From the FasterSkier archive — posts syndicated from athletes’ and coaches’ own blogs between 2004 and 2012, kept online as published. Current coverage is at fasterskier.com.
Photos Gallery: Biathlon NorAm / WYJC Trials Mass Starts in Canmore
After the first round of NorAms being canceled in Canmore, Alberta, two weekends ago due to cold weather, the domestic biathlon season finally got off the ground on Thursday with the first race in a NorAm series which also served as Canada’s selection trials for its team to World Youth and Junior Championships in Minsk, Belarus. The team has not yet been named.
On Sunday, a day of mass start competitions, Loppet Nordic Racing’s Jake Ellingson decided to take a day off in preparation for the next round of NorAms in Mount Itasca, Minnesota, and took the opportunity to shoot the day’s races with a camera instead of a rifle.
While the youth and junior categories remained as competitive as ever, with not only the best Canadians vying for a trip to Minsk but several provinces also using the races as trials for the Canada Games and few Americans scattered in as well, the senior category lost the entries of Canada’s IBU Cup team, which departed for Europe that day. A strong field of Americans and remaining Canadians nonetheless battled it out.
Stuart Harden (Rocky Mountain Racers) leads the junior men’s field.
Start of the youth men’s race.
Junior women’s podium: winner Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon X Team, center); 2nd place Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center, right); 3rd place Alexandria Hynds (Chelsea Nordiq, left).
Kesey Dickinson (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team).
Stuart Harden (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Vincent Blais (ACBQ) in the men’s race.
Jarod Algra (West Coast Nordics) leads the youth men’s field into the range for prone.
Erin Yungblut (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team), Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project), and Max Durtschi (US Biathlon X Team) racing
Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Guillaume Bertrand (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Casey Smith (Maine Winter Sports Center) still on the shooting mat after most of the men’s field has left.
Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center) bringing it in for second place in the women’s race.
Jacob Dalberg (National Guard Biathlon).
Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon) and Jules Burnotte (Biathlon Estrie) in the penalty loop.
Youth women on the shooting mats.
Charles Pépin of La Poursuite leaves the range during the youth men’s race. Photo: Jake Ellingson
Getting ready for customers.
Brian Halligan (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team).
The senior men’s field shooting prone for the first time.
The youth men’s field ready to start.
Men’s podium: race winner Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team, center); 2nd place Casey Smith (Maine Winter Sports Center, left); Guillaume Bertrand (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Patrick Johnson (Far West Elite Team/Auburn Ski Club) in the men’s race.
Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon) is the first to leave the range in the youth men’s race.
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Teo Sanchez (Chelsea Nordic) leads Jason Lawton (Biathlon Ontario) and others into the range in the youth men’s race.
Max Durtschi, who attended last year’s tryout camp, racing in his U.S. biathlon duds at a NorAm competition in Canmore, Alberta, this winter. (Photo: Jakob Ellingson)
Siena Ellingson (Loppet Nordic Racing).
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center) leads Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) and the rest of the junior women’s field.
The men’s field leaves the start.
Tobias Quinn (Biathlon Ontario).
Youth women’s podium: winner Bryn Robertson (Foothills Nordic, center); 2nd place Siena Ellingson (Loppet Nordic Racing, left); 3rd place Emily Dickson (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Clare Egan (Craftsbury Green Racing Project/US Biathlon X Team) takes a big lead to the finish line of the women’s race.
Patrick Johnson (Far West Elite Team/Auburn Ski Club) warming up.
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon X Team).
Léo Grandbois (Biathlon Estrie) racing at the Canmore NorAm mass start in December 2014. (Photo: Jake Ellingson)
Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project).
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) bringing it home for the win in the men’s race.
Andrew Chisholm (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) leads Matt Neumann (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon X Team) zeroing before competition.
Kelsey Dickinson representing the Maine Winter Sports Center at NorAms in Canmore in December, 2014.
Tadhg Nakada (National Guard Biathlon).
Ethan Dreissigacker (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) and Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team).
The junior men’s field hits the range.
Elise Putnam (National Guard Biathlon).
Men’s field ready to start.
The youth men heading into the range.
Emily Dickson (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Kristin Chicoine (Foothills Nordic) had the best race suit, by far.
The junior men’s field before the start.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) leads Casey Smith (US Biathlon “B” Team/Maine Winter Sports Center) and Vincent Blais (ACBQ) onto the course.
Sean Doherty (USBA “X” Team) smiling after winning a NorAm mass start in Canmore, Alberta, earlier this season. Photo: Jake Ellingson.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) before the start.
Youth men’s field.
Casey Smith (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon “B” Team) in the penalty loop.
Women’s field.
Matt Neumann (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Women’s podium: winner Clare Egan (Craftsbury Green Racing Project, center); 2nd place Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center, left); 3rd place Erin Yungblut (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Kelsey Dickinson (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team) heading for the finish.
Grant Novak (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Clare Egan (Craftsbury Green Racing Project/US Biathlon X Team).
Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon, bib 3) and the rest of the youth men’s field about to start.
Arthur Roots (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
The men’s field approaches the range for the first time.
Jordan McElroy (National Guard Biathlon).
Jules Burnotte (Biathlon Estrie) en route to winning the youth men’s race.
Former US Biathlon development skier Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon) racing in December 2014.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team).
Junior men’s field.
Sarah Poisson-Grégoire of ACBQ leaves the range in the youth women’s race.
Junior men’s field.
Start of the men’s race.
Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project).
Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center).
Junior men’s podium: winner Stuart Harden (Rocky Mountain Racers, center); 2nd place Matt Strum (Biathlon Alberta Training Center, right); and 3rd place Matt Hudec (Biathlon Alberta Training Center, left).
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