Biathlon World Championship Start in Question

Pyeong Chang, Korea – Warm winds and heavy rain have battered the course and even forced the cancellation of the opening ceremonies. The organizers are working through the night to try and improve the situation, but even the entry of the athletes has been postponed to the morning so the coaches can see the conditions before deciding on the seeding, if there will be a competition at all. Training was canceled today in an effort to preserve the course.

The following Americans will be entered if the is a race: Women: Tracy and Lanny Barnes (Durango, CO), Haley Johnson (Lake Placid, NY), and Laura Spector (Lenox. MA). Men: Lowell Bailey (Lake Placid, NY), Tim Burke (Paul Smiths, NY), Jay Hakkinen (Kasilof, Alaska), and Jeremy Teela (Heber, UT).

Also announced today by the International Biathlon Union was the positive confirmation of the doping test. Three Russians have been suspended, World Cup Leader Ekaterina Iourieva, sixth ranked Albina Akhatova, and 21st ranked Dmitri Yaroshenko. The prepared statement of IBU President Anders Besseberg is posted on the news page of www.biathlonworld.com The president did add that it is his personal view was that finding this many athletes from one team leads him to suspect systematic doping in the team environment.