Biathlon World Championships
| Biathlon World Championships | |
|---|---|
| File:Magdalena Neuner Kaisa Mäkäräinen Kontiolahti 2012.jpg Magdalena Neuner and Kaisa Mäkäräinen during the 2011–12 World Cup season Kontiolahti, North Karelia, Finland | |
| Status | active |
| Genre | sporting event |
| Date(s) | February–March |
| Frequency | annual |
| Location(s) | various |
| Inaugurated | 1958 |
| Organised by | IBU |
| File:Current event clock.svg Biathlon World Championships 2025 | |
The first Biathlon World Championships (BWCH) was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The original team event, Team (time), was held for the last time in 1965, to be replaced in 1966 by the team event, Relay (4 × 7.5 km). The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in joint Biathlon World Championships. In 1978 the development was enhanced by the change from the large army rifle calibre to a small bore rifle, while the range to the target was reduced from 150 to 50 meters.[1]
Venues
[edit | edit source]The Biathlon World Championships of the season takes place during February or March. Some years it has been necessary to schedule parts of the Championships at other than the main venue because of weather and/or snow conditions. Full, joint Biathlon World Championships have never been held in Olympic Winter Games seasons. Biathlon World Championships in non-IOC events, however, have been held in Olympic seasons. In 2005, the then new event of Mixed Relay (two legs done by women, two legs by men) was arranged separately from the ordinary Championships.
Past Championships:
- 1958
Saalfelden, Austria - 1959
Courmayeur, Italy - 1961 Sweden Umeå, Sweden
- 1962 Finland Hämeenlinna, Finland
- 1963 Seefeld, Austria
- 1965 Norway Elverum, Norway
- 1966
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany - 1967 East Germany Altenberg, East Germany (first event in East Europe)
- 1969 Poland Zakopane, Poland
- 1970 Sweden Östersund, Sweden
- 1971 Finland Hämeenlinna, Finland
- 1973
Lake Placid, New York, United States (first event outside Europe and in the Americas) - 1974 Soviet Union Minsk, USSR
- 1975 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- 1976 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy (Sprint)
- 1977 Norway Vingrom, Norway
- 1978 Hochfilzen, Austria
- 1979 Ruhpolding, West Germany
- 1981 Finland Lahti, Finland
- 1982 Soviet Union Minsk, USSR
- 1983 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- 1984
Chamonix, France (Women) - 1985 Ruhpolding, West Germany (Men) and
Egg am Etzel (near Einsiedeln), Switzerland (Women) - 1986 Norway Oslo, Norway (Men) and Sweden Falun, Sweden (Women)
- 1987 Lake Placid, New York, United States (Men) and Finland Lahti, Finland (Women)
- 1988 Chamonix, France (Women)
- 1989 Feistritz an der Drau, Austria (first joint Biathlon World Championships)
- 1990 Soviet Union Minsk, USSR; Norway Oslo, Norway and Finland Kontiolahti, Finland
- 1991 Finland Lahti, Finland
- 1992 Russia Novosibirsk, Russia (Team; first event in Asia)
- 1993 Error creating thumbnail: Borovets, Bulgaria
- 1994 Error creating thumbnail: Canmore, Canada (Team)
- 1995 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- 1996 Ruhpolding, Germany
- 1997 Error creating thumbnail: Brezno-Osrblie, Slovakia
- 1998 Slovenia Pokljuka, Slovenia (Pursuit) and Hochfilzen, Austria (Team)
- 1999 Finland Kontiolahti, Finland and Norway Oslo, Norway
- 2000 Norway Oslo, Norway and Finland Lahti, Finland
- 2001 Slovenia Pokljuka, Slovenia
- 2002 Norway Oslo, Norway (Mass start)
- 2003
Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia (first full event in Asia) - 2004 Oberhof, Germany
- 2005 Hochfilzen, Austria and Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia (Mixed relay)
- 2006 Slovenia Pokljuka, Slovenia (Mixed relay)
- 2007 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- 2008 Sweden Östersund, Sweden
- 2009
Pyeongchang, South Korea - 2010 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia (Mixed relay)
- 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
- 2012 Ruhpolding, Germany
- 2013 Czech Republic Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic
- 2015 Finland Kontiolahti, Finland
- 2016 Norway Oslo, Norway
- 2017 Hochfilzen, Austria
- 2019 Sweden Östersund, Sweden
- 2020 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- 2021 Slovenia Pokljuka, Slovenia
- 2023 Oberhof, Germany
- 2024 Czech Republic Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic
- 2025 Lenzerheide, Switzerland
.svg){kind=link}
.svg){kind=link}
.svg){kind=link}
Upcoming:
Men
[edit | edit source]Numbers in brackets denotes number of victories in corresponding disciplines. Boldface denotes record number of victories.
