Biathalon...?

Question

Can anyone fill me in...what kind of Cross Country Skis are there...(Classic?)...what kind of rifle do they shoot...how is it scored...how long is the course...how many times do they shoot? Thanks

Answer 1

there are actually MANY different kinds of biathlon.
But in general, they use freestyle skis, and a special biathlon rifle. Its very light, bolt action, .22 caliber, and no scopes. You shoot at targets at 50 meters.
As for the course, it depends on the event.
The 20K event, you ski a 5K loop and shoot at 5 targets, repeat 4 times. There is a time penalty for missed targets.
The 10K event, you ski a 2.5K loop and shoot a 5 targets, repeat 4 times. There is a penalty loop you have to ski for every missed shot.
There are also some relay events, a persuit event, and a mass start event.