The GRP Biathlon team was in Midway, Utah for a few weeks now, competing to qualify for early season European racing and then logging training hours at altitude before heading back to Craftsbury and onward into the season.

The qualification to race for US Biathlon at the World and IBU Cups was held at Soldier Hollow (site of the 2002 and 2036 Olympic Games) as a part of the Schutzenski Festival, October 3-5. After the races, based on a percent back system, 8 men and 8 women received invites to USBA’s Final Pre-Season Camp in Vuokatti, Finland, where the World and IBU Cup team selections will be made. Almost half of the group will be composed of GRP athletes!

The qualifying athletes are Kelsey Dickinson, Margie Freed, Grace Castonguay, Michaela Keller-Miller, Jackie Garso, Jake Brown, and Luke Brown. These athletes will head to Finland in early November. Non-qualified athletes will have another opportunity to earn European racing starts through On-Snow Trials, hosted by the Outdoor Center, December 17-20.

Jake, a long-time GRPer and Beijing Olympian, shared some of his thoughts from the weekend of competition: “I was especially excited about the trials races in Utah this year as the number of participating athletes increased astronomically. We had club athletes from all over the US and western Canada as well as both the Canadian and US national team in attendance, plus two top athletes from Finland. The international presence really validated the event and the progress our country is making in our sport. I’m eager to get on snow and my excitement for the season grows each day that it approaches.”

Results from the two-day Schutzenski Festival:

Day 1 Sprint:
Jake 6th (1+1)
Luke 7th (0+0)
Bjorn 11th (1+1)
Tim 19th (3+2)

Kelsey 3rd (0+0)
Margie 6th (0+2)
Grace 8th (1+0)
Michaela 12th (2+2)
Jackie 13th (1+0)

Day 2 Mass Start:
Kelsey 3rd (0+0+1+0)
Grace 6th (1+1+1+2)
Michaela 8th (1+1+2+2)
Margie 9th (1+1+3+2)
Jackie 16th (2+1+2+0)

Jake 3rd (2+0+0+1)
Luke 13th (0+1+4+4)
Tim 16th (2+3+1+1)
Bjorn 17th (2+4+2+1)

Good luck to all these biathletes as they put the final touches on their winter preparations!