BIATLON

The individual biathlon event is composed of both men's 7.5 km individual and women’s 7.5 km individual. Competitors ski a 2.5 km loop three times, stopping twice and assuming a prone position to fire five shots at targets 10 m away. A penalty of one minute will be added to a competitor’s overall time for each target missed.

In biathlon, all rifles remain at the firing lane so competitors may ski unburdened. Paralympic biathlon features two different rifle and target systems. Competitors in the standing and sit-ski categories use standard air rifles and fire at targets consisting of black steel discs mounted in a rectangular white frame. The center of the target stands 1 m (3.28 ft) above the ground. When hit, the target’s white frame swings over the black frame and provides the shooter, officials and spectators with immediate visual feedback.

Visually impaired athletes use a computerized acoustic rifle system, which allows the athlete to adjust the rifle aim according to audio cues heard through a headset. As the athlete aims the rifle toward the target, the frequency of the sound increases. If the rifle is aimed directly at the small target, the high frequency tone has a distinctly elevated pitch. As the rifle moves away from the target, the sound becomes deeper. A device on the target detects the exact position of the rifle when the trigger is pulled, enabling the computer system to detect and display a hit or miss.

 

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