Individual

The 20 km is the oldest of the biathlon disciplines. The athletes start at 30 second intervals and must cover a course which has an overall rise and fall between 600 and 750 meters and shoot 20 shots during four shooting sessions. The competition consists of a series of five shots at five targets after completion of a 4 km section of the course, the sequence repeated for another three shooting sessions. Competitors then cover another last circuit of 4 km before crossing the finishing line. Shooting is carried out in this sequence: prone, standing, prone, standing. For each target missed there is a penalty of 1 minute to be added to the total race time.

Sprint

The athletes start at 30 second intervals and must cover an overall distance of 10 km which has an overall rise and fall of between 300 and 450 meters: the length of the women's course is 7.5 km. There are two shooting series each of five targets: prone, then standing. For each target missed the athlete must ski a penalty loop of 150 m.

Pursuit

The competitors in this event are the first 60 athletes to finish in the qualifying event (which could be either the sprint or individual). Starting positions depend on the athletes' order of arrival in the qualifier: the winner starts first; the others follow at intervals determined by their arrival times in the qualifier.

The men race over a course of 12.5 km (women's 10 km), with 4 shooting sessions, one every 2-2.5 km: the first two prone, the next two standing.