Patience on the Fast Track!

After Friday's clean sprint in Ridnaun, Italy, I raced in a pursuit on Saturday, and a relay on Sunday. Unfortunately I did not have the same precision on the range, but I felt way better and faster skiing! Looking back on my first IBU Cup experience, there are a ton of things that could have gone better, but I am focussing on the clean shooting biathlon miracle. Here are a couple of pictures from Ridnaun:

A trail of artificial snow in the Val di Ridanna (Ridnaun), Italy

View from the valley

So what now? Based on the results from two weekends of IBU Cup racing, the national team coaches decided to bring both Maddie Phaneuf and me to World Cup 6 in Antholz, Italy. We will join US Biathlon Team veterans Susan Dunklee, Hannah Dreissigacker, and Annelies Cook. The US is allowed to start four women in any given race, so Maddie and I will probably each get one chance to compete. There is a sprint on Friday, from which the top 60 finishers qualify for the pursuit on Saturday, and then there is a relay on Sunday. 

R-L: Maddie Phaneuf, Casey Smith and I at Lago Dobbiacco

Maddie and I are the only two female members of the US Biathlon "X Team." She is one of the top shooters in the US of any age, and one of the best biathletes in the world for her age: last year she placed 4th at World Junior Biathlon Championships. She is only 19 so she is focussing on preparing for another World Junior Championships this year, but she is also getting a taste for the World Cup. After racing well at IBU Cup 4 in Poland, she made her World Cup debut last week at World Cup 5 in Rupholding as a part of the women's 4x6k relay. Since Maddie is so reliable on the range, it is likely that the coaching staff will choose her to fill the 4th spot on our relay team again this Sunday. I may be given the opportunity to compete in the sprint, where, if I had the race of my life, based on my ski speed I could have a chance to make the pursuit. So my World Cup debut could come as early as this Friday.

I am keeping super high goals and super low expectations: try to make the pursuit, but don't think twice if I finish in last place! My outlook for this sport goes beyond this weekend or this season, so every race is good practice for next time. My coaches are putting me on the "fast track", giving me as much experience as possible at the highest level, and I am just trying to keep up. Of course I am trying to get better as fast as I can, but it just takes time. My first biathlon coach, Algis, said, "How to do you think you get better at standing with a rifle? Standing with a rifle!" People like me, whose lives revolve around trying to do something as fast as possible, are not often patient. Those who are make great biathletes!

My coach, Jean Paquet, and I at Lago Dobbiacco.

Snow and sun in Ridnaun, Italy!