Category Archives: International

Junior National Team Criteria

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Junior National Team 2020
Based at Regional Centers/ Clubs

Junior-National-TeamDownload

As a training camp based team, the purpose of the Junior National Team is to foster effective training environments and coaching relationships that support the continued development of our top performing Junior and Youth athletes.

Biathletes named to this team have demonstrated internationally competitive biathlon performances and/or Nationally competitive ski speed. Athletes will automatically qualify for this team via the following criteria, as long as they will be at in the Y/Jr age class for the coming season.

Selection Criteria

  1. Top 40 result (excluding relays) at YJWCH, or
  2. Top 40 result (excluding relays) at JOECH, or
  3. Top 20 results (excluding relays) at the Jr. IBU Cup, or
  4. Any Y/Jr athlete that qualifies for any Sr. IBU Cup or World Cup

Additional athletes ​may​ be named to the Junior National Team via discretion. When considering athletes for discretionary selection, the USBA principles of discretion will apply as well as these factors:

  1. Internationally competitive ski speed in biathlon, such as top 20 course times at JYWCH/JOECH.
  2. Nationally competitive ski speed in cross country, such as top 15 distance results at Junior Nationals, while showing commitment to biathlon.
  3. Junior or Youth athletes with exceptional results at US Biathlon National Championship.

If extra space is available at training camps before US Summer National Championships, additional athletes may be invited to participate based on their best performance at Junior & Youth World Championships, Junior IBU Cups, JOECH and US Nationals.

After Summer Nationals, extra camp space ​may​ be filled by staff recommendations and US Biathlon International Competition Committee approval based on the events listed above and Summer Nationals.

URGENT 15 OCT DEADLINE: Mandatory Anti-Doping Education CERTIFICATE

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For athletes that have not taken WADA Anti Doping Educational Seminar, please make sure you undertake it BEFORE OCTOBER 15th. If you don’t complete the trainings before then, you will not be eligible to start at any IBU event (e.g. World Cups, YJWCH, IBU Cups, etc).

ALL athletes who plan on competing in IBU events this season MUST COMPLETE the training. If you have previously taken the training last year, that will suffice (I think a lot of the juniors have already completed this training). If not, you need to complete the training by OCTOBER 15.

Below you will find links on how to complete either of the processes. Once you are finished, please send Preston (info@usbiathlon.org) your certificate of completion.

Go To:
https://www.biathlonworld.com/medical-antidoping/athletes/

Then click–> https://adel.wada-ama.org

Kaisa Bosek Nominated to 2020 Youth Olympic Games by United States Biathlon Association

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Kaisa Bosek, 16, from Alexandria MN and a member of the Wolfpack/MN Biathlon Club has been nominated by the US Biathlon Association to be a member of the 6 athlete US Biathlon Team to the Youth Olympic Games to be held Jan 9-22 in Lausanne, Switzerland. This event is sponsored by the International Olympic Committee and includes all the Winter Olympic sports.

The US team will consist of 3 men and 3 women who were selected based on each athlete’s best 4 of 8 national level races starting with Team Trials in Utah, continuing at Nationals in VT and finishing at the National Roller ski Biathlon Championships in VT early in August. Only one roller ski event could be counted even though the competitors skied on matched roller skis provided by USBA.

Bosek was in 3rd place on the Youth Women roster coming into the last races then dominated in the final two, finishing the series with a 7.5km Pursuit race shooting 0,0,0,1 [one miss in 20 shots] and finishing over 3 min ahead of her nearest YOG competitor and scoring 107.3% based on the avg of the top 3 finishers to move her up to 1st in the selection process, which is based on percent back scores.

Our congratulations to Kaisa and her coach, Jeff Bosek!

Youth Olympic Games starting positions for US

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Good Morning,

Once each 4 years the International Olympic Committee hosts the Youth Olympics. YOG’s. The Winter Games will be in Jan, 2020 in Switzerland. US Biathlon started the selection process for those who were born in years 2002 & 2003 back at the Trials in Utah last Dec with 3 races, and continued at the Nationals in Vermont last month with 3 more. The final qualifier races will be in Vermont in August on roller skis. Only one of the upcoming races can be included in the best 4 of the 8 races. All races are scored on a percent back basis, based on the average of the top 3 in each event.

What was unknown until yesterday was how many start positions the US was entitled to, so that was clarified as 3 each for men and women. The current standings are enclosed by Tim.

In addition, there will be a team from the US at the Youth and Junior World Biathlon Championships later in Jan. All 15 through 18 yr old Youth will be eligible to qualify for the 4 Youth positions open on those teams based on a series of 3 races held between Christmas and New Years somewhere in the US. 19 through 21 yr olds can qualify as Juniors.

Opportunities in Biathlon!!
B
Bill Meyer, Coach
MNBiathlon

Open European Jr Championships — GARRETT!

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Sjusjoen, Norway-

The Open European Jr Championships concluded yesterday. While the World Championships in Sweden have garnered most of the attention, the top Youth and Juniors have been competing in Norway including Garrett Beckrich, Vasek Cervenka [ill] and Emma Stertz of Grand Rapids.

In Saturday’s Sprint races:
10km Men
1st Sivert Guttorn Bakken of Norway o,o 24:48
44th Lars Leopold USA 0,1 + 2:19
57th Garrett Beckrich USA 0,2 + 2:45
88th Maxime Germain USA 1,2 + 4:26
91st Bjorn Westervelt USA 2,3 + 4:41
Vasek Cervenka USA ill—DNS

7.5km Women
1st Camille Bened FRA 0,0 21:58
37th Chloe Levins USA 0,1 +1:56
89th Maja Lapkass USA 1,1 +4:12
95th Emma Stertz USA 1,1 4:43
103rd Lina Farra USA 4,1 +6:33

The top 60 in each field advanced to the Pursuits on Sunday

12.5km Men
1st Julian Hollanat GER 0020 36:23
22nd Garrett Beckrich 1111 + 3:25 [includes time back from Saturday!!]
Lars Leopold USA DNS

10 km Women
1st Julianne Fruehwirt GER 0111 32:15
35th Chloe Levins 0124 +4:20

Enjoy the Journey!
Bill Meyer, Coach
MNBiathlon

Open European Jr Championships

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https://www.biathlonworld.com/calendar/#/event-23

Sjusjoen, Norway

Three MN Biathletes are in Norway to compete in the Open European Jr Championships this week. All of Grand Rapids, Garrett Beckrich, Emma Stertz and Vasek Cervenka. Unfortunately Vasek is currently ill and did not compete today.
In the 15 km Jr Men’s Individual race [with a one minute add on penalty per missed shot]
1st Tim Grotian GER 0000 40:33.4
21st Garrett Beckrich USA 1210 +4:03.8
33rd Maxim Germain USA 0101 +5:14
93rd Lars Leopold USA 4102 +10:18
104th Bjorn Westerveld USA 2243 +13:59

In the 12.5 km Jr Woman’s Individual event- 1 min per miss penalty
1st Camille Bened FRA 0000 40:09
19th Chloe Levins USA 0011 +3:16
70th Emma Stertz USA 0012 +8:26
94th Maja Lapkass USA 1412 +13:16
100th Lina Farra USA 3301 +14:11

Juniors are ages 19,20, 21, but athletes like Emma and Garrett at 18 can race up.

Bill Meyer
MN Biathlon