Is the gun revolution in biathlon approaching?

Is the sport of biathlon threatened by serious change in the near future?

If the rules of the European Union win their favor, the popular winter sport could soon experience a real gun revolution. In the future, the EU will no longer use lead in ammunition fired outdoors. This emerges from a statement from the European Chemicals Agency ECHA. (NEWS: Biathlon fight against impending EU ban)

This is intended to minimize “risks to human health and the environment”, lead compounds are harmful to both humans and animals.

Laser weapons as a solution?

The practice of biathlon with traditional weapons would therefore no longer be practicable, which is why several national associations are already looking for alternatives. Former Swedish biathlete Björn Ferry taught at the end of October Sports SVT For example, the variant of electronic shooting comes into play:

“You have to find a different type of ammunition or switch to lasers, and I think that will come with time in biathlon and sports shooting,” said the 2010 Olympic champion, who was in favor of moving away from “real ammunition”. At the same time, he also admitted that the sport of biathlon “was not at all ready” for such a big change. (NEWS: All about biathlon)

However, the Swede is also facing opposition from his own camp for his train of thought. Sebastian Samuelsson, who currently plays for the national team, is skeptical:

“I’m probably a little old fashioned,” the 25-year-old said Sports SVT, “But I think part of the appeal of biathlon lies in the real guns that pop a little and are affected by the wind. If we switch to the laser, it makes less noise and the wind suddenly doesn’t matter. I like how it is. “