Biathlon World Championships
Template:Short description Template:Infobox recurring event 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), which we know today. 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Venues
[edit]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: Template:Div col
- 1958 Template:Flagicon Saalfelden, Austria
- 1959 Template:Flagicon Courmayeur, Italy
- 1961 Template:Flagicon Umeå, Sweden
- 1962 Template:Flagicon Hämeenlinna, Finland
- 1963 Template:Flagicon Seefeld, Austria
- 1965 Template:Flagicon Elverum, Norway
- 1966 Template:Flagicon Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany
- 1967 Template:Flagicon Altenberg, East Germany (first event in East Europe)
- 1969 Template:Flagicon Zakopane, Poland
- 1970 Template:Flagicon Östersund, Sweden
- 1971 Template:Flagicon Hämeenlinna, Finland
- 1973 Template:Flagicon Lake Placid, New York, United States (first event outside Europe and in the Americas)
- 1974 Template:Flagicon Minsk, USSR
- 1975 Template:Flagicon Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- 1976 Template:Flagicon Antholz-Anterselva, Italy (Sprint)
- 1977 Template:Flagicon Vingrom, Norway
- 1978 Template:Flagicon Hochfilzen, Austria
- 1979 Template:Flagicon Ruhpolding, West Germany
- 1981 Template:Flagicon Lahti, Finland
- 1982 Template:Flagicon Minsk, USSR
- 1983 Template:Flagicon Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- 1984 Template:Flagicon Chamonix, France (Women)
- 1985 Template:Flagicon Ruhpolding, West Germany (Men) and Template:Flagicon Egg am Etzel (near Einsiedeln), Switzerland (Women)
- 1986 Template:Flagicon Oslo, Norway (Men) and Template:Flagicon Falun, Sweden (Women)
- 1987 Template:Flagicon Lake Placid, New York, United States (Men) and Template:Flagicon Lahti, Finland (Women)
- 1988 Template:Flagicon Chamonix, France (Women)
- 1989 Template:Flagicon Feistritz an der Drau, Austria (first joint Biathlon World Championships)
- 1990 Template:Flagicon Minsk, USSR; Template:Flagicon Oslo, Norway and Template:Flagicon Kontiolahti, Finland
- 1991 Template:Flagicon Lahti, Finland
- 1992 Template:Flagicon Novosibirsk, Russia (Team)
- 1993 Template:Flagicon Borovets, Bulgaria
- 1994 Template:Flagicon Canmore, Canada (Team)
- 1995 Template:Flagicon Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- 1996 Template:Flagicon Ruhpolding, Germany
- 1997 Template:Flagicon Brezno-Osrblie, Slovakia
- 1998 Template:Flagicon Pokljuka, Slovenia (Pursuit) and Template:Flagicon Hochfilzen, Austria (Team)
- 1999 Template:Flagicon Kontiolahti, Finland and Template:Flagicon Oslo, Norway
- 2000 Template:Flagicon Oslo, Norway and Template:Flagicon Lahti, Finland
- 2001 Template:Flagicon Pokljuka, Slovenia
- 2002 Template:Flagicon Oslo, Norway (Mass start)
- 2003 Template:Flagicon Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
- 2004 Template:Flagicon Oberhof, Germany
- 2005 Template:Flagicon Hochfilzen, Austria and Template:Flagicon Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia (Mixed relay)
- 2006 Template:Flagicon Pokljuka, Slovenia (Mixed relay)
- 2007 Template:Flagicon Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- 2008 Template:Flagicon Östersund, Sweden
- 2009 Template:Flagicon Pyeongchang, South Korea (first event in Asia)
- 2010 Template:Flagicon Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia (Mixed relay)
- 2011 Template:Flagicon Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
- 2012 Template:Flagicon Ruhpolding, Germany
- 2013 Template:Flagicon Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic
- 2015 Template:Flagicon Kontiolahti, Finland
- 2016 Template:Flagicon Oslo, Norway
- 2017 Template:Flagicon Hochfilzen, Austria
- 2019 Template:Flagicon Östersund, Sweden
- 2020 Template:Flagicon Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- 2021 Template:Flagicon Pokljuka, Slovenia
- 2023 Template:Flagicon Oberhof, Germany
- 2024 Template:Flagicon Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic
- 2025 Template:Flagicon Lenzerheide, Switzerland
Upcoming:
- 2027 Template:Flagicon Otepää, Estonia
- 2028 Template:Flagicon Hochfilzen, Austria
- 2029 Template:Flagicon Oslo, Norway
Men
[edit]Numbers in brackets denotes number of victories in corresponding disciplines. Boldface denotes record number of victories.
Individual (20 km)
[edit]This event was first held in 1958.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Sprint (10 km)
[edit]This event was first held in 1974.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Pursuit (12.5 km)
[edit]This event was first held in 1997.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Mass start (15 km)
[edit]This event was first held in 1999.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Relay (4 × 7.5 km)
[edit]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]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]This event, a patrol race, was held from 1989 to 1998. 1989–93: 20 km. 1994–98: 10 km.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Women
[edit]Numbers in brackets denotes number of victories in corresponding disciplines. Boldface denotes record number of victories.
