Max Cobb – FasterSkier

A Chinese athlete took cross-country skiing by storm last year. But as World Championships kick off, he’s stuck at home.

Nathaniel HerzFebruary 25, 2023

This World Championship coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. PLANICA, SLOVENIA – Wang Qiang was cross-country skiing’s Next Big Thing. Wang, 29, was the product of a colossal investment from his home country to identify and train potential medal winners in...

Biathlon Community News US Biathlon

Long time US Biathlon President Max Cobb named Head of International Biathlon Union: Sustainability and Competition keys to Growth He Says

Ben TheyerlSeptember 1, 2022

For the first time ever, an American will preside over international governance of a nordic sport. On Tuesday, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) announced that longtime U.S. Biathlon President and CEO Max Cobb has been named the IBU Secretary General. Cobb will finish up his second term on the IBU Executive Board and leave his post as at U.S. biathlon at the end of September, then begin his new role overseeing international competition, governance, and...

Biathlon World Cup

US Biathlon Prepares for a New Look 2020-2021 Season

Peter MindeNovember 2, 2020

As coronavirus cases spike worldwide, biathletes are preparing for a modified start to the 2020-2021 World Cup season. The schedule emphasizes less travel than would be the norm on the IBU World Cup circuit. At the end of September, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) announced that the first four races of the winter would be held at two venues. Kontiolahti, Finland, will host the first two events on consecutive weekends, starting 27 November. Hochfilzen, Austria...

Nordic Nation Podcasts

Nordic Nation: The Ups and Downs of Trail Design with John Morton

Jason AlbertAugust 21, 2020

In this episode of Nordic Nation, we speak all things trail design with John Morton. Based in Vermont, and global in perspective, Morton provides insights into the literal ups and downs of trail design and how full-blown nordic centers and small scale trails can bring a modern vibe to an old-school sport. He runs Morton Trails locally but has a global reach with projects based in China. His most recent trail work at Paul Smith’s...

Biathlon Racing

Good day for U.S. at Junior Worlds

Jason AlbertJanuary 31, 2020

A compelling aspect of international biathlon is the diversity of nations represented at the highest level, the International Biathlon Union World Cup. Last week in Pokljuka, 25 five teams from 25 different nations were represented in the 4 x 7.5 k mixed relay. It speaks to the broadening global appeal for the sport. All those nations are tasked with developing athletes. Not to say there will be 25 different approaches, but each team espouses it’s own...

Multimedia Nordic Nation Podcasts

Nordic Nation Audio Short: Max Cobb and the Extraordinary IBU Congress

Jason AlbertNovember 8, 2019

In this episode, we connect with Max Cobb, the CEO of U.S. Biathlon. He also sits on the International Biathlon Union’s (IBU) Executive Board. When we spoke, he had just returned from the IBU’s “historic” Extraordinary Congress which took place from October 18th-20th, in Munich. The IBU has been rocked in the recent past by internal mismanagement and doping scandals. Rather than succumb to the inertia associated with systemic change, the IBU has reset and...

General Interviews News Opinion Resources

From the Aspen Institute — Future of the U.S. Olympic Movement: Reimagining Goals Beyond Medals

FasterSkierMay 24, 2019

A few disclaimers first. Metrics suggest people want quick reads and quick-view content. The above video is neither. Yet it is full of ideas for Olympic sport. On May 22, the Aspen Institute hosted a forum titled the Future of the U.S. Olympic Movement: Reimagining Goals Beyond Medals. It consisted of a two-part discussion captured in this long-form embedded video from the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program. The first part of the video features...

Biathlon General News

Lowell Bailey and the High Performance Vision

Jason AlbertApril 17, 2019

For years under the leadership of Bernd Eisenbichler and Per Nilsson, US Biathlon was a polyglot enterprise. It’s often claimed the high performance staff at USBA had a decidedly United Nations vibe. As a sport firmly entrenched in Europe, siphoning some of that expertise into the U.S. program paid dividends over the past two decades. IBU World Cup podiums and World Championship medals were the payback. Lowell Bailey, at thirty-seven years old, is a hybrid...

Biathlon General News

Bernd Eisenbichler and his US Biathlon Legacy

Jason AlbertApril 9, 2019

“Twenty years and two months ago I began with US Biathlon,” Bernd Eisenbichler said to FasterSkier last week during a phone call to discuss his March 31, resignation as high performance director. For those of you unfamiliar with the name, Eisenbichler has worn many hats during his tenure with US Biathlon: Ski/wax tech, high performance director, and chief of sport. With a title like chief of sport, more fitting head-ware might have been a crown....

Biathlon General News Racing

Sweden’s Dahlin Elected IBU President as Reforms Rolled Out

Harald ZimmerSeptember 13, 2018

The past year certainly has not been an easy one for the International Biathlon Union (IBU), the governing body in the sport of biathlon for the past 25 years. The sports federation had to take the unusual measure of suspending the Russian Biathlon Union, historically one of the core countries for biathlon, to a provisional member status. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned several prominent athletes, including biathletes, from that nation from participating in the 2018...

