In biathlon, there is no greater fear than a visit to the penalty loop

The worst thing in the biathlon -- besides not competing at all, which happened in the men's 15-kilometre race Monday because of the fog -- is to ski the penalty loop.

In biathlon, that marriage of cross-country skiing and shooting, a contestant must ski a 150-metre loop for every target missed in the shooting portion. There is no talking within the penalty loop, although it seems reasonable to assume there is plenty of silent cursing. The penalty loop is usually done in front of the viewing stands, the miscreant having absolutely no place to hide.

The New York Times is calling the penalty loop the dunce cap of the Olympics. That may sound a little extreme but the biathletes don't think so. "It's the corner of shame," American biathlete Tim Burke told Sam Dolnick of The Times. "It's right there in the stadium for everyone to watch. It's painful."

The pain Burke refers to comes when the penalized skier watches competitors who have made their shots zoom past as the loop skier completes their penalty lap.

"Psychologically, it's quite hard," said Mihkel Joosing, a coach with Estonia. "You're in a loop and others are going forward. Sometimes you fall apart."

The penalty loop is so dreaded, teams avoid it in practice. The South Koreans do push-ups as a substitute; the Swiss clean teammates' rifles or sing.

Given the reaction the penalty loop gets, it could be ranked as one of the most effective penalties in all sports.