Biathlon is a winter sport combining cross-country skiing with rifle marksmanship. The sport is rooted in the skiing traditions of Scandinavia, where early inhabitants revered the Norse god Ull as both the ski god and the hunting god. Ull’s goddess wife Skadi was also celebrated as a hunter-skier. The combined skills of skiing and rifle marksmanship were first developed by the region’s militaries.

Source: Britannica