Biathlon was originally a tactic of survival rather than a sport. Northern Europeans skied to hunt for food and, later, skied with weapons to defend their countries The word biathlon stems from the Greek word for two contests. Today it is interpreted as a joining of two sports: crosscountry skiing and rifle shooting.In 1960 Biathlon joined the International Modern Pentathlon Union UIPM. But in 1993, an agreement was made to retain the Union as an umbrella body under which the UIPM and the IBU could act autonomously. It took effect in 1998, but the two sports maintain relations in various projects.

Website: http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/programme/index_uk.asp?SportCode=BT