Team USA Pushes Through Challenges in Ruhpolding, Olympic Test Event on Deck in Antholz

An annual stop on the World Cup circuit, Ruhpolding, GER brought its much-anticipated atmosphere for all five competition days. Amongst the fans were U.S. Biathlon Foundation members and CEO Jack Gierhart, Official Apparel Provider Maloja Clothing, and the U.S. Consul General, who made the trip from Munich to support the team. Team USA did not have a top race weekend with athletes just returning from illness recovery, and some were at the beginning stages of illness, however, given the circumstances, there were standout performances amongst the team. 

The weekend kicked off with Campbell Wright (Wanaka, NZL/Waiorau Nordic Skiing), Maxime Germain (Chamoniz-Mont Blanc, FRA/National Guard Biathlon), and Sean Doherty (Conway, NH/Army World Class Athlete Program) toeing the line in the men’s 20km individual. All three athletes held a 90% shooting performance, each hitting 18 of 20 targets. Wright crossed the line in 30th, still able to collect World Cup points and hold on to the U23 blue bib. Germain followed suit in 35th, also adding points to his overall score, and Doherty rounded out the men in 47th. Jake Brown (St. Paul, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) did not start the men’s individual. As it currently stands, Wright sits 15th on the World Cup Overall ranking, Germain in 46th, and Doherty in 59th. 

Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, WI/Army World Class Athlete Program) led the women’s team in 45th. Missing just three targets on the day, Irwin had an overall solid performance in her first race back after missing the Oberhof World Cup due to illness. Chloe Levins (Williston, VT/Unaffiliated) also missed three on the day to land in 84th. Margie Freed (Apple Valley, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project), with five misses, finished 90th, and Grace Castonguay (Jackson, NH/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) in 97th with seven misses. 

The men’s relay team of Wright, Germain, Doherty, and Brown showed perseverance as illness washed over the younger two athletes. Despite slower ski speeds in the first two legs, the team had the fifth-best overall range performance, using just seven spare rounds total. At exchange two, Doherty headed out on course in 22nd, last in the field. With speedy skis on the course and stellar shooting, he pulled the team up five positions to hand off to Brown in 17th. Brown, his first race back from illness, held the fifth-best performance in his leg to secure 16th place for the relay team - an ode to what’s to come with a healthy quartet!  

With the guidance of team athletic trainer, Annika Pasch, and team doctors, Wright chose to forgo his start position in the men’s mass start to focus on recovery from illness. 

The team now looks ahead to the upcoming weekend in Antholz, ITA. The event will act as the official biathlon test event for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games. With a new venue layout, it is sure to be an exciting weekend of racing in the Dolomites. Racing begins Thursday, January 23 with the women’s 7.5km sprint at 8:30 EST/14:30 CET. Live stream is available via Eurovision Sports; spectator resources can be found at usbiathlon.org/spectator-resources.