Winter Olympics: Biathlon shooting secrets revealed

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Winter Olympics: Biathlon shooting secrets revealed

The biathlon combines cross-country skiing and shooting. Seasoned coach Kris Cheney Seymour explains how an athlete’s heart rate and shooting position come into play during the biathlon, and how both could make all the difference during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

The biathlon is no easy feat.

Athletes must be skilled in both cross-country skiing and shooting to bring home the gold at the Winter Olympics.

Veteran biathlon coach Kris Cheney Seymour gave Fox News an in-depth look at what a biathlete needs to accomplish during the difficult sport.

During the skiing portion, a biathlete will have a heart rate somewhere between 180-200 beats per minute, Seymour explained.

However, when they get up to the shooting portion, they need to bring their heart rate way down to an approximate 130 beats per minute.

"They need to go from maximum exertion and effort to being totally relaxed," he explained.

Next up, the biathletes have to shoot saucer-sized targets from a range of 50 meters while standing up.

"Hopefully they shoot all of the targets down, for those that they don't hit, they will either have to do a penalty loop or have a one-minute penalty added to their time," the coach said.

They also shoot prone, laying on their stomachs at a 45-degree angle.

Their targets this time are "about the size of a silver dollar."

For more on the biathlon, watch the video above.