Military patrol

This article is about the winter sport. For the military tactic, see Patrolling.
Start of a German Reichswehr military training patrol team in the Giant Mountains, January 1932.

Military patrol is a team winter sport in which athletes compete in cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Formerly ski mountaineering was also part of the sport. It is usually contested between countries or military units.

The military patrol competition encompasses 20 km cross-country skiing (15 km for women) and rifle shooting. The size of the patrol is four members, one leader and 3 members. The leader does not take part in shooting. The rules[1] are very similar to modern biathlon.

Military patrol forms part of the International Military Sports Council (Conseil International du Sport Militaire, or CISM) skiing championships starting in 1929. It was in the official programme of the Winter Olympic Games in 1924 Chamonix,[nb 1] and on three occasions as a demonstration sport (1928, 1936 and 1948). In 1924, the military patrol team member Camille Mandrillon took the Olympic Oath on behalf of the competitors.[2]

  1. ^ "CISM REGULATIONS FOR SKIING 2023". International Military Sports Council. p. 10. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  2. ^ "Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games" (PDF). Factsheet. International Olympic Committee. 21 June 2012. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2013.


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