Biathlon General News

IBU Announces Executive Board Nominees, Sanctions Handed Down by IOC

FasterSkierJune 15, 2018

police investigation related to accepting Russian bribes in exchange for concealing Russian biathlon doping cases. Secretary General Nicole Resch was suspended as a result of the scandal as well, but both have denied any wrongdoing, according to Inside The Games. The IBU’s board and committee elections will be conducted Sept. 5-9 at the 13th Regular IBU Congress in Porec, Croatia. Two current North American board members, Dr. Jim Carrabre of Biathlon Canada (who according to...

Biathlon Doping General News Olympics Opinion Racing World Cup

What’s Happening as Russia’s Sochi Scandal Winds Down: An Editorial

Chelsea LittleFebruary 9, 2018

FasterSkier would like to thank Fischer Sport USA, Concept2, cleared 28 Russian athletes of doping charges. Many people seemed shocked by this development. The athletes had been disqualified from the 2014 Games by an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Commission. This was after more than 18 months of buildup in which the world learnt of systematic manipulation of the anti-doping process by the Russian state security apparatus at those Olympics. I was both shocked, and not shocked. When all...

Biathlon Interviews Multimedia Nordic Nation Podcasts US Biathlon

Nordic Nation: Max Cobb, US Biathlon’s Straight Shooter

Jason AlbertOctober 18, 2017

nearly three decades, Cobb has been part of US Biathlon — first as an organizer of the domestic racing series and eventually as the executive director in March of 2006. Just over a year ago, he was elected like 2017 IBU World Championships medalists Lowell Bailey and Susan Dunklee. Cobb’s budget is the mighty mouse of the biathlon world, and on many days, the high-performance team (both coaches and athletes) can slay the Goliaths of...

Biathlon General News Racing US Biathlon

FasterSkier’s Coach of the Year: Bernd Eisenbichler

FasterSkierApril 12, 2017

With the 2016/2017 season officially in the rearview, FasterSkier is excited to unveil its annual award winners for this past winter. Votes stem from the FS staff, scattered across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and while not scientific, they are intended to reflect a broader sense of the season in review. This set of honors goes to a coach or team director who has particularly contributed to their team’s success. Previous categories: Collegiate Skiers of the...

Biathlon General Interviews Juniors

20-for-20 with Chloe Levins

FasterSkierFebruary 22, 2017

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 Chloe Levins, of the Ethan Allen Biathlon Club, who will be representing the U.S. at her third Youth Worlds. On Wednesday, Levins finished 14th in the

Biathlon General News Racing US Biathlon

Dream Come True, Bailey Wins World Championships Gold, First Ever for American Biathlete

Chelsea LittleFebruary 16, 2017

HOCHFILZEN, Austria—Four days ago, Lowell Bailey left the shooting range after cleaning his fourth stage in the pursuit, and was in second place. Things didn’t go his way and he saw first World Championships silver, then bronze, slip from his grasp as other men were stronger on the Hochfilzen race course’s big hills. He placing fourth in the sprint. Today, the American biathlete again left the range after cleaning his fourth stage. Two key differences:...

Biathlon Doping General News Racing

Czech and British Biathlon to Boycott Tyumen World Cup, Other Teams Consider Joining

Chelsea LittleDecember 20, 2016

In response to evidence of widespread doping in Russia, the Czech Biathlon Union became the first to discuss a boycott. The Czechs will not attend a World Cup stage to be held in Tyumen, Russia, in March; they have been joined by the British Biathlon Union. Several other countries say they hope that the International Biathlon Union will move the event. But the Russian Biathlon Union put out a defiant press release denying any involvement in doping. A Boycott Grows At the...

Biathlon General News Racing

Cobb Elected IBU Vice President for Sport, First American on Executive Board

Chelsea LittleSeptember 4, 2016

U.S. Biathlon Association President and CEO Max Cobb will join the International Biathlon Union's Executive Board, after serving for four years as the head of the Technical Committee. "As biathlon develops even further, the marriage of the technical aspects of the sport with further development... will become more and more important."

General News Racing

Vancouver Preparation Implicated as Russian Doping Allegations Continue (Updated)

Chelsea LittleJune 5, 2016

Russian whistleblower Vitaliy Stepanov initially met with World Anti-Doping Agency representatives at the 2010 Winter Olympics, and said he had heard of a list of athletes who were "protected" in the leadup to those Games and which RUSADA was told not to test.

General Interviews News

The Delicate Case of Russia: Who’s Speaking Out and Why

Alex KochonMay 17, 2016

When news broke last week that 14 Russian cross-country skiers may have doped at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, stakeholders in the sport reacted around the globe. Some, like Canada's then head coach Justin Wadsworth, essentially predicted that two years ago at the Games. Others, like French skier Robin Duvillard, tried not to get too caught up in it, but he might by default.

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