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Para biathlon is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating sports of the Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026: let's go over its history!
This sport combines the strength and endurance of cross-country skiing with the precision and cold-bloodedness of target shooting. It is a symbolic re-enactment of a primordial activity: the hunt in the snow, the long transfers on skis, the encounter with the prey, the coldness of the shooter.
Power and precision, muscular strength to glide over snow, and mental concentration to aim at the target: all these elements summed up are the soul of this sport.
While waiting for Milano Cortina 2026, Fan26 comes to your rescue to tell you everything there is to know about this discipline: let's get ready for the next Paralympic Winter Games together!
From Innsbruck 1988 to Milano Cortina 2026
Biathlon was introduced at the Paralympic Winter Games Innsbruck 1988, for athletes with physical disabilities. Visually impaired athletes began competing in Albertville 1992, while the women's events were incorporated into the Paralympic programme in Lillehammer 1994.
Leading the all-time medal standings is Russia, as the most successful Para biathlon nation. So far, the Russians have collected 66 total medals (24 gold, 27 silver and 15 bronze). Germany ranks second, with 56 medals (23 gold, 14 silver and 19 bronze); while Ukraine closes the podium, despite bringing home a whopping 77 medals, as it "only" has 22 golds, 28 silvers and 27 bronzes.
Lukyanenko, the Most Medal-Winning Athlete
Ukraine, on the back of its 77 medals, can also boast the greatest ever Para biathlon athlete: Vitaliy Lukyanenko. Over the past 18 years - starting with Turin 2006 -, he has collected 12 medals, including 8 golds, 2 silvers and 2 bronzes.
Vitaliy is visually impaired. When his visual injuries were limited, he was involved in cross-country skiing. Later, a significant deterioration of his eyesight limited his coordination and motor skills, leading him to compete in the Paralympic team, and later to become a Para biathlon legend.
His first participation in the Paralympic Games dates back to Nagano 1998, the first real springboard for a career studded with victories at both the World Championships and the World Cup, as well as the Winter Games, of course. At Beijing 2022, he won two titles in a row in the sprint and middle, finishing second in the men's individual sprint for the visually impaired, with guide Borys Babar. Not bad for an athlete at his seventh Paralympic Games!
Bentele, the Pride of Germany
In the women's field, it is impossible not to mention Verena Bentele: a true icon of this sport. With 5 golds and 1 bronze, the German biathlete is the most successful woman in Para biathlon history.
An astonishing career, considering that Bentele retired in 2011 at only 29 years of age, with a prize list of 12 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals (6 in biathlon and 10 in cross-country skiing), in 4 editions of the Paralympic Winter Games, from 1998 to 2010.
The "Snow Queen" grabbed one medal after another. The Paralympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010 were reverently dubbed "Bentelympics" by a TV presenter, due to her almost unbelievable achievements: in biathlon and cross-country skiing, she won five gold medals together with her running partner, Thomas Friedrich.
Victories that seemed almost impossible, given the very serious injury she suffered while competing only a year before the Paralympic event. During the German cross-country skiing championships, after her guide had confused left and right, Bentele fell down a slope into a creek bed, suffering a ruptured cruciate ligament and severe liver and kidney injuries. With a new guide, she fought her way back, wiping out any doubts and fear of another fall, and thus overcame every limit in Vancouver 2010.
Where We Left Off in Beijing 2022
Ukraine's team struggled just to make it to the starting line in Beijing 2022, where it showed its incredible resilience with its best ever overall performance at the Paralympic Winter Games.
With 8 gold medals out of 22, biathlon became their main stage, where they racked up the most podiums.
China, the host nation of the last Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, also bequeathed an important legacy, by winning their first Para biathlon medals, with Chinese athletes leaving an indelible mark on the slopes of Beijing 2022.
And we're not just talking about one or two medals, however great the result would have been for the hosts! China won 12 medals in total - 4 golds, 3 silvers and 6 bronzes -, finishing second in the sport's medals table.
There are not many people who can compete in two Paralympic Games in the space of six months. And even fewer who could do it and win medals. But that is exactly what US athletes Oksana Masters and Kendall Gretsch did, in the women's sitting category in Beijing 2022.
Masters was training from her comeback since PyeongChang 2018, and impressed everyone, by missing only one shot in the entire event at the shooting range, landing on the top step of the podium in the sprint and individual competitions. And Gretsch was the only other woman to successfully challenge her teammate's dominance, winning in the 10km sitting and finishing in the top three in all other races.
Both athletes left Beijing with a string of medals to add to Gretsch's Gold in the Para triathlon at Tokyo 2020, and Masters' victory in Para cycling. Two simply incredible stories.
We look forward to seeing you on the Tesero track in 2026, for more excitement, to discover new talents, and to watch races with heart-stopping finals!
