Olympic Biathlon: Hardest shooting?

[Wyatt Smith]

Truthfully, the Olympics are the only time I watch sports. I’m watching the women’s giant slalom now.
The biathlon is always one of my favorites, like other have stated? It’s incredible how they can shoot so accurately after such an exhausting ski.
The rifles are neat too. I’d love to handle one sometime.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I note that women's single bobsleds are now "standardized" which I think was long overdue. Great. Now it's about athletic ability instead of the country's program wealth and ability to chase expensive technological development. Wonder if that will be coming for other winter sports.

I see three athletes were disqualified for using waxes with flourocarbon (?) additives. Apparently the crap is quite toxic and never breaks down in the environment. Just keeps accumulating. Park City wells are full of it now.

 

[skydiver386]

I note that women's single bobsleds are now "standardized" which I think was long overdue. Great. Now it's about athletic ability instead of the country's program wealth and ability to chase expensive technological development. Wonder if that will be coming for other winter sports.

I see three athletes were disqualified for using waxes with flourocarbon (?) additives. Apparently the crap is quite toxic and never breaks down in the environment. Just keeps accumulating. Park City wells are full of it now.

I think as time goes on technology will actually be LESS important. For example, one athlete from Israel Jared Firestone, was in the Skeleton event. Fining a proper place to train for certain events is the major handicap for them. With a wider availability of training and competition, a larger pool of talent will emerge, and this is bound to bring the top skill level up.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I think as time goes on technology will actually be LESS important. For example, one athlete from Israel Jared Firestone, was in the Skeleton event. Fining a proper place to train for certain events is the major handicap for them. With a wider availability of training and competition, a larger pool of talent will emerge, and this is bound to bring the top skill level up.

One of the Canadian bobsled gals said she had to lay out $70K of her own money to get to Milan. If she had to compete with German's access to hi-tech equipment, it would not be a contest. A waste of her money. One of the top competitors today was Australian with very little access to training facilities. I think in many sports where tech is important, we may see more standardization. Difficult to make that rule for skis and boards though because sponsorship is so important to the sport. But bobsleds and skeleton sleds? Sponsorship is arguably negligible. The equipment is so expensive and the facilities to use it are very exclusive. Not a big market for that stuff. Like I said standardization was way overdue for that sport.

 

[WAB]

Biathlon is a fantastic sport. As a ski instructor I shot biathlon briefly in the ‘80’s. Unfortunately, only Canadian military were allowed on the national team at the time. They had this crazy idea that they could teach shooters to ski. It didn’t work out so well.

If you watch them shoot, you know if they hit or not without watching the targets. Once breathing is controlled, they are shooting on a cadence with their heartbeat. Any off cadence shot is a miss. I saw a fellow fall off cadence, hold the shot, get back on and hit. Incredible.

 

[PerH]

Here is a Russian .22 rifle converted from Biathlon to sniper’s model . And quick and easy to use also .

 

[CJW]

I frequently see Biathlon air rifles, as some use them for training for youth summer Biathlon events. I've seen both running and bicycling Biathlon matches for youth.

The Anschutz rimfire Biathlon rifle are a rarity.

With the shooters we have and the athletes we have in the U.S., it's a shame we have never won a medal in this event. We tend to separate shooting and aerobic sports here, but let's hope that changes.

I looked up how many biathlon entries we had and I believe it was six. It would be great to see them place higher. Apparently in Europe some of them are their own class of celebrity. A highly revered sport.

Oh and thanks. Now I'm looking at PCP biathlon rifles.

 

[meigsbucks]

My wife and I are glued to the Olympics. I was watching the women’s Biathlon yesterday AM. I don’t know how they do it. I shot competition small bore as a teenager (2 centuries later ago) and did a little skiing. I can’t even fathom doing both simultaneously.
Although I prefer the events that are based on time or an actual score, not a subjective score, I enjoy watching all the events, even Ice Dancing. All are incredible athletes. Imagine training your entire life for a moment that that may only last seconds. In the end they can say one thing that I don’t think any of can: They are an Olympian.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

My favorite Olympic sport,. Am fascinated with the rifles.

 

[steve white]

Great sport. Sad the Imperial Storm Troopers keep coming in dead last...

 

[steve white]

I frequently see Biathlon air rifles, as some use them for training for youth summer Biathlon events. I've seen both running and bicycling Biathlon matches for youth.

The Anschutz rimfire Biathlon rifle are a rarity.

With the shooters we have and the athletes we have in the U.S., it's a shame we have never won a medal in this event. We tend to separate shooting and aerobic sports here, but let's hope that changes.

We've never won a medal--did not know that. Shame--we need to get busy.

 

[RedTag]

Truthfully, the Olympics are the only time I watch sports. I’m watching the women’s giant slalom now.
The biathlon is always one of my favorites, like other have stated? It’s incredible how they can shoot so accurately after such an exhausting ski.
The rifles are neat too. I’d love to handle one sometime.

