The Sport
Imagine a typical day of Scandinavian exercise, then make it violent. Now you’ve got the biathlon.
This Eurocentric sport, which you may have seen broadcast on NBC’s lowest-profile channel during the Winter Olympics, combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Every year, from November to March, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) runs the BMW World Cup, with small alpine villages hosting events throughout almost exclusively central and northern Europe. You read that right… BMW. While American fans have to find the generic international broadcast through the IBU website, mitten-clad, stein-sipping supporters on the continent go crazy for this sport. Check out what makes biathlon so adored in the mountains and backwoods of Europe.
The Competition
This circuit explores the skiing trails of ten stops throughout the winter. Over a hundred athletes from dozens of nations wait at the starting blocks for three or four races every few weekends. The host venues are quite constant, with a new track or change in schedule coming every couple of years. Each venue has its own challenges and legacy, known to the avid followers of biathlon. Think of the different racetracks of the Formula 1 traveling circus. The Monaco Grand Prix has all the glitz and glamor. Le Grand Bornand, the biathlon site in the east of France, always has an electric atmosphere and is close to the action of a great tourist town in Annecy. The Monza F1 track is known as “the temple of speed” for its iconic long straightaway and the high average pace of the cars. When biathletes ski into the Östersund shooting range, they know to expect difficult, windy conditions. Just like the Ferrari engineers analyze a track’s layout and temperature conditions to decide on their car setup and tire choice, Sweden’s ski wax technicians keep their eyes on the snow on the trails so their athletes can corner safely and glide quickly down hills.
The Popularity
Once again, most American sports fans might not expect to hear that biathletes earn a livable wage at all. However, the winner’s prize money on the IBU World Cup is €15000 for just one event. Although not commensurate with a sport like alpine skiing (over €50000 for one win), which has a more global following, this prize money can really add up over the course of a season. With several individual races at each stop, national team relays, and enhanced purses for the Biathlon World Championships, top performers have been able to rake in six figures in recent years.
As with other sports, though, the prize money doesn’t tell the whole story. The highest-profile European competitors partner with globally recognized brands, supplementing their earnings on the track. Dorothea Wierer, an Italian biathlete and two-time overall crystal globe champion, has an agreement with energy drink giant Red Bull. Wierer has certainly been one of the sport’s biggest stars over the past decade. Her charming personality, combined with her reputation for being fast and fearless on the shooting range, has garnered her over 600k instagram followers. Biathletes have commercial appeal across the entire continent of Europe, and the most visible ones earn handsome rewards for their brand partnerships.
The Charm
A biathlon broadcast, similar to those of other intense endurance sports, will have drawn-out instances of serene pictures. The competitors spend the vast majority of their time skiing, so fans witness mostly just their measured skating and occasional change in technique. Although a viewer might yearn for more immediate excitement, to see the best skiers in the world traverse the wooded trails of small alpine towns in Europe has its own undeniable allure. Consider the first 80% of a stage in the Tour de France. Most people wouldn’t care to watch a man ride a bike for four hours, but to see elite athletes pedal through French rolling hills and sunflower fields bears such appeal that the iconic cycling race is the most watched sporting event on the planet.
The exciting moments in the biathlon, because of the steady buildup on the tracks throughout the race, hit all the right notes. At the first shooting stage, fans watch their favorites’ targets with excruciating concentration. If they’re able to get their breathing under control quickly, they could down all five in under thirty seconds and be leading into the second ski loop. If they’re too eager to get their first round away, they could miss three and see their podium hopes dashed a fifth of the way through the race.
Later, as the biathletes enter the range for the final set of targets, the entire crowd is on edge. Viewers at home can hear a pin drop as the leaders, which can be a group of anywhere from one to ten, load their cartridges, praying that they maintain their composure and achieve victory for their country. After each target turns white, indicating a hit, the home crowd cheers with all their might. Five cheers means their favorite competitor still has a chance to win. The biathletes start skiing with renewed intensity, now able to expend all their energy in search of the finish line. As the remaining contenders hit the final hill of the course, the one who has the most oxygen left in their lungs or the most fire left in their gut will make their move. Where they once skated methodically up the rise, they now jump from ski to ski, propelling themselves using their poles and all their courage. They pass their rivals and come around the final bend, desperate to see the stadium and hear the roar of their fans. As the final meter arrives, they lunge one ski forward and barely hold off their toughest challenger. As they collapse to the snow, thousands of drunk, freezing lunatics scream their approval. The biathlon World Cup has dozens of races every year, but the unique excitement of the sport makes each opportunity precious and nail-biting. Tune into the first stop on the circuit, last week in November, in Sweden, and discover your latest sporting obsession.
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