International biathlon competitions
| Biathlon World Championships |
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 |
| Status | active |
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| Genre | sporting event |
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| Date(s) | February–March |
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| Frequency | annual |
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| Location(s) | various |
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| Inaugurated | 1958 (1958) |
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| Organised by | IBU |
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 Biathlon World Championships 2024 |
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 (4 × 7.5 km), 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.[1]
Venues
The Biathlon World Championships of the season takes place during February or March. Some years it has been necessary to schedule parts of the Championships at other than the main venue because of weather and/or snow conditions. Full, joint Biathlon World Championships have never been held in Olympic Winter Games seasons. Biathlon World Championships in non-IOC events, however, have been held in Olympic seasons. In 2005, the then new event of Mixed Relay (two legs done by women, two legs by men) was arranged separately from the ordinary Championships.
Past Championships:
- 1958
Saalfelden, Austria
- 1959
Courmayeur, Italy
- 1961
Umeå, Sweden
- 1962
Hämeenlinna, Finland
- 1963 Seefeld, Austria
- 1965
Elverum, Norway
- 1966
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany
- 1967
Altenberg, East Germany (first event in East Europe)
- 1969
Zakopane, Poland
- 1970 Östersund, Sweden
- 1971 Hämeenlinna, Finland
- 1973
Lake Placid, New York, United States (first event outside Europe and in the Americas)
- 1974
Minsk, USSR
- 1975 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- 1976 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy (Sprint)
- 1977 Vingrom, Norway
- 1978 Hochfilzen, Austria
- 1979 Ruhpolding, West Germany
- 1981 Lahti, Finland
- 1982 Minsk, USSR
- 1983 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- 1984
Chamonix, France (Women)
- 1985 Ruhpolding, West Germany (Men) and
Egg am Etzel (near Einsiedeln), Switzerland (Women)
- 1986 Oslo, Norway (Men) and Falun, Sweden (Women)
- 1987 Lake Placid, New York, United States (Men) and Lahti, Finland (Women)
- 1988 Chamonix, France (Women)
- 1989 Feistritz an der Drau, Austria (first joint Biathlon World Championships)
- 1990 Minsk, USSR; Oslo, Norway and Kontiolahti, Finland
- 1991 Lahti, Finland
- 1992
Novosibirsk, Russia (Team)
- 1993
Borovets, Bulgaria
- 1994
Canmore, Canada (Team)
- 1995 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- 1996 Ruhpolding, Germany
- 1997
Brezno-Osrblie, Slovakia
- 1998
Pokljuka, Slovenia (Pursuit) and Hochfilzen, Austria (Team)
- 1999 Kontiolahti, Finland and Oslo, Norway
- 2000 Oslo, Norway and Lahti, Finland
- 2001 Pokljuka, Slovenia
- 2002 Oslo, Norway (Mass start)
- 2003
Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
- 2004 Oberhof, Germany
- 2005 Hochfilzen, Austria and Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia (Mixed relay)
- 2006 Pokljuka, Slovenia (Mixed relay)
- 2007 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- 2008 Östersund, Sweden
- 2009
Pyeongchang, South Korea (first event in Asia)
- 2010 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia (Mixed relay)
- 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
- 2012 Ruhpolding, Germany
- 2013
Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic
- 2015 Kontiolahti, Finland
- 2016 Oslo, Norway
- 2017 Hochfilzen, Austria
- 2019 Östersund, Sweden
- 2020 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- 2021 Pokljuka, Slovenia
- 2023 Oberhof, Germany
- 2024 Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic
Upcoming:
Men
Bold numbers in brackets denotes record number of victories in corresponding disciplines.
Individual (20 km)
This event was first held in 1958.
Medal table
Sprint (10 km)
This event was first held in 1974.
Medal table
Pursuit (12.5 km)
This event was first held in 1997.
Medal table
Mass start (15 km)
This event was first held in 1999.
Medal table
Relay (4 × 7.5 km)
This event was first held unofficially in 1965. It was a success, and replaced
the team competition as an official event in 1966.
Medal table
Team (time)
This event was held from 1958 to 1965. The times of the top 3 athletes from each country in the 20 km individual were added together
(in 1958 the top 4).
Medal table
Team
This event, a patrol race, was held from 1989 to 1998. 1989–93: 20 km. 1994–98: 10 km.
Medal table
Women
Bold numbers in brackets denotes record number of victories in corresponding disciplines.
Individual (15 km)
This event was first held in 1984. Through 1988 the distance was 10 km.
Medal table
Sprint (7.5 km)
This event was first held in 1984. Through 1988 the distance was 5 km.
Medal table
Pursuit (10 km)
This event was first held in 1997.
Medal table
Mass start (12.5 km)
This event was first held in 1999.
Medal table
Relay (4 × 6 km)
This event was first held in 1984. Through 1988, the event was 3 × 5 km. 1989–91: 3 × 7.5 km. 1993–2001: 4 × 7.5 km. In 2003, the leg distance was set to 6 km.
Medal table
Team
This event, a patrol race, was held from 1989 to 1998. 1989–93: 15 km. 1994–98: 7.5 km.
Medal table
Mixed
Bold numbers in brackets denotes record number of victories in corresponding disciplines.
Mixed relay
This event was first held in 2005, at the Biathlon World Cup finals in Khanty-Mansiysk. In 2005–20, the women biathletes did the first two legs and the men did the following two (except 2006 when sequence was woman–man–woman–man), the women's ski legs were 6 km each while men ski legs were 7.5 km each (except 2005, 2006 and 2020 when ski legs were 6 km each for all relay members). In 2021, the starting gender became the result of a alternation: for the first time, men opened the relay and women closed it. Since then, this sequence alternates for each following edition. The distance skied became the same for all genders and depending on the one running the first leg (7.5 km if men run first, 6 km if women do), but in 2024 it became 6 km for every relay member no matter who runs first leg.
Medal table
Single mixed relay
This event was first held in 2019. Each team consists of two members - man and woman. The first of the team members runs the first and third legs (3 km each), the other team member – the second and fourth legs (3 km and 4.5 km respectively). In 2019 and 2020 the women biathletes started single mixed relay and the men biathletes finished it, in 2021 this order was reversed. Since then, this order alternates for each following edition.
Medal table
Total medals by country
Updated after the 2024 Championships.
Multiple medalists
Boldface denotes active biathletes and highest medal count among all biathletes (including these who not included in these tables) per type.
Men
All events
Individual events
Women
All events
Individual events
