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Biathlon

Several biathletes in the shooting area of a competition
Highest governing body	International Biathlon Union
Characteristics
Team members	Single competitors or relay teams
Mixed gender	Yes
Equipment	Skis, Poles, Rifle
Olympic	1924 (Military patrol) 1960 (Officially)

Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Other popular variants include summer biathlon, which combines cross-country running with riflery, modern biathlon and biathle, which combine running with swimming.

History[link]

The sport has its origins in an exercise for Norwegian soldiers, as an alternative training for the military. One of the world's first known ski clubs, the Trysil Rifle and Ski Club, was formed in Norway in 1861 to promote national defense at the local level.

Called military patrol, the combination of skiing and shooting was contested at the Olympic Winter Games in 1924, and then demonstrated in 1928, 1936, and 1948, but did not regain Olympic recognition then, as the small number of competing countries disagreed on the rules (see also Governing body, below). During the mid-1950s, however, biathlon was introduced into the Soviet and Swedish winter sport circuits and was widely enjoyed by the public. This newfound popularity aided the effort of having biathlon gain entry into the Winter Olympics.

The first World Championship in biathlon was held in 1958 in Austria, and in 1960 the sport was finally included in the Olympic Games. At Albertville in 1992, women were first allowed in Olympic biathlon.

The competitions from 1958 to 1965 used high-power centerfire such as .30-06 Springfield and 7.62x51mm NATO, and so on, before the .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge was standardized in 1978. The ammunition was carried in a belt worn around the competitor's waist. The sole event was the men's 20 km individual, encompassing four separate ranges and firing distances of 100 m, 150 m, 200 m, and 250 m. The target distance was reduced to 150 m with the addition of the relay in 1966. The shooting range was further reduced to 50 m in 1978 with the mechanical targets making their debut at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.

Governing body[link]

In 1948, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne et Biathlon (UIPMB) was founded, to standardise the rules for biathlon and modern pentathlon. In 1993, the biathlon branch of the UIPMB created the International Biathlon Union (IBU), which officially separated from the UIPMB in 1998.

Presidents of the UIPMB/IBU:

• 1947–1949: Tom Wiborn (Sweden)
• 1949–1960: Gustaf Dyrssen (Sweden)
• 1960–1988: Sven Thofelt, (Sweden)
• 1988–1992: Igor Novikov (USSR/Russia)
• Since 1992: Anders Besseberg (Norway)

Championships[link]

The following articles list major international biathlon events and medalists. Contrary to the Olympics and World Championships (BWCH), the World Cup (BWC) is an entire winter season of (mostly) weekly races, where the medalists are those with the highest sums of World Cup points at the end of the season.

• Biathlon at the Olympic Games
• Biathlon World Championships
• Biathlon World Cup
• Biathlon Junior World Championships

Rules and equipment[link]

Andrea Nahrgang prepares to shoot from the prone position at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Jeremy Teela shoots from the standing position at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

The complete rules of biathlon are given in the official IBU rule books.^[1]

Basic concepts[link]

A biathlon competition consists of a race in which contestants ski around a cross-country trial system, and where the total distance is broken up by either two or four shooting rounds, half in prone position, the other half standing. Depending on the shooting performance, extra distance or time is added to the contestant's total running distance/time. As in most races, the contestant with the shortest total time wins.

For each shooting round, the biathlete must hit five targets; each missed target must be "atoned for" in one of three ways, depending on the competition format:

• by skiing around a 150 metres (490 ft) penalty loop, typically taking 20–30 seconds for top-level biathletes to complete (running time depending on weather/snow conditions),
• by having one minute added to a skier's total time, or
• by having to use an "extra cartridge" (placed at the shooting range) to finish off the target; only three such "extras" are available for each round, and a penalty loop must be made for each of the targets left standing.

In order to keep track of the contestants' progress and relative standing throughout a race, split times (intermediate times) are taken at several points along the skiing track and upon finishing each shooting round. The large display screens commonly set up at biathlon arenas, as well as the information graphics shown as part of the TV picture, will typically list the split time of the fastest contestant at each intermediate point and the times and time differences to the closest runners-up.

Skiing details[link]

All cross-country skiing techniques are permitted in biathlon, which means that the free technique is usually the preferred one, being the fastest. No equipment other than skis and ski poles may be used to move along the track. Minimum ski length is 4 centimetres (1.6 in) less than the height of the skier. The rifle has to be carried by the skier during the race at all times.

Shooting details[link]

The biathlete carries the small bore rifle, which weighs at least 3.5 kilograms (7.7 lb), excluding ammunition and magazines. The rifles use .22 LR ammunition and are bolt action or Fortner (straight-pull bolt) action.

The target range shooting distance is 50 metres (160 ft). There are five circular targets to be hit in each shooting round. When shooting in the prone position the target diameter is 45 millimetres (1.8 in), when shooting in the standing position the target diameter is 115 millimetres (4.5 in). On all modern biathlon ranges, the targets are self-indicating, in that they flip from black to white when hit, giving the biathlete as well as the spectators instant visual feedback for each shot fired.

Competition format[link]

Individual[link]

The 20 kilometres (12 mi) individual race (15 km for women) is the oldest biathlon event; the distance is skied over five laps. The biathlete shoots four times at any shooting lane,^[2] in the order of prone, standing, prone, standing, totaling 20 targets. For each missed target a fixed penalty time, usually one minute, is added to the skiing time of the biathlete. Competitors' starts are staggered, normally by 30 seconds.

Sprint[link]

The sprint is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) for men and 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) for women; the distance is skied over three laps. The biathlete shoots twice at any shooting lane, once prone and once standing, for a total of 10 shots. For each miss, a penalty loop of 150 metres must be skied before the race can be continued. As in the individual competition, the biathletes start in intervals.

Pursuit[link]

In a pursuit, biathletes' starts are separated by their time differences from a previous race,^[3] most commonly a sprint. The contestant crossing the finish line first is the winner. The distance is 12.5 kilometres (7.8 mi) for men and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) for women, skied over five laps; there are four shooting bouts (two prone, two standing, in that order), and each miss means a penalty loop of 150 m. To prevent awkward and/or dangerous crowding of the skiing loops, and overcapacity at the shooting range, World Cup Pursuits are held with only the 60 top ranking biathletes after the preceding race. The biathletes shoot on a first-come, first-served basis at the lane corresponding to the position they arrived for all shooting bouts.

Mass start[link]

In the mass start, all biathletes start at the same time and the first across the finish line wins. In this 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) or 12.5 kilometres (7.8 mi) for women competition, the distance is skied over five laps; there are four bouts of shooting (two prone, two standing, in that order) with the first shooting bout being at the lane corresponding to your bib (Bib #10 shoots at lane #10 regardless of position in race.) with rest of the shooting bouts being at the lane in the position they arrived (Arrive at the lane in fifth place, you shoot at lane five.). As in sprint races, competitors must ski one 150 m penalty loop for each miss. Here again, to avoid unwanted congestion, World Cup Mass starts are held with only the 30 top ranking athletes on the start line (half that of the Pursuit as here all contestants start simultaneously).

Relay[link]

The relay teams consist of four biathletes, who each ski 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) (men) or 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) (women), each leg skied over three laps, with two shooting rounds; one prone, one standing. For every round of five targets there are eight bullets available, though the last three can only be single-loaded manually one at a time from spare round holders or bullets deposited by the competitor into trays or onto the mat at the firing line. If after eight bullets there are still misses, one 150 m penalty loop must be taken for each missed target remaining. The first-leg participants start all at the same time, and as in cross-country skiing relays, every athlete of a team must touch the team's next-leg participant to perform a valid changeover. On the first shooting stage of the first leg, the participant must shoot in the lane corresponding to their bib number (Bib #10 shoots at lane #10 regardless of position in race.), then for the remainder of the relay, the relay team shoots at the lane in the position they arrived (Arrive at the range in 5th place, you shoot at lane five.).

Mixed relay[link]

The most recent addition to the number of biathlon competition variants, the mixed relay, is similar to the ordinary relay but for the composition of the teams, each of which consists of two women and two men. Legs 1 and 2 are done by the women, legs 3 and 4 by the men. The women's legs are 6 km and men's legs are 7.5 km as in ordinary relay competitions.

Team (obsolete)[link]

A team consists of four biathletes, but unlike the relay competition, all team members start at the same time. Two athletes must shoot in the prone shooting round, the other two in the standing round. In case of a miss, the two non-shooting biathletes must ski a penalty loop of 150 m. The skiers must enter the shooting area together, and must also finish within 15 seconds of each other; otherwise a time penalty of one minute is added to the total time. Since 2004, this race format has been obsolete at the World Cup level.

Biathlon venues[link]

World Cup events and World Championships in biathlon have traditionally been held at the following few locations. Due to the complicated shooting range equipment, which absolutely has to work in order to hold successful races, biathlon is a highly demanding sport for organisers.

Country	Major biathlon venues
Austria	Hochfilzen · Obertilliach · Saalfelden
Belarus	Raubitchi
Bulgaria	Bansko · Borovets
Canada	Canmore · Valcartier · Whistler
Croatia	Bjelolasica
Czech Republic	Nové Město na Moravě
Finland	Kontiolahti · Kuusamo · Lahti
France	Bessans
Germany	Altenberg · Oberhof · Ruhpolding · Veltins-Arena*
Italy	Antholz · Cesana-San Sicario · Martell
Norway	Beitostølen · Holmenkollen · Lillehammer
Poland	Kościelisko · Duszniki Zdrój
Russia	Khanty-Mansiysk · Novosibirsk · Ufa
Ukraine	Tysovetc-Skole · Sumy
Slovakia	Brezno-Osrblie
Slovenia	Pokljuka
Sweden	Östersund
United States	Fort Kent · Presque Isle · Lake Placid · Soldier Hollow

* Since 2002, the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen has hosted a special mixed team event once a year, now called the "Veltins Biathlon World Team Challenge".

Broadcasting[link]

Biathlon events are broadcast most regularly where the sport enjoys its greatest popularity, namely Germany (ARD, ZDF), Austria (ORF), Norway (NRK), Finland (YLE), Estonia (ETV), Latvia (LTV), Croatia (HRT), Poland (TVP), Sweden (SVT), Russia (Russia 2, Channel One (Russia)), Belarus (TVR), Slovenia (RTV), Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT), Bulgaria (BNT), South Korea (KBS); it is broadcast on European-wide Eurosport, which also broadcasts to the Asia-Pacific region. World Cup races are streamed (without commentary) via the IBU website^[4] and some of these events are available on the World Championship Sports Network (WCSN).^[5]

The broadcast distribution being one indicator, the constellation of a sport's main sponsors usually gives a similar, and correlated, indication of popularity: for biathlon, these are the Germany-based companies E.ON Ruhrgas (energy), Krombacher (beer), and Viessmann (boilers and other heating systems).

United States biathlete Jeremy Teela at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Biathlon records and statistics[link]

Biathlon records, rules, news, videos and statistics for many years back are available at the IBU (International Biathlon Union) web site Biathlonworld.Com

Biathlon variants[link]

Two common variations on traditional winter biathlon are summer biathlon, where skiing is replaced by a cross-country run, and archery biathlon (or ski archery), where the rifle is replaced by a recurve bow.

There have also been summer competitions in roller-ski biathlon, mountain bike biathlon and orienteering biathlon. Primitive Biathlon uses snowshoes and muzzleloaders.

The Boy Scouts of America offers a Bikeathlon variant at their national Scout jamboree that mixes BMX biking with air rifle shooting at biathlon type targets.^[6]

Cadets Canada also offers biathlon to cadets across Canada, with three stages; zones, provincial and national. Zone competitions are occasionally, due to lack of snow in some southern areas, held as summer biathlon. A .22LR caliber rifle is used at all levels. Races are shorter than world class events. More information can be found at the National Cadet Biathlon Championship website.^[7]

The World Police and Fire Games, as well as the Western States Police and Fire Games (USA), offer a summer variant which combines cross-country running with service pistol shooting.

See also[link]

• Biathlon World Cup
• Biathlon World Championships
• List of Olympic medalists in biathlon

Biathlon's two sports disciplines:

• Skiing and skiing topics
• Rifle shooting sports

Other multi-discipline sports (otherwise unrelated to biathlon):

• Duathlon
• Nordic Combined
• Triathlon
• Pentathlon
• Modern pentathlon
• Heptathlon
• Decathlon
• Chess boxing

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Biathlon

• Biathlonworld.Com – A cooperation between IBU and EBU; with race results/statistics, TV schedules, live competition results, and so on.
• Belarussian Biathlon Union (Belarusian)
• Russian Biathlon Union (Russian)
• Russian Biathlon Union (English)
• Biathlon Canada
• U.S. Biathlon Association
• U.S. Archery Biathlon
• History of Biathlon
• Veltins Biathlon World Team Challenge
• Biathlon on OLN TV
• Biathlon on DVD
• Biathlon Russia
• Biathlon Ukraine (Russian)
• Biathlon Ukraine (English)
• BiathlonFrance.com
• Biathlon history (Russian)
• Popular Norwegian site (Norwegian)

Lanny Barnes (born April 26, 1982) is an American biathlete who has been competing since 2004.

Her best World Cup finish was 15th in an individual event in Sweden in 2006. Barnes' best finish at the Biathlon World Championships was 39th in the pursuit event at Pyeongchang in 2009. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Barnes finished 64th in the individual event. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, she finished 78th in the 7.5 km sprint event.^[1]

External links[link]

• IBU profile

References[link]

This biographical article relating to American winter sports is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This biographical article relating to biathlon is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Magdalena Neuner

Neuner in Wallgau, Germany, in April 2011
Disciplines	Biathlon
Club	SC Wallgau[1]
Born	(1987-02-09) 9 February 1987 (age 25) Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Height	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[1]
World Cup debut	13 January 2006[1]
Retired	18 March 2012
Website	magdalena-neuner.de
Olympics
Teams	1 (2010)[1]
Medals	3 (2 gold)
World Championships
Teams	6 (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)[1]
Medals	17 (12 gold)
World Cup
Seasons	7[1]
Wins	34
Podiums	63
Overall titles	3
Discipline titles	7
Medal record Women's biathlon Competitor for  Germany Olympic Games Silver 2010 Vancouver Sprint Gold 2010 Vancouver Pursuit Gold 2010 Vancouver Mass Start
Infobox last updated on: 18 March 2012

Magdalena "Lena" Neuner (born 9 February 1987) is a retired German professional biathlete. She is the most successful woman of all time at Biathlon World Championships and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. At the age of 21, she became the youngest Overall World Cup winner in the history of the International Biathlon Union (IBU). With 34 World Cup wins, Neuner is ranked second all-time for career victories on the Biathlon World Cup tour. She has won the Overall World Cup title three times, in 2007–08, in 2009–10 and her final season in 2011–12. Neuner retired from the sport in March 2012, citing a lack of motivation and her desire for a normal life.

Neuner started biathlon when she was nine years old and won five junior world championship titles from 2004 to 2006. She made her World Cup debut in 2006 and won her first World Cup race in January 2007. One month later, she claimed three gold medals in her first appearance at the Biathlon World Championships. In the 2007–08 season, Neuner won the Overall World Cup and once more claimed three titles at the 2008 World Championships. After a less successful winter in 2008–09, she participated in her first Winter Olympic Games in 2010, winning the gold medal in both the pursuit and the mass start, and silver in the sprint race. Neuner also claimed the 2009–10 Overall World Cup title. At the 2011 World Championships, she won three more gold medals. In her final winter on the World Cup tour, Neuner won two more titles at the 2012 World Championships and claimed the Overall World Cup for a third time.

During her seven World Cup seasons, Neuner won 34 World Cup races and achieved 63 podium finishes. As part of Germany's World Cup team, she won ten relay races and three mixed relay events. During six appearances at Biathlon World Championships, Neuner claimed 17 medals: twelve gold, four silver and one bronze. In addition, she has won seven junior world championship titles. Neuner was known as one of the fastest cross-country skiers in biathlon. She had been noted for her volatile shooting performances in the standing position, particularly in the early years of her career, often at the expense of better results.

Neuner has lived in the Bavarian village of Wallgau since birth. At the age of 16, she joined the German Customs Administration to become a member of the government-funded Customs-Ski-Team. Since winning three world championship gold medals in 2007, Neuner is one of her home country's most popular female athletes. She was named German Sportswoman of the Year in 2007 and 2011.

Early life[link]

Magdalena Neuner was born in the German alpine resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the second of four children of bank clerk Paul Neuner and his wife Margit.^[2] She has an elder brother Paul, and two younger siblings—her brother Christoph and her sister Anna. Her sister is also an aspiring biathlete who participates in junior competitions and is a member in the youth squad of the Bavarian Ski Association.^[3]

Neuner grew up in the small Bavarian village of Wallgau, approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Garmisch-Partenkirchen.^[4] She started alpine skiing when she was four years old and later tried various other winter sports at her hometown ski club SC Wallgau.^[2] At the age of 16, Neuner finished high school (Realschule) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and decided to pursue a career in biathlon. Her parents were reluctant, but they eventually supported her ambition to become a professional biathlete.^[5]

Career[link]

Early career and World Cup debut[link]

Neuner started biathlon when she was nine years old after she had participated in a try out course at her local ski club.^[6] She won 29 races at the biathlon Student's Cup of the German Ski Association (DSV),^[3] claiming the overall title in her respective age-group for four years in a row from 1999 to 2002.^[2] After finishing school, Neuner joined the German Customs Administration in August 2003 to become a member in the government-supported Customs-Ski-Team (Zoll-Ski-Team). She officially holds the rank of Erste Zollhauptwachtmeisterin (first head customs officer),^[7] although she is a full time professional athlete with no customs obligations. One of her team mates is alpine skiing world champion Maria Höfl-Riesch.^[8]

In December 2003, Neuner won the German Cup for 17-year olds, which led to her appointment for the 2003–04 European Cup competition for juniors.^[4] With four wins at European level, Neuner qualified for the 2004 Junior/Youth World Championships in Haute Maurienne, France, where she won the sprint and relay events, as well as silver in the pursuit.^[4] One year later at the 2005 Junior/Youth World Championships in Kontiolahti, Finland, she claimed two silver medals (pursuit and relay), and again won the sprint discipline.^[1] With her success at junior level, Neuner at 18 years old, was considered one of Germany's biggest biathlon talents ever. Even before achieving any results at senior level, she had signed a sponsorship deal.^[9]

Neuner at the World Cup in Antholz, January 2006

2005–06 World Cup season results
No.	World Cup location		Individual	Sprint	Pursuit	Mass Start	Relay
5	Ruhpolding, Germany		–	41	21	–	DNS
6	Antholz, Italy		–	19	11	DNS	–
	Turin, Italy		Not nominated
7	Pokljuka, Slovenia		–	DNS	DNS	–	–
8	Kontiolahti, Finland		–	4	20	9	–
9	Oslo, Norway		–	18	13	25	–
Key:"—" denotes discipline not held; DNS—Did not start[1]

During the 2005–06 season, Neuner made her first appearances in the Biathlon World Cup. Germany's women's national coach Uwe Müßiggang had already considered her for the team two years earlier, however, her parents and her hometown coaches Bernhard Kröll and Herbert Mayer were reluctant to let her start prematurely.^[2] On 13 January 2006, Neuner made her debut in the World Cup sprint race in Ruhpolding, Germany, where she substituted for the injured Uschi Disl. Although her first appearance ended unsuccessfully, coming in 41st place,^[10] she was appointed for nine more World Cup races for the remainder of the season.^[1]

Neuner returned as one of the favourites at the 2006 Junior/Youth World Championships in Presque Isle, Maine, United States, where she won two more titles (pursuit and relay) in addition to a silver medal in the sprint race.^[1] She did not participate in the 2006 Winter Olympics for the German team. At the World Cup in Kontiolahti in March 2006, Neuner achieved her first top ten finishes: she was fourth in the sprint and came in ninth in the mass start race.^[11][12]

Three world championship titles (2006–07 season)[link]

While she had only competed in ten races during her first World Cup winter, Neuner became a fixture in the German team in the 2006–07 season.^[4] She proved to be one of the fastest cross-country skiers in biathlon, and at 19 years old, regularly set the fastest course times.^{[13][note a]} On 5 January 2007, Neuner won her first World Cup event, the sprint race in Oberhof, Germany.^[14] Her victory on home soil, before a crowd of 19,000 people, received considerable media attention and put her into the national spotlight for the first time.^[15] Two days later at the pursuit race, she forgot to reload her rifle after warm-up. She was handed a new magazine during the prone shooting and managed to finish third despite a total of six shooting errors.^[16]

Neuner was scheduled to compete at the junior world championships in 2007. However, following her first World Cup win, she was instead appointed for the senior World Championships in Antholz, Italy.^[4] On 3 February 2007, she won gold in the sprint, beating Sweden's Anna Carin Olofsson by 2.3 seconds.^[17] It was her first world championship event ever and only her second victory at senior level.^{[note b]} One day later, she also claimed the pursuit title, in spite of four shooting errors.^[18] Following a 14th place in the mass start, Neuner, alongside Martina Beck, Andrea Henkel and Kati Wilhelm, also won gold in the relay race on 11 February 2007.^[19] With three titles, she was the championship's most successful athlete and became the youngest triple world champion.^[6]

At the end of the season, she continued her successful run with four more World Cup wins. In March 2007, Neuner won the pursuit and mass start races at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway,^[20][21] and she won the sprint and pursuit events at the season final in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia,^[22][23] giving her seven career World Cup wins. She ended her first complete season fourth in the Overall World Cup standings and finished second in the pursuit discipline.^[1] In the course of three months, Neuner had emerged from anonymity to become one of Germany's most popular female athletes. At the end of 2007, she had earned an estimated 1.3 million euros through sponsorship and endorsement deals.^[24]

Overall World Cup winner (2007–08 season)[link]

Neuner in the yellow bib of the Overall World Cup leader, March 2008

After missing the podium at the 2007–08 season's first two World Cups, Neuner was part of Germany's winning relay team in Pokljuka, Slovenia in December 2007.^[25] She claimed her eighth World Cup win at the mass start in Oberhof in January 2008,^[26] and later that month won the relay race in Ruhpolding with the German team.^[27] Shortly before her 21st birthday, Neuner decided to again compete at the Junior/Youth World Championships, held in Ruhpolding in January 2008—the last time she was eligible to enter.^[28] She won gold in the sprint and the pursuit, but withdrew from the individual race to prepare for the senior world championships alongside her German team mates.^[1]

Leading up to the 2008 World Championships in Östersund, Sweden, Neuner tried to lower expectations, stating a repeat of last year's performance would be impossible.^[29] She failed to defend her titles in the sprint and pursuit races, with shooting errors preventing better results; she finished 17th and sixth respectively.^[1] On 12 February 2008, she won the mixed relay with Sabrina Buchholz, Andreas Birnbacher and Michael Greis to claim her first gold medal.^[30] Four days later, she won her second title in the mass start, beating Norway's Tora Berger by 3.0 seconds.^[31] She had four shooting errors compared to Berger's one and skied side by side with the Norwegian for most of the last lap, in what she later described as her hardest fought victory ever.^[32] Alongside Martina Beck, Andrea Henkel and Kati Wilhelm, Neuner also claimed gold in the relay race on 17 February 2008.^[33] By winning three more titles, she became the youngest six-time world champion, solidifying her status as Germany's biggest biathlon star.^[34]

In the following World Cups, she won the sprint races in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and in Khanty-Mansiysk—her tenth and eleventh World Cup victories.^[35][36] With a second place finish in the penultimate mass start race of the season, Neuner won the 2007–08 Mass Start World Cup.^[37] At the season final in Oslo, she also claimed the season's Sprint World Cup and took over the yellow bib of the Overall World Cup leader for the first time in her career.^[38] In the last race of the season, a ninth place in the mass start ensured Neuner the 2007–08 Overall Biathlon World Cup victory.^[39] She was the youngest Overall World Cup winner since the International Biathlon Union was established in 1993.^{[40][note c]}

First setbacks (2008–09 season)[link]

Neuner's preparation for the 2008–09 season was affected by several illnesses. In the summer, she battled an intestinal fungus which forced her to pause training for seven weeks;^[41] she later attributed it to pressure of public expectations.^[42] In October 2008, she contracted influenza and in November, a bacterial infection caused her to miss two weeks of training.^[43] Subsequently, her ski speed saw a substantial drop at the start of the season. In the first four World Cups, Neuner only achieved two individual podiums; atypically courtesy of good shooting performances, not her skiing.^[44][45]

Neuner leaves the shooting range at the World Cup in Antholz, January 2009

Following the Christmas break, her skiing times had improved. In Ruhpolding in January 2009, Neuner was part of the winning German relay team.^[46] She beat team mate Kati Wilhelm by 0.2 seconds in the Ruhpolding sprint and also won the following pursuit event, which marked her World Cup wins twelve and thirteen.^[47][48] Neuner again missed the podium in Antholz. She was leading the mass start by 53.6 seconds before the final shooting, in which she missed all five targets, eventually finishing sixth.^[49] This result received much public attention. She later described it as a pivotal moment in her career and called it the "total end of the world".^[50]

Neuner suffered further setbacks at the 2009 World Championships in Pyeongchang, where she struggled with a cold and a high number of shooting errors.^[51] She finished eighth in the sprint, in which she crashed on a downhill slope,^[52] and came in eleventh in the pursuit race.^[53] She was not appointed for the individual race and could not start in the mixed relay due to her cold. On 21 February 2009, Neuner claimed silver as part Germany's women's relay team, alongside Martina Beck, Andrea Henkel and Kati Wilhelm.^[54] On the last day of the championships, she came in seventh in the mass start race.^[55]

At the Olympic rehearsal in Vancouver, Canada, in March 2009, Neuner claimed the 2008–09 Individual World Cup, despite never having won a race in that discipline.^[56] She also won the Vancouver relay race with the German team,^[57] and was second in the sprint, 0.7 seconds behind Sweden's Helena Ekholm.^[58] At the season final in Khanty-Mansiysk, Neuner won the pursuit race—her 14th World Cup win.^[59] She ended the season fourth in the Overall Biathlon World Cup,^[1] which was generally considered disappointing in the media.^[6]

Neuner later revealed that due to public expectations and constant media attention, the 2008–09 season had been extremely difficult for her psychologically, and she even briefly contemplated retirement.^[60] She started working with a psychologist and cut down her media appearances as much as possible in the summer.^[61]

Double Olympic champion (2009–10 season)[link]

2009–10 World Cup season results
No.	World Cup location		Individual	Sprint	Pursuit	Mass Start	Relay	Mixed relay
1	Östersund, Sweden		DNS	DNS	–	–	DNS	–
2	Hochfilzen, Austria		–	29	28	–	DNS	–
3	Pokljuka, Slovenia		18	3	2	–	–	–
4	Oberhof, Germany		–	DNS	–	DNS	DNS	–
5	Ruhpolding, Germany		–	3	–	3	4	–
6	Antholz, Italy		1	1	2	–	–	–
	Vancouver, Canada		10	2	1	1	DNS	–
7	Kontiolahti, Finland		–	5	2	–	–	2
8	Oslo, Norway		–	6	8	3	–	–
9	Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia		–	8	–	1	–	1
Key:"—" denotes discipline not held; DNS—Did not start[1]

Neuner competed at the Summer Biathlon World Championships for the first time in September 2009 when they were held in Oberhof. She only reluctantly agreed to interrupt training and participate in the summer event, which is contested on roller ski, however she went on to win gold in all three competitions (sprint, pursuit and mixed relay).^[62] Neuner missed the first World Cup of the 2009–10 season due to a cold in December 2009. She returned at the following races in Hochfilzen, but was still affected by her cold and finished outside the top 20. Her first podiums of the winter came in Pokljuka, finishing third in the sprint and second in the pursuit race.^[63][64] Thereby she secured her Olympic qualification within the German team.^[65]

Neuner shortly before crossing the finish line during the Olympic mass start race

Shortly before the Oberhof sprint in January 2010, Neuner injured her back during warm-up and had to withdraw.^[66] She returned in Ruhpolding where she came in third in both the sprint and the mass start race.^[67][68] In her first relay of the season, she dealt a blow to the German team by incurring two penalty loops, with Germany finishing fourth eventually.^[69] With some top competitors missing in Antholz at the last World Cup before the 2010 Winter Olympics, Neuner won two events—the first individual race of her career as well as the sprint, giving her 16 career World Cup wins.^[70][71] She also came in second in the pursuit, which marked her seventh consecutive podium finish.^[72]

Neuner went into her first Winter Olympics in Vancouver with the declared aim of winning a gold medal. On 13 February 2010, she participated in the opening sprint, which was contested at Whistler Olympic Park in rainy conditions. With one shooting error, Neuner claimed the silver medal, finishing 1.5 seconds behind Slovakia's Anastasiya Kuzmina.^[73] She uncharacteristically lost five seconds against the unheralded Slovak on the cross-country course, which led to speculation of inferior ski preparation in the German media.^[74] Three days later, Neuner won gold in the subsequent pursuit race. Despite missing two targets in the standing position, she beat sprint winner Kuzmina by 12.3 seconds.^[75] In her third Olympic event, she finished tenth in the individual. She had three shooting mistakes and said it had been difficult for her to immediately get her concentration back after winning her first gold medal. On 21 February 2010, Neuner claimed her second gold of the Games in the mass start. After missing two targets, she had been trailing by as much as 29 seconds, but she pushed the pace and a clean final standing shoot allowed her to overtake Russia's Olga Zaitseva on the last lap.^[76] After the race, Neuner made the announcement not to participate in the relay, citing mental exhaustion and her desire to give all of her team mates the chance to win a medal. Her withdrawal allowed her friend Martina Beck a start in her last Olympic Games.^[77] Neuner was Germany's most successful athlete in Vancouver and was chosen to carry the German flag at the closing ceremony.^[78]

Following her Olympic success, Neuner continued her good form at the season's remaining three World Cups, finishing all races in the top ten. She came in second in the Kontiolahti pursuit,^[79] and third in Oslo's mass start race,^[80] which increased her World Cup lead after taking over the yellow bib in Vancouver. Neuner ended the season with her 19th World Cup win in Khanty-Mansiysk's mass start,^[81] which ensured her the 2009–10 Overall World Cup, making her the first German woman to win the Biathlon World Cup for a second time. She also won the pursuit and mass start discipline World Cups. In the last event of the winter, the Mixed Relay World Championship, she won gold, alongside Simone Hauswald, Simon Schempp and Arnd Peiffer, to claim her seventh world title.^[82]

Record world champion (2010–11 season)[link]

During the summer, Neuner admitted struggling for motivation for the upcoming season, having won every title in the sport at only 23 years old. However, she vowed to continue her career at least until the 2012 world championships in Ruhpolding.^[83] In December 2010 she suffered from a cold, missing the season's first World Cup in Östersund for the second year in a row. She started the 2010–11 season in Hochfilzen, where she managed two seventh place finishes, and was part of the winning German relay team. At the third stop of the season in Pokljuka, she won the sprint race in spite of two shooting errors, claiming her 20th career victory.^[84]

Neuner with her ten Biathlon World Championships gold medals

Neuner continued the winter with mixed results in January 2011. She reached the podium in the sprints of Oberhof and Ruhpolding, coming in second and third respectively.^[85][86] In the relay in Oberhof, Neuner was part of Germany's team coming in sixth place, the team's worst result since 2005.^[87] She also had her worst personal result in 13 months, finishing in 16th place in the Ruhpolding individual race, which ended her streak of 24 consecutive top ten finishes (including 15 podiums and 6 wins).^[88] At the World Cup in Antholz, Neuner again struggled with illness. She only participated in the concluding mass start, coming in 6th place.^[89]

At the World Cup stops in February in the United States, Neuner returned to good health and showed more consistency; her worst result was a 6th place finish. In Presque Isle, Maine, she won the mixed relay as part of the German team.^[90] On week later in Fort Kent, Maine, Neuner finished all three races on the podium. She came in third in the sprint,^[91] second in the pursuit,^[92] and claimed her 21st World Cup win in the mass start—the last race before the world championships.^[93]

At the 2011 World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Neuner won three gold and two silver medals. She claimed silver, alongside Andrea Henkel, Arnd Peiffer and Michael Greis, in the opening mixed relay. On 5 March 2011, Neuner won the sprint race courtesy of a clean shooting performance.^[94] She finished second in the pursuit and fifth in the individual subsequently. On 12 March 2011, Neuner won her second title in the mass start despite of four shooing errors.^[95] The following day she also claimed gold in the women's relay, together with Andrea Henkel, Miriam Gössner and Tina Bachmann. Running the last leg for Germany, Neuner started in fourth, 67.5 seconds off the lead, but she pulled back the entire time and moved in front on the last lap.^[96] Her five medals made her the most successful female athlete in the history of Biathlon World Championships.^[97]

The season ended in disappointment for Neuner in Oslo. After claiming her 24th career win in the sprint, she had moved into second place in the Overall World Cup ranking.^[98] However, she again suffered from a cold and had to pull out of the penultimate race of the winter, the pursuit in which she would have started 31 seconds in front. This effectively ended her hopes of retaining the World Cup crown. She eventually finished fifth in the overall standings, having missed five of the season's 26 races.^[1]

Final World Cup winter (2011–12 season)[link]

Before the start of the 2011–12 season, Neuner hinted the upcoming season might be her last. She began the winter in Östersund with the best season start of her career, beating Tora Berger by 0.2 seconds in the sprint to claim her 25th World Cup win.^[99] She also came third in the individual and the pursuit, and took the yellow bib of the Overall World Cup leader. On 6 December 2011, Neuner announced her retirement from biathlon by the end of the season on her homepage. She explained her early departure from the sport (at age 25) with a lack of motivation and her desire for a normal life.^{[100][101][102]} Neuner nonetheless continued her good form in Hochfilzen, where she claimed her 26th World Cup win in the sprint.

