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Biathlon combines 'endurance' of cross-country skiing with 'focus' of shooting

Seventeen-year-old Louise Lamothe had modest goals at a biathlon event held at the Walden Ski Club in Naughton Jan. 9 and 10. Biathlon is a winter sport which combines cross-country skiing and air rifle shooting.
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One of the competitors in a biathlon held in Naughton Jan. 9 and 10 shoots pellets at targets in a shooting range. Biathlon is a winter sport which combines cross-country skiing and air rifle shooting. Photo by Heidi Ulrichsen.

Seventeen-year-old Louise Lamothe had modest goals at a biathlon event held at the Walden Ski Club in Naughton Jan. 9 and 10.

Biathlon is a winter sport which combines cross-country skiing and air rifle shooting.

Lamothe is a member of the air cadets in Sault Ste. Marie. Until just a few months ago, she'd never strapped on a pair of cross-country skis before, although she's been involved in the sport of shooting for five years.

“My worst wipeout was probably just like two minutes ago. My skis got crossed,” she said, laughing. “It's my first competition ever, so I'm just here to get experience.”

About 40 competitors from across northeastern Ontario between the ages of 11 and 17 participated in the competition.

The Jan. 9 race was an individual event, where the youngest skiiers circled a 1.25 kilometre loop four times, and shot pellets at targets with their air rifles in a shooting range three times.

The older athletes skiied the loop five times, and shot at targets four times. A one-minute penalty was added to competitors' times for every target they missed.

The Jan. 10 race was a sprint event, where all skiiers circled the 1.25 kilometre loop three times, and completed two rounds of shooting. They were compelled to ski penalty laps of about 100 metres for every target they missed.

Individual races are geared towards those who are skilled at shooting, whereas the sprint race is geared towards those who are skilled at skiing.

Skiiers can either shoot standing up or lying in a “prone” position. The youngest athletes in the competition did all of their shooting in a prone position, and the older athletes did their first two shooting sessions in the prone position, and their final two standing up.

“It's a fun sport to watch, because, as you can see, the excitement happens right in front of the crowd at the shooting range, where the skiiers come in,” said Greg Dalton, head coach of the Walden Biathlon Club.

“It's great, because it combines the athleticism of skiing with the poise and focus of shooting. There's very few sports where you have that physical drain on you plus that mental focus. Not everyone can do biathlon because you can't be an adrenaline junkie. Then you just can't shoot straight.”

Dalton said the Walden Biathlon Club is accepting new members. For more information, phone 561-8876. For more information about the sport of biathlon, go to www.biathlonontario.ca. 


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Heidi Ulrichsen

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