Biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.
This sport has its origins in an exercise for Norwegian people, as an alternative training for the military. Norwegian skiing regiments organized military skiing contests in the 18th century, divided in four classes: shooting at mark while skiing at top speed, downhill race among trees, downhill race on big hills without falling, and a long race on flat ground while carrying rifle and military pack. In modern terminology these military contests included downhill, slalom, biathlon and cross-country skiing. One of the world's first known ski clubs, the Trysil Rifle and Ski Club, was formed in Norway in 1861 to promote national defense at the local level. 20th century variants include Norwegian: Forsvarsrennet (the military contest) - a 17 km cross-country race with shooting, and the military cross-country race at 30 km including marksmanship. Modern biathlon is a civilian variant of the old military combined exercise. In Norway, biathlon was until 1984 a branch of Det frivillige Skyttervesen, an organization set up by the government to promote civilian marksmanship in support of national defense. In Norwegian biathlon is called skiskyting (literally ski shooting). In Norway there are still separate contests in skifeltskyting, a cross-country race at 12 km with large-caliber rifle shooting at various targets with unknown range.
Biathlon refers to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.
Biathlon is also used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines, and may refer to: