The biathlon is a hybrid sport in which flat-out cross-country skiing alternates with target shooting using a .22 rifle. The name biathlon dates to 1955. What had the sport previously been called?
A) Ice soldier B) Kipplek C) Patrol race ü D) Vinterfusil
Northern European nations have used soldiers on skis for centuries and developed the “patrol race” as a training exercise. Eventually it grew into a popular sport: television broadcasts of biathlon championships in northern Europe outdraw all other winter sports. The athletic challenge of its alternating bouts of skiing and precision shooting is considerable. In the words of US Olympic biathlete Shaun Marshall-Pryde, “It’s like climbing up 25 flights of stairs and then threading a needle five times, without missing the hole.”
