The Biathlon World Cup is a top-level biathlon season-long competition series. It has been held since the winter seasons of 1977–78 for men and 1982–83 for women. The women's seasons until 1986–87 season were called the European Cup, although participation was not restricted to Europeans.

Competition and format

The World Cup season lasts from November or December to late March, with meetings in a different venue every week excluding some holidays and a couple of weeks before the season's major championships (World Championships or Winter Olympics). All in all, the season comprises nine to ten meetings, with events taking place from Wednesday–Thursday through Sunday. Relay competitions are held four to six times per season. Formerly counted as World Cup events were World Championships (the last Championship to count towards the World Cup were held in Pokljuka, Slovenia 2021) and Winter Olympics events (the last Olympics to count towards the World Cup were the 2010 Winter Olympics: from the 2014 Winter Olympics competitors are no longer awarded World Cup points for their Olympic performances).

The athlete with the highest overall total score (i.e. total score for all disciplines) of the World Cup season is awarded the Big Crystal Globe trophy. A Small Crystal Globe trophy is awarded for the first place in the season total for each discipline. Hence, it is possible for an athlete to win both the Big Crystal Globe and Small Crystal Globes for the same World Cup season.

The tables given below provide an overview of the highest-ranking biathletes and nations of each WC season. For sprint/individual/pursuit/mass start first place gives 90 points, 2nd place – 75 pts, 3rd place – 65 pts, 4th place – 55 pts, 5th place – 50 pts, 6th place – 45 pts, 7th – 41 pts, 8th – 37 points, 9th – 34 points, 10th – 31 points, then linearly decreasing by one point down to the 40th place. In Equal placings (ties) give an equal number of points. The mass start from 22nd to 30th has different way of points giving. The sum of all WC points of the season, less the points from an IBU-predetermined number of events (e.g. 2), gives the biathlete's total WC score.

From 1985 to 2000, WC points were awarded so that the first four places gave 30, 26, 24, and 22 points, respectively, and then the 5th to 25th place gave 21, 20, ..., down to 1 point. Before this, points were simply awarded linearly from 25 to 1.

As of February 2024, meetings have primarily been held in Europe and North America; the only other places to have hosted meetings that weren't the World Championships or the Winter Olympics, are Nagano, Japan in 1996–97, and Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2007–08 and 2016–17.

Overall winners Individual total men Romanization of Cyrillic script-based names follows the IBU's athlete records. See the List of IOC country codes for expansions of country abbreviations.

SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird place 1977–78 Frank Ullrich Klaus Siebert Eberhard Rösch 1978–79 Klaus Siebert Frank Ullrich Vladimir Barnashov 1979–80 Frank Ullrich Klaus Siebert (2) Eberhard Rösch (2) 1980–81 Frank Ullrich Anatoly Alyabyev Kjell Søbak 1981–82 Frank Ullrich (4) Matthias Jacob Kjell Søbak (2) 1982–83 Peter Angerer Eirik Kvalfoss Frank Ullrich 1983–84 Frank-Peter Roetsch Peter Angerer Eirik Kvalfoss 1984–85 Frank-Peter Roetsch Juri Kashkarov Peter Angerer 1985–86 André Sehmisch Peter Angerer (2) Matthias Jacob 1986–87 Frank-Peter Roetsch (3) Fritz Fischer Jan Matouš 1987–88 Fritz Fischer Eirik Kvalfoss Johann Passler 1988–89 Eirik Kvalfoss Alexandr Popov Sergei Tchepikov 1989–90 Sergei Tchepikov Eirik Kvalfoss (3) Valeriy Medvedtsev 1990–91 Sergei Tchepikov (2) Mark Kirchner Andreas Zingerle 1991–92 Jon Åge Tyldum Mikael Löfgren Sylfest Glimsdal 1992–93 Mikael Löfgren Mark Kirchner (2) Pieralberto Carrara 1993–94 Patrice Bailly-Salins Sven Fischer Frank Luck 1994–95 Jon Åge Tyldum (2) Patrick Favre Wilfried Pallhuber 1995–96 Vladimir Drachev1 Viktor Maigourov Sven Fischer 1996–97 Sven Fischer Ole Einar Bjørndalen Viktor Maigourov 1997–98 Ole Einar Bjørndalen Ricco Groß Sven Fischer 1998–99 Sven Fischer (2) Ole Einar Bjørndalen Frank Luck 1999–00 Raphaël Poirée Ole Einar Bjørndalen Sven Fischer 2000–01 Raphaël Poirée Ole Einar Bjørndalen Frode Andresen 2001–02 Raphaël Poirée Pavel Rostovtsev Ole Einar Bjørndalen 2002–03 Ole Einar Bjørndalen Vladimir Drachev1 Ricco Groß 2003–04 Raphaël Poirée (4) Ole Einar Bjørndalen Ricco Groß 2004–05 Ole Einar Bjørndalen Sven Fischer (2) Raphaël Poirée 2005–06 Ole Einar Bjørndalen Raphaël Poirée Sven Fischer (4) 2006–07 Michael Greis Ole Einar Bjørndalen (6) Raphaël Poirée (2) 2007–08 Ole Einar Bjørndalen Dmitri Yaroshenko Emil Hegle Svendsen 2008–09 Ole Einar Bjørndalen (6) Tomasz Sikora Emil Hegle Svendsen (2) 2009–10 Emil Hegle Svendsen Christoph Sumann Ivan Tcherezov 2010–11 Tarjei Bø Emil Hegle Svendsen Martin Fourcade 2011–12 Martin Fourcade Emil Hegle Svendsen Andreas Birnbacher 2012–13 Martin Fourcade Emil Hegle Svendsen Dominik Landertinger 2013–14 Martin Fourcade Emil Hegle Svendsen (4) Johannes Thingnes Bø 2014–15 Martin Fourcade Anton Shipulin Jakov Fak 2015–16 Martin Fourcade Johannes Thingnes Bø Anton Shipulin 2016–17 Martin Fourcade Anton Shipulin (2) Johannes Thingnes Bø (2) 2017–18 Martin Fourcade (7) Johannes Thingnes Bø Anton Shipulin (2) 2018–19 Johannes Thingnes Bø Alexandr Loginov Quentin Fillon Maillet 2019–20 Johannes Thingnes Bø Martin Fourcade Quentin Fillon Maillet 2020–21 Johannes Thingnes Bø Sturla Holm Lægreid Quentin Fillon Maillet (3) 2021–22 Quentin Fillon Maillet Sturla Holm Lægreid Sebastian Samuelsson 2022–23 Johannes Thingnes Bø Sturla Holm Lægreid Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen 2023–24 Johannes Thingnes Bø (5) Tarjei Bø Johannes Dale-Skjevdal 2024–25 Sturla Holm Lægreid Johannes Thingnes Bø (3) Éric Perrot 2025–26 Éric Perrot Sturla Holm Lægreid (4) Johan-Olav Botn

Statistics by athlete

Statistics by country

Individual total women Romanization of Cyrillic script-based names follows the IBU's athlete records. See the List of IOC country codes for expansions of country abbreviations. The women's World Cup seasons until 1986–87 were actually called the European Cup, although participation was open to biathletes of all nationalities. Until 1987–88, women raced on shorter tracks than they do today. The 1988–89 season was the first in which women raced on tracks of the same length that they do nowadays.

SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird place 1982–83 Gry Østvik Siv Bråten Aino Kallunki 1983–84 Mette Mestad Sanna Grønlid Gry Østvik 1984–85 Sanna Grønlid Eva Korpela Kaija Parve 1985–86 Eva Korpela Sanna Grønlid (2) Lise Meloche 1986–87 Eva Korpela (2) Anne Elvebakk Sanna Grønlid 1987–88 Anne Elvebakk Elin Kristiansen Nadezhda Aleksieva 1988–89 Elena Golovina Natalia Prikazchikova Svetlana Davidova 1989–90 Jiřina Adamičková Anne Elvebakk (2) Elena Golovina 1990–91 Svetlana Davidova Myriam Bédard Anne Elvebakk 1991–92 Anfisa Reztsova Anne Briand Petra Schaaf1 1992–93 Anfisa Reztsova (2) Myriam Bédard (2) Anne Briand 1993–94 Svetlana Paramygina Nathalie Santer Anne Briand (2) 1994–95 Anne Briand Svetlana Paramygina Uschi Disl 1995–96 Emmanuelle Claret Uschi Disl Petra Behle1 (2) 1996–97 Magdalena Forsberg Uschi Disl Simone Greiner 1997–98 Magdalena Forsberg Uschi Disl (3) Martina Zellner1998–99 Magdalena Forsberg Olena Zubrilova Uschi Disl1999–00 Magdalena Forsberg Olena Zubrilova (2) Corinne Niogret2000–01 Magdalena Forsberg Liv Grete Poirée Olena Zubrilova2001–02 Magdalena Forsberg (6) Liv Grete Poirée (2) Uschi Disl (3)2002–03 Martina Glagow Albina Akhatova Sylvie Becaert2003–04 Liv Grete Poirée Olga Pyleva Sandrine Bailly2004–05 Sandrine Bailly Kati Wilhelm Olga Pyleva2005–06 Kati Wilhelm Anna Carin Olofsson Martina Glagow2006–07 Andrea Henkel Kati Wilhelm Anna Carin Olofsson2007–08 Magdalena Neuner Sandrine Bailly Andrea Henkel2008–09 Helena Jonsson2 Kati Wilhelm (3) Tora Berger2009–10 Magdalena Neuner Simone Hauswald Helena Jonsson22010–11 Kaisa Mäkäräinen Andrea Henkel Helena Ekholm2 (2)2011–12 Magdalena Neuner (3) Darya Domracheva Tora Berger (2)2012–13 Tora Berger Darya Domracheva (2) Andrea Henkel (2)2013–14 Kaisa Mäkäräinen— Darya Domracheva Tora Berger (2)32014–15 Darya Domracheva Kaisa Mäkäräinen Valentyna Semerenko2015–16 Gabriela Soukalová4 Marie Dorin Habert Dorothea Wierer2016–17 Laura Dahlmeier Gabriela Koukalová4 Kaisa Mäkäräinen2017–18 Kaisa Mäkäräinen (3) Anastasiya Kuzmina Darya Domracheva (2)2018–19 Dorothea Wierer Lisa Vittozzi Anastasiya Kuzmina2019–20 Dorothea Wierer (2) Tiril Eckhoff Denise Herrmann2020–21 Tiril Eckhoff Marte Olsbu Røiseland Franziska Preuß2021–22 Marte Olsbu Røiseland Elvira Öberg Lisa Theresa Hauser2022–23 Julia Simon Dorothea Wierer Lisa Vittozzi2023–24 Lisa Vittozzi Lou Jeanmonnot Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold2024–25 Franziska Preuß Lou Jeanmonnot (2) Julia Simon2025–26 Lou Jeanmonnot Hanna Öberg Lisa Vittozzi (2) Notes 1 Petra Schaaf married XC skier and later German national XC ski team coach Jochen Behle. 2 Helena Jonsson married fellow biathlete David Ekholm in 2010. 3 Kaisa Mäkäräinen was the winner at the conclusion of the season with Tora Berger 2nd. However, the results of Olga Zaitseva were later annulled due to doping offences. The recalculation would have given overall world cup win to Berger, but the IBU made the decision based on the principle that clean athletes cannot be punished for the doping offenses of others. 4 Gabriela Soukalová took the name Koukalová when she married professional badminton player Petr Koukal in 2016. They divorced in 2020.

Statistics by athlete

Statistics by country

Individual total U25 / U23 The U25 and U23 classifications were introduced in the Biathlon World Cup to recognize the best young biathletes under the age of 25 and under the age of 23, respectively. The titles are awarded based on the total points accumulated in all individual competitions throughout the season. The U25 category was contested from the 2020–21 season until 2023–24, while the U23 category replaced it starting from the 2024–25 season. Below are the podium finishers for both men and women since the inception of the classifications, as well as medal tables by country.

Men's U25 / U23

SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird placeU25 2020–21 Sturla Holm Lægreid Johannes Dale Sebastian Samuelsson 2021–22 Sturla Holm Lægreid (2) Sebastian Samuelsson Sivert Guttorm Bakken 2022–23    Niklas Hartweg Tommaso Giacomel    Sebastian Stalder 2023–24 Tommaso Giacomel Éric Perrot Didier BionazU23 2024–25 Campbell Wright Vitalii Mandzyn Isak Frey 2025–26 Isak Leknes Frey Vitalii Mandzyn (2) Konrad Badacz

Statistics by country

Women's U25 / U23 SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird placeU25 2020–21 Dzinara Alimbekava Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold Markéta Davidová 2021–22 Elvira Öberg Markéta Davidová Vanessa Voigt 2022–23 Elvira Öberg Lou Jeanmonnot Sophie Chauveau 2023–24 Elvira Öberg (3) Juni Arnekleiv Tereza VoborníkováU23 2024–25 Océane Michelon Jeanne Richard Selina Grotian 2025–26 Maren Kirkeeide Julia Tannheimer Selina Grotian (2)

Statistics by country

Individual discipline titles

Men's titles