Individual (20 km)
[edit | edit source]This event was first held in 1958.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Sprint (10 km)
[edit | edit source]This event was first held in 1974.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Pursuit (12.5 km)
[edit | edit source]This event was first held in 1997.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Mass start (15 km)
[edit | edit source]This event was first held in 1999.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Relay (4 × 7.5 km)
[edit | edit source]This event was first held unofficially in 1965. It was a success, and replaced the team competition as an official event in 1966.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Team (time)
[edit | edit source]This event was held from 1958 to 1965. The times of the top 3 athletes from each country in the 20 km individual were added together (in 1958 the top 4).
Medal table Template:Medals table
Team
[edit | edit source]This event, a patrol race, was held from 1989 to 1998. From 1989–93 the distance of this event was 20 km, while from 1994–98, the distance was 10 km.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Women
[edit | edit source]Numbers in brackets denotes number of victories in corresponding disciplines. Boldface denotes record number of victories.
Individual (15 km)
[edit | edit source]This event was first held in 1984. Through 1988 the distance was 10 km.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Sprint (7.5 km)
[edit | edit source]This event was first held in 1984. Through 1988 the distance was 5 km.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Pursuit (10 km)
[edit | edit source]This event was first held in 1997.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Mass start (12.5 km)
[edit | edit source]This event was first held in 1999.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Relay (4 × 6 km)
[edit | edit source]This event was first held in 1984. Through 1988, the event was 3 × 5 km, while from 1989–91 it was 3 × 7.5 km, and from 1993–2001 it was 4 × 7.5 km. In 2003, the leg distance was set to 6 km.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Team
[edit | edit source]This event, a patrol race, was held from 1989 to 1998. 1989–93: 15 km. 1994–98: 7.5 km.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Mixed
[edit | edit source]Numbers in brackets denotes number of victories in corresponding disciplines. Boldface denotes record number of victories.
Mixed relay
[edit | edit source]This event was first held in 2005, at the Biathlon World Cup finals in Khanty-Mansiysk. In 2005–20, the women biathletes did the first two legs and the men did the following two (except 2006 when sequence was woman–man–woman–man), the women's ski legs were 6 km each while men ski legs were 7.5 km each (except 2005, 2006 and 2020 when ski legs were 6 km each for all relay members). In 2021, the starting gender became the result of an alternation: for the first time, men opened the relay and women closed it. Since then, this sequence alternates for each following edition. The distance skied became the same for all genders and depending on the one running the first leg (7.5 km if men run first, 6 km if women do), but in 2024 it became 6 km for every relay member no matter who runs first leg.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Single mixed relay
[edit | edit source]This event was first held in 2019. Each team consists of two members - man and woman. The first of the team members runs the first and third legs (3 km each), the other team member – the second and fourth legs (3 km and 4.5 km respectively). In 2019 and 2020 the women biathletes started single mixed relay and the men biathletes finished it, but in 2021 this order was reversed. Since then, this order alternates for each following edition.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Total medals by country
[edit | edit source]Updated after the 2025 Championships.
Multiple medalists
[edit | edit source]Boldface denotes active biathletes and highest medal count among all biathletes (including these who not included in these tables) per type.
