Olympian John Morton inducted Into US Biathlon Hall of Fame

Mon, Jun  23, 2008 - By US Biathlon Association

The United States Biathlon Association (USBA) is pleased to announce the induction of John Morton to their national Hall of Fame. Morton has represented the United States at seven Olympics, dating back to the Sapporo Games in 1972, as an athlete, coach, and Team Leader.

“John has modeled the spirit of the Olympic movement for generations of athletes over his 30 years of involvement with the US Biathlon Team, and set a standard for humility, integrity, and success,” said Larry Pugh, Chairman of United States Biathlon.

Morton was an outstanding collegiate skier for Middlebury College, sweeping all the Eastern Carnival races in 1966. He was named to the US Cross Country Ski Team in 1968 and the US Biathlon Team in 1969. He remained on the US Biathlon team from 1969 through the 1976 season (With the exception of a tour of duty in Vietnam in 1971, winning the Bronze Star). In that span of time, he represented the US at the Sapporo and Innsbruck Olympics as an athlete. From 1976 through 2002 Morty served as an assistant coach and Team Leader for the US Team, including at 5 more Olympic events.

Morton’s career has also included serving as the head coach for the Dartmouth ski team from 1978-1989 and being a co-founder of the Maine Winter Sports Center.

“John has been and continues to be a great source of inspiration for the biathlon community,” said Max Cobb, Executive Director of US Biathlon. “As an athlete, coach, team leader, author, chief of course, and trail designer he has given something to all of us. This is but a small ‘thank you’ for a man who continues to do so much for biathlon.”

Morton will be inducted at a formal presentation at the US National Biathlon Championships, scheduled for March 2009 in Fort Kent, Maine.

The United States Biathlon Association is the National Governing Body for the sport of biathlon in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Biathlon Union. The US Biathlon Association supports the US Biathlon Team and development of the sport on all levels within the United States.