After the first round of NorAms being canceled in Canmore, Alberta, two weekends ago due to cold weather, the domestic biathlon season finally got off the ground on Thursday with the first race in a NorAm series which also served as Canada’s selection trials for its team to World Youth and Junior Championships in Minsk, Belarus. The team has not yet been named.
On Sunday, a day of mass start competitions, Loppet Nordic Racing’s Jake Ellingson decided to take a day off in preparation for the next round of NorAms in Mount Itasca, Minnesota, and took the opportunity to shoot the day’s races with a camera instead of a rifle.
While the youth and junior categories remained as competitive as ever, with not only the best Canadians vying for a trip to Minsk but several provinces also using the races as trials for the Canada Games and few Americans scattered in as well, the senior category lost the entries of Canada’s IBU Cup team, which departed for Europe that day. A strong field of Americans and remaining Canadians nonetheless battled it out.
Relive the excitement in the gallery below.
Links:
Thursday report & results
Saturday report & results
Sunday report & results
The men’s field leaves the start.
Charles PĂ©pin of La Poursuite leaves the range during the youth men’s race. Photo: Jake Ellingson
The senior men’s field shooting prone for the first time.
Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center) bringing it in for second place in the women’s race.
Men’s field ready to start.
Clare Egan (Craftsbury Green Racing Project/US Biathlon X Team).
LĂ©o Grandbois (Biathlon Estrie) racing at the Canmore NorAm mass start in December 2014. (Photo: Jake Ellingson)
Sean Doherty (USBA “X” Team) smiling after winning a NorAm mass start in Canmore, Alberta, earlier this season. Photo: Jake Ellingson.
The men’s field approaches the range for the first time.
Junior women’s podium: winner Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon X Team, center); 2nd place Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center, right); 3rd place Alexandria Hynds (Chelsea Nordiq, left).
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center) and Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) off the line in the junior women’s race.
Women’s podium: winner Clare Egan (Craftsbury Green Racing Project, center); 2nd place Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center, left); 3rd place Erin Yungblut (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Elise Putnam (National Guard Biathlon).
Grant Novak (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Melanie Schultz (Canmore Nordic).
Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
LĂ©o Grandbois (Biathlon Estrie) leading the youth field to the range at the Canmore NorAm mass start in December 2014. (Photo: Jake Ellingson)
Ethan Dreissigacker (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) leads the men’s field into the range for the first prone.
Patrick Johnson (Far West Elite Team/Auburn Ski Club) warming up.
Erin Yungblut (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Stuart Harden (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon) and Jules Burnotte (Biathlon Estrie) in the penalty loop.
Junior men’s field.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) bringing it home for the win in the men’s race.
Youth men’s field on the range.
Ethan Dreissigacker (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) and Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team).
The junior men’s field hits the range.
Teo Sanchez (Chelsea Nordic) leads Jason Lawton (Biathlon Ontario) and others into the range in the youth men’s race.
Casey Smith (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon “B” Team) leads Guillaume Bertrand (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Youth men’s field.
Sasha Eccleston (Camrose Vikings).
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon X Team).
Start of the men’s race.
Siena Ellingson (Loppet Nordic Racing) leaving the range.
Casey Smith (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon “B” Team) in the penalty loop.
Tobias Quinn (Biathlon Ontario).
Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon) is the first to leave the range in the youth men’s race.
Matt Neumann (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Youth men’s podium: winner Jules Burnotte (Biathlon Estrie, center); 2nd place Teo Sanchez (Chelsea Nordic, right); Adam Runnalls (Canmore Nordic, left).
Kesey Dickinson (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team).
Jordan McElroy (National Guard Biathlon).
The junior men’s field before the start.
Men’s field ready to start.
Stuart Harden (Rocky Mountain Racers) leads the junior men’s field.
Start of the youth men’s race.
Clare Egan (Craftsbury Green Racing Project/US Biathlon X Team) takes a big lead to the finish line of the women’s race.
Max Durtschi, who attended last year’s tryout camp, racing in his U.S. biathlon duds at a NorAm competition in Canmore, Alberta, this winter. (Photo: Jakob Ellingson)
Andrew Chisholm (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) leads Matt Neumann (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Jacob Dalberg (National Guard Biathlon).
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team), Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project), and Max Durtschi (US Biathlon X Team) racing
Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project).
Vincent Blais (ACBQ) in the men’s race.
Brian Halligan (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team).
Jules Burnotte (Biathlon Estrie) en route to winning the youth men’s race.
Jarod Algra (West Coast Nordics) leads the youth men’s field into the range for prone.
Emily Dickson (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Youth women’s podium: winner Bryn Robertson (Foothills Nordic, center); 2nd place Siena Ellingson (Loppet Nordic Racing, left); 3rd place Emily Dickson (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Jacob Dalberg (National Guard Biathlon) and Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project).
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center) leads Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) and the rest of the junior women’s field.
The youth men’s field ready to start.
Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon, bib 3) and the rest of the youth men’s field about to start.
Siena Ellingson (Loppet Nordic Racing).
Kristin Chicoine (Foothills Nordic) had the best race suit, by far.
Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center).
Heading down hill.
Women’s field.
Guillaume Bertrand (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Sarah Poisson-GrĂ©goire of ACBQ leaves the range in the youth women’s race.
Junior men’s field.
The youth men heading into the range.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) before the start.
Getting ready for customers.
Tadhg Nakada (National Guard Biathlon).
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon X Team) zeroing before competition.
Kelsey Dickinson representing the Maine Winter Sports Center at NorAms in Canmore in December, 2014.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) leads Casey Smith (US Biathlon “B” Team/Maine Winter Sports Center) and Vincent Blais (ACBQ) onto the course.
Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project).
Kelsey Dickinson (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team) heading for the finish.
Men’s podium: race winner Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team, center); 2nd place Casey Smith (Maine Winter Sports Center, left); Guillaume Bertrand (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Arthur Roots (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Casey Smith (Maine Winter Sports Center) still on the shooting mat after most of the men’s field has left.
Former US Biathlon development skier Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon) racing in December 2014.
Junior men’s podium: winner Stuart Harden (Rocky Mountain Racers, center); 2nd place Matt Strum (Biathlon Alberta Training Center, right); and 3rd place Matt Hudec (Biathlon Alberta Training Center, left).
Patrick Johnson (Far West Elite Team/Auburn Ski Club) in the men’s race.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team).
Youth women on the shooting mats.
15352732513_c2f1d90342_k