A revolutionary target system for biathlon enables better coaching and helps athletes independently track their shooting results
The new system has been tested and developed for two years in collaboration with the Vuokatti Sports Technology Unit of the University of Jyväskylä and Vuokatti Sport. This new shooting target technology represents the biggest developmental leap the sport has experienced since the 1980s, when Ilmo Kurvinen, the founder of the company, revolutionisedthe sport by replacing the cardboard and glass targets with metal ones.
“In the new system, after the bullet passes through the acoustic net, it ends up in a lead collector behind the targets,” says Marko Kurvinen, CEO ofSuomen Biathlon Oy. “This way nearly all lead can be recovered from a shooting range. As environmental standards become stricter, this new system can help in building shooting ranges outside biathlon stadiums.”
Immediate feedback on hits for athletes and coaches, and a better viewing experience for TV audiences
Along with lead recovery, this new technology represents a great change for the athletes and coaches as well, who can now receive immediate feedback on shooting performance. The new targets allow coaches to put down their telescopes and observe more than just hits. This in turn enables much better coaching of shooting technique than is possible at so-called normal shooting ranges.
Live spectators and TV viewers also benefit. With the new system, when a bullet enters the acoustic chamber, its exact point of impact is shown not only on the coaches’ devices, but also in TV graphics. This provides real-time information to coaches and judges about the hits and gives TV viewers more to speculate on.
“This new technology, where the athletes themselves can see the hits on a tablet, makes it possible for the coach to monitor overall shooting performance in real time,” says biathlon coach Maija Holopainen from Vuokatti-Ruka Sport Academy. “We can now observe the technique and actual shooting performance instead of staring at the hits on target through a telescope.”
Miika Köykkä, who recently defended his doctoral dissertation on technical factors influencing shooting accuracy in biathlon, also sees the new technology as highly advanced.
“Previously, athletes could not independently monitor the hit points. Usually a coach can only look at one athlete’s hits at a time. A computer-defined hit point is also more accurate than the traditional practice where a coach marks the location of each hit manually on a display board. In addition, the new target system has made it possible to automatically relate the actual hit points to the measured aim point locations.”
Tests at Vuokatti have been very valuable, with feedback based on the user experiences of athletes and coaches.
“The new technology has performed well, mostly over the past year,” Holopainen says. “We use the new shooting range in almost all high-intensity sessions and individual shooting.”
The new technology also lessens the need for maintenance. During a single World Cup week, for example, traditional targets might be painted dozens of times. With this new target system, the need for painting is reduced to a fraction of what it was.
Towards a sustainable future for biathlon
The International Biathlon Union (IBU) has been involved in developing the new target technology for use in biathlon competitions, collecting feedback from athletes and experts.
The new targets were used at three international events during the 2025–2026 season, but not yet at the World Cup or Winter Olympics. For the 2026–2027 season, the aim is to have the new equipment in use as a 30-place set at an international IBU event.
And as environmental standards become stricter, this technology, the result of five years of development, has sparked widespread interest in the biathlon world.
“The market for biathlon targets is geographically highly fragmented,” Marko Kurvinen says. “We have been delighted to see this new technology has generated significant interest in Central Europe as well, which to date has been the strongest region for our German competitor.”
