Jonne Kahkonen – FasterSkier

After 8 Years Leading US Biathlon Women, Kähkönen to Head Up Finnish Team

Chelsea LittleApril 3, 2018

When Jonne Kähkönen was hired to be the women’s national team coach by the US Biathlon Association (USBA) in 2010, there wasn’t much of a playbook to follow. The Finn couldn’t mimic the footsteps of his predecessor, because there wasn’t one. For the first time, the women’s team was going to have a coach of their own. “The men’s program was on a really high level going into Vancouver [2010 Olympics],” USBA Chief of Sport...

Camps Lifestyle Places to Ski Reviews Training

Bend: Where You Should Be Right Now

Jon "Fast Big Dog" SchaferMay 23, 2017

You should be in Bend. Bend, Oregon. Right now. For all of my “shallow readers” in the audience, those unable to focus on any piece of written work longer than 140 characters (you know who you are), you can stop here. You’ve both learned everything you need to know and also everything your SnapChat-addled brain can handle, so you’re done. For those of you with attention spans longer than those of fruit flies, dig in,...

Biathlon Interviews News US Biathlon World Cup

US Biathlon’s Clare Egan: Calm, Cool and on the Rise

Jason AlbertDecember 8, 2016

A quick trajectory. That's a succinct way of describing US Biathlon's Clare Egan ascent onto the World Cup. She first picked up a rifle three years ago, and today you might just see her shoot clean.

Biathlon General News Racing

In Last Relay Before Dreissigacker and Cook Retire, U.S. Women 13th in Oslo

Chelsea LittleMarch 11, 2016

“I’m really sad to be saying goodbye to Annelies and Hannah as teammates,” Clare Egan said. “Really, really sad." Despite the high emotions, the American women's relay kept things professional and turned in a good day on the range to finish 13th as a team.

Biathlon General News Racing

Numb Fingers and All, J.T. Bø Wins in Presque Isle; Doherty Nabs Career Best 13th

Harald ZimmerFebruary 12, 2016

Three American men finished within 16.5 seconds of one another in the top 20 of Thursday's sprint at the IBU World Cup in Presque Isle, Maine, setting themselves up well for Friday's pursuit. The youngest man in the field, Sean Doherty, 20 led them with a career-best 13th.

Biathlon General News Racing

Silver in Presque Isle: Dunklee Gets Her Due in Home World Cup

Alex KochonFebruary 11, 2016

Susan Dunklee had been looking forward to racing at a home World Cup for the better part of the last five years, and then some. She found her "happy" place on Thursday to achieve a historic career-best: second place in the women's IBU World Cup sprint. "In order to have my best performances in biathlon or anything in life … I really have to find what I love about it,” she said.

Biathlon General News Racing

Dunklee Retrieves Old Feelings to Finish Sixth, Best Sprint Result in Two Years (Updated)

Alex KochonDecember 18, 2015

For Susan Dunklee, it felt really good to smell the roses again at the IBU World Cup in Pokljuka, Slovenia. She placed sixth for her best sprint result in two seasons, and three Canadian women, led by Rosanna Crawford in 23rd, qualified for the pursuit as well.

Biathlon General News Racing

Schempp Starts Season with Sjusjøen Win; Burke Leads Americans in 13th

Chelsea LittleNovember 21, 2015

“Today was definitely a solid team performance,” Tim Burke said after the season-opening race in Norway. “Our entire men's team is at a very high level and we are all very excited to see what we can do in the relay.”

Biathlon Camps Dryland General News

Cook, Egan and Doherty Bound for Utah, Possibly World Cup

Alex KochonOctober 13, 2015

After the second set of US Biathlon trials in Jericho, Vt., three athletes have been selected to join five others at the national team's upcoming camp in Utah, preceding the World Cup team naming later this fall.

Biathlon General News Racing

The Intern Coaching the National Team: Dougherty Learns and Looks Ahead

Chelsea LittleSeptember 11, 2015

Sam Dougherty, an Alaskan former biathlete with a top-30 World Juniors finish to his name, just graduated from Montana State with a degree in business management. He took that approach and outlook into a coaching internship with the U.S. biathlon team, and has been soaking up knowledge in his time working with the women's "A" team and coaching staff.

