Mixed Relay

The mixed relay made its debut at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games. Two men and two women compete on each mixed relay team, which is simply four sprint-style legs. The same genders, which can be alternated at different competitions, start consecutively and compete at a distance of 6 km (3 x 2 km for each athlete with prone and standing shooting stages). In each shooting stage, the competitor is allowed to use three spare rounds if needed to close their five targets. A 150-meter penalty loop is run for any unclosed targets after the eighth shot is fired. Exchanges between each leg are a tap of the shoulder from the incoming athlete to the outgoing athlete. The first team to cross the finish line is the winner.