About 200 biathletes from 32 nations, including Argentina, Chile, Greece and Korea, are expected to compete next week. Nelson arranged to hold the World Cup's opening ceremony at the Delta Center during halftime of the Utah Jazz' Feb. 28 game. We are doing this for the Europeans. The sport had its Olympic debut in 1960 at Lake Tahoe, Calif., but women weren't allowed into the Winter Games until the 1992 Albertville Olympics. As they ski into the shooting range, they take off their poles, unsling the rifle, insert a five-round clip, and try to lower their heat rate to about 130.
All events entail shooting from standing as well as prone positions.
For the prone rounds, the target shrinks from 11.5 to 4.5 centimeters, about the size of a silver dollar. She is also the current lead for the World Cup crown and the biathlete to beat next week. Hakkinen is the nation's most promising biathlete since the late 1980s when Josh Thompson was vying with Europe's best for world titles. Hakkinen's excellent skiing keeps him in the hunt for a World Cup podium that has so far eluded him. Subpar marksmanship has led to inconsisent results for the Alaskan.