Biathlon is a winter sport combining cross country skiing and shooting. The biathletes compete by completing several circuits of a marked trail with halts at the shooting range where they shoot at five targets from the shooting position. The biathletes shoot alternately in the standing and prone positions.

If a competitor misses one or more targets he or must complete a short penalty circuit or suffer a time penalty. The winner is the biathlete who reaches the finish line first. Competitions are arranged for individual and team events in a number of alternative versions in the sport. Stamina in the cross country and precision with the rifle are vital in the sport. The biathlon is a winter sport, but training is all year round and events are also arranged in the summer months. These are known as summer biathlons, and the cross country skis are exchanged for roller skis.