USA Sixth in Men’s Relay, Tenth in Single Mixed Relay; Individual Races Ahead

Team USA is off to a promising start this season with a weekend of relays now in the rearview mirror. The much anticipated men’s relay and single mixed relay races met expectations that were set last season as the U.S. gained recognition with a string of top results, notably at the 2024 World Championships and on home snow at the Soldier Hollow World Cup. 

Opening the 2024-25 World Cup season in Kontiolahti, FIN, the exciting new single mixed relay duo of Maxime Germain (Chamonix-Mont Blanc, FRA/National Guard Biathlon) and Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, WI/Army World Class Athlete Program) clinched a top 10 finish. Irwin held up her end of the deal, having a strong day on skis as well as on the range, using just five spare rounds total, cleaning her final prone shooting. Similarly, Germain excelled both on the course and the range, using just three spares and also cleaning his final prone shooting. In the final leg of the race, Germain found himself in the final stretch neck in neck with Artem Tyshchenko for a photo finish, ultimately finishing just +0.1 behind the Ukrainian. 

The U.S. men’s relay team turned heads during the 2023-24 season with their historic fifth place at World Championships in Nove Mesto, CZE, as well as fourth place on home snow at Soldier Hollow, the best men’s relay finish at a World Cup since 1988. This season, Germain joined Campbell Wright (Wanaka, NZL/Wairaou Nordic Skiing), Sean Doherty (Conway, NH/Army World Class Athlete Program), and Jake Brown (St. Paul, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) to round out the quad in Kontiolahti. Staying amongst the top competitors throughout the race, Doherty crossed the line to secure a sixth place finish for the team, a sign of good things to come in this discipline. Using just 11 spare rounds between the four athletes, the team held a top-five combined ski time - kudos to the Wax Cowboys for their round-the-clock work to provide every athlete with competitive skis for every race! 

“Starting the World Cup season is always stressful – you never know where you stand,” said Germain. “It’s even more nerve-wracking with relays, as you don’t want to let your teammates down. But, it’s incredibly satisfying to perform well right away and contribute to the team’s success. Of course, it wouldn’t be possible without great work from the staff, especially the Wax Cowboys. I am looking forward to more racing this week and more fun relays in the future!” 

World Cup 1 is always a long stop and features over a week of racing. The first weekend has come and gone as the team looks ahead to the remaining individual competitions –  short individuals, sprints, and mass starts – to come this week. Watch the free Eurovision Sports live stream or download the IBU App to follow the live race updates; information can be found HERE. For spectator resources, click HERE.

Remaining World Cup 1 Races - Kontiolahti, FIN

Tuesday, December 03

M 15km Individual 10:20 EST // 17:20 EET

Wednesday, December 04

W 12.5km Individual 10:20 EST // 17:20 EET

Friday, December 06

M 10km Sprint 10:20 EST // 17:20 EET

Saturday, December 07

W 7.5km Sprint 10:20 EST // 17:20 EET

Sunday, December 08

M 15km Mass Start 08:30 EST // 15:30 EET 

W 12.5km Mass Start 11:10 EST // 18:25 EET