What to know about biathlon at the 2026 Winter Olympics
There will be 11 biathlon events at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, five for men, five for women and one mixed relay. Biathlon is an exhilarating sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle target shooting and requires the athletes to compete with endurance and precision. The heart-pumping sport originally was derived from a Scandinavian military-training exercise but now is one of the most unique Olympic sports to watch.
Biathlon Olympic events consist of athletes racing multiple laps around a ski track and stopping to shoot from different positions and distances during the competition. The number of loops and stops at the shooting range vary depending on each event. In all non-relay events, athletes have five rounds of ammunition to hit five targets per lap. In relay events, they have three additional spare rounds that manually have to be loaded. Penalty ski loops must be skied for missed targets in certain events.
The U.S. never has won an Olympic medal in biathlon. In fact, it remains the only sport in which the U.S. has not earned a medal at the Winter Olympic Games, besides ski mountaineering, which debuts in 2026. However, Team USA is primed and ready to make history this year in the sport, thanks to 23-year-old Olympian Campbell Wright. Wright is a dual citizen and joined Team USA two years ago after competing for New Zealand at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. He’s known for his calm, cool and collected aura and his boundless energy, as well as his superior skill in the sport. He’s seen as the greatest chance for Team USA to take home a medal in biathlon at the 2026 Olympics.
For the U.S. women, Deedra Irwin leads the squad with her veteran leadership after competing at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. Irwin had the best-ever Olympic finish for Team USA after she placed 7th in the women’s 15km individual in Beijing.
Historically, the sport has been dominated by Norway, Germany and France. The three countries are the top-medal winners of all time in biathlon Olympic history, with Norway leading the way. In this season’s biathlon World Cup competition, which led up to the Olympic Games, first-time Olympian Lou Jeanmonnot of France led the way in the women’s field. Two-time Olympian Tommaso Giacomel of Italy dominated on the men’s side and will be competing on home snow in Milan Cortina.
Lots of fresh faces from various countries, as well as a reenergized and elevated U.S. team, will make the biathlon competition fiercer than ever at the 2026 Olympics.