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Coverage of elite Biathlon racing and news – from the junior level to the World Cup.
Levins Goes ‘Back to Basics’ for 4th in IBU Youth Worlds Pursuit; Bankes Scores 3rd Top 20 in Osrblie

At just 18 years old, Lowell [Bailey] prepared for two decades before winning a World Championship title. Today’s race was simply more preparation for the future. Every race is a learning experience, and every race that you’re in contention is an even better learning experience. So for now, I’ll keep learning.” A Middlebury freshman who plays collegiate golf in the spring and fall, Levins had previously finished sprint result on Friday, and shot 18-for-20 to finish fourth,...

Sunday Rundown: Lahti and Osrblie (Updated x2)

FIS Nordic World Championships (Lahti, Finland): Classic team sprints Defending champions Norway repeated gold in the women’s team sprint, with Heidi Weng and Maiken Caspersen Falla crossing the finish line first in Lahti, Finland. On the second-to-last loop, it looked like Russia could have something to say about that. Yulia Belorukova put in a furious sprint up the course’s biggest climb, and then beat Weng to the exchange. But her teammate Natalia Matveeva could not match the pace when Falla...

20-for-20 with Emily Dickson

In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 19-year-old Emily Dickson, of the Biathlon Alberta Training Centre (BATC), who is representing Canada at her fourth Youth/Junior Worlds (first-year junior). She opened the championships with a Saturday’s sprint, Dickson is racing in the junior women’s 10 k pursuit today.  *** “My full...

20-for-20 with Grace Gilliland

In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 16-year-old Grace Gilliland, of the Alaska Biathlon Club and Alaska Pacific University (APU) Junior Ski Team, who is representing the U.S. at her first Youth Worlds. She qualified for today’s youth women’s 7.5 k pursuit with a 46th place in 10 k individual....

Saturday Rundown: Lahti and Osrblie (Updated x2)

FIS Nordic World Championships (Lahti, Finland): 15/30 k skiathlons  This one’s for you, kid. Marit Bjørgen became the second relatively new mom to medal in the second race of 2017 Nordic World Championships on Saturday (after American Kikkan Randall earned victory in Thursday’s 12.5 k individual, Bankes placed 13th and Ellingson achieved her best non-relay result in 18th at Thursday’s 15 k individual) in fifth (+38.2). Cody Johnson was the top American in 46th (+3:02.9), followed by...

More Top 15’s for Levins, Grandbois in IBU Youth Worlds Sprints

Rounding the sprint course in Osrblie, Slovakia, on Friday, American Chloe Levins didn’t let her mind wander to what could be. She had cleaned her first prone stage, which put her in contention for a top 10 among the field of 92 in the youth women’s 6-kilometer sprint, and another shooting stage without a miss could mean the race of her life in her second race at the 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth World...

20-for-20 with Peter Carroll

In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s Peter Carroll, of the Auburn Ski Club, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Friday and is representing the U.S. at his second Youth/Junior Worlds. On 10 k sprint on Saturday. *** “My full name is Peter Myung-Ho Park Carroll but you can...

20-for-20 with Nadia Moser

In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 19-year-old Nadia Moser, of the Biathlon Alberta Training Centre, who is representing Canada at her second Youth/Junior Worlds. On Saturday, Moser placed 31st in the 12.5 k individual on Thursday. *** “My full name is Nadia Moser, but you can call me Nadia....

Friday Rundown: Lahti and Osrblie (Updated)

FIS Nordic World Championships (Lahti, Finland): Nordic Combined individual normal hill/10 k  Germany, Germany, Germany, Germany. That’s how the results read after the first nordic combined competition of the 2017 Nordic World Championships on Friday in Lahti, Finland, with Germany not only sweeping the podium but the top four of the men’s individual normal hill/10-kilometer Gundersen start. Johannes Rydzek notched his second individual gold medal in the last two championships (after winning the normal hill/10...