Men
[edit | edit source]All events
[edit | edit source]| Rank | Biathlete | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannes Thingnes Bø | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 2015 | 2025 | 23 | 14 | 6 | 43 |
| 2 | Ole Einar Bjørndalen | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 1997 | 2017 | 20 | 14 | 11 | 45 |
| 3 | Martin Fourcade | France |
2011 | 2020 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 28 |
| 4 | Tarjei Bø | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 2011 | 2025 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 28 |
| 5 | Emil Hegle Svendsen | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 2007 | 2016 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 21 |
| 6 | Frank Luck | File:Flag of East Germany.svg East Germany Template:GER |
1989 | 2004 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 20 |
| 7 | Alexander Tikhonov | File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union | 1967 | 1979 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 17 |
| 8 | Ricco Groß | Template:GER | 1991 | 2007 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 20 |
| 9 | Frank Ullrich | File:Flag of East Germany.svg East Germany | 1977 | 1983 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 14 |
| 10 | Raphaël Poirée | France |
1998 | 2007 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 18 |
Individual events
[edit | edit source]| Rank | Biathlete | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannes Thingnes Bø | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 2015 | 2025 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 22 |
| 2 | Ole Einar Bjørndalen | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 1997 | 2017 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 26 |
| 3 | Martin Fourcade | France |
2011 | 2020 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 18 |
| 4 | Raphaël Poirée | France |
1998 | 2007 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 14 |
| 5 | Emil Hegle Svendsen | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 2008 | 2016 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| 6 | Frank Ullrich | File:Flag of East Germany.svg East Germany | 1978 | 1983 | 5 | 3 | – | 8 |
| 7 | Alexander Tikhonov | File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union | 1969 | 1979 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| 8 | Ricco Groß | Template:GER | 1995 | 2005 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 9 | Mark Kirchner | File:Flag of East Germany.svg East Germany Template:GER |
1990 | 1993 | 4 | – | – | 4 |
| 10 | Eirik Kvalfoss | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 1982 | 1991 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 |
Women
[edit | edit source]All events
[edit | edit source]| Rank | Biathlete | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marte Olsbu Røiseland | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 2016 | 2023 | 13 | – | 4 | 17 |
| 2 | Magdalena Neuner | Template:GER | 2007 | 2012 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 17 |
| 3 | Tiril Eckhoff | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 2015 | 2021 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 15 |
| 4 | Elena Golovina | File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union | 1985 | 1991 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| 5 | Julia Simon | France |
2021 | 2025 | 10 | – | 3 | 13 |
| 6 | Petra Behle (Schaaf) | West Germany Template:GER |
1988 | 1997 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 13 |
| 7 | Uschi Disl | Template:GER | 1991 | 2005 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 19 |
| 8 | Andrea Henkel | Template:GER | 2000 | 2013 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 16 |
| 9 | Tora Berger | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 2006 | 2013 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 18 |
| 10 | Liv Grete Poirée (Skjelbreid) | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 1997 | 2004 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 13 |
Individual events
[edit | edit source]| Rank | Biathlete | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magdalena Neuner | Template:GER | 2007 | 2012 | 6 | 2 | – | 8 |
| 2 | Magdalena Forsberg (Wallin) | File:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden | 1996 | 2001 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 12 |
| 3 | Liv Grete Poirée (Skjelbreid) | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 2000 | 2004 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| 4 | Olena Zubrilova | File:Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine File:Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus |
1997 | 2005 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| 5 | Laura Dahlmeier | Template:GER | 2015 | 2019 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
| 6 | Tora Berger | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 2008 | 2013 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| 7 | Marie Dorin Habert | France |
2015 | 2016 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 8 | Andrea Henkel | Template:GER | 2005 | 2013 | 4 | 1 | – | 5 |
| 9 | Julia Simon | France |
2023 | 2025 | 4 | – | 2 | 6 |
| 10 | Petra Schaaf | West Germany Template:GER |
1988 | 1993 | 4 | – | 1 | 5 |
See also
[edit | edit source]- Biathlon World Cup
- Summer Biathlon World Championships
- Biathlon Junior World Championships
- List of Olympic medalists in biathlon
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "Biathlon: a sport on the cutting edge". International Olympic Committee. 23 February 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
External links
[edit | edit source]
Media related to Biathlon World Championships at Wikimedia Commons
- Sports 123 biathlon results Archived 2017-12-25 at the Wayback Machine
Template:Biathlon World Championships Template:Main world championships