World Junior Biathlon – FasterSkier

After Top-Ten Pursuit Results at World Juniors, Canadian Biathletes are Satisfied – And Also Hungry for More

Chelsea LittleFebruary 29, 2012

As soon as biathlon World Youth and Junior Championships ended on Sunday in Kontiolahti, Finland, the Canadian team headed for home, making for a hectic afternoon. Because of the quick turnaround time FasterSkier was unable to touch base with the athletes directly after their races, but now that they’re back on home turf – along with the medals they earned – a few of the top competitors were willing to talk about the week. It...

Biathlon Juniors

No Surprises Here: Bø and Tsvetkov Extend Large Leads to Double Up With Pursuit Victories

Chelsea LittleFebruary 26, 2012

Sunday was the last day of competition at biathlon’s World Youth and Junior Championships in Kontiolahti, Finland – and it was also the busiest. For the first time all week, four races were held on a single day, with participants in both the youth and junior divisions competing in pursuit races. In the youth men’s race, Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Bø put on a clinic, extending his already 50-second lead from the 7.5 k sprint into...

Biathlon Juniors

Gaim, Sloof Come From Behind for Women’s Pursuit Titles at Biathlon World Juniors

Chelsea LittleFebruary 26, 2012

In Kontiolahti, Finland on Sunday, the youth women’s 7.5 k pursuit was the only one of four races to crown a totally new champion at biathlon’s World Youth and Junior Championships. Hilde Fenne of Norway, the leader after Friday’s sprint, choked on the range, missing a total of eight shots including three in the final stage, which dropped her out of medal contention.With Niya Dimitrova, the sprint runner-up, sitting out the pursuit, there was opportunity...

Biathlon Juniors

Elena Ankudinova, the Russian Nobody Expected, Picks Up First World Juniors Win in Kontiolahti Sprint

Chelsea LittleFebruary 26, 2012

Despite the presence of several former champions in the field, a new gold medalist rose to the top at biathlon’s World Youth and Junior Championships in Kontiolahti, Finland on Saturday: Elena Ankudinova. The diminutive Russian was perfect on the range and collected an eight-second victory in the junior women’s 7.5 k sprint. She bested, among others, Tuesday’s individual champion, Chardine Sloof of the Netherlands; last year’s youth individual champion, Thekla Brun-Lie of Norway; and teammates...

Biathlon Juniors

Canada’s Ransom Posts First Clean Sheet, Races to Fifth in World Juniors Sprint; Four Seconds From Podium

Chelsea LittleFebruary 25, 2012

On Friday, Julia Ransom came thisclose to picking up Canada’s second medal of the week at biathlon World Youth and Junior Championships in Kontiolahti, Finland. Thisclose, it turns out, means four and a half seconds over six kilometers and two shooting stages. That’s the margin that separated Ransom, who wound up fifth in the youth women’s sprint, from third-place Lisa Theresa Hauser of Austria. If she had any regrets about missing the podium, Ransom kept...

Biathlon Juniors

Norway Sweeps World Junior Biathlon Relays; Canada’s Junior Men Are Best Shots in Field, Race to Sixth Place

Chelsea LittleFebruary 24, 2012

In the opening junior men’s race of biathlon’s World Youth and Junior Championships in Kontiolahti, Finland, Canada’s Kurtis Wenzel used near-perfect shooting to demolish the field and collect his second world championship title. His teammates, however, were less successful, shooting 80%, 60%, and 40%. “After the individual race I was a little bit down,” said Maxc Davies, who had missed 12 shots and placed 72nd. How things change. In Thursday’s junior 4 x 7.5 k...

Biathlon Juniors

French Men, Ukrainian Women Post Big Victories in Youth Biathlon Relays

Chelsea LittleFebruary 23, 2012

On Wednesday, Kontiolahti, Finland, became a venue that was hospitable for biathlon for the first time in perhaps several weeks. After the bitter cold of the World Cup races two weeks ago, a general lack of sunlight, and a persistent wind that has dogged even the best shots at World Youth and Junior Championships this week, today’s balmy sunshine was a welcome reprieve. “Today was an amazing bluebird day and there was almost no wind,”...

Biathlon Juniors

Behind Wenzel’s Victory, Canadians Place Two More in Top 20 at World Junior Biathlon Championships

Chelsea LittleFebruary 22, 20121

With Canada’s Kurtis Wenzel winning gold in the junior men’s 15 k individual, it was easy to overlook the other North American performances at biathlon World Junior Championships on Tuesday. But there were several other notable finishes in Kontiolahti, Finland, including top-20’s from Wenzel’s teammates Aaron Gillmor and Audrey Vaillancourt. Biathlon Canada, it appears, is on its way up. “It was certainly a welcome surprise to hear that Kurtis was in the lead after his...

