In biathlon, the targets are small plates mounted 50 meters from the shooting line, and their size depends on the shooting position and event format.

Standard target sizes

  • In individual races , each black scoring disk is 45 mm in diameter when shooting prone (lying down).
  • When shooting standing , the scoring zone is larger at 115 mm in diameter in most modern competitions.

What the layout looks like

Each shooter has five small circular targets to hit in a row per shooting bout; missing means penalties (time added or laps skied).

When hit, these plates flip from black (“unhit”) to white, giving instant visual feedback to athletes and spectators.

Quick comparison table

Situation| Target diameter| Distance from shooter
---|---|---
Prone (individual)| 45 mm| 50 m 139
Standing (individual)| 115 mm| 50 m 139

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.