.
Vebjørn Sørum is a Norwegian biathlete. He has competed in the Biathlon World Cup since 2023.
Marthe Kråkstad Johansen is a Norwegian biathlete. She has competed in the Biathlon World Cup since 2022.
Ragnhild Femsteinevik is a Norwegian biathlete.
