In case you haven't been watching, the opening ceremony for the 2010 winter games just took place. A lot of events are already underway, including one of my favorites, the biathlon. Biathlon, if you haven't heard of it, is kind of like a cross-country skiing race. It takes place on a cross-country track, the only difference being that the racing is mixed with either two or four rounds of shooting. Half of the shooting rounds are done standing, and the other half prone. Missed targets incur penalties such as extra laps, extra time, or having to shoot an extra cartridge.  Yup, it's pretty awesome that this "drive-by" on skis is an olympic sport. There's also a summer biathlon that is done on foot, roller-ski, mountain bike,  orienteering biathlon and my personal favorite, primitive biathlon, which is done with snowshoes and muzzleloaders. According to wiki, the sport has its roots in an alternative military training for Norwegian soldiers and became an olympic sport in 1960. Over the years, it's gained popularity especially among european countries. 

For those of you China fans, unfortunately, China has yet to medal in the biathlon, primarily because of poor shooting which, as stated before, leads to penalties. This is surprising, especially when you consider that the first medals that China ever received in any olympics were for marksmanship. There is hope yet, however, in Liu Xianying, who has competed in three previous olympics and is expected to at least reach the top 8. Other events that China has been competitive in include speed skating, freestyle skiing, and figure skating. China fans should expect this Winter Olympics to be China's biggest ever as they are sending 94 athletes.