Biathlon, which combines rifle shooting and cross-country skiing, developed out of Scandinavian military training exercises. Three members of the U.S. biathlon team are with the Vermont National Guard: Staff Sgt.

ANTERSELVA, Italy (AP) — They wear Norwegian Viking helmets, French chicken suits and German fuzzy black, red and yellow cow hats, paint their faces in national colors, drape flags around their shoulders and don patriotic costumes as they sing YMCA or chant their hero's name.

Former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool football coach Jürgen Klopp enjoyed his visit to the Olympic biathlon on Tuesday and even rang the bell for the final lap. He watched the men's 4 x 7.

Here's what to know on when biathlon begins at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, including a look at its full schedule for the Winter Games.

Here is how the Biathlon works, including its rules, scoring and history in the Olympics.

Biathlon combines two sports – cross-country skiing and shooting – into one race. The biathlon first made its debut 66 years ago in the 1960 Winter Olympics at the renamed Palisades Tahoe in Olympic Valley near Lake Tahoe. This year, the Winter Olympic biathlon games will be held in Antholz (Anterselva), Italy.

Julia Simon didn’t need to shoot fast when she entered the range on the last leg of the women's 4x6-kilometer biathlon relay race at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

This marks Simon's second gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Sean Doherty, Paul Schommer and Maxime Germain delivered the best-ever performance from a U.S. biathlon team at the Olympics. Alexander Hassenstein / ANTERSELVA, Italy — On a day when biathlon’s royalty mostly did what it was supposed to do,

From helping hands up slippery paths, to drinks and sausages passed over seated revellers in the beer tent, to universal appreciation for Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi, who won the final race, the whole vibe was warm and welcoming.

Julia Simon didn’t need to shoot fast when she entered the range on the last leg of the women's 4x6-kilometer biathlon relay race at the Milan Cortina Olympics