1.Team by Team Previews
These will be pretty much exactly what you think. I’ll be taking a look at who will be the athletes you see the most of throughout the year. I’m going to try to share their recent histories, their trajectory as an athlete, and what we might expect from them this season. I’ll also try to point out a few younger athletes to keep an eye on for each squad. These might be athletes we see on the World Cup level making their debuts or just a few young men and women that are on their way up…names to remember for future versions of this.
Just a note while I did my best I did not review every athlete that competed for these nations on every level. I did review most everybody on the World Cup level and a strong selection from IBU Cup and Juniors level. However there are an enormous number of athletes that compete every year in IBU events from the Juniors through World Cup. I just don’t have the time or energy to do every single athlete. I did my best though!
Austria is a nation steeped in winter sports tradition. When you think of winter sports and the Winter Olympics its hard not to see Austrians. Almost every winter Austrian fans are assured of having one of the winningest winter sports rosters. The overwhelming majority of this success, though, comes in alpine skiing. Of course this make sense considering Austria is home to some of the most famous ski slopes in the Alps. Fittingly the Österreichischer skiverband is by far and away the all time leader in alpine skiing medals. Continue Reading Austria Team Preview
For Team Canada, the expectations aren’t quite as high as they might be for say the German, or French or Norwegian squads. However, just because there aren’t expectations doesn’t mean there aren’t hopes and dreams and wants. Myriam Bedard for example was a three time Olympic medalist, winning two gold in Individual and Sprint in Lillehammer and bronze in Individual in Albertville. The 2016 Canadian men won the bronze medal at the Oslo World Championships, the crowning achievement of a recent golden generation of Canadian male biathletes. And hopes and dreams are never more than this season, one of the rare seasons when Canada will be hosting a World Cup stop, the season ending weekend no less. So do we think there is any chance for a surprise top showing this season? Continue Reading Canada Team Preview
While the Czech Republic may not be one of the traditional powers in the biathlon world they seem to never be far behind. While the Norwegians, French, Germans, and Swedes are powering through the season battling for the top positions in the Nations Cup there is always a small group of nations pushing and fighting just behind them. One of the chief members of this group for several years now has been the Czech Republic. While the Czech squad has occasionally risen to a top 3 finishing position it is much more of a rare thing. Continue reading Czech Republic Team Preview
I’ve got reindeer and jingle bells dancing in my head. Jolly people singing. Snow. It either means I’m thinking about Christmas…or Finland. In this case, with the holiday season here it could be both! But right now, we’re going to focus on Finland! (I’ve been writing these for I don’t know how long straight now and I’m getting a little loony…can you tell?). When I think about Finland and biathlon of course the first thing that comes to mind (or person as the case may be) is Kaisa Makarainen with 27 wins, 85 podiums, and 6 World Championship medals, and 3 overall Crystal Globes. Not just the best Finnish biathlete ever but one of the greatest of all time. Continue Reading Finland Team Preview
17 Overall Crystal Globes. 32 Olympic Medals. 117 World Championship medals. While they aren’t one of the founding traditional members of biathlon like Germany or Russia or Norway, France has emerged over the last 20-30 years as one of the great powers. Quinton Fillon Maillet and Julia Simon. Raphael Poiree and Anne Briand. Martin Freaking Fourcade! These are some of the names in biathlon over that period. I mean Martin Fourcade is argued about as possibly the greatest of all time. Continue Reading France Team Preview.
When I think biathlon, I think Germany. I think Oberhof and Ruhpolding. I think wild cheering. I think the best fans in the world. I think Sven Fischer and Magdalene Neuner. I think Andrea Henkel and Laura Dahlmeier. Maybe it should be Norway or France or even Sweden. But in spite of the relative lack of recent success I just can’t disconnect Germany and biathlon. Continue Reading Germany Team Preview
Ciao bella! I don’t know why but every time I start talking about the Italian team I always want to start out that way. To my knowledge I haven’t ever done it yet so now I have. And honestly it really fits. Hey, no not because Giacomel has the hair of a Fabio or that Doro is the most marketable active biathlete, but because their home stop on the World Cup is so darn pretty! Ask a biathlete of a fan for their favorite stop and I would bet over half will say Antholz. It’s just pristine. The living embodiment of the star eyes emoji. Continue Reading Italy Team Preview
Norway– coming soon
Slovenia isn’t one of the traditional biathlon powers. That doesn’t mean that Slovenia doesn’t have a biathlon history. If you look back through the histories of biathlon you won’t see all that many instances of a powerhouse Slovenian team. Every now and then though you’ll see little moments. You’ll see a surge by Jakov Fak, the ageless wonder, and in the mid 2000’s there was the pair of women Tadeja Brankovic and Teja Gregorin. Continue Reading Slovenia Team Preview
While the Swedish biathlon team oftentimes comes out on the short end of their biathlon battles with the friendly neighbors and rivals Norway, things are getting more competitive than they have been in quite some time. Magdalena Foresburg is indeed one of the all time great women in biathlon. And Swedish men like Bjoren Ferry have been able to be competitive as well. But the Swedish team as currently constructed might be the best and most competitive group they have ever had. Continue Reading Sweden Team Preview.
Few teams provided as much of a pleasant surprise last year as the Swiss squad. Both the men and women surpassed expectations to have their best years in well…ever. It certainly wasn’t expected when both Benjamin Weger and Selina Gasparin retired following the 2021-2022 seasons. But as mentioned above surprise was the name of the game for the Swiss last season. Continue Reading Switzerland Team Preview
The United States is my home federation. In theory that means that I should know these athletes than any others. However, in practice it is much different. As everybody reading this knows biathlon in the United States is not even a secondary sport. It’s basically relegated to small groups of people in a handful of states. In some ways it’s remarkable that a nation with over 330 million citizens has never won a single medal in this event at the Olympics. It’s the only Winter Olympics event the Americans have failed to win. And yet…it’s also not surprising at all. Maybe it only makes sense if you’ve lived here. Continue Reading United States Team Preview
2. Schedule Preview
November 25 – December 3rd in Östersund
December 8 – December 10 in Hochfilzen
December 14 – 17 in Lenzerheide
January 4 – January 7 in Oberhof
January 10 – January 14 in Ruhpolding
January 18 – January 21 in Antholz
February 7 – February 18 World Championships in Nove Mesto
February 29 – March 3 in Oslo
March 8 – March 10 in Soldier Hollow
March 14 – March 17 in Canmore