Idre Fjäll Welcomes Athletes For IBU Cup Season Opener
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by Sara Donatello
Not only is Thursday Thanksgiving Day, but it is also the first day of the 2024-25 IBU Cup season! The eight U.S. athletes named to the IBU Cup team for trimester one will toe the line in Idre Fjäll, SWE on November 28 for the men’s 10km sprint and women’s 7.5km sprint, followed by an off day on Friday and a weekend full of more sprint and pursuit races.
After spending two weeks training on snow in the northern Finland town of Vuokatti, the IBU Cup team heads into the season carrying momentum from strong training performances throughout the summer and fall.
“I’m excited to start the season,” said IBU Cup Head Coach Mike Gibson. “Our team just wrapped up a very productive pre-season camp in Vuokatti with a lot of hard work and competitive test races. These athletes put in so much quality work over the summer, and that dedication is so obvious by how professional and well prepared they are. We’re entering this season with one of the most competitive teams of recent years and I can’t wait for the athletes to show the world what they can do!”
Vincent Bonacci (Salt Lake City, UT/Team Crosscut) made a name for himself on the IBU Cup last season with not one, but two flower ceremony appearances, first in Kontiolahti, then in Brezno-Osrblie, SVK at the 2024 Open European Championships. Joining Bonacci on the men’s squad is Vaclav Cervenka (Grand Rapids, MN/Army World Class Athlete Program), Luke Brown (St. Paul, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project), and Eli Nielsen (Stehekin, WA/National Guard Biathlon). Cervenka and Brown both finished last season with season best results in the men’s mass start 60 in Obertilliach, AUT: Cervenka in 17th place, solidifying him in 46th on the IBU Cup overall rankings, and Brown claiming 23rd.
The women’s roster brings an even split of experience and rookie athletes. Jackie Garso (Lake Clear, NY/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) is entering her fifth season of biathlon, as Tara Geraghty-Moats (West Fairlee, VT/National Guard Biathlon) follows right behind, entering her fourth full season. Both athletes bring IBU Cup and World Cup experience to the table, with Geraghty-Moats qualifying for her first World Championships pursuit last February in Nove Mesto, CZE. Michaela Keller-Miller (Plymouth, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) made her international biathlon racing debut on the IBU Cup last season and showing great progress over the summer, entering this season on a strong note. Project X athlete Lucinda Anderson (Golden Valley, MN/Team Birkie), the newest addition to the U.S. Biathlon Team, will make her debut in Idre Fjäll this week after taking up biathlon just this spring.
“I’m really excited to be doing my first official biathlon race on snow this week,” said Anderson. “We had a great pre-season camp the last couple of weeks in Vuokatti and I learned a lot from all my teammates there and I’m ready to put it all to work with a bib on!”
Fans will be able to follow IBU Cup racing through live updates on the IBU App. Click HERE to learn more, and click HERE for spectator resources where you can find information on race disciplines, qualification criteria, team rosters, and more.
IBU Cup 1 - Idre Fjäll, SWE
Thursday, November 28
M 10km Sprint 04:30 EST // 10:30 CET
W 7.5km Sprint 08:00 EST // 14:00 CET
Saturday, November 30
M 10km Sprint 04:30 EST // 10:30 CET
W 7.5km Sprint 08:00 EST // 14:00 CET
Sunday, December 01
M 12.5km Pursuit 05:00 EST // 11:00 CET
W 10km Pursuit 07:45 EST // 13:45 CET
