# 1978–79 Biathlon World Cup

The 1978–79 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the UIPMB (Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne et Biathlon). The season started on 10 January 1979 in Jáchymov, Czechoslovakia, and ended on 8 April 1979 in Bardufoss, Norway. It was the second season of the Biathlon World Cup, and it was only held for men.

## Calendar

Below is the World Cup calendar for the 1978–79 season.
| Location | Date | Individual | Sprint | Relay |
| Jáchymov | 10–12 January | ● | ● | ● |
| Antholz-Anterselva | 21–24 January | ● | ● | ● |
| Ruhpolding | 28 February–2 March | ● | ● | ● |
| Sodankylä | 30 March–1 April | ● | ● | ● |
| Bardufoss | 6–8 April | ● | ● | ● |
| Total | Total | 5 | 5 | 5 |
*The relays were technically unofficial races as they did not count towards anything in the World Cup.

## World Cup Podium
### Men

| Stage | Date | Place | Discipline | Winner | Second | Third | Yellow bib (After competition) | Det. |
| 1 | 10 January 1979 | Jáchymov | 20 km Individual | Roar Nilsen | Eberhard Rösch | Terje Krokstad | Roar Nilsen | Detail |
| 1 | 11 January 1979 | Jáchymov | 10 km Sprint | Rudolf Horn | Frank Ullrich | Terje Krokstad | Terje Krokstad | Detail |
| 2 | 21 January 1979 | Antholz-Anterselva | 20 km Individual | Vladimir Barnashov | Heinz Böttcher | Klaus Siebert | Terje Krokstad | Detail |
| 2 | 23 January 1979 | Antholz-Anterselva | 10 km Sprint | Alexander Tikhonov | Vladimir Barnashov | Klaus Siebert | Vladimir Barnashov | Detail |
| WC | 28 January 1979 | Ruhpolding | 20 km Individual | Klaus Siebert | Alexander Tikhonov | Sigleif Johansen | Klaus Siebert | Detail |
| WC | 31 January 1979 | Ruhpolding | 10 km Sprint | Frank Ullrich | Odd Lirhus | Luigi Weiss | Klaus Siebert | Detail |
| 3 | 30 March 1979 | Sodankylä | 20 km Individual | Anatoly Alyabyev | Klaus Siebert | Kjell Søbak | Klaus Siebert | Detail |
| 3 | 31 March 1979 | Sodankylä | 10 km Sprint | Klaus Siebert | Kjell Søbak | Vladimir Barnashov | Klaus Siebert | Detail |
| 4 | 6 April 1979 | Bardufoss | 20 km Individual | Alexander Tikhonov | Frank Ullrich | Vladimir Alikin | Klaus Siebert | Detail |
| 4 | 7 April 1979 | Bardufoss | 10 km Sprint | Sigleif Johansen | Vladimir Barnashov | Klaus Siebert | Klaus Siebert | Detail |

## Standings: Men
### Overall

| Pos. | | Points |
| 1. | Klaus Siebert | 143 |
| 2. | Frank Ullrich | 136 |
| 3. | Vladimir Barnashov | 128 |
| 4. | Alexander Tikhonov | 114 |
| 5. | Eberhard Rösch | 114 |
* Final standings after 10 races.

## Achievements
### First World Cup career victory

* Roar Nilsen (NOR), 26, in his 2nd season — the WC 1 Individual in Jáchymov; it also was his first podium
* Rudolf Horn (AUT), 24, in his 2nd season — the WC 1 Sprint in Jáchymov; it also was his first podium and the first podium for an Austrian biathlete
* Alexander Tikhonov (URS), 32, in his 2nd season — the WC 2 Sprint in Antholz-Anterselva; first podium was 1977–78 Sprint in Sodankylä
* Anatoly Alyabyev (URS), 27, in his 2nd season — the WC 3 Individual in Sodankylä; first podium was 1977–78 Individual in Murmansk

### First World Cup podium

* Terje Krokstad (NOR), 22, in his 2nd season — no. 3 in the WC 1 Individual in Jáchymov
* Luigi Weiss (ITA), 27, in his 2nd season — no. 3 in the World Championships Sprint in Ruhpolding; it also was the first podium for an Italian biathlete
* Kjell Søbak (NOR), 21, in his 1st season — no. 3 in the WC 3 Individual in Sodankylä
* Vladimir Alikin (URS), 21, in his 1st season — no. 3 in the WC 4 Individual in Bardufoss

### Victory in this World Cup (all-time number of victories in parentheses)

* Klaus Siebert (GDR), 2 (5) first places
* Alexander Tikhonov (URS), 2 (2) first places
* Frank Ullrich (GDR), 1 (4) first place
* Vladimir Barnashov (URS), 1 (2) first place
* Sigleif Johansen (NOR), 1 (2) first place
* Roar Nilsen (NOR), 1 (1) first place
* Rudolf Horn (AUT), 1 (1) first place
* Anatoly Alyabyev (URS), 1 (1) first place