Test yourself, hit the target yourself – your biathlon experience in Filzmoos

Now the Olympic Games have come to an end. Watching all the excitement makes you want to get active yourself, doesn't it? From skiing and snowboarding to cross-country skiing, many of the Olympic sports are represented in Filzmoos. But today we're focusing on just one of these many sports: biathlon. A combination of peak physical performance and mental concentration.

But what exactly is involved? I found out exactly that in a conversation with a biathlon coach right here in Filzmoos.

For those of you who are now thinking, ‘What is biathlon again?’, here's a quick briefing.

Biathlon is a combination of cross-country skiing and shooting. It combines endurance and precision. The athletes complete several laps, between three and twenty kilometres depending on the discipline, which are repeatedly interrupted by shooting intervals. They shoot from a prone and standing position at targets 50 metres away.

The challenge lies in alternating between physical exertion and absolute calm. After strenuous ascents and descents, athletes must control their heart rate, calm their breathing and concentrate on their aim. Each missed shot results in either a penalty lap or a time penalty.

The origins of biathlon go back a long way. Its earliest precursors can be found as far back as the Stone Age: cave paintings and archaeological finds depict hunting scenes on skis. What was once a means of survival later developed into a military discipline. In 1954, biathlon was finally officially recognised as a sport in its own right and in the years that followed it became an integral part of the Winter Olympics.

After this brief look at the history of biathlon, let's turn our attention to Filzmoos. Let's start with how biathlon came to our little mountain village. It all began with the biathlon boom around the 2010’s. Biathlon was on everyone's lips, and the sport was gaining attention. This was also true for the young athletes of the time, of course. The Filzmoos Ski Club seized the opportunity to train its own biathletes. Initially, the Hotel ... mein Neuberghof simply provided the grounds for the Filzmoos Ski Club, until later the idea arose to offer biathlon courses and taster sessions for everyone. This brings us to the present day. Biathlon courses are now offered by our current biathlon hotel, the Neubergerhof, and are available for guests and locals alike.

Do you have to be a biathlon fanatic to take part? No! The aim of these courses is to give interested participants an insight into the efforts our athletes make every day to go from maximum heart rate to complete calm within a matter of seconds. They also show you how to shoot correctly so that you can eventually hit the target yourself. Then you can at least say, ‘Wow, I've tried shooting myself and seen how difficult it actually is.’

As already mentioned, the Neubergerhof offers taster courses as well as private lessons. The courses are always adapted to the participants and their level. The focus of these courses is on the correct execution of the sequence and hitting the targets.

Participants learn the technique of clean shooting, the correct shot pattern and the course of the race. Upon request, a small training race can be held at the end of a taster course to measure the progress made during the day.

And don't worry if cross-country skiing isn't exactly your forte. There have also been sessions where the physical part of biathlon training was not cross-country skiing, but ski touring or snowshoeing. So, if you're curious, don't miss this opportunity, because biathlon is much more than just watching.

photo credits: Foto Atelier Wolkersdorfer