360 Video: Biathletes compete in summer on roller skis

ARCON, France (AP) - Now that competition on snow in Europe is in full swing, the world's top biathletes are in the finishing straight of their journey to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

But the groundwork was laid long ago, during summer months of intense off-season training . How hard athletes labored behind the scenes during that crucial preparation time will, in large measure, determine which of them wins medals under the Olympic spotlight in February.

Without snow, biathletes train on roller skis - racking up the miles (kilometers) to hone their fitness. They also shoot thousands of rounds - perfecting the target-shooting so essential to success in their sport where athletes need to be both supremely fit and have steady hands.

A summer biathlon championship in eastern France - with no snow but plenty of passionate fans who ignored the rain - served as a tune-up for Pyeongchang-bound athletes.

Plunge into their world of sweat and bullets with this immersive Associated Press 360-degree video that followed some of the sport's stars hoping to shine at the 2018 games.

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More AP coverage of the Winter Games: https://wintergames.ap.org