Steer Leads US Women with 42nd in 15K Individual
Cesana San Sicario, Italy, February 13. Rachel Steer (Anchorage, AK), with three shooting penalties, placed 42nd today in the 15K Individual, the first of five competitions for women in the 2006 Torino Olympic Winter Games. | Results
Steer had what she described as, “not a great day on the shooting range—three penalties which are too many for me,” in the 20-shot competition. Each penalty in the Individual adds one minute to the competitor’s final time. She finished 6:24.2 behind Gold Medalist Svetlana Ishmouratova of Russia. Ishmouratova, with one penalty was timed in 49:24.1. Olga Pyleva of Russia, also with one penalty, 45.5 seconds back, took the Silver, while Germany’s Martina Glagow earned the Bronze, 1:10.8 back with two penalties.
The 42nd place for Steer was below her performance in Salt Lake City four years ago, when she was 31st in the Individual competition. Consistency on the shooting range has been Steer’s trademark throughout her career. Today, even though not at her best, she had solid shooting on a day when some of the top women including the World Cup Leader Kati Wilhelm of Germany had five penalties.
Once again, the weather and wind had little effect on the shooting performances, as the women’s competitions opened with the same glorious weather that the men had on Saturday—clear blue skies and temperatures just above freezing and rising—perfect for both the competitors and spectators. Steer had single misses in each of the first three stages today and shot clean in the final standing stage.
Finishing 16 places (58th) and 2:09.7 behind Steer was Tracy Barnes (Durango, CO), who had a better shooting day but was equally disappointed. Barnes commented, “I am bummed about missing that one shot. Still the shooting today was good, since my skiing was bad.” As the second starter today, Barnes was asked if she was nervous about being the second starter in her Olympic debut. “I was not nervous at all. I wish I was. I thought I would get nervous after the Opening Ceremonies, but it has not happened. Maybe I would have skied faster.”
Skiing fast was not a problem for Sarah Konrad (Laramie, WY) who will also compete in the Olympic 30K Cross Country race next week at Pragelato. Konrad had the 14th fastest ski time today, just 1:43.4 behind Germany’s Uschi Disl. Unfortunately, Konrad, a third year biathlete struggled on the shooting range, ending with 10 penalties. This pushed her to 63rd place, 10:09 behind Ishmouratova. Sporting her usual pleasant, smiling demeanor, Konrad commented on her skiing, “It did not feel like anything special. But I did know I was going pretty fast when I passed Kati (Wilhelm) on one of the uphills.”
Just two places behind Konrad was Lanny Barnes (Durango, CO), with four penalties, 10:22.1 back, in 65th place. After the competition, twin sister Tracy asked about her skiing. Lanny replied, “I went out too slow and stayed slow, even on the last loop. I could not pick it up. When Tracy came past me early in the race; there was no way I could keep up. Conditions did deteriorate as the race went on for me. The tracks really slowed down in the final two loops (as temperatures rose to near plus 10 Celsius and the strong mid-winter sun softened the snow).”
None of the US Women met their expectations today, but three are looking forward to Thursday’s 7.5K Sprint, in the hope of moving up in the standings and qualifying for the 10K Pursuit competition on Saturday. Steer, Tracy Barnes, Konrad and Carolyn Treacy (Duluth, MN) will be the US starters in the Sprint.
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