Podiums, Top Finishes, and Momentum: U.S. Biathlon Team Wraps Up IBU Cup 6 in Ridnaun

The final IBU Cup weekend before a month from racing brought the U.S. Biathlon Team to Ridnaun-Val Ridanna, ITA, where the race weekend consisted of three individual races: a sprint, pursuit, and mass start 60. The team brought the fire landing two podiums, two top-20s, multiple top-30s, six pursuit qualifications, and seven athletes racing the mass start 60. 

U.S. Biathlon Team saw its first IBU Cup flower ceremony since the 2024 Open European Championships where Vincent Bonacci raced to sixth in the men’s individual. Paul Schommer (Appleton, WI/Team Birkie/Ariens Nordic Center) has shown continuous improvement since his return to international racing in January, all leading to this weekend where he earned a bronze medal in the men’s sprint AND a bronze in the men’s pursuit. Schommer will now turn his focus to World Championships, where he will race the next two weeks in Lenzerheide, SUI. 

Chloe Levins (Williston, VT/Unaffiliated) hit the ground running, or rather skiing, in Ridnaun finishing 16th in the women’s sprint with clean shooting, her top result of the season. With four misses in the pursuit, she landed 32nd, but quickly bounced back to the top-20 with her 19th place finish in the mass start 60, missing just two of twenty targets. Levins will also travel to Lenzerheide to race the upcoming World Championships. 

“This last week in Ridnaun was exactly what I needed—to find the joy in biathlon again,” said Levins. “There’s nothing more powerful in sport than a combination of momentum and joy, both things I’m very grateful to be bringing with me to World Championships. I’ve come a long way this season and have overcome obstacles put in front of me by others and myself. I couldn’t be more grateful to those who never wavered in their support of me; I owe them everything.”

Kelsey Dickinson (Winthrop, WA/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) had a weekend of consistent top-40 performances and solid shooting. Dickinson raced to 37th in the sprint, shooting clean, then jumped three positions to finish 34th in the pursuit, hitting 18 for 20 targets. The final day of racing she bested her two previous performances finishing 30th in the mass start 60, once again hitting 18 of 20 targets. Cheresa Bouley (Zimmerman, MN/Minnesota Biathlon) raced to pursuit qualification in the women’s sprint with her 58th place finish. Jumping eight positions, she finished 50th in the pursuit, despite missing five targets on the day. The final day of racing saw Bouley place 53rd in the mass start 60. Jackie Garso (Lake Clear, NY/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) fell out of pursuit contention, racing to 68th in the sprint, but bounced back in the mass start 60, missing just two targets to place 46th. 

Bjorn Westervelt (Stowe, VT/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) raced to 41st in the sprint to join Schommer in the pursuit. Despite struggles on the range, Westervelt managed to hold the top shooting time and finish 46th on the day. His top performance came in the men’s mass start 60, where he raced to 22nd, hitting 17 of 20 targets. Luke Brown (St. Paul, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) placed three U.S. men in the pursuit with his 44th place finish, his top result of the season. He then had back to back 54th place finishes in both the pursuit and mass start 60. Rounding out the team, Vaclav Cervenka (Grand Rapids, MN/Army World Class Athlete Program) just missed out on the pursuit, finishing 63rd, but after a day of training, came back to race the mass start 60 and end the weekend with a 47th place finish. 

The team will now have a training block to prepare for the final two IBU Cup race weekends in Otepää, EST, March 6-9 and March 12-15.