The upcoming Winter Olympic Milano Cortina 2026 are eagerly anticipated, with the Olympic Biathlon events expected to be highly competitive. Key events will include the men's 10 km sprint, 20 km individual, 12.5 km pursuit, 15 km mass start, and 4x7.5 km relay, as well as the women's 7.5 km sprint, 15 km individual, 10 km pursuit, 12.5 km mass start, and 4x6 km relay. The mixed relay (4x6 km) will also excite the competition.

Top contenders include Norway, with strong athletes like Johannes Thingnes Bø, France, known for their consistency and recent performances, and Germany, historically dominant with athletes like Denise Herrmann. Sweden is emerging strong with new talents, and as hosts, Italy is expected to perform well, leveraging home advantage. The competition will be held in the beautiful setting of the Italian Alps, promising thrilling races and spectacular scenery.

Over the past few decades, the Olympic biathlon has showcased incredible talent and intense competition. In the 1998 Nagano Olympics, Norway's Halvard Hanevold and Bulgaria's Ekaterina Dafovska secured gold in the men's 20 km individual and women's 15 km individual events, respectively, highlighting Norway, Germany, and Russia as dominant teams. The 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics saw Ole Einar Bjørndalen of Norway and Magdalena Forsberg of Sweden clinch gold in the sprint events, reinforcing Norway's and Germany's prowess. The 2006 Turin Olympics featured Michael Greis from Germany and Svetlana Ishmouratova from Russia as individual champions, with Germany, Russia, and France leading the top teams.

In Vancouver in 2010, France's Vincent Jay and Slovakia's Anastasia Kuzmina triumphed in the sprint events, while France, Germany, and Norway emerged as top teams. The Sochi 2014 Olympics highlighted Martin Fourcade of France and Darya Domracheva of Belarus in individual events, with France, Norway, and Belarus standing out. Pyeongchang 2018 saw Germany's Arnd Peiffer and Laura Dahlmeier excel in the sprint events, continuing Germany's dominance alongside France and Norway. The most recent Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic celebrated Quentin Fillon Maillet of France and Denise Herrmann of Germany as individual gold medalists, with France, Norway, and Germany leading the rankings.