# 1980–81 Biathlon World Cup

The 1980–81 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 15 January 1981 in Jáchymov, Czechoslovakia, and ended on 5 April 1981 in Hedenäset, Sweden. It was the fourth season of the Biathlon World Cup, and it was only held for men.

## Calendar

Below is the World Cup calendar for the 1980–81 season.
| Location | Date | Individual | Sprint | Relay |
| Jáchymov | 15–17 January | ● | ● | ● |
| Antholz-Anterselva | 22–25 January | ● | ● | ● |
| Ruhpolding | 29 January–1 February | ● | ● | ● |
| Lahti | 12–15 February | ● | ● | ● |
| Hedenäset | 2–5 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 | 15 January 1981 | Jáchymov | 20 km Individual | Terje Krokstad | Viktor Tsiunel | Jaromír Šimůnek | Terje Krokstad | Detail |
| 1 | 16 January 1981 | Jáchymov | 10 km Sprint | Kjell Søbak | Viktor Avdeyev | Hans Åhman | Kjell Søbak | Detail |
| 2 | 22 January 1981 | Antholz-Anterselva | 20 km Individual | Eirik Kvalfoss | Toivo Mäkikyrö | Anatoly Alyabyev | Kjell Søbak | Detail |
| 2 | 24 January 1981 | Antholz-Anterselva | 10 km Sprint | Anatoly Alyabyev | Piotr Miloradov | Bernd Hellmich | Anatoly Alyabyev | Detail |
| 3 | 28 January 1981 | Ruhpolding | 20 km Individual | Vladimir Alikin | Frank Ullrich | Anatoly Alyabyev | Anatoly Alyabyev | Detail |
| 3 | 31 January 1981 | Ruhpolding | 10 km Sprint | Frank Ullrich | Peter Angerer | Eirik Kvalfoss | Anatoly Alyabyev | Detail |
| WC | 12 February 1981 | Lahti | 20 km Individual | Heikki Ikola | Frank Ullrich | Erkki Antila | Frank Ullrich | Detail |
| WC | 14 February 1981 | Lahti | 10 km Sprint | Frank Ullrich | Erkki Antila | Yvon Mougel | Frank Ullrich | Detail |
| 4 | 2 April 1981 | Hedenäset | 20 km Individual | Fritz Fischer | Peter Angerer | Franz Bernreiter | Frank Ullrich | Detail |
| 4 | 4 April 1981 | Hedenäset | 10 km Sprint | Eirik Kvalfoss | Peter Angerer | Fritz Fischer | Frank Ullrich | Detail |

## Standings: Men
### Overall

| Pos. | | Points |
| 1. | Frank Ullrich | 140 |
| 2. | Anatoly Alyabyev | 130 |
| 3. | Kjell Søbak | 128 |
| 4. | Eirik Kvalfoss | 120 |
| 5. | Peter Angerer | 117 |
* Final standings after 10 races.

## Achievements
### First World Cup career victory

* Terje Krokstad (NOR), 24, in his 4th season — the WC 1 Individual in Jáchymov; first podium was 1978–79 Individual in Jáchymov
* Kjell Søbak (NOR), 23, in his 3rd season — the WC 1 Sprint in Jáchymov; first podium was 1978–79 Individual in Sodankylä
* Eirik Kvalfoss (NOR), 21, in his 1st season — the WC 2 Individual in Antholz-Anterselva; it also was his first podium
* Vladimir Alikin (URS), 23, in his 3rd season — the WC 3 Individual in Ruhpolding; first podium was 1978–79 Individual in Bardufoss
* Heikki Ikola (FIN), 33, in his 4th season — the World Championships Individual in Lahti; first podium was 1977–78 Sprint in Sodankylä
* Fritz Fischer (FRG), 24, in his 2nd season — the WC 4 Individual in Hedenäset; it also was his first podium

### First World Cup podium

* Viktor Ciunkel (URS) — no. 2 in the WC 1 Individual in Jáchymov
* Jaromír Šimůnek (TCH), 25, in his 4th season — no. 3 in the WC 1 Individual in Jáchymov; it also was the first podium for a Czechoslovakian biathlete
* Viktor Avdejev (URS), in his 3rd season — no. 2 in the WC 1 Sprint in Jáchymov
* Hans Åhman (SWE), 28, in his 2nd season — no. 3 in the WC 1 Sprint in Jáchymov; it also was the first podium for a Swedishbiathlete
* Toivo Mäkikyrö (FIN), 23, in his 1st season — no. 2 in the WC 2 Individual in Antholz-Anterselva
* Pjotr Miloradov (URS) — no. 2 in the WC 2 Sprint in Antholz-Anterselva
* Bernd Hellmich (GDR), 22, in his 1st season — no. 3 in the WC 2 Sprint in Antholz-Anterselva
* Peter Angerer (FRG), 21, in his 2nd season — no. 2 in the WC 3 Sprint in Ruhpolding
* Erkki Antila (FIN), 26, in his 4th season — no. 3 in the World Championships Individual in Lahti
* Franz Bernreiter (FRG), 27, in his 2nd season — no. 3 in the WC 4 Individual in Hedenäset

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

* Frank Ullrich (GDR), 2 (10) first places
* Eirik Kvalfoss (NOR), 2 (2) first places
* Anatoly Alyabyev (URS), 1 (2) first place
* Terje Krokstad (NOR), 1 (1) first place
* Kjell Søbak (NOR), 1 (1) first place
* Vladimir Alikin (URS), 1 (1) first place
* Heikki Ikola (FIN), 1 (1) first place
* Fritz Fischer (FRG), 1 (1) first place

## Retirements

Following notable biathletes retired after the 1980–81 season:
* Eberhard Rösch (GDR)
* Sigleif Johansen (NOR)