The Biathlon World Cup in its design is similar to some regular football championship. This is a competition consisting of several stages scattered throughout the season. The winner of the entire tournament is determined by the highest number of points scored at all starts of the World Cup. About how points are awarded in biathlon, and will be discussed below.
Strength is in stability
Biathlon World Cup has been held since 1977. Initially, in order to get points in your individual classification, you had to get into the top 25 in the race. The winner received 25 points, the second winner - 24, etc.
The athlete who finished last in this test zone received 1 point. Then, the rules for scoring in biathlon repeatedly changed until in 2008 they settled on the current version.
The number of participants eligible to receive points has expanded. Now it’s enough to be among the top forty athletes. In order to increase the significance of victory and prizes, they increased the reward for getting into the top three. The race triumph receives 60 points, the second prize winner - 54, the third - 48, etc. Starting from ninth place, the difference is already only one point. Scoring in biathlon according to the organizers of the tournament should lead to the determination of the strongest, and not the most stable athlete.
At the end of the season, points are accumulated at all stages, excluding the two worst, and the winner of the entire World Cup is determined. The champion in total points receives the main prize. The best athletes in individual types are awarded small cups. Races held as part of the World Cup are also an asset to the athlete.
Team prize
Accrual of cup points in biathlon is not only for determining one of the best athlete. In parallel, a country is determined that will receive the Cup of Nations at the end of the season.
This prize is no longer as valuable as an individual World Cup, and is more important for determining the number of athletes that a national team can announce for next season.
Scoring in the biathlon for the Cup of Nations is a slightly different scheme. Among personal races, only disciplines with a separate start are counted - individual race and sprint. For each country, the results of the three best athletes are summarized. Relay race points are awarded on a special scale. The winner receives 420 points, the second winner - 390, the third - 360, etc. The team that came last takes away only 30 points.
As already mentioned, the arrangement in the final table of the Nations Cup is important for determining the quota for athletes for each country. The first 5 best can declare six athletes for the stages of the World Cup.
Mass start
Real-time scoring in biathlon at world championships is important for determining the participants of the final race - mass start. Coaches and athletes have to keep in mind the World Cup standings, because 15 out of 30 places are given to the leaders of the current season.
The remaining tickets are distributed among athletes who have successfully performed at the races of the current World Cup.
That’s all that relates to such a question as scoring in biathlon.