U.S. Men Dominate Pursuit, Wright Speeds to Eighth
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Collectively jumping 62 positions, Campbell Wright (Wanaka, NZL/Waiorau Nordic Skiing), Jake Brown (St. Paul, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project), and Maxime Germain (Chamonix-Mont Blanc, FRA/National Guard Biathlon) brought the heat in the 12.5km pursuit in Oslo, NOR, the final stop of the 2024-25 World Cup season.
Wright propelled from his start bib of 34 to finish eighth overall, his ninth top 10 finish this season. A 90% hit rate, third overall ski time, and fourth overall pursuit performance, boosted Wright 26 positions to landing just 9.5 seconds back from a flower ceremony finish.
Brown, clinching his fourth top 30 result of the season, jumped from 51 at the start to cross the line in 29th overall. Mirroring Wright on the range with a 90% hit rate, and holding the 21st overall ski time, Brown capitalized on his opportunity to earn additional World Cup points - he currently sits 59th on the World Cup Total Score, his highest placement since the 2021/22 season.
Germain, known to perform in pursuit races, began the competition wearing bib 56. Despite three misses on the day, Germain held a top 40 ski time to push through the thick snow and crossed the finish line in 42nd, a 14 position jump overall.
Later in the day, Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, WI/Army World Class Athlete Program) toed the line in the women’s 10km pursuit, the sole U.S. woman to qualify for the race. Irwin battled through the late afternoon sun in Oslo to cross the line in 51st with five misses on the day.
The pursuit marked the final competitions of the 2024-25 season for Brown, Germain, and Irwin. Wright will race one last time in tomorrow’s men’s 15km mass start, gunning to secure the U23 globe. If successful, it will be an historic feat for the U.S. team.
