Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, WI/Army World Class Athlete Program) delivered a top-15 finish in the women’s 12.5km short individual in the frigid darkness of Kontiolahti, FIN. The result marked her fifth-best World Cup finish and seventh-best career finish, which includes the historic seventh place 2022 Olympic result in Beijing, CHN.
“The race was super awesome, and obviously cleaning is really fun! I’m really happy with my 15th place,” said Irwin. “The Wax Cowboys gave me great skis, so I was catching everyone on the downhills and doing my best on the uphills to stick with everybody. The course was hard and firm and the range wasn’t too windy, which made it pretty easy to shoot, but obviously I took some time on the range and made sure I hit every shot.”
One of just five athletes to shoot clean, Irwin crossed the line +2:18.6 behind the race victor, Lou Jeanmonnot of France. Jeanmonnot was joined on the podium by the Swedish up-and-comer Ella Halvarsson and her teammate Elvira Oeberg. In addition to her perfect precision, Irwin bested the biathlon icon Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold of Norway by 6.6 seconds.
“There is definitely time I can make up on the range and the course, but I’m super happy with my result in the opening individual, and I’m excited for the rest of the week,” added Irwin.
Last season saw Irwin hit milestones, beginning in Lenzerheide, SUI in December 2023, where she not only hit her first World Cup top 10, shooting clean to finish eighth in the women’s sprint, but she also cleaned her first four-stage race to finish 13th in the mass start. She saw multiple successes in the single mixed relay with Campbell Wright, as well as a World Championship personal best 11th in the women’s individual, and rounding the season out with clean shooting to secure a 12th place pursuit result. Beginning the 2024-25 season with a top-15 individual result is an ode to her continued hard work and is yet another sign of good things to come for Team USA.
Team USA teammates Grace Castonguay (Conway, NH/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) and Kelsey Dickinson (Winthrop, WA/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) struggled on the range in a race where each missed target equates to 45 seconds added to your time, ultimately landing them in 96th and 98th. Margie Freed (Apple Valley, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) did not start the women’s 12.5km short individual.
Using the next two days to rest, the women’s team will be back on deck for the 7.5km sprint on Saturday, December 7 at 11:10 EST/18:10 EET. The U.S. men’s team will rest again today and toe the line for the 10km sprint tomorrow, December 6 at 10:20 EST/17:20 EET. Live stream of IBU World Cup events is available at eurovisionsport.com.
