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Biathlon’s military legacy lives on as Olympic athletes combine sport and service
Many Olympic biathletes serve in military or police programs that provide training, resources, and career security after sports, with U.S. teams achieving historic results, officials say.
- Updated Feb 18, 2026, many biathletes at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics train or serve in military or law enforcement programs that enhance skills and provide post-career jobs.
- Biathlon traces to Scandinavian military exercises and began as military patrol at Chamonix 1924, reflecting its martial origins.
- In Italy's Centro Sportivo Esercito and Germany's programs near Ruhpolding and Oberhof, athletes train daily while learning to be soldiers, with top athletes holding military ranks. Tobias Reiter said athletes secure jobs after retirement.
- Three members of the U.S. team are with the Vermont National Guard and the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, training at Camp Ethan Allen Training Site on 11,000 acres and aiding a recent fifth-place finish.
- Nordic nations Norway and Sweden mostly rely on civilian athletes, with many retired Norwegians like Tiril Eckhoff and Johannes Thingnes Boe becoming broadcasters, while Finnish head coach Erik Torneus-Kulstad says military service is uncommon for athletes.
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Biathlon’s military legacy lives on as Olympic athletes combine sport and service
The sport of biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing with .22-caliber rifles, developed out of Scandinavian military training exercises, so it’s not surprising that many of the biathletes competing at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics have military or law enforcement careers that help them fin
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources17
Leaning Left5Leaning Right0Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution69% Center
Bias Distribution
- 69% of the sources are Center
69% Center
L 31%
C 69%
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