Sport Biathlon Jurisdiction Australia Founded 1970s | Category Sporting Association Abbreviation ABA | |
Affiliation date International Biathlon Union | ||
Australian Biathlon Association is the organization that oversees the sport of Biathlon in Australia. It is affiliated with the International Biathlon Union, the Australian Olympic Committee and the Australian Sports Commission.
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History
The full name of the Australian Biathlon Association is Australian/Victorian Biathlon Association Inc. This reveals both the history and perpetual major funder of the sport of biathlon in Australia. Originally the North East Victoria Biathlon Association, the organising body for the sport of biathlon in Australia evolved to become the Victorian Biathlon Association, and finally the Australian/Victorian Biathlon Association in the early 1980s. Known as the ABA, the majority of members are still Victorian residents, but there are members who travel from Queensland and Western Australia to take part in this Olympic sport each Australian winter. Australia first sent a participant to the Winter Olympic Games at Sarajevo in 1984 (Andrew Paul, VIC) and the first woman biathlete Olympian was Kerryn Rim, Australia's highest Olympic performer, placing 8th in Women's 15 km Individual race in 1994.
Structure
The Australian Biathlon Association's Australian affiliates include Wangaratta Ski Club (since 1998), and its largest affiliate, the Australian Defence Force Nordic and Biathlon Association (since inception) with an active branch in NSW and a recent affiliate East Gippsland Biathlon Club.