As the 2014 Sochi Olympics draw near, the U.S. Biathlon Association is focusing all of its resources on the national team. President Max Cobb discussed subtle changes in strategy: a smaller men's team, a bigger women's team, and lots of careful planning.
At the highest level of nordic ski racing in the U.S., athletes know making the national team isn’t so much of a black-and-white decision; coaches mostly see red. Based on U.S. Ski Team criteria, any skier that ends the season in the red group by finishing in the top 30 of the World Cup or FIS distance or sprint lists is essentially guaranteed a spot on the A-team. Those who finish outside those standards can...