What is course safety in Biathlon?

Section 8: Safety Considerations

Range Officer authority: The Range Officer has absolute authority to halt competition if any safety concern arises on the range. All athletes must comply immediately.
Barrel direction: When carrying the rifle on the harness, the barrel must point straight up at all times. When transitioning to/from the shooting position, the rifle must remain pointed downrange.
Rifle inspection: All rifles are inspected before competition for mechanical safety, proper bolt function, and compliance with IBU specifications.
Range clearance: The range is cleared and inspected between competition groups. No personnel may be forward of the firing line during live shooting.
Backstop: Behind the targets, a bullet-proof backstop (earth berm or engineered stop) is required to contain all rounds.

Course marking: Entire course marked with coloured flags and directional arrows. Sharp corners and steep descents marked with additional caution signs.
Medical stations: Medical personnel positioned at regular intervals along the course with radio communication to the stadium medical facility.
Temperature limits: Competition may be postponed or cancelled if the ambient temperature falls below −20°C (−4°F) at the coldest point on the course. Wind chill is factored into the assessment.
Visibility: Minimum visibility requirements for both skiing (course navigation) and shooting (target identification at 50 m).

Storage: Ammunition transported and stored per IBU safety regulations. Athletes are responsible for their own ammunition supply and must ensure no loose rounds are on the course.
Cold-weather reliability: Athletes test ammunition in competition-temperature conditions during training. Misfires must be safely ejected and reported to the Range Officer.
Lead-free ammunition: IBU is evaluating lead-free rimfire options for environmental and health reasons, though conventional lead-core .22 LR remains the competition standard as of 2026.

Range Officer authority: The Range Officer has absolute authority to halt competition if any safety concern arises on the range. All athletes must comply immediately.
Barrel direction: When carrying the rifle on the harness, the barrel must point straight up at all times. When transitioning to/from the shooting position, the rifle must remain pointed downrange.
Rifle inspection: All rifles are inspected before competition for mechanical safety, proper bolt function, and compliance with IBU specifications.
Range clearance: The range is cleared and inspected between competition groups. No personnel may be forward of the firing line during live shooting.
Backstop: Behind the targets, a bullet-proof backstop (earth berm or engineered stop) is required to contain all rounds.

Course marking: Entire course marked with coloured flags and directional arrows. Sharp corners and steep descents marked with additional caution signs.
Medical stations: Medical personnel positioned at regular intervals along the course with radio communication to the stadium medical facility.
Temperature limits: Competition may be postponed or cancelled if the ambient temperature falls below −20°C (−4°F) at the coldest point on the course. Wind chill is factored into the assessment.
Visibility: Minimum visibility requirements for both skiing (course navigation) and shooting (target identification at 50 m).

Storage: Ammunition transported and stored per IBU safety regulations. Athletes are responsible for their own ammunition supply and must ensure no loose rounds are on the course.
Cold-weather reliability: Athletes test ammunition in competition-temperature conditions during training. Misfires must be safely ejected and reported to the Range Officer.
Lead-free ammunition: IBU is evaluating lead-free rimfire options for environmental and health reasons, though conventional lead-core .22 LR remains the competition standard as of 2026.