After Christmas, Neuner won both individual races in Oberhof – her World Cup wins 27 and 28.^[103][104] In the women’s relay, she incurred 4 penalties in the final shooting, which foiled a likely German victory..^[105] Neuner suffered one of the biggest mishaps of her career, when she fired on the wrong targets in the Nove Mesto pursuit, dropping from first to seventh place.^[106] She recovered quickly by winning the sprint race in Antholz one week later. In February, Neuner claimed a double sprint and pursuit victory in Oslo despite suffering from a cold, which forced her to withdraw from the mass start. At the last World Cup stop before the world championships in Kontiolahti, she reached her sixth sprint win of the season, and extended her World Cup lead over Darya Domracheva.

At the 2012 World Championships in Ruhpolding, Neuner won bronze in the opening mixed relay, alongside Andrea Henkel, Andreas Birnbacher and Arnd Peiffer. On 3 March 2012, she claimed her 11th world title in the sprint race courtesy of her clean shooting. Neuner dropped to second place one day later in the pursuit, in which Domracheva overtook her at the final shooting bout. During the second week of the championships, Neuner often struggled with her shooting. She only reached 23rd place in the individual – her worst world championships result ever. With Tina Bachmann, Miriam Gössner and Andrea Henkel she won her second gold medal in Ruhpolding in the women's relay on 10 March 2012, despite incurring a penalty loop. In the concluding mass start, Neuner came in tenth place, with six shooting mistakes in total. Her 12th gold medal made her the second most successful biathlete of all time at world championships, behind male record holder Ole Einar Bjoerndalen.

Having led the standings uninterruptedly since the second race of the winter, Neuner won her third Overall World Cup title at the season final in Russia, where she claimed her 34th and final World Cup win in the sprint. Neuner also won the 2011–12 Sprint World Cup thanks to an unprecedented eight out of ten sprint wins. With ten victories in total, her final World Cup season was the most successful in her career. She also became only the second woman after Magdalena Forsberg to win the overall title more than twice. On 18 March 2012, Neuner ended her biathlon career with a sixth place in the Khanty-Mansiysk mass start.

Skiing[link]

Neuner skies uphill at a World Cup race in Trondheim, March 2009

Neuner was one of the fastest female cross-country skiers in biathlon.^[6][107] During 66 of her 151 World Cup races (44%), she has set the fastest course time (race time without time spent at the shooting range or in the penalty loop).^{[note a]} In addition, she has been among the top three fastest skiers in 77% of her career races.^[1]

In her first World Cup races in the 2005–06 season, Neuner achieved average course times; her best result was being fourth fastest in the pursuit race in Kontiolahti.^[108] During her first full season in 2006–07, she finished among the top three fastest skiers in 19 of her 24 races and came in fastest in seven of them. Neuner won the 2007–08 Biathlon World Cup with dominating skiing performances. She set the fastest course time in 19 of her 25 races and was second or third fastest in the remaining six. At the beginning of the 2008–09 season, Neuner had a substantial drop in her skiing times due to a series of illnesses. However, she recovered and set the fastest course time in 14 of the remaining 18 races from January onwards. In the 2009–10 Olympic season, Neuner again started slowly in December, but came back finishing among the top three fastest skiers in 17 of her 21 races. She had her second best winter in 2010–11 when she set the fastest or second fastest skiing time in 90% of her 21 races.^[1]

Neuner had been a fast cross-country skier from an early age. When she was eight years old, she won the first cross-country skiing competition she entered at her local ski club. At junior level, her lap times at the German Student's Cup were comparable to older or male opponents.^[2] At the age of 15, Neuner managed to set the same skiing times as her coeval male training partners. In preparation for the 2006–07 season, Neuner skied 5,300 kilometres (3,300 mi) in training; she increased the volume to 6,000 kilometres (3,700 mi) for the 2007–08 season.^[24] Because of her ski speed, she has often been able to compensate for one or sometimes two or three shooting errors (a penalty loop is 150 metres (160 yd) long and normally takes 21 to 26 seconds).^[109]

During three of her 32 World Cup wins (2007 World Championships pursuit, 2008 World Championships mass start, and 2009 Ruhpolding pursuit), Neuner skied three additional penalty loops compared to the second place finisher.^[18][31][48] In March 2008, she came in second in the Khanty-Mansiysk mass start race, despite completing five penalty loops.^[110] She also reached third place in the Oberhof pursuit in January 2007 with six missed targets.^[111] At Neuner's first World Cup victory in the individual discipline in January 2010, she compensated for a total time penalty of two minutes on the 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) cross-country course (incurred by two additional shooting errors).^[70]

Skiing statistics[link]

Neuner using the cross-country skating technique, March 2009

*Key:Number of respective times achieved / number of all races entered, percentage. Results in IBU World Cup races, no relay events.^[1][112]

**Statistics as of 18 March 2012.

Shooting[link]

Neuner shooting at the World Cup in Trondheim, March 2009.

Neuner averaged a career shooting accuracy of 78%. Her career average in the prone position was 88%, while her career average in the standing position was 67%. Her shooting results in the prone position were similar to other top contenders. The standing shoot had long been her weak point and her hit percentage was well below average in the World Cup field, although it had improved considerably in her later seasons.^[1]

With a 78% accuracy, Neuner had solid shooting results during her 2005–06 season debut. Her average dropped to 74% in her first complete season in 2006–07. Neuner won the 2007–08 Biathlon World Cup with a shooting accuracy of 73%, which is the lowest result for an Overall World Cup winner ever and roughly ten per cent below the previous three winners' averages: Andrea Henkel (84%),^[113] Kati Wilhelm (87%)^[114] and Sandrine Bailly (81%).^[115] She steadily increased her shooting percentages in the following two seasons with a 76% average in 2008–09, and her career best results of 82% in the 2009–10 Olympic season. In the 2010–11 season, she set her career high in the standing position with a 75% accuracy.^[1]

Neuner's shooting performances have been a regular topic in the German media. At times she has been reluctant to discuss her shooting in interviews and has said the public's fixation on it contributes to the problem.^[42] She has insisted her difficulties in the standing position are not due to technical weaknesses but psychological, and her training results are just as good as the results of her team mates.^[116] She explained in interviews that she had developed a fear of the standing shooting over time, knowing she had to justify herself after the race if she missed.^[117] In 2008, Neuner trained with Bundeswehr shooting coach and former large calibre world champion, Rudi Krenn, and subsequently changed her stance slightly.^[118] Since 2009, she has worked with a psychologist, primarily focusing on mental techniques to build her confidence on the shooting range.^[61] Her standing position average has improved from 60% to 75% from 2008 to 2011.^[1] Neuner has been wearing ear plugs during some of the races in order to better concentrate while shooting.^[24] The individual race, which places a high emphasis on shooting, has traditionally been her worst discipline (each shooting error results in a one minute time penalty, instead of a penalty loop).^[109]

Neuner has won 6 races (all sprints) with a perfect shooting record: Khanty-Mansiysk sprint in March 2007, 2011 World Championship sprint and 4 sprints in her final 2011–12 season.^[22] She also shot clean on two other occasions, the sprint in Kontiolahti in March 2006, coming in fourth place,^[119] and the Östersund sprint in December 2008, finishing third.^[44] Her worst shooting performance came in December 2008, with a total of nine shooting errors at the World Cup pursuit in Hochfilzen.^[120] Neuner's costliest shooting occurred during a mass start race in Antholz in January 2009. After 15 clean shots, she was leading by 53.6 seconds before the final shooting, in which she missed all five targets, eventually dropping to sixth place.^[49]

Shooting statistics[link]

Neuner prepares to shoot in the standing position in Antholz, January 2009

*Key:Hits / shots, percentage. Results in all IBU World Cup races including relay events.^[1][112]

**Statistics as of 18 March 2012.

Personal life[link]

Neuner in Wallgau, Germany, May 2009

Neuner has lived in Wallgau, Bavaria, Germany, a small alpine village of 1,400 people, from birth.^[4] In 2007, she bought her grandmother's house in Wallgau, where she now lives in her own flat.^[5] Neuner plays the harp and owns an enduro motorcycle.^[121] She has said she enjoys mountain biking, hiking and swimming during the off-season.^[7]

Neuner had been involved in a nearly two-year relationship with Austrian ski technician and former biathlete Franz Perwein, whom she had met during the 2006 Junior/Youth World Championships.^[122] Until the autumn of 2009, she then lived in a relationship with DSV chief biathlon technician Björn Weisheit for 19 months.^[123] In December 2009, Neuner confirmed a romantic relationship with Josef Holzer, a school day friend from Wallgau.^[124]

In the media[link]

Biathlon is the most popular winter sport in Germany.^[125] Each World Cup event is shown live on German television and the January World Cup races in Oberhof, Ruhpolding and Antholz are regularly seen by over five million viewers.^[126] Following her three world championship titles in 2007, Neuner quickly became one of Germany's most popular female sport stars, often nicknamed "Gold Lena" in the media.^[77] During her first two years in the spotlight she signed several endorsement deals and claimed numerous awards.^[127] Neuner's popularity grew further with her success during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Her second gold medal win in the Olympic mass start was seen live by 9.75 million television viewers (a 31.5 per cent market share), the most watched programme of the Games in Germany.^[128] Her withdrawal from the Olympic relay was one of the dominating stories of the Winter Olympics in Germany, leading to much media speculation whether pulling out had been entirely her decision.^[129] She later received the Fair Play medal of Germany's Olympic Society for setting an example of "team spirit".^[130]

Neuner won the Biathlon Award, chosen by the national coaches of the World Cup teams, for Female Athlete of the Year in both 2007 and 2008,^[131] and she was awarded the Goldener Ski (Golden Ski), the highest award of the German Ski Association in 2007, 2008 and 2010.^[132] The Forum Nordicum, a consortium of journalists form twelve countries, named her Biathlete of the Year in the 2007–08 and 2009–10 seasons, beating out her male counterparts Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and Emil Hegle Svendsen respectively.^[133] Neuner was chosen as Germany's 2007 Sportswoman of the Year by the country's sports journalists.^[134] The following years, she came in third for the 2008 award and was voted in second place in 2010.^[135] Along with all Olympic medal winners, she received the Silberne Lorbeerblatt (Silver Laurel Leaf) in 2010, the highest state decoration for athletes in Germany.^[136] In 2011, readers of Germany's top selling newspaper Bild voted Neuner the seventh greatest German sportsperson of all time,^[137] and she was named German Sportswoman of the Year for a second time.^[138]

Neuner's interest in knitting has often been addressed by the German media and she maintains a knitting website, which includes detailed knitting instructions and a "knitting blog". She has stated that she usually takes knitting equipment on her travels during the season and that knitting is a way for her to relax.^[139] In 2007, Neuner declined an offer to appear nude in the German edition of Playboy.^[140] Outside of Germany, she is particularly popular in Russia, where she has a fan club and from where she has said to receive half of her fan mail.^[24][141] In 2010, Neuner appeared in an advertising campaign for a lingerie line. She explained she tried to use it in a deliberate attempt to correct her media image, after becoming irritated with her public persona of "little sweet Lena".^[142] She was an ambassador for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.^[143] and a member of the board of trustees for Munich's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics.^[144]

Record[link]

Olympic Games[link]

Neuner accepting her Olympic gold medal for the pursuit race

Neuner has won two gold medals and one silver medal at the Winter Olympic Games. At her only appearance at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, she won gold in the pursuit and the mass start event. She also claimed silver in the opening sprint. After winning three medals, she decided not to participate in the concluding relay race.^[1]