History of Biathlon
How Olympic Biathlon developed:
1796: The first skiing competitions with shootings were carried out in Norway.
1924: Military Patrol Events, the predecessor of biathlon, is an Olympic demonstration competition.
1928: Military Patrol Event is an Olympic demonstration competition.
1936: Military Patrol Event is an Olympic demonstration competition.
1948: Union International de Pentathlon Modern (UIPM) is founded.
1953: Biathlon becomes an activity in UIPM.
1954: The International Olympic Committee (I0C) accepts Biathlon.
1956: Rules for Biathlon competitions are approved and UPIM recognizes Member Federations for both sports.
1957: Biathlon was incorporated into the UIPM and the new union was named UIPMB.
1958: First Biathlon World Championships are held in Saalfelden, Austria (male competitors only)
1960: Men’s 20 km individual competition held in the Olympic Winter Games at Squaw Valley, U.S.A.
1966: First relay competition in the World Championships.
1967: First Junior Men’s World Championships in Altenberg, GDR – individual and relay competitions.
1968: First relay competition in Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble, France.
1974: Sprint included in World Championships.
1977: Last large bore World Championships.
1978: Change to small bore rifles (.22 inch calibre) and first mechanical targets, at Hochfilzen, Austria. The shooting distance was determined to be 50 metres.
1980: First sprint competition in Olympic Winter Games in Lake Place, U.S.A. The folding targets were established.
1984: First Women’s World Championships, in Chamonix, France.
1989: Joint World Championships for Men and Women in Feistritz, Austria, and separately for Junior Men and Junior Women in Voss, Norway.
1992: First Women’s competitions in Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France.
1993: Foundation of an independent union within the UIPMB in London, England: the International Biathlon Union (IBU).
1996: First Summer Biathlon World Championships in Hochfilzen, Austria (cross country running and shooting).
1997: Pursuit competition in World Championships and World Cup events.
1998: IBU separates from UIPMB in Salzburg, Austria and the IBU is recognized as an international federation by the IOC. Mass Start becomes an official competition.
1999: Pursuit competition accepted in the Olympic programme; team competition removed from World Championships and Mass Start is added.
2000: Congress decides to hold Youth World Championships annually in conjunction with Junior World Championships.
2002: Pursuit competition held at the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, U.S.A.
2005: First Mixed Relay World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.
2006: Mass Start competition in the programme of the Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy. First Roller Ski World Championships held in Ufa, Russia.
2008: 50 year anniversary of Biathlon celebrated at the World Championships in Ostersund, Sweden.
2010: Separate highlights in Summer Biathlon: Roller ski-Biathlon at IBU Summer Biathlon World Championships and Cross Biathlon at IBU Summer Biathlon European Championships.
2011: Acceptance of Mixed Relay into Olympic Programme from the 2014 Olympic Winter Games onwards.
2013: Twenty year anniversary of the IBU.
Source: International Biathlon Union