Biathlon Juniors

After Year-Long Hiatus from Biathlon, Canada’s Wenzel Can Handle The Pressure, Picking Up Second World Junior Championship Title

Chelsea LittleFebruary 21, 2012

Canadian biathlon has been on the upswing all year, with top-ten performances from three different athletes on the World Cup and wins and podiums on the second-tier IBU Cup circuit. At World Youth and Junior Championships in Kontiolahti, Finland, the Canadians had been hoping to continue their success, and started off well with a top-ten finish by Julia Ransom. But the athlete most likely to make waves was a young man who was also surrounded...

Biathlon Juniors

Canada’s Julia Ransom Returns to Form with Career-Best Eighth in World Youth Championships Individual

Chelsea LittleFebruary 21, 2012

The top Canadian and American women in the youth individual race at biathlon World Junior Championships on Monday couldn’t have had more different attitudes coming into the event. Canada’s Julia Ransom, for instance, was looking for payback. After a strong showing in 2010 in Torsby, Sweden, Ransom struggled in 2011, producing a top result of just 36th place in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. “Last year was definitely a frustrating year for me,” she told FasterSkier...

Uncategorized

Gow 11th in Youth Biathlon Individual; Americans Place Doherty and Dougherty in Top 30, Career-Best for Each

Chelsea LittleFebruary 21, 2012

The U.S. team at biathlon World Youth and Junior Championships in Kontiolahti, Finland, is hoping that things will heat up in the next few days – both literally and figuratively. “It has been pretty cold all week but it warmed up today,” American racer Anna Kubek told FasterSkier. At World Cup races one last weekend, the Finnish venue flirted with legal temperatures and athletes swaddled themselves in layer upon layer of clothes, as well as...

Biathlon Juniors

U.S. Names World Youth/Junior Championships Biathlon Team After Third Race in Qualifying Series

Chelsea LittleDecember 31, 20112

The format and qualification procedure for the World Youth/Junior Biathlon Championships Team Trials were introduced in Thursday’s race reports. In any qualifying series, it all comes down to the last day of racing – when bubble athletes make or break it, when a single amazing performance can catapult a racer upwards in the standings, when men and women go home either elated or heartbroken. In Anchorage, Alaska, Friday was that day for junior biathletes as...

Biathlon General Juniors News Racing Results

World Junior Biathlon Wrap-Up: Canada gets 4th in relay

February 3, 2010

The final races of the World Junior/Youth Biathlon Championships in Torsby, Sweden concluded yesterday with the team relays. Summary of relays: –Russia won Youth Men and Junior Women, while Germany won Junior Men and Norway won Youth Women. –Canada entered teams for all events. The U.S. did not field teams for the Junior Men’s and Junior Women’s relays. –Best American finish: Canada’s Youth Women relay team of Rose-Marie Cote, Audrey Vaillancourt, and Julia Ransom were...

Biathlon General Juniors News Racing Results

Nordgren misses podium with missed shots, takes 5th in WJ Biathlon pursuit

January 31, 2010

The top 60 racers from yesterday’s sprint qualified to start in pursuit format for today’s World Junior/Youth Biathlon Championships in Torsby, Sweden. The last race of the Championships will be a team relay on Tuesday. Junior Men Leif Nordgren moved closer to the top of the results in today’s 12.5km pursuit, but was weighted with 5 penalties which kept him from closing in on the podium. After placing 6th in yesterday’s sprint, Nordgren started 47...

Biathlon General Juniors News Racing Results Uncategorized

Nordgren places 6th in WJ Biathlon Sprint

January 30, 2010

Leif Nordgren continues to climb the results list in the World Junior Biathlon races held in Tornsby, Sweden with today’s 6th place result. After placing just outside the top ten in Thursday’s individual race, Nordgren improved his shooting in today’s Junior 10km sprint race by taking just one penalty. Nordgren finished 47.4 seconds behind winner Evgeny Petrov (RUS) who shot cleanly, just 8 seconds off the pace of third place finisher Tom Barth (0,1) of...

Biathlon General News Racing

Canada’s Rose-Marie Côté Wins Bronze Medal at Biathlon Youth WC’s

January 28, 2010

Canada’s Rose-Marie Côté Wins Bronze Medal at Biathlon Youth and Junior World Championships in Sweden TORSBY, Swe.— Rose-Marie Côté led the Canadian charge to the podium after winning a bronze medal in the youth women’s 10-kilometre individual start competition at the 2010 Youth and Junior Biathlon World Championships in Torsby, Sweden on Thursday. Côté battled through snowy conditions in Sweden to enjoy a stellar day on the range where she shot clean to...

Biathlon General News Racing Results

Leif Nordgren 11th in first World Junior Biathlon race

January 28, 2010

This year’s World Junior/Youth Championships are off to a start this week in Torsby, Sweden. The first races were in the individual start format: 12.5/15 kilometer Junior and Youth Men’s races were held yesterday and 10/12.5 km Junior and Youth Women’s races were held today. There will be three more races in both divisions in the next five days including sprint, pursuit, and relay races. After last year’s World Junior Championships in Canmore, Leif Nordgren took...