First skiing and shooting competition: Norway (1767)

First organized team competition: Swedish-Norwegian border (1776)

First organized modern race: by Norwegian military (1912)

Year competition rules for biathlon were approved: 1956

First World Biathlon Championship: Saalfelden, Austria (1958)

Year the long rifle became the official competition rifle: 1978

First women’s world championship: 1984

Year men’s 20km event made its Olympic debut: 1960 Squaw Valley

Year men’s 4 x 7.5km relay made its Olympic debut: 1968 Grenoble

Year men’s 10km event made Olympic debut: 1980 Lake Placid

Year men’s combined pursuit event made Olympic debut: 2002 Salt Lake City

Year women’s 7.5km, 15km and 4 x 7.5km relay event made Olympic debut: 1992 Albertville

Year women’s combined pursuit event made Olympic debut: 2002 Salt Lake City

Most medals won by a biathlete: 8, Ursula Disl, Germany (1992-2002)

Most gold medals won by a biathlete at one Olympics: 4, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, Norway, 2002 Salt Lake City

First male biathlete to win two gold medals in one Olympics: Nikolai Kruglov, USSR, 1976 Innsbruck

First female biathlete to win two gold medals in one Olympics: Myriam Bédard, Neufchatel, Que., 1994 Lillehammer

Slowest performance by a biathlete: Herman Carazo, Costa Rica, 2:24:59.9 (35 minutes and five seconds behind next-to-last skier), men’s 20km event, 1984 Sarajevo