EXPLAINER: Biathlon combines physical demands, mental calm

By MARTHA BELLISLE
Associated Press

ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — One analogy often used to describe how it feels to compete in a biathlon race goes like this: “Run up 20 flights of stairs as fast as you can and then try to thread a needle.”  U.S. biathlete Jake Brown says biathlon is the marriage of “two totally unrelated things.” One is physical and the other is mostly mental. Dealing with mental demands while under physical duress is the challenge of the sport. Olympic biathlete Lowell Bailey says it’s a great spectator sport. It’s triple the drama of ski racing because as the race develops, the lead can shift depending on how the racers are shooting.