One of the most popular winter sports is biathlon. The story of its appearance and development was not simple. But now this sport has more and more fans.
Appearance story
One of the most interesting and exciting sports in the winter is rightfully considered biathlon, the history of which lies in the ordinary life of the ancient peoples of the North. They used skis for hunting in the winter. This, one might say, was the first biathlon.
The history of the appearance of classical biathlon as a sport has about two hundred and fifty years. He started his career in Norway, where in 1767 local border guards organized competitions in target shooting during skiing down the mountain on the border with Sweden.
However, as a sport, biathlon was developed and spread only at the beginning of the twentieth century. But this happened with some difficulties.
For the first time in the twenties of the last century, biathlon-like games were held at large-scale competitions. The history of the Olympics hosted by France speaks of a competition called "patrol race." But soon this sport failed. In the 1948 Olympics, biathlon was deleted from the program , the rules of the competition in which at that time had not yet been unified.
But in the fifties it was still approved as an independent sport in the pentathlon. Since 1992, biathlon has been separated from pentathlon. In 1993, the International Biathlon Union was formed, which today includes more than sixty countries.
Rules of the game and equipment
In the classic biathlon, the following equipment rules exist:
- The width of the skis must be at least four centimeters.
- The maximum ski length is not limited.
- All kinds of equipment upgrades are prohibited.
- It is forbidden to use ski poles with the possibility of changing the length and force of the push.
- When moving, the rifle is located on the player’s back.
- The use of automatic weapons is not allowed.
- The caliber of the rifle is 5.6 mm.
- Rifles use a conventional diopter sight.
According to existing rules, firing is carried out from a distance of fifty meters. The target is presented in the form of a white plate with five black circles with a diameter of eleven and a half centimeters.
With an effective shot, the circle is closed by a valve, which makes it possible to immediately evaluate the result.
The rules define two types of target shooting:
When standing, the result is hit in a black circle, and in the second method of shooting - in the inner circle, which has a diameter of four and a half centimeters.
Along the path of movement of athletes have several firing lines, each of which is given five rounds.
Types of racing in the classic biathlon
Classic biathlon today includes six types of races:
- Relay race - a team game consisting of three or four sections. An athlete who runs his section of the track passes the baton to the next player. The length of the route is seven and a half kilometers for men and six for women. At each stage there are two positions for firing. The first shooting is carried out in a prone position, the second - while standing.
- Mixed relay. Athletes of both male and female take part in it. Women run in the first and second sections of the run for six kilometers, men in the third and fourth - for seven kilometers. The relay starts with a one-time start for the athletes. The participant, having completed his stage of the race, passes it to the next member of the team. Initially, women run the track, then men. The first shooting is carried out in a lying position, the second - standing.
- Sprinting is a race with two points for shooting, which uses an interval start for men at ten kilometers, for women at seven and a half kilometers. The race starts from the start at intervals of thirty seconds to one minute. The race distance consists of three circles of the same length. Having run the first circle, athletes shoot while in a lying position, having run the second circle - in a standing position. Athletes have the opportunity to independently choose positions for shooting at the shooting range. In case of a slip, a penalty circle equal to one hundred and fifty meters is assigned.
- Individual race - a classic race in which men run a distance of twenty, and women - fifteen kilometers, using four points with targets. Athletes start at intervals of thirty seconds to one minute. In case of a miss, one penalty minute is added to the total time of the race.
- Persuit is a four-lane race in which men run twelve and a half kilometers and women run ten. They pursue a pursuit race following the results of the sprint race.
- The race from the general start - men run a distance of fifteen, women - twelve and a half kilometers. The race begins at the same time by all participants in the competition. Shooting at firing lines is carried out in the order of arrival of the players at the shooting range. In case of a slip, a penalty circle equal to one hundred and fifty meters is assigned.
Varieties of biathlon
Biathlon today has several varieties in which, in addition to the classic equipment, alternative types of weapons and movement are also used. The most widespread in world sports practice are the following varieties:
- Summer is a biathlon, the rules of the competition in which are the same as in the classic, but instead of skiing they use ski scooters or bicycles.
- Archery - biathlon (the history of which as a sport began in France in 1975) is a ski race with archery.
- On snowshoes. With this kind of biathlon, snowshoeing is used.
- Hunting. When it is used hunting rifles and skis.
Separation of biathletes by age
All athletes participating in biathlon competitions are divided into:
- Men and women are biathletes aged twenty-one years and older.
- Juniors and juniors - persons between the ages of nineteen and twenty one years.
- Boys and girls are athletes who are not yet nineteen.
Classification
Biathlon competitions are held both in conjunction with other disciplines, and separately. Independent biathlon competitions are divided into cup and non-cup competitions. In addition, various commercial biathlon competitions are also held.
So, the types of biathlon competitions:
- Cup. The most significant are the World Cup and the Open European Cup. Also at the international level are the Cups of North and South America, Asia. In addition to international, there are national cups.
- Non-cup competitions. The most famous non-cup competition is the Biathlon World Championship. The next most important is the open European Championship, as well as the Championships of Asia, North and South America. At the national level, many countries also host various championships.
- Commercial biathlon. These competitions have a specific goal - to attract a large number of spectators. In this regard, a large number of biathlon stars from different countries are invited to the competitions, and the rules of the race are changed to the format of the competitions themselves.
First achievements
Biathlon champions officially began their triumphal march in the sixties of the last century. The very first champion of the Olympic Games in this discipline was the representative of Sweden K. Lestander, and the first world champion was Swede A. Wiklund. The first winner of the World Cup was the German F. Ulrich in 1978.
In 1984, at the world championship in biathlon among women, the Soviet athlete V. Chernyshova became the first absolute world champion.
Popularity
Modern biathlon, whose history began in Northern Europe, has spread throughout the world. More than forty countries participate in competitions in this sport, but it is most popular in the countries of Eastern and Central Europe, in the Russian Federation. Significant interest in biathlon is also shown by the countries of North America and China.