Michael P. Nordvall - Two Skis and a Rifle: An Introduction to Biathlon

Two Skis and a Rifle: An Introduction to Biathlon

Michael P Nordvall

C over Image of Lowell Bailey (USA) competing in the biathlon pursuit race at BMW IBU World Cup 9 in Oslo Holmenkollen, Norway on March 18, 2017. (Photo by Julia_Sadykova/Shutterstock.com)

Dedication

This book would only be made possible through the generosity of family and friends. I would first like to thank my wife Tish for her enduring support and encouragement throughout the process of my writing from conception to completion; you kept me going day after day. Thank you to my family for simply asking how the writing was progressing and to my mother Helen and mother-in-law Jolly for their editorial feedback and suggestions despite having little prior exposure to biathlon. I am indebted to my friends and colleagues at Marymount University who took on whatever little slack I may have left behind during my four month absence. And without the support of Marymount University who granted the sabbatical to undertake this work, this book never would have been completed let alone started.

Introduction

B iathlon, the Olympic endeavor that simultaneously combines precision rifle marksmanship under the duress of cross-country skiing, is the most popular European televised spectator sport during winter months. With roots in Norwegian and global military history, the sport has blossomed from high latitude training exercises into a modern annual World Cup season that crowns individuals and nations alike as world champions in competition disciplines ranging from team relays to individually timed endurance events. During the 2016/2017 season, the United States had its best ever performance on the World Cup circuit, placing two individuals, Susan Dunklee and Lowell Bailey, in the medals at the yearly World Championships, the single most important event in the sport other than the Winter Olympic Games. Dunklee would go on to match her performance at the 2020 Italian World Championships in the sprint race. Perhaps it is a juxtaposition of exporting the sport of biathlon from Europe to America rather than being a form of mandatory in some cases military service or training that has precluded an American from medaling in the early Military Patrol or modern versions of this winter Olympic spectacle. After winning medals at every level of competition this past 2019/2020 season, the future does look bright for the United States with U.S. Biathlon, the governing body of the sport in the Unites States, having gone so far as to import experienced head coaches of Norwegian and Italian heritage to guide our athletes to new heights.

To understand the emergence of Olympic biathlon, the pinnacle of competition in the sport, and the World Cup season is to recount the military foundation on which the sport stands. Set primarily in Europe, with occasional incursions to North America, events are held at Nordic skiing arenas with permanent shooting ranges. The life of a biathlete is one of travel, training, and competing under the national flag of their home country and would be impossible without considerable personnel and budgetary support. And while certain nations have larger budgets and resources than others, the playing field is leveled once boots are clipped to skis and the rifle is harnessed to the back.

The story of biathlon begins From Military Beginnings and highlights major utilization of ski warfare from early Scandinavia and Russia to World Wars I and II and is interspersed with smaller tales of espionage and military tactics which are still employed today. Certainly the portrayals of ski warfare in chapter one are not complete historical recreations nor are all political ramifications considered but rather attempt to provide insight on how militarization and tactical use of winter infantry necessitated the use of skis and weapons. As a result, training exercises for ski warfare were the norm in places like Norway, Finland, and Russia and became the precursor to the sport of biathlon as we know it today.

The evolution of biathlon as a sport which followed in the footsteps of ski warfare is discussed in chapter two. Biathlon in its present form seceded from early Pentathlon to become a standalone Olympic sport in 1960 after undergoing major organizational and structural shifts. Several innovations shaped the sport and are briefly discussed here, and in much greater detail in later chapters, including the type of rifle used in demonstrating marksmanship, target technology, and approach/style of skiing which evolved from classic or diagonal stride to contemporary skating technique. Along the way, competitions were redesigned and new races were introduced as the sport matured and grew in popularity.

Chapter three has two overarching purposes, 1) to introduce the reader to recurring biathlon venues and, 2) to analyze the different types of races currently run on the World Cup biathlon program. Many of the venues highlighted in this chapter will appear again in subsequent seasons with several exceptions that are mentioned in the afterword. During the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, the reader can expect to see no fewer than eleven individual and team relay biathlon events for both men and women, the newest being the single mixed relay. And while not all races are held at every World Cup venue, save for the World Championships, the reader should gain insight on the structure of particular races to include distances skied and shooting requirements as well as tidbits about the host venue. Tales from select competitions will conceivably impart an excitement that surrounds this extremely popular and primarily European sport. Action from races and even full race replays mentioned in this and other chapters may be found online through video streaming applications and services such as YouTube or the website of the International Biathlon Union (IBU).

Chapter Four views the life of a world class biathlete from the outside looking in and attempts to provide perspective on how these athletes qualify to participate in races at the highest level, which would not be possible without strong team support. Few elite biathletes will retire on their winnings or stipends from national federations, and many hold down a second job whenever possible in the off-season to supplement income. Yet most do it out of love for the sport which is appreciated by fans who embrace this blue-collar pastime and their heroic national athletes. Ascending to the top of the sport doesnt always go smoothly, and this chapter explores an occurrence when the race jury was forced into deciding the outcome of a race. Biathletes themselves have heroes, current or former peers on the World Cup or Olympic scenes that possess(ed) a certain extra quality that cemented their status as a legend of the sport. Chapter four concludes with brief biographies of these legendary biathletes considered by many to be the greatest of all time.