ABOUT BIATHLON
The Biathlon merges the endurance of Nordic skiing with the precision of target shooting, making it one of the most mentally and physically demanding events at the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025. Taking place on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at Whistler Olympic Park (WOP), competitors will switch between the vigorous demands of cross-country skiing and the calm, controlled accuracy required for shooting, balancing speed and focus.
This challenging event not only highlights the physical prowess of each participant but also their ability to maintain concentration and composure under intense pressure, embodying the Invictus spirit of resilience and adaptability.
WHAT ARE THE RULES?
Biathlon is a combination of cross-country skiing (classic skiing style only) and rifle shooting.
Results are based on the fastest factored time which allows for various impairments to compete on an even playing field.
Between the skiing stages, competitors stop in the range and must aim at five targets set at a distance of 10 m. For every target missed, a penalty loop must be skied (approx. length of penalty loop is 80 m).
There are two individual events:
- A Novice event (approximately 750 m).
- An Intermediate-Advanced event (approximately 1500 m).
All competitors will use electronic shooting systems which are silent and safe.
HOW ARE COMPETITORS CATEGORISED?
The categorisation process aims to ensure the best possible competitor experience at the Invictus Games. The Invictus Games is a unique competition which enables all participants to compete fairly across all sports, no matter their impairment type.
Each sport has a different categorisation system as the different injuries, illness and impairments affect competitors in different ways in each sport. Each competitor is allocated a category (e.g. IT1, IJ4) for each sport that they compete in. The categorisation system relies on integrity and honesty, and a collaborative relationship between all competitors, and all team staff.
New for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 is that within the new Winter Snowsports of Nordic (Cross-country & Biathlon) and Alpine (Skiing & Snowboarding) time factors will be applied. Time factoring is where a competitor’s raw time (i.e. the time it takes to go from the start to finish line) has a percentage applied to it. The percentage corresponds to the sub-category the competitor’s impairment is categorised as. This is to increase the number of competitive events within the new winter sports whilst still providing the fair playing field. And so, someone may appear to cross the finish line first but not appear first in the official results once the time factor is applied.
HOW DID THE SPORT COME TO BE?
Para Biathlon was first introduced to the Paralympic Winter Games in 1988 in Innsbruck (Austria) for athletes with an eligible physical impairment and in 1992 in Tignes and Albertville (France) for athletes with an eligible visual impairment.
HOW MANY COMPETITORS ON THE COURSE AT ONE TIME?
Biathlon events will use an interval (staggered) start format with competitors starting at 30 second intervals. Because of this, the number of competitors on the course will be determined by how quickly each competitor skis the course.
HOW LONG IS THE COURSE?
- The sprint course is approximately 750 m – equivalent to 164 average car lengths.
- The endurance course is approximately 1500 m – equivalent to the length of 25 NHL hockey ice rinks.
INTERESTING FACTS
- All competitors will use electronic shooting systems which are silent and safe. This system uses laser light instead of ammunition.
- Optical camera-based rifles/targets can guide competitors with visual impairments using sound signals. The pitch and tone of the sound changes depending on the proximity to the center of the target.
- Invictus Games competitors competing in the seated class can opt to shoot seated or prone (lying on their stomach).
CEREMONIES
SPORT
invictus village
