The 1924 military patrol event is the only Olympic competition of its kind officially recognized with medals, predating modern biathlon by 36 years.
Key Facts
- Date
- Tuesday, January 29, 1924
- Distance
- 25 km
- Team size
- 4 members per team
- Target
- Balloons at 150 metres
- Teams finished
- 4 of 6 started
- Years until biathlon became official
- 36 years
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Military patrol—a team skiing and shooting discipline rooted in military training—was included in the inaugural 1924 Winter Olympics program at Chamonix, France. Although some sources misclassified it as a demonstration event, both the Official Report and the IOC's results database confirm it carried official medal status.
On January 29, 1924, six four-man teams competed over a 25 km course, shooting at balloon targets set at 150 metres. Italy and Poland withdrew due to poor conditions, leaving only four teams to finish the event. The IOC now recognizes the competition as a distinct discipline separate from skiing or biathlon.
The event was demonstrated at subsequent Winter Games in 1928, 1936, and 1948, but those results remained unofficial. It took 36 years before the modern descendant of the sport, biathlon, became an official Winter Olympic discipline, establishing a lasting legacy for the 1924 competition.
Result
at Chamonix, France