I had the opportunity to handle (but not shoot) an Anschutz rifle some years ago and it was a very impressive piece of equipment. The owner told me it cost $5,000. And he bought it used.
I haven’t had much time to watch the games this year. So far I've been able to catch the full mixed relay biathlon (say what you will about the French but I wouldn’t want to fight that team!), the last few minutes of the men’s skiathlon (the guy from Norway was incredible), a bit of the women’s ski jumping (just wow), and a few rounds of curling. Curling is an interesting game but I don’t really understand why it’s an Olympic sport. Biathlon has always been my favorite; the combination of athleticism and martial skills is what the Olympic Games are really all about at the core.

 

[HankBuck]

How many are watching the Winter Olympics?

Ice Dancing, aka Prancing I'm forced to watch.

The Downhill? Oh yeah! The wind whipping all over my body as I sail downhill at 90 miles an hour while eating a York Peppermint Patty! I'd do that.

I find quite a few winter Olympic Sports entertaining, but I personally think the hardest is the Biathlon. Trying to shoot while your chest is heaving and your heart is racing has to be the most difficult type of shooting I've ever done.

Without being immodest, I'm a superb shot with a precision rifle from standing offhand, kneeling, sitting and prone positions, but race around a track for time and starve my heart and lungs of oxygen and it all goes to CRAP!

The Grandstands at the Biathlon are full of spectators and I truly enjoy watching these athletes give it all in their shooting and skiing.

Anyone else watching the Biathlon shooters?

@skydiver386 - I respect and admire their level of fitness and envy their shooting skills….BUT I’d rather watch them Wax-their-skis ==== the Biathlon TOO BORING to watch.

 

[skydiver386]

@skydiver386 - I respect and admire their level of fitness and envy their shooting skills….BUT I’d rather watch them Wax-their-skis ==== the Biathlon TOO BORING to watch.

Not for me. Most watch from the stadium close to the firing line and penalty loop.

 

[HankBuck]

Not for me. Most watch from the stadium close to the firing line and penalty loop.

@skydiver386 - I also find skeet shooting, trap, & Sporting Clays very Boring to Watch - but I enjoy shooting All of those disciplines. I would love to try participating in a Biathlon ——just Not watching one.

 

[WAB]

@skydiver386 - I also find skeet shooting, trap, & Sporting Clays very Boring to Watch - but I enjoy shooting All of those disciplines. I would love to try participating in a Biathlon ——just Not watching one.

XC skiing is fantastic on its own merits. As a young man I was a competitive skier and instructor. Flying through the woods with only the sound of your skis is amazing. The limited participation I had in biathlon took it to another level.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I watched the womens’ biathlon last night. Pretty cool. Italy one it for the first time ever. I can’t imagine trying to shoot a rifle after cross country skiing for those distances.

 

[steve white]

@skydiver386 - I respect and admire their level of fitness and envy their shooting skills….BUT I’d rather watch them Wax-their-skis ==== the Biathlon TOO BORING to watch.

Beats curling....

 

[steve white]

I had the opportunity to handle (but not shoot) an Anschutz rifle some years ago and it was a very impressive piece of equipment. The owner told me it cost $5,000. And he bought it used.
I haven’t had much time to watch the games this year. So far I've been able to catch the full mixed relay biathlon (say what you will about the French but I wouldn’t want to fight that team!), the last few minutes of the men’s skiathlon (the guy from Norway was incredible), a bit of the women’s ski jumping (just wow), and a few rounds of curling. Curling is an interesting game but I don’t really understand why it’s an Olympic sport. Biathlon has always been my favorite; the combination of athleticism and martial skills is what the Olympic Games are really all about at the core.

$5000 used! (far off sound of a pin hole in my balloon letting the air out....too rich for me)

 

[Rhoyland4]

I had the opportunity to handle (but not shoot) an Anschutz rifle some years ago and it was a very impressive piece of equipment. The owner told me it cost $5,000. And he bought it used.
I haven’t had much time to watch the games this year. So far I've been able to catch the full mixed relay biathlon (say what you will about the French but I wouldn’t want to fight that team!), the last few minutes of the men’s skiathlon (the guy from Norway was incredible), a bit of the women’s ski jumping (just wow), and a few rounds of curling. Curling is an interesting game but I don’t really understand why it’s an Olympic sport. Biathlon has always been my favorite; the combination of athleticism and martial skills is what the Olympic Games are really all about at the core.

Not all of the Anschutz stuff is that expensive. I have a 17hmr that I paid about $900 for 15 years ago, and just bought a 22LR for $350. Both sportorized models.

I shot 3-position competitions in high school with 4-H. We used Anschutz and I fell in love with them. Extremely accurate.