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Biathlon competitions at the 2026 Winter Olympics are scheduled to take place from 8 February to 21 February 2026 in Rasen-Antholz (Rasun-Anterselva), in the South Tyrol region. Of course, Olympic medals are universally recognized as the most prestigious titles in biathlon, often considered more significant than World Cups or World Championships because of the Games’ global visibility and historical legacy.

The event is organized under the authority of:

• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) – oversees the Olympic Games as the overall governing body.
• Milano-Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee – responsible for staging the 2026 Games.
• International Biathlon Union (IBU) – the sport’s international federation, responsible for technical competition rules and athlete qualification standards.

Venue, Competitors’ Structure, and Prize Pool Overview for Biathlon at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Biathlon events will be held at the South Tyrol Arena (Südtirol Arena / Arena Alto Adige) in Rasen-Antholz (Rasun-Anterselva)— the world-class biathlon stadium that regularly hosts IBU World Cups and multiple World Championships.

A total of 210 biathletes are allowed to compete at the Games: 105 men and 105 women. Unlike professional circuit events (e.g., IBU World Cup), the Winter Olympics don’t award prize money directly to athletes for medals.

• Olympic medals (gold, silver, bronze) are awarded for podium finishes, but no official prize pool with cash distributions is provided by the IOC.
• Some national federations may give financial bonuses to medalists, and there were IOC announcements about athletes not paying taxes on Olympic prize earnings in some Games contexts, but no official universal prize money system with fixed amounts exists at the Olympic biathlon.

For comparison, in IBU circuit events like the World Cup, prize money does exist (e.g., prize pools of thousands of euros per race), but this doesn’t apply to Olympic competitions.

Participating Athletes in Biathlon at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Qualification Overview

Here’s what we know as of now about exactly who’ll compete in biathlon at the 2026 Winter Olympics and how they qualified. Because the Games haven’t started and final rosters are still being confirmed (final entries are due late January 2026), there’s no complete, published official list of all individual biathletes yet. However, we do know how qualification works, and some athletes have already confirmed or are expected — and we’ll list them by nation where available.

Athletes don’t qualify individually through a single race — their National Olympic Committees (NOCs) earn quota places, and then the NOCs select the individual biathletes who will fill those quotas. Here’s the official system:

Quota allocation (210 total: 105 men & 105 women):

• First 93 quotas per gender — allocated based on the 2024/25 IBU World Cup Nations Cup standings: top-3 nations get six spots, 4–10 get five spots, and 11–20 get four spots.
• Final 12 spots per gender — awarded individually from the IBU Qualifying Points List as of 18 January 2026 to nations without quotas yet (max two per gender per nation).

Final entries must be confirmed by NOCs by 21 January, and all unused quotas are re-allocated by 22 January 2026.

Confirmed & expected biathletes:

United States

Several Team USA biathletes have already officially qualified or been reported:

• Campbell Wright – confirmed to have qualified for the 2026 Olympic team.
• Deedra Irwin – officially qualified and will compete (her 2nd Olympics).
• Margie Freed – made her first Olympic team.

Italy

Italy meets its quotas through the Nations Cup and is expected to enter a full team. Known senior biathletes in Italy’s program include:

• Dorothea Wierer
• Lisa Vittozzi
• Lukas Hofer

Sweden

• Sebastian Samuelsson
• Martin Ponsiluoma
• Jesper Nelin
• Anton Ivarsson
• Malte Stefansson
• Viktor Brandt

France

• Quentin Fillon Maillet
• Julia Simon (despite a federation ban, remains eligible for the Olympics)

Most major biathlon nations (Norway, Germany, Austria, Czechia, Switzerland, etc.) will fill their quota spots with athletes selected from their World Cup squads and selection trials. Final Olympic team lists are usually published by each NOC in January 2026 once all quotas and internal selection criteria are completed.

Structure and Race Format of Biathlon at the 2026 Winter Olympics

At Milano-Cortina Biathlon will consist of 11 medal events across three main biathlon race formats and one mixed team relay. Here’s the full event schedule:

Each biathlon race type at the Olympics has a specific competition format — these aren’t elimination brackets like in many head-to-head sports; instead, they are time and shooting-based races with the following rules: i.e., every biathlon race is about speed plus shooting accuracy in a single race performance that determines standings:

Sprint (men & women)

• Individual time trial start (interval start, usually every 30 seconds).
• Two shooting bouts: one prone, one standing.
• For each missed target, the athlete skis a 150 m penalty loop.
• Results are based on the fastest overall time, including penalties.

Pursuit (men & women)

• Start order based on sprint results; first across the line wins.
• Four shooting bouts: prone, prone, standing, standing.
• Penalty loops for misses.
• It’s a chase format (first to finish wins).

Individual (men & women)

• Interval start.
• Four shooting bouts (prone/standing/prone/standing).
• Time penalties: one minute added per miss (no penalty loops).
• Fastest time wins.

Mass start (men & women)

• All qualified athletes start together.
• Four shootings with penalty loops for misses.
• First across the finish wins.

Relay & mixed relay

• Teams of four athletes.
• Each leg skier completes multiple laps and shoots twice (prone & standing).
• In relays, each athlete has extra rounds to reload and avoid penalty loops.
• Team result is cumulative time — first team to finish wins.

Match/competition format characteristics

The Biathlon at the 2026 Winter Olympics Favorites, Betting Options, and Where to Watch

While biathlon is highly unpredictable due to shooting accuracy and weather, several traditional power nations enter the Olympics as overall favorites across multiple events. We’ll list nations rather than individual athletes, since the official list of participants doesn’t yet exist.

Norway

• Historically, the most dominant nation in Olympic biathlon
• Deep squads in both men’s and women’s events
• Strong across all formats: sprint, pursuit, mass start, and relays

France

• Consistently elite results in recent World Cups and World Championships
• Particularly strong in mixed relay and women’s events
• Known for tactical racing and shooting efficiency

Germany

• One of the most successful biathlon nations historically
• Reliable relay teams and depth across disciplines
• Traditionally strong in pressure-heavy Olympic formats

Sweden

• Major contender in men’s events
• Known for aggressive skiing pace combined with solid shooting

Italy

• Home advantage at Antholz–Anterselva
• Familiarity with altitude and course conditions can be decisive
• Historically competitive in women’s events and relays

Biathlon at the Winter Olympics is widely covered by licensed international online betting bookmakers, with markets typically opening shortly before competition begins.

Common betting markets

• Outright winners (event-by-event)
• Medal markets (gold / any medal)
• Head-to-head matchups
• Nation medal totals
• Relay winner markets

Where betting is available

• Major European and international sports betting platforms
• Regulated bookmakers in countries where Olympic betting is legal
• Markets usually appear 24–72 hours before each race

Biathlon will be broadcast globally, with coverage varying by region:

International

• IOC Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) – produces the world feed
• Olympics.com & Olympic app – live streams and replays (geo-restricted)

Europe

• Eurosport / Discovery+ – primary Olympic broadcaster in most European countries
• Extensive live coverage, replays, and expert analysis

United States

• NBC / Peacock
• Live broadcasts, highlights, and on-demand replays

Canada

• CBC / CBC Gem

United Kingdom

• Eurosport / Discovery+
• BBC typically offers highlights and selected coverage

Most broadcasters also provide mobile and smart-TV streaming, making biathlon one of the most accessible Winter Olympic sports.

Pros and Cons of Biathlon at the 2026 Winter Olympics