Update from Youth and Junior World Biathlon Championships

Thu, Feb  1, 2007 - By US Biathlon Association

Manbeck 22nd; Currier 33rd in Pursuit Competition

Val Martello, Italy - Jan 28. - Hilary McNamee of Ft. Fairfield, ME was the lone U.S. competitor in the Youth Women’s race. Skiing well all week McNamee continued today with the goal of finding her rhythm in the shooting range. McNamee started out hitting 8 of her first 10 shots, but only managed 4 of 10 in her final 10 shots. Starting 36th, McNamee had to settle for 38th place today. “My skiing has been good so far, but I’m not satisfied with this performance. I want to hit more targets,” stated McNamee afterwards. Moving up from 11 place, Marie Laure Brunet of France won with only penalties followed by Ksenia Kulikova of Russia and yesterday’s Sprint winner Laure Bosc of France.

In the Jr. Women’s race Brynden Manbeck of Grand Rapids, MN finished 22nd with 4 penalties. Manbeck raced much of the day just inside the top 20 until two missed shots in her final stage. Meagan Toussaint of Madawaska, ME finished 44th with 4 penalties and Laura Spector of Hanover, NH finished 54th with12 penalties followed by Ellen Anderson of Ely, MN with 7 penalties.

Hitting 16 of his 20 targets Wynn Roberts of Battle Lake, MN moved up from 45th to 39th. Saving just enough for the final loop Roberts gradually moved up throughout the race to finally crack the top 40. Justin Tyner of Battle Lake, MN started the day 41st, but 11 penalties dropped him back to 53rd place. Leif Nordgren of Marine, MN finished 54th with 8 misses. Florian Graf of Germany moved up from 3rd place to start a winning trend for the German Men’s Team hitting 16 of 20 targets.

In the Jr. Men’s race a German quartet swept the top four places with a total of just 6 missed targets amongst them. Russell Currier of Stockholm, ME started 36th and like Roberts moved up gradually throughout the race. With the 4th fastest course time on the 2nd loop Currier sat in the top 30, but 3 misses in his first standing stage dropped him back to 36th. With only one penalty in his final stage, Currier left in 35th and passed two racers to finish 33rd. Newt Rogers of Ft. Kent, ME finished 58th with 7 penalties.

Biathlon Jr. World Championships – Individual and Sprint Competitions

Val Martello, Italy Jan 24 to 26 – Situated up a narrow valley in the Sudtirol region of Italy winter has found a home. Less then 24 hours before the first race of the Biathlon World Junior Championships 16 inches of fresh powder filled the narrow valley covering the previously brown fields.

In the first day off competition with softened tracks athletes competed in the Individual Competition. Shooting four times athletes are penalized 1-minute for each missed target. Brynden Manbeck of Grand Rapids, MN finished 28th with 3 penalties in the Junior Women’s field. Wynn Roberts of Battle Lake, MN despite 8 penalties finished 39th. In the Youth Women’s field Hilary McNamee of Ft. Fairfield, ME finished 45th with 8 penalties, but recorded the 12th fastest course time.

In Saturday’s Sprint Competition winds roared up through the valley. Event organizers had to bolt down the shooting mats prior to the zeroing period. In the Youth Women’s race Hilary McNamee placed 36th hitting 4 of her 10 targets and again recorded the 12th fastest course time. Brynden Manbeck hit 8 of 10 targets to finish in 21st place. Meagan Toussaint of Madawaska, ME like Manbeck hit 8 of her 10 targets to finish 36th. In the Youth Men’s race Wynn Roberts finished 45th with 4 penalties. In the Junior Men’s race Russell Currier finished 36th with 4 penalties and the 21st fastest course time. Also, qualifying for Sunday’s Pursuit race was Newt Rogers of Ft. Kent, ME in the Jr. Men’s category placing 55th with 2 penalties, Laura Spector or Hanover, NH and Ellen Anderson of Ely, MN in the Jr. Women’s category; Justin Tyner of Baxter, MN and Leif Nordgren or St. Croix, MN in the Youth Men’s race.

Gary Colliander
Biathlon Coach