Biathlon News Racing

21-Year-Old Dahlmeier Wins First IBU World Cup; Dunklee Ninth, Cook 28th for U.S.

Colin GaiserFebruary 7, 2015

Germany's Laura Dahlmeier squeaked ahead of teammate Franziska Hildebrand on the final loop to earn her first-ever IBU World Cup victory. American Susan Dunklee took ninth to capture her third-straight top-10 result, while American Annelies Cook had one of her best World Cup results ever in taking 28th.

Biathlon General Interviews News Racing

Dreissigacker Career-Best 17th in Pokljuka World Cup, Dunklee Joins Her in Top 20

Chelsea LittleDecember 18, 2014

Biathlon is a roller coaster, but the beauty is that lows can turn into highs: Hannah Dreissigacker wenf from placing 78th in her last World Cup competition to cleaning all ten targets and finishing 17th in today's sprint, good for her first top-20. Susan Dunklee placed 19th with two penalties.

Biathlon Dryland General News

Burke, Dunklee Edge Teammates in Whiteface Footrace (with Photo Gallery)

Alex KochonSeptember 18, 2014

“You know we do other workouts,” Tim Burke says with a laugh more than halfway up the 4,867-foot Whiteface Mountain. Minutes before, the U.S. biathlete completed Tuesday's big effort in 13 minutes, 21 seconds, finishing about 1,300 feet higher than he started for a new record in the hill climb named after him.

Biathlon Camps Dryland General Interviews Racing Training

U.S. Biathlon Women’s Coach Kähkönen on Team’s Scando Tour

Alex KochonAugust 7, 2014

Following the final week of training in Finland and three days of rollerski races at the coveted Blink Festival in Norway, U.S. Biathlon coach Jonne Kähkönen gives an across-the-pond update from his native Finland.

Biathlon Camps Training

Mäkäräinen Shows U.S. Biathlon Women the Ropes (and Swimming Holes) in Kontiolahti

Alex KochonJuly 31, 2014

The U.S. Biathlon Women's A-team has been spending the last two weeks soaking up Finnish life and studying the 2015 IBU World Championships course in Kontiolahti with reigning World Cup champion (and local hero) Kaisa Mäkäräinen.

Biathlon Camps General Training

US Biathlon Debuts Tryout Camp to Target Development

BrainspiralMay 6, 20142

There could be such a thing as national-team walk-ons as a result of an upcoming US Biathlon tryout camp, a new format of its kind aimed at talented endurance athletes in the J1, OJ or collegiate age category.

Biathlon General News Olympics Racing

‘Fighting Spirit’ Takes Dreissigacker to Career-Best 23rd, Leads North Americans in Olympic 15 k

Chelsea LittleFebruary 14, 2014

Disappointed with her sprint result and frustrated to sit out the pursuit, Hannah Dreissigacker "made a plan" and executed to achieve the best finish of her career, by 30 places -- at the Olympics, no less. The first-time Olympian led all North Americans with a 23rd-place finish. Megan Imrie of Canada placed 30th.

Biathlon Camps Dryland General Training Workouts

U.S. Biathletes Hammer Hard in Placid (Photo Gallery)

Alex KochonOctober 4, 20132

FasterSkier caught the US Biathlon team during one of their hardest workouts of the training season in Lake Placid, with the added bonus of watching German gold medalist Andrea Henkel rollerski around with them.

Biathlon General News Racing

Cook Focuses on the Little Things, Tracks Big Changes at U.S. Camp in Germany

Chelsea LittleSeptember 4, 2013

U.S. Biathlon A-Teamer Annelies Cook catches us up on everything from a new strategy for shooting in races to time trialing against the German women and hiking with friends at home in upstate New York. Plus, women's coach Jonne Kahkonen weighs in on how his team fared in competition.

Biathlon Camps Racing Technique Training Workouts

Wednesday Workout: An OD with the U.S. Biathlon Team

Chelsea LittleMay 22, 2013

Leaving their rifles at home, the U.S. biathlon team is in Bend and today addresses a question that many skiers face come spring: how do you tackle the first couple overdistance workouts after a break? How long should they be, and what activity is best? Coaches Per Nilsson and Jonne Kahkonen assigned a three to four hour classic OD, and gave us their tips.

Older Posts