Olympic Biathletes Tracy and Lanny Barnes

Shooting accurately at targets while in a still position can be difficult. Add skiing at top speeds to get to the shooting area, then dropping into the prone position or taking a knee, and you get the sport of biathlon. You may think you’re seeing the same woman compete twice if you tune in to watch International biathlon matches, because both of the Barnes twins from Colorado often make the top cuts in world cup competitions. These two identical twins have been competing on an international level in biathlon for many years. 

Sponsored by Advanced Technology International (ATI), Otis Technology and Smith Elite, the women shoot .22-caliber biathlon-style rifles, with barreled actions by Anschütz and customized stocks. Because of the nature of the competition, the women’s range bags are Adidas backpacks. And what do they pack in their bags?

• Extra clothes, sealskinz waterproof socks and gloves
• Smith Elite Optics shooting glasses for protection and anti-fog characteristics
• Thermoses with hot chocolate or tea
• Passports (for doping control issues)
• Lapua ammunition, made for cold weather shooting
• Extra magazines, because it is more efficient during training to carry loaded magazines than to stand in the cold loading them
• Multi-tools, for tightening carrying harnesses
• Extra firing pins and firing pin changing tools
• Otis Gun cleaning kits
• Dermatone (to guard against frost bite)

Learn more about the twin biathletes at www.twinbiathletes.com.