World Cup Racing Heads to Historic Holmenkollen to Kick Off Third Trimester
by Joseph Bonacci
Trimester three is on the horizon as the U.S. Biathlon Team travels to the historic Holmenkollen Biathlon Arena in Oslo, Norway before heading overseas to race on home soil at Soldier Hollow in Midway, UT and finishing off the North American tour in Canmore, Canada. Racing in Oslo will feature individual and mass start competitions, beginning on February 29, with the final single mixed relay and mixed relay events of the season taking place on Sunday, March 3.
Returning to World Cup action for the first time since the season kicked off in Oestersund, Sweden is Margie Freed (Apple Valley, MN / Craftsbury Green Racing Project), fresh off of racing two Cross-country skiing World Cups in Canmore and Minneapolis, MN. The familiar faces of Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, WI / Army World Class Athlete Program), Chloe Levins (Rutland, VT/ Team Crosscut) and Tara Geraghty-Moats (West Fairlee, VT/National Guard Biathlon) join Freed to round out the women’s team racing in Oslo.
The team of Campbell Wright (Wanaka, NZL / U.S. Biathlon), Sean Doherty (Center Conway, NH / National Guard Biathlon), Jake Brown (Saint Paul, MN / Craftsbury Green Racing Project) and Vincent Bonacci (Salt Lake City, UT / Team Crosscut) will race the third trimester fresh off an historic fifth place in the men’s relay at the 2024 World Championships in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. The team is looking ahead to the highly anticipated Soldier Hollow World Cup where they will get one last go at the men’s relay on March 8.
Soldier Hollow, located in Midway, UT, new home to the U.S. Biathlon Association headquarters, will host the IBU World Cup for the first time since 2019. Kelsey Dickinson (Winthrop, WA / Craftsbury Green Racing Project) will join Irwin, Levins, Freed, Doherty, Wright, Brown and Bonacci to race the final two World Cups in North America. The entire team is excited to race on home soil, but Bonacci, a native of Salt Lake City, UT, has a special connection.
“If 2013 me could see 2024 me he’d be pretty damn psyched,” Bonacci said on Instagram. “I get to race a World Cup at the very same venue where I did my first ever ski race 18 years before. That has been a big dream of mine for quite a while.”
In addition to watching top athletes from around the world race in sprint, pursuit and relays, the Legacy Winter Festival will feature face painting, mechanical bulls, ax throwing, a petting zoo, food trucks, live music and more! For all event information, including how to volunteer, visit https://ibuworldcuputah.com.
Following the weekend in Soldier Hollow, racing will remain in North America for one final weekend of World Cup action in Canmore, Alberta, Canada. Set in Alberta’s picturesque Rocky Mountains, athletes will race in a sprint, pursuit and mass start to round out the 2023/24 season. For all event information, visit https://www.canmorebiathlon.ca/.
All World Cup races will be live streamed on Eurovision Sports, with live updates, statistics, athlete information and more available on the IBU App. For information regarding how to watch, visit usbiathlon.org/how-to-watch.
World Cup 8 - Oslo, Norway
February 29th
Women’s 15km Individual 8:15 EST / 2:15 CET
March 1st
Men’s 20km Individual 8:15 EST / 2:15 CET
March 2nd
Women’s 12.5km Mass Start 7:20 EST / 1:20 CET
Men’s 15km Mass Start 9:20 EST / 3:20 CET
March 3rd
Single Mixed Relay 6:45 EST / 12:45 CET
Mixed Relay 8:45 EST / 2:45 CET