Biathlon competitions were held for the first time in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Biathlon is a winter Olympic sport that combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting from a prone and standing position at the shooting range. From 1978 to the present time, official competitions have been held using small-caliber weapons, from which targets (five in total) are fired from a distance of 50 m. The diameter of the targets when shooting prone is 45 mm, and when shooting standing - 115 mm.
