Biathlon Biathlon the winter Olympic sport combining ski race with firing from a rifle. Biathlon is most popular in Germany, Russia, Norway and Sweden. Since 1993 to the present official international biathlon competitions, including the World Cup and the World Cups, take place under the auspices of the International Biathlon Union. In biathlon athletes compete at distances from 6 to 20 kilometers, from two to four times stopping in firing lines. Extent of the route and number of approaches to a shooting range depends on a class of competitions and age of participants.