There will be up to a total of 210 biathletes competing at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics: 105 men and 105 women.

Each nation can send up to six men and six women and can enter a maximum of four biathletes in each event.

Nations ranked one through three will receive a maximum of six quota places. Nations ranked four through ten will receive a maximum of five quota places. Nations ranked eleven through twenty will receive a maximum of four quota places. Other NOCs with athletes earning the necessary IBU qualifying points may be allocated up to a maximum of two quota places.

• Athletes are eligible for selection if they either have earned a maximum of 180 IBU qualifying points by the end of the last trimester before the Games, or by fulfilling one of the following criteria:
  • Participating in two competitions from among the IBU Cup, Open European Championships, World Championships and/or sprint or individual races at World Cup events, earning a maximum of 150 IBU qualifying points
  • Earning two finishes in the top half of the Junior World Championships
  • One result from both the options above
• Eligible athletes who placed in the top six in any sprint, individual, pursuit or mass start race at the 2025 World Championship pre-qualified for the Olympics
• Athletes who do not pre-qualify for the Games based on their 2025 World Championship finish will be evaluated at the following events:
  • Roller ski trials in fall 2025
  • Pre-season on-snow selection races in fall 2025
  • 2025-26 World Cup season
  • 2025-26 IBU Cup Tour season
  • 2025 U.S. Biathlon On-Snow IBUC/WC Trials in December 2025
• Biathlon rosters for the Olympics are expected to be announced in mid-January 2026

• Eligible athletes who placed in the top six in any sprint, individual, pursuit or mass start race at the 2025 World Championship pre-qualified for the Olympics
• Athletes who do not pre-qualify for the Games based on their 2025 World Championship finish will be evaluated at the following events:
  • Roller ski trials in fall 2025
  • Pre-season on-snow selection races in fall 2025
  • 2025-26 World Cup season
  • 2025-26 IBU Cup Tour season
  • 2025 U.S. Biathlon On-Snow IBUC/WC Trials in December 2025
• Biathlon rosters for the Olympics are expected to be announced in mid-January 2026

There will be up to a total of 210 biathletes competing at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics. There are 105 quota spots for men and 105 quota spots for women. Those host country gets four of the total quota spots: two for men and two for women.

Each nation can send up to six men and six women and can enter a maximum of four biathletes in each event.

Italy, the host nation, receives four quota places: two for men and two for women.

Eligible athletes who place in the top six in any sprint, individual, pursuit, or mass start race at the 2025 World Championship (February 2025) will pre-qualify for the Games.

• If the maximum allowable percentage of pre-qualified start spots is exceeded by the top six performances, the following tie-breaking mechanisms will be employed in the order below:
  • Single best World Championships non-team result
  • If two or more athletes have the same single best result, each athlete’s second-best result will be used as the tiebreaker. This tie-break process will continue until the tie is broken (e.g., third-best, fourth-best, etc.)
• If the maximum allowable percentage of pre-qualified start spots have not been filled, additional athletes may pre-qualify for the Games by meeting one of the standards outlined below:
  • Top 25 in the overall World Cup Final ranking for the 2024-25 season
  • Two top ten finishes in World Cup and/or World Championships non-team competitions in the 2024-25 season
• If the maximum allowable percentage of pre-qualified start spots is exceeded, the following tie-breaking mechanisms will be employed in the order below, until the maximum allowable percentage of pre-qualified start spots is reached:
  • Single best non-team result during the 2024-25 World Cup season
  • If two or more athletes have the same single best result, each athlete’s second-best result will be used as the tiebreaker. This tie-break process will continue until the tie is broken (e.g., third-best, fourth-best, etc.

Athletes who do not pre-qualify for the Games based on their 2025 World Championship finish will be evaluated at the following events:

• Roller ski trials in fall 2025
• Pre-season on-snow selection races in fall 2025
• 2025-26 World Cup season
• 2025-26 IBU Cup Tour season
• 2025 U.S. Biathlon On-Snow IBUC/WC Trials in December, 2025
• Biathlon rosters for the Olympics are expected to be announced in mid-January, 2026. 

The Team USA biathlon roster has not yet been announced for Milan Cortina, it's expected to be named in the second or third week of January 2026.

However, Campbell Wright is considered the top American biathlete on the men's side. He earned silver medals in both the sprint and pursuit events at the 2025 World Championships and therefore pre-qualified for the 2026 Olympic Games. However, the official Olympic team has not been selected yet. Deedra Irwin is considered the top American biathlete on the women's side. She placed seventh in the 15km individual event in Beijing.

No, Team USA never has won an Olympic medal in biathlon. It remains the only sport in which the U.S. has not earned a medal at the Winter Olympic Games (besides ski mountaineering, which debuts in 2026). 

Deedra Irwin placed seventh in the women’s 15km individual event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. Irwin's finish was the best ever for the U.S. in an individual Olympic biathlon event.

Campbell Wright is considered the rising star on the U.S. biathlon team. The 23-year-old dual citizen joined Team USA two years ago after competing for New Zealand at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Now, Wright is expected to represent the U.S. at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games and is predicted to be the best shot for Team USA to bring home its first biathlon medal.

In 2025, the Olympian won two silver medals in the men's 10km sprint and the 12.5km pursuit at the Biathlon World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. 

Wright also became the first American to earn the U23 globe in the Biathlon World Cup. The trophy is given to the top under 23 men biathletes in the world.

Campbell Wright has prequalified for the Games and is expected to be named to the Team USA roster in January. Wright is seen as the best chance for the Americans to bring home their first Olympic biathlon medal ever.

Events where Wright could take the podium:

• Men’s 10km sprint on Feb. 13 (Day 7). Wright placed second in this event at the 2025 World Championships.
• Men’s 12.5km pursuit on Feb. 15 (Day 9). Wright finished second in this event at the 2025 World Championships.
• Men’s 15km mass start Feb. 20 (Day 14). Wright finished fourth in this event at the 2025 World Championships.