20-for-20 with Amanda Kautzer

In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 18-year-old Amanda Kautzer, of Michigan Tech and Loppet Nordic Racing, who is representing the U.S. at her third Youth Worlds. On Wednesday, Kautzer placed 53rd in the youth women’s 10 k individual and on Friday, she was

20-for-20 with Frédérique Pérusse

In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 15-year-old Frédérique Pérusse, of Centre De Biathlon Myriam Bédard (the Myriam Bédard Biathlon Centre), who’s representing Canada at her first Youth Worlds. In her first two races of the championships, she’s placed 73rd in

Bankes Gets Gold #2 for Canada with Perfect Shooting at IBU Junior Worlds

(Note: This article has been updated to include comments from Megan Bankes.) Just to review: 2004: Jean-Philippe “JP” Le Guellec becomes first Canadian to win an International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth World Championships title (in the youth men’s sprint). 2009: Kurtis Wenzel becomes second Canadian to win at IBU Youth Worlds, with a gold medal in the youth men’s sprint. 2012: Wenzel does it again as a junior, winning the 15-kilometer individual at IBU Junior...

FIS Nordic World Championships (Lahti, Finland): Freestyle sprints Men’s report [UPDATED] Two medals for the U.S. on Day 1. That’s exactly what happened Thursday in the first medals race of 2017 Nordic World Championships in Lahti, Finland, where American Jessie Diggins raced to second and her U.S. teammate Kikkan Randall third in the women’s 1.4-kilometer freestyle sprint final, right behind Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla, who took gold. While Falla crossed the finish line first in...

20-for-20 with Zachari Bolduc

In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 19-year-old Zachari Bolduc, of Team Quebec, who will be representing Canada at his second Youth/Junior Worlds in his first year as a junior. On Thursday, Bolduc led the North Americans in 34th in the

20-for-20 with Siena Ellingson

In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 20-year-old Siena Ellingson, of Minnesota, who is representing the U.S. at her fourth Youth/Junior Worlds. On Thursday, Ellingson finished 50th to lead two Americans in the

20-for-20 with Cody Johnson

In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 19-year-old Cody Johnson, of the Outdoor Sports Institute, who will be representing the U.S. at his second Junior Worlds. On Thursday, Johnson was the top American in 50th in the 

The Next Le Guellec? Grandbois Canada’s Third IBU Youth World Champ

It was raining hard on Wednesday at the biathlon stadium in Brezno-Osrblie, Slovakia. Like, cats and dogs, “des grenouilles” (frogs, in French), or “junge Hunde” (puppies, in German). But that didn’t stop Biathlon Canada press release. told Biathlon Canada. “It has always been my goal to be like him so to follow that path and do what he did is an amazing feeling. “The nicest message I received today was from JP,” he continued. “He...

Wednesday Rundown: Canada’s Grandbois Wins First Race of IBU Youth Worlds (Updated)

IBU Youth/Junior World Championships (Osrblie, Slovakia): Youth individual races targeting the sprint. “I want to thank first my coaches at home, my parents who always supported me and all the team who did a great job for the race, the skis, thank you,” he told the IBU Junior Cup media. Also on Wednesday, American Vasek Cervenka, who trains with the Nove Mesto biathlon team, raced to 16th (+4:19.5) with five penalties (0+2+2+1). Also for the...

Talihärm Top Estonian at World Championships, and a Montana Student-Athlete

Of all the competitors at 2017 IBU World Championships in Hochfilzen, Austria, it’s doubtful that too many were studying as much as Johanna Talihärm. The Montana State University sophomore was appearing at her fourth World Championships, and also represented Estonia at the 2014 Olympics. She has been the top Estonian biathlete in the women’s World Cup field for several years. “I don’t think anyone is studying with more than half time-credit load,” laughed Talihärm, who...

20-for-20 with Vasek Cervenka

In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 18-year-old Vasek Cervenka, of Grand Rapids, Minn., who will be representing the U.S. at his second Youth Worlds. Last year, Cervenka spent the winter of 2015/2016 youth men’s 12.5-kilometer individual, the first race of 2017 IBU Youth World Championships. *** “My full...