New Year, New Opportunities: Trimester Two Begins in Oberhof

After a well-deserved holiday break, the U.S. Biathlon Team is back and ready to compete at the LOTTO Thüringen ARENA am Rennsteig in Oberhof, GER, which is expected to see over 50,000 fans over the four-day race weekend. 

Due to illness* and decisions to forgo racing in Oberhof, the upcoming weekend will feature a blend of familiar faces on the World Cup this season as well as athletes who raced trimester one on the IBU Cup and competed at the 2024 IBU Cup Trials in Craftsbury, VT. Click HERE for more information on trimester two rosters. 

On the women’s team, Chloe Levins (Williston, VT/Unaffiliated), who took home all three wins in Craftsbury, will make her return to World Cup racing. Jackie Garso (Lake Clear, NY/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) and Tara Geraghty-Moats (West Fairlee, VT/National Guard Biathlon) will also return to the World Cup after racing in Idre Fjäll, SWE and Geilo, NOR on the IBU Cup last trimester. Rounding out the women’s team, the familiar face of Grace Castonguay (Jackson, NH/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) will toe the line for World Cup 4. 

The men’s team will welcome Vaclav Cervenka (Grand Rapids, MN/Army World Class Athlete Program) and Vincent Bonacci (Salt Lake City, UT/Team Crosscut) for World Cup 4. Cervenka currently sits 51st in the overall IBU Cup rankings, highlighted by a top-25 result in Geilo, NOR, and Bonacci in 60th overall on the IBU Cup, starting the season strong with a 19th place finish in Idre Fjäll, SWE. Maxime Germain (Chamonix-Mont Blanc, FRA/National Guard Biathlon) and Campbell Wright (Wanaka, NZL/Waiorau Nordic Skiing), who will start the men’s 10km sprint wearing the U23 blue bib, make up the four-man squad in Oberhof. 

Last season’s stop in Oberhof was highlighted by the women’s 4x6km relay team racing to 11th, the best women’s relay finish for the U.S. since 2022. Although this season won’t feature relay competitions, the team is gearing up to race a sprint, pursuit, single mixed relay and mixed relay. Live stream is available for free via Eurovision Sports, and live updates, start lists, results, and more can be found on the IBU App, available on both Apple and Google Play. Spectator resources can be found at usbiathlon.org/spectator-resources. 

*Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, WI/Army World Class Athlete Program) and Jake Brown (St. Paul, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) will not race World Cup 4 due to illness. Geraghty-Moats and Bonacci were nominated by the ICC to fill the vacant start positions.

World Cup 4 - Oberhof, GER

January 09

Women's 7.5km Sprint 08:20 EST // 14:20 CET

January 10

Men's 10km Sprint 08:20 EST // 14:20 CET

January 11

Women's 10km Pursuit 06:30 EST // 12:30 CET

Men's 12.5km Pursuit 08:45 EST // 14:45 CET

January 12

Single Mixed Relay 06:20 EST // 12:20 CET

Mixed Relay 08:30 EST // 14:30 CET