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.
Venues 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 Umeå, Sweden 1962 Hämeenlinna, Finland 1963 Seefeld, Austria 1965 Elverum, Norway 1966 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany 1967 Altenberg, East Germany (first event in East Europe) 1969 Zakopane, Poland 1970 Östersund, Sweden 1971 Hämeenlinna, Finland 1973 Lake Placid, New York, United States (first event outside Europe and in the Americas) 1974 Minsk, USSR 1975 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy 1976 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy (Sprint) 1977 Vingrom, Norway 1978 Hochfilzen, Austria 1979 Ruhpolding, West Germany 1981 Lahti, Finland 1982 Minsk, USSR 1983 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy 1984 Chamonix, France (Women) 1985 Ruhpolding, West Germany (Men) and Egg am Etzel (near Einsiedeln), Switzerland (Women) 1986 Oslo, Norway (Men) and Falun, Sweden (Women) 1987 Lake Placid, New York, United States (Men) and Lahti, Finland (Women) 1988 Chamonix, France (Women) 1989 Feistritz an der Drau, Austria (first joint Biathlon World Championships) 1990 Minsk, USSR; Oslo, Norway and Kontiolahti, Finland 1991 Lahti, Finland 1992 Novosibirsk, Russia (Team; first event in Asia) 1993 Borovets, Bulgaria 1994 Canmore, Canada (Team) 1995 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy 1996 Ruhpolding, Germany 1997 Brezno-Osrblie, Slovakia 1998 Pokljuka, Slovenia (Pursuit) and Hochfilzen, Austria (Team) 1999 Kontiolahti, Finland and Oslo, Norway 2000 Oslo, Norway and Lahti, Finland 2001 Pokljuka, Slovenia 2002 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 Pokljuka, Slovenia (Mixed relay) 2007 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy 2008 Östersund, Sweden 2009 Pyeongchang, South Korea 2010 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia (Mixed relay) 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia 2012 Ruhpolding, Germany 2013 Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic 2015 Kontiolahti, Finland 2016 Oslo, Norway 2017 Hochfilzen, Austria 2019 Östersund, Sweden 2020 Antholz-Anterselva, Italy 2021 Pokljuka, Slovenia 2023 Oberhof, Germany 2024 Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic 2025 Lenzerheide, Switzerland
Upcoming: 2027 Otepää, Estonia 2028 Hochfilzen, Austria 2029 Oslo, Norway 2031 Östersund, Sweden
Men Numbers in brackets denotes number of victories in corresponding disciplines. Boldface denotes record number of victories.
Individual (20 km) This event was first held in 1958. SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird19581959196119621963 (3)1965196619671969197019711973 (3)197419751977197819791981 (3)19821983 (2)19851986198719891990 (2)199119931995199619971999200020012003200420052007 (2)2008200920112012201320152016201720192020 (4)2021202320242025
Medal table
Sprint (10 km) This event was first held in 1974.
SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird1974197519761977 (2)197819791981 (3)19821983 (2)198519861987 (2)1989199019911993 (3)1995199619971999 (2)20002001200320042005200720082009 (4)20112012201320152016 (2)2017201920202021202320242025
Medal table
Pursuit (12.5 km) This event was first held in 1997.
SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird1997199819992000200120032004 (3)2005200720082009 (4)201120122013201520162017 (4)201920202021 (2)202320242025
Medal table
Mass start (15 km) This event was first held in 1999. SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird199920002001200220032004 (4)2005 (2)2007200820092011 (2)20122013201520162017201920202021202320242025
Medal table
Relay (4 × 7.5 km) This event was first held unofficially in 1965. It was a success, and replaced the team competition as an official event in 1966. SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird196619671969197019711973197419751977197819791981198219831985198619871989199019911993199519961997199920002001200320042005200720082009201120122013201520162017201920202021202320242025
Medal table
Team (time) 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). SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird195819591961196219631965
Medal table
Team This event, a patrol race, was held from 1989 to 1998. From 1989 to 1993 the distance of this event was 20 km, while from 1994 to 1998, the distance was 10 km.
SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird1989199019911992199319941995199619971998
Medal table
Women Numbers in brackets denotes number of victories in corresponding disciplines. Boldface denotes record number of victories.
Individual (15 km) This event was first held in 1984. Through 1988 the distance was 10 km.
SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird198419851986198719881989199019911993 (3)19951996199719992000 (2)2001200320042005200720082009201120122013 (2)2015201620172019202020212023 (2)20242025
Medal table
Sprint (7.5 km) This event was first held in 1984. Through 1988 the distance was 5 km. SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird1984198519861987198819891990 (2)19911993199519961997 (2)19992000200120032004 (2)2005200720082009 (2)20112012 (3)2013201520162017201920202021 (2)202320242025
Medal table
Pursuit (10 km) This event was first held in 1997. SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird199719981999200020012003None awarded2004 (2)2005200720082009201120122013201520162017 (2)20192020202120232024 (2)2025
Medal table
Mass start (12.5 km) This event was first held in 1999. SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird1999200020012002 (2)20032004 (2)20052007200820092011 (2)20122013201520162017201920202021202320242025
Medal table
Relay (4 × 6 km) This event was first held in 1984. Through 1988, the event was 3 × 5 km, while from 1989 to 1991 it was 3 × 7.5 km, and from 1993 to 2001 it was 4 × 7.5 km. In 2003, the leg distance was set to 6 km. SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird198419851986198719881989199019911993199519961997199920002001200320042005200720082009201120122013201520162017201920202021202320242025
Medal table
Team This event, a patrol race, was held from 1989 to 1998. 1989–93: 15 km. 1994–98: 7.5 km. SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird1989199019911992199319941995199619971998
Medal table
Mixed Numbers in brackets denotes number of victories in corresponding disciplines. Boldface denotes record number of victories.
Mixed relay 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.
SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird200520062007200820092010201120122013201520162017201920202021202320242025
Medal table
Single mixed relay 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.
SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird201920202021202320242025
Medal table
Total medals by country Updated after the 2025 Championships.
Multiple medalists Boldface denotes active biathletes and highest medal count among all biathletes (including these who not included in these tables) per type.
Men
All events Rank Biathlete Country From To Gold Silver BronzeTotal 1 Johannes Thingnes Bø 2015 2025 23 14 6 43 2 Ole Einar Bjørndalen 1997 2017 20 14 11 45 3 Martin Fourcade 2011 2020 13 10 5 28 4 Tarjei Bø 2011 2025 12 7 9 28 5 Emil Hegle Svendsen 2007 2016 12 6 3 21 6 Frank Luck 1989 2004 11 5 4 20 7 Alexander Tikhonov 1967 1979 11 4 2 17 8 Ricco Groß 1991 2007 9 5 6 20 9 Frank Ullrich 1977 1983 9 4 1 14 10 Raphaël Poirée 1998 2007 8 3 7 18
Individual events Rank Biathlete Country From To Gold Silver BronzeTotal 1 Johannes Thingnes Bø 2015 2025 12 7 3 22 2 Ole Einar Bjørndalen 1997 2017 11 6 9 26 3 Martin Fourcade 2011 2020 11 4 3 18 4 Raphaël Poirée 1998 2007 7 2 5 14 5 Emil Hegle Svendsen 2008 2016 5 3 2 10 6 Frank Ullrich 1978 1983 5 3 – 8 7 Alexander Tikhonov 1969 1979 5 2 1 8 8 Ricco Groß 1995 2005 4 3 3 10 9 Mark Kirchner 1990 1993 4 – – 4 10 Eirik Kvalfoss 1982 1991 3 4 2 9
Women
All events Rank Biathlete Country From To Gold Silver BronzeTotal 1 Marte Olsbu Røiseland 2016 2023 13 – 4 17 2 Magdalena Neuner 2007 2012 12 4 1 17 3 Tiril Eckhoff 2015 2021 10 2 3 15 4 Elena Golovina 1985 1991 10 1 1 12 5 Julia Simon 2021 2025 10 – 3 13 6 Petra Behle (Schaaf) 1988 1997 9 2 2 13 7 Uschi Disl 1991 2005 8 8 3 19 8 Andrea Henkel 2000 2013 8 6 2 16 9 Tora Berger 2006 2013 8 5 5 18 10 Liv Grete Poirée (Skjelbreid) 1997 2004 8 3 2 13
Individual events Rank Biathlete Country From To Gold Silver BronzeTotal 1 Magdalena Neuner 2007 2012 6 2 – 8 2 Magdalena Forsberg (Wallin) 1996 2001 6 1 5 12 3 Liv Grete Poirée (Skjelbreid) 2000 2004 6 1 2 9 4 Olena Zubrilova 1997 2005 4 4 3 11 5 Laura Dahlmeier 2015 2019 4 3 4 11 6 Tora Berger 2008 2013 4 3 2 9 7 Marie Dorin Habert 2015 2016 4 1 1 6 8 Andrea Henkel 2005 2013 4 1 – 5 9 Julia Simon 2023 2025 4 – 2 6 10 Petra Schaaf 1988 1993 4 – 1 5
See also Biathlon World Cup Summer Biathlon World Championships Biathlon Junior World Championships List of Olympic medalists in biathlon
References
External links
Sports 123 biathlon results