1969- Canadian biathlete Although men have competed in the biathlon at the Olympics for many years, women did not compete until the early 1990s. Canadian Myriam Bedard won some of the first Olympic medals given in the biathlon, which is a combination of cross-country skiing and marksmanship with a .22-calibre rifle that is measured by time and accuracy. (Missed targets add time to the score or len…
1970- German biathlete Germany's Uschi Disl has won more Olympic medals in the biathlon than any other competitor, male or female, in the sport. A curious blend of cross-country skiing and sharp shooting, the biathlon presents unique challenges for its devotees; many, like Disl, serve in the military or as border guards in their home countries, where biathletes are able to train as part of …
1974- Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen listened to a vacuum cleaner salesman, then cleaned up at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Bjoerndalen, from Norway, won four gold medals in the biathlon, an event that combines cross-country skiing with target shooting. Amid an Olympiad that featured the stunning success of American figure skater Sarah Hughes, an enthralling gold-med…
1967- Swedish biathlete Madgalena Forsberg was one of the most successful biathletes in history. She was also one of the most popular: fully one-eighth of the population of her native country, Sweden, used to tune in on television to watch her compete, even though before she won the first of her Magdalena Forsberg six overall World Cup titles biathlon was rarely televised at all. Forsberg a…
