IBU Cup Season Resumes in Arber

After an action-packed first trimester in Idre Fjäll, SWE, Geilo, NOR, and Obertilliach, AUT, the IBU Cup is back in competition mode for two stops in Arber, GER and Brezno-Osrblie, SVK before heading to the Italian Alps to race the 2025 Open European Championships in Martell-Val Martello, ITA.  

The upcoming weekend in Arber will feature a pair of sprints on both January 9 and January 11, with the top 60 from the January 11 sprint races qualifying for the pair of pursuits on January 12. 

Highlighting the team roster is Paul Schommer (Appleton, WI/Team Birkie/Ariens Nordic Center) who will make his return to international racing for the first time since the 2023 World Championships in Oberhof, GER, after taking time to recover from a knee injury. Schommer claimed first place in both sprint races and third in the mass start at IBU Cup Trials in Craftsbury, VT to earn a spot on the IBU Cup team. Joining Schommer on the men’s team is Luke Brown (St. Paul, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) who raced both the Idre Fjäll and Geilo IBU Cups in trimester one, and Bjorn Westervelt (Stowe, VT/Craftsbury Green Racing Project), who podiumed in all three races in Craftsbury, winning the mass start, to punch his ticket to Arber. 

The women’s team will see the international racing debut of Zoe Noble (Anchorage, AK/National Guard Biathlon), who raced well to finish sixth overall at IBU Cup Trials. Cheresa Bouley (Zimmerman, MN/Minnesota Biathlon) and Lexie Madigan (Truckee, CA/Auburn Ski Club) will both make their returns to international racing after finishing seventh and fourth overall, respectively, in Craftsbury. 

The team of athletes hungry for international competition will make for an exciting weekend back from the holiday break. Live race updates, as well as start lists, results, and more, can be found on the IBU App, available both on Apple and Google Play. Spectator resources can be found at usbiathlon.org/spectator-resources.