Ammunition
The .22-calibre rifle bullets used to shoot at the biathlon targets.

Arm Sling
A belt used to stabilize the rifle and the biathlete’s arm while shooting in the prone position.

Clicks
Slight adjustments an athlete makes to the rifle's sight, taking the wind and sun into account. The amount of change is measured by clicks turned.

Clip
See magazine.

Firing Lane
The 50-metre space between the firing line and the target in the shooting portion of the biathlon competition. Competitors shoot from different lanes.

Freestyle Technique
A technique resembling a skating motion, freestyle involves pushing one ski outward with the ski angled so that the inner edge is driven against the snow. Transferring weight completely from one ski to the next is essential. Poles are planted simultaneously using a double pole motion. Also called skate skiing.

Harness
Shoulder straps athletes use to carry the rifle.

Handover Zone
Marked by red lines, the area of the relay course where one teammate tags off to the next teammate.

Magazine
A device that holds five .22-calibre cartridges.

Simultaneous Start
A start where all athletes begin skiing at once. The Olympic mass start and relay events use the simultaneous start.

Penalty Loop
The 150-metre loop an athlete must ski when a target is missed in the sprint, relay, pursuit and mass start events. One missed target equals one penalty loop. No penalty loops are used in the individual events — instead, a one-minute penalty is added for each miss.

Prone
The position where athletes shoot while lying down. The rifle can only be in contact with the racer's hands, shoulder and cheek.

Range
The biathlon shooting area where the distance to the targets is 50 metres from the firing line.

Rifle
A single loading .22-calibre rifle is used for competition. Rifles include a muzzle cover (used to keep snow from entering the muzzle), a fore sight and rear sight to aid in aligning the target, and a magazine, which holds five cartridges.

Shoot Clean
To hit all five targets during one shooting stage.

Shooting Mat
A non-slip mat from which the biathlete shoots.

Standing
The shooting position where athletes stand without any support. The rifle can only come in contact with the athlete's hands, shoulder, cheek and chest next to the shoulder.

Targets
Each biathlete must shoot at five round, black metal circles in horizontal display. When shooting in the prone position, the target diameter is 45 millimetres. When shooting in the standing position, the target diameter is 115 millimetres.

Wind Flags
Flags in the shooting range indicating wind direction and intensity.

Zero
Before the start of competition, biathletes shoot at paper targets to align the rifle sights. This process ensures that the rifle’s settings are accurate for the particular wind and light conditions on the range.

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