![The Swiss Biathlon team warm up at Sovereign Lake on Tuesday. Photo: Julie Melanson](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/02/Sov_Swiss1.jpg" "The Swiss Biathlon team warm up at Sovereign Lake on Tuesday. Photo: Julie Melanson")
Sovereign Lake is stirring with Olympic fever as cross country ski teams prepare for their upcoming events.
The Swiss Biathlon team has arrived making them the 7th team training at Sovereign Lake. The teams have chosen the area to prepare for the race because of the good snow conditions, the altitude and the close accommodation at Silver Star.
![The Swiss Biathlon team warm up at Sovereign Lake on Tuesday. Photo: Julie Melanson](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/02/Sov_swiss4.jpg" "The Swiss Biathlon team warm up at Sovereign Lake on Tuesday. Photo: Julie Melanson")
This is the second year that the Norwegian and Swiss team have used Sovereign as their training ground in their lead up to the Olympics.
The Norwegian shooting coach, Joar Himle said “The athletes that respond well to altitude are here.”
Himle says that for these athletes, the mental preparation is as important as the physical.
“The skiers prefer the lower shooting range as they can come off of Montezuma trail which gets their heart rate up as it has a steep incline leading to the range,” said Scott Lemon, manager of Sovereign Lake.
“These athletes are amazing to watch, as they come up that hill breathing heavily, and in the time they set up on the mat they lower their heart rate enough to shoot,” said Sarah Martel, a coach as Sovereign Lake.
The athletes will head to Callaghan Valley after this weekend.
