Arm sling: A belt used to stabilize the rifle and the biathlete’s arm while shooting in the prone position

Bindings: They attach to a biathlete's skis by the toe of the boot only, giving their heels the freedom to flex up and down

Clicks: Slight adjustments for wind, sun angle and temperature are made by moving the rear apertures of the rifle sight in different directions. The amount of change is measured by clicks turned. Prior to an event, coaches assist athletes in making adjustments. Coaches chart each shot taken during competition using magnified spotting scopes, but they are not allowed to call out corrections to the athletes during an event.  

Clip/Magazine: Used to hold five .22 caliber rifle cartridges. Up to four clips can be stored in the rifle stock while the biathlete skis the course. At the range, the clips are taken from the stock and inserted into the rifle as needed.  

Chase group: These are biathletes in the pursuit event, who start the race after the gold medalists of the individual and sprint events who are given a head start

Declared rounds: In relay events, eight bullets are carried in each clip. The five-round clips are used first in an attempt to hit all five targets. If more rounds are needed, the extra, declared rounds then may be hand loaded one at a time to attempt to knock down any remaining targets. For each target not hit, the biathlete must ski one penalty loop. 

Firing lane: The 50m (164 feet) space between the firing line and the target in the shooting portion of the competition. Competitors shoot from different lanes

Fortner action: Made by Anschutz, the preferred type of rifle action used in biathlon. The “straight-pull” action is pulled back to eject the spent round and pushed forward to load the next round into the chamber from the magazine. 

Handover zone: Marked by red lines, the area of the relay course where one teammate tags off to the next teammate

International Biathlon Union (IBU): The international governing body of biathlon

Mass start: In mass start events (the men’s 15km, women’s 12.5km and the three relays), all competitors line up across the starting line and start together

Mixed relay: Each mixed relay team is made up of two men and two women. Each person races three laps of 2km (1.24 miles) with two shooting bouts in between. The first competitor for each team starts together, and each subsequent team member begins when tagged by the incoming team member in the relay hand-over zone. The winner is the team whose final member crosses the finish line first.

Relay exchange zone: The area in a relay event where one biathlete is tagged by the incoming team member, allowing the next biathlete to begin racing

Penalty loop: A loop of 150m (just under 500 feet) that must be skied when targets are missed during the sprint, pursuit and relay events. One loop is skied for every missed target. No penalty loops are used in the individual events, instead time is added for each missed target. 

Prone position: The biathlete lies down on their stomach while shooting in this position. The rifle only can be in contact with the athlete’s hands, shoulder and cheek. 

Salting the course: In Alpine and Nordic skiing events, sometimes rock salt is spread on the course. When snow becomes too soft during the day, throwing a layer of salt on the course will cause it to melt slightly and then refreeze overnight. This creates a harder, more desirable course for racing.

Shoot clean: The act of hitting all five targets during one shooting stage, also known as a shooting bout

Shooting mat: A non-slip mat where the biathlete shoots during competition

Sights: A biathlon rifle is equipped with two targeting sights. A biathlete will peer through a rear site, which is attached to the rifle action, just above the firing trigger. The rear sight features two zeroing knobs. One knob adjusts the vertical position of the sight, while the second allows for horizontal changes. A front sight is mounted to the end of the rifle barrel, and has a special snow cover, which is kept closed while an athlete is skiing on the course. Upon entering the shooting range, a biathlete quickly will open the cover before shooting. Neither sight is magnified. 

Skating technique: The most basic cross-country skiing technique used in all Olympic biathlon races; also known as freestyle. Longer poles are used to drive skiers forward, gliding out onto the right leg and then back to the left leg. Variations of this skiing technique are used when climbing hills. 

Sprint event: An all-out sprint emphasizing fast skiing and quick shooting. Biathletes start in 30-second intervals determined by an electronic draw.

Standing position: The shooting position where athletes stand without any support. The rifle only can come in contact with the athlete’s hands, shoulder, cheek and chest next to the shoulder. 

Targets: Targets on the range start out black and once they are hit, a white metal plate flips up in its place. Target area size differs for standing and prone targets: 11.5cm (4.5 inches) in diameter for standing and 4.5cm (less than 2 inches) for prone. 

Wind flags: Flags that help indicate the direction and intensity of the wind during a shooting bout in biathlon competition

Zeroing: The time spent before the race shooting paper targets to align the rifle sights. When zeroed, the rifle is accurate for the particular wind and light conditions on the range at that time. Biathletes also may make adjustments to their sights during a race.