Olympic Biathlon Basics: Events, Rules, Shooting & Milan Cortina 2026 Preview

How does biathlon scoring and timing work at the Olympics?


Scoring and timing rules depend on which biathlon event is taking place at the Olympics, as each competition has its own structure.

 Individual events (men’s 20km and women’s 15km): 

  • Winner: fastest total time (including penalty minutes)

Sprint events (men’s 10km and women’s 7.5 km): 

  • Winner: fastest total time

 Pursuit events (men’s 12.5km and women’s 10km): 

  • Winner: first across the finish line

Relay events (men’s 4×7.5km and women’s 4x6km): 

  • Winner: first team across the finish line

Mass start events (men’s 15km and women’s 12.5km): 

  • Winner: first across the finish line

Mixed 4x6km relay: 

  • Winner: first team across the finish line

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