NEW TALENTS AND OLD DREAMS
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by Alex Dohm - Maloja
It won't be long before the athletes of the biathlon world face the first competition of the season. In Kontiolahti, Finland, the insane alternation between sprinting and absolute concentration when shooting is finally back on the agenda. Just under 200 kilometers to the north, the United States national team has gathered in Vuokatti for the final fine-tuning and mood test. A story about high expectations, the smell of wax and an extra dose of motivation. #
The sun is still a long way from rising and a thin film of frost lies over the biathlon stadium in Vuokatti. And yet none of the people present can see the strain of the last few days. After almost three days on the highway and the ferry, the convoy with the mobile wax cabins and small buses, packed to the brim with equipment, gear and clothing, has arrived in the Finnish town of Vuokatti. Not in mobile houses and huge trucks, like the big teams from Germany or Norway - two container rooms were rented for the duration of the training camp. A large number of the athletes have arrived with empty suitcases, as the starting signal for the training camp is also the official dressing of the entire team. Sorted alphabetically by name, the team receives the clothing that will accompany them every day for the next few months. Cross-country skiing clothing in a wide variety of designs, a technically sophisticated race suit for the numerous races of the season - and of course the team's own streetwear line, which will also give the team a uniform look during the travel and recovery period. Even before the first athletes meet for their first training session, the intense smell of wax - it reminds me a little of burnt plastic - spreads. The team of ski technicians is working on the perfect ski, adapted to the current snow conditions and the exact weather situation. What looks like a simple craft is in fact a science in itself, because a good ski can make the difference of several seconds in a competition - and thus decide between podium or 4th place.
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Admittedly, the US biathlon team has not been on the podium of a biathlon World Cup for a long time. Susan Dunkele sensationally finished as runner-up in the 2020 World Championships, Clare Egan came third in Oslo in 2019. And yet the developments of recent years have made people sit up and take notice. The greatest attention was paid to Campbell Wright, who is just 22 years old. The native New Zealander, who was able to join the American team two years ago due to his American parents, fought a thrilling duel with the world's top biathlon athletes in the final in Nove Mesto last year after a difficult start to the season - and sensationally finished in 7th place. Even before his move to the USA, Campbell won the U23 World Championships - as part of a team that brings together athletes from small nations. Campell affectionately calls the team - consisting of countries such as Chile, Brazil and New Zealand - “The Refugee Team”. However, as part of the US Biathlon, Campbell enjoys access to better training conditions, a simplified infrastructure and, above all, the very familiar environment of coaching staff, wax technicians and athletes. Because one thing becomes clear in the early hours of the morning in Vuokatti at the latest - the path to sporting success is not only characterized by glamour. The atmosphere within the team takes on a whole new meaning.
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The “Project X” program also produces exciting athletes. Unlike in Germany, the classic sport of cross-country skiing is much more popular in the USA than biathlon. This is due to the heavily subsidized integration into the American education system. Sports that are practiced in college play a major role nationally. The aim of “Project X” is therefore to give talented young cross-country skiers new career opportunities by introducing them to the world of biathlon. A good example of this is Margie Freed, who took up arms for the first time last season and achieved the best result of any American woman in the IBU Cup at the end of the season. Or Luci Anderson, who only discovered biathlon in the spring of 2024 and will now take to the shooting range for the first time after an intensive training camp in the summer.
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The importance of the Olympics probably doesn't need to be explained. But the fact that almost the entire team of ski technicians comes from the host country Italy - they call themselves “The Wax Cowboys” - certainly provides an extra dose of motivation. Armin Auchentaller, National Team Head Coach of the US biathlon team, is also looking forward to the Olympic Games with special feelings, as the competitions are taking place in his South Tyrolean home town of Antholz. The team is therefore very familiar with the local conditions. During the training camp in Vuokatti, it quickly becomes clear to me that something is growing together here. This team doesn't want to settle for the role of the “cool underdog”. Because in a sport where only a few centimeters on a target decide the podium, a lot seems possible. And maybe it's the auroras that occasionally shine over Vuokatti in the evening, but the team's young talents provide a glimmer of hope in the biathlon skies of the United States of America. Let's go, Team USA!
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