Individual (15 km)
[edit]This event was first held in 1984. Through 1988 the distance was 10 km.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Sprint (7.5 km)
[edit]This event was first held in 1984. Through 1988 the distance was 5 km.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Pursuit (10 km)
[edit]This event was first held in 1997.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Mass start (12.5 km)
[edit]This event was first held in 1999.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Relay (4 × 6 km)
[edit]This event was first held in 1984. Through 1988, the event was 3 × 5 km. 1989–91: 3 × 7.5 km. 1993–2001: 4 × 7.5 km. In 2003, the leg distance was set to 6 km.
Medal table Template:Medals table
Team
[edit]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]Numbers in brackets denotes number of victories in corresponding disciplines. Boldface denotes record number of victories.
Mixed relay
[edit]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]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, 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]Updated after the 2025 Championships.
Multiple medalists
[edit]Boldface denotes active biathletes and highest medal count among all biathletes (including these who not included in these tables) per type.
Men
[edit]All events
[edit]| Rank | Biathlete | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannes Thingnes Bø | Template:NOR | 2015 | 2025 | 23 | 14 | 6 | 43 |
| 2 | Ole Einar Bjørndalen | Template:NOR | 1997 | 2017 | 20 | 14 | 11 | 45 |
| 3 | Martin Fourcade | Template:FRA | 2011 | 2020 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 28 |
| 4 | Tarjei Bø | Template:NOR | 2011 | 2025 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 28 |
| 5 | Emil Hegle Svendsen | Template:NOR | 2007 | 2016 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 21 |
| 6 | Frank Luck | Template:GDR Template:GER |
1989 | 2004 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 20 |
| 7 | Alexander Tikhonov | Template:URS | 1967 | 1979 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 17 |
| 8 | Ricco Groß | Template:GER | 1991 | 2007 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 20 |
| 9 | Frank Ullrich | Template:GDR | 1977 | 1983 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 14 |
| 10 | Raphaël Poirée | Template:FRA | 1998 | 2007 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 18 |
Individual events
[edit]| Rank | Biathlete | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannes Thingnes Bø | Template:NOR | 2015 | 2025 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 22 |
| 2 | Ole Einar Bjørndalen | Template:NOR | 1997 | 2017 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 26 |
| 3 | Martin Fourcade | Template:FRA | 2011 | 2020 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 18 |
| 4 | Raphaël Poirée | Template:FRA | 1998 | 2007 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 14 |
| 5 | Emil Hegle Svendsen | Template:NOR | 2008 | 2016 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| 6 | Frank Ullrich | Template:GDR | 1978 | 1983 | 5 | 3 | – | 8 |
| 7 | Alexander Tikhonov | Template:URS | 1969 | 1979 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| 8 | Ricco Groß | Template:GER | 1995 | 2005 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 9 | Mark Kirchner | Template:GDR Template:GER |
1990 | 1993 | 4 | – | – | 4 |
| 10 | Eirik Kvalfoss | Template:NOR | 1982 | 1991 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 |
Women
[edit]All events
[edit]| Rank | Biathlete | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marte Olsbu Røiseland | Template:NOR | 2016 | 2023 | 13 | – | 4 | 17 |
| 2 | Magdalena Neuner | Template:GER | 2007 | 2012 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 17 |
| 3 | Tiril Eckhoff | Template:NOR | 2015 | 2021 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 15 |
| 4 | Elena Golovina | Template:URS | 1985 | 1991 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| 5 | Julia Simon | Template:FRA | 2021 | 2025 | 10 | – | 3 | 13 |
| 6 | Petra Behle (Schaaf) | Template:FRG 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 | Template:NOR | 2006 | 2013 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 18 |
| 10 | Liv Grete Poirée (Skjelbreid) | Template:NOR | 1997 | 2004 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 13 |
Individual events
[edit]| Rank | Biathlete | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magdalena Neuner | Template:GER | 2007 | 2012 | 6 | 2 | – | 8 |
| 2 | Magdalena Forsberg (Wallin) | Template:SWE | 1996 | 2001 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 12 |
| 3 | Liv Grete Poirée (Skjelbreid) | Template:NOR | 2000 | 2004 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| 4 | Olena Zubrilova | Template:UKR Template:BLR |
1997 | 2005 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| 5 | Laura Dahlmeier | Template:GER | 2015 | 2019 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
| 6 | Tora Berger | Template:NOR | 2008 | 2013 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| 7 | Marie Dorin Habert | Template:FRA | 2015 | 2016 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 8 | Andrea Henkel | Template:GER | 2005 | 2013 | 4 | 1 | – | 5 |
| 9 | Julia Simon | Template:FRA | 2023 | 2025 | 4 | – | 2 | 6 |
| 10 | Petra Schaaf | Template:FRG Template:GER |
1988 | 1993 | 4 | – | 1 | 5 |
See also
[edit]- Biathlon World Cup
- Summer Biathlon World Championships
- Biathlon Junior World Championships
- List of Olympic medalists in biathlon
References
[edit]External links
[edit]Template:Commons category-inline
Template:Biathlon World Championships Template:Main world championships