Biathlon’s military legacy lives on as Olympic athletes combine sport and service

ANTERSELVA, Italy (AP) — Biathlon, which combines rifle shooting and cross-country skiing, developed from Scandinavian military training exercises. It’s no surprise then that many of the biathletes competing at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics have military or law enforcement careers that help them hone their skills, support them during competitions and secure jobs when they hang up their skis.

Three members of the U.S. Biathlon team are part of the Vermont National Guard: Staff Sgt. Deedra Irwin, sp. Sean Doherty and Spc. Maxim Germain. Irwin and Doherty are also members of the U.S. Army’s World Class Athlete program.

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Doherty is stationed at the Camp Ethan Allen training site in northern Vermont, where 11,000 acres are home to the Army Mountain Warfare School, the 86th Mountain Infantry Brigade Combat Team and a dedicated biathlon training course and shooting range, said Micah Nevard, director of the U.S. Army National Guard’s biathlon program.

Doherty said he has trained there since he started playing the sport.

“As my career in sports progressed, I realized that the support and benefits of the National Guard would extend my career and provide resources and support independent of the national team, as well as support and opportunities after my athletic career ended,” he told The Associated Press.

The discipline needed to be a professional athlete fits well with the structure needed to be an Army soldier, he said.

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“I would also say that the military provides a counterpoint to the small world of elite sport, taking you out of your comfort zone a little bit,” he said. “It’s a powerful thing to know you have so much support behind you, and support that goes beyond just your racing career allows you to fully commit to being your best.”

Many European biathletes have ties to the military or law enforcement

It’s not just an American thing. Gold medalists Lou Jeanmonnot and Éric Perrot both hold the rank of Sergeant in the French Army. Lisa Vittozzi, who secured Italy’s first Olympic gold medal in the sport by winning the pursuit on Sunday, is a member of the Italian Army sports group Centro Sportivo Impero. Italy supports its top athletes through prestigious military sports bodies.

In Germany, being a biathlete opens doors to work with the police or army after retiring from competition, German biathlon coach Tobias Reiter said.

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When they start, German biathletes do two hours of training in the morning and afternoon, Reiter said. Meanwhile, they spend time in class learning to become a soldier or officer at bases near Ruhpolding or Oberhof, Germany’s two World Cup biathlon venues.

When the athlete retires from competition, he or she will have a job for life, he said.

German biathlete Philipp Nawrath works as a sergeant in the Bavarian state police. Retired German Olympians Erik Lesser and Arnd Peiffer followed the program and now have secure careers.

Peiffer attended sports school to become a federal police officer and then a full-time World Cup biathlete. He had a successful career – he was an Olympic gold medalist, world champion and World Cup medalist – before retiring in 2021. He is now a federal officer and helps young athletes pursue their careers, he told the AP during an interview in Anterselva.

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“I think it’s a great support,” he said of the program. “You can’t become an athlete when you’re 20. You don’t have prize money and it’s up to your parents. So I actually think it’s a good system because young athletes, who don’t have parents who have a lot of money, are able to play sports if they’re good.”

It also protects athletes in case things go wrong, he said.

“I knew, maybe when I get sick or have an injury, I always have a job,” he said. “I have insurance.”

Military ties are not as strong in the Nordic countries

The origins of biathlon can be traced back to military exercises in Scandinavia. The sport was called military patrol at the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix in 1924.

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But the military connection isn’t as strong these days in Norway and Sweden, two of the sport’s leading nations, whose biathletes are mostly civilians.

Siegfried Mazet, the coach of the Norwegian team, said Norway has no programs that prepare biathletes for military service after retirement.

Many Norwegians who stopped competing, such as Tiril Eckhoff and Johannes Thingnes Boe, became television commentators.

Finnish coach Erik Torneus-Kulstad said that in Finland some biathletes will work in the army, but it is not mandatory nor common.

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics