Sunday proved to be another rough day for me in Oslo. Our women's relay started off well, with Susan Dunklee using only two spare rounds and skiing the fastest course time for the first leg to tag off in 6th place. But that was the closest we ever made it to the front of the race. Hannah Dreissigacker, Annelies Cook and I each had two penalty laps. As I skied my second penalty lap, the winning team from the Czech Republic lapped us and crossed the finish line, so I was pulled from the course and was not allowed to finish. With the exception of Susan's race, this was not the kind of performance that any of us aspired to as we prepare for World Championships. (See US Biathlon's race recap of the relay, here, and World Championships roster announcement, here.)
I am trying to focus on the few good things that I did this weekend, even if they were very few. My prone shooting is consistently solid and my ski times are getting faster as I race more. The third component of biathlon, my standing shooting, needs major improvement, but I did hit four out of five targets in one stage of the individual race, so I know the skills are there. We have a few weeks now to practice before World Championships begin in Kantiolahti, Finland on March 4th. I am grateful for the example of my more-experienced teammates and the guidance of US Biathlon's world-class staff, for helping me keep my head above water. Onto World Championships!
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