U.S. Biathlon Kicks Off Training Season with Spring Skiing in Bend
Share:
For most, the saying “April showers bring May flowers” holds true—but for the U.S. Biathlon National Team, May marks the return to snow. The team’s annual Bend training camp once again brought the team to the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center in Oregon, where late-season snow and high-altitude conditions set the perfect stage for the start of a new training cycle.
The two-week camp served as the official kickoff to the 2025 Olympic training season, giving athletes the chance to get back on skis before transitioning to summer roller skiing. Thanks to a base depth of 80 inches and consistently sunny skies, the morning sessions delivered ideal conditions for focusing on ski technique and building aerobic volume.
A key aspect of the camp’s success lies in its high-elevation environment. Sitting at roughly 6,000’ above sea level, with trails ranging from 5,750’ to 6,400’, Mt. Bachelor offers a unique “sleep low, ski high” advantage for athletes. The altitude is comparable to Antholz, Italy – host of the upcoming 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games biathlon events – and provides athletes an early opportunity to adapt to high-altitude training, boosting red blood cell production and refining strategies for racing high above sea level.
Beyond the technical and physiological benefits, the camp also sets the tone for the season ahead, reinforcing team cohesion and sharpening focus after a spring break.
Next on the calendar: the team heads east for their June training block in Lake Placid, NY, based at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center and Mt. Van Hoevenberg. A key highlight of the camp will be physiological testing conducted by Montana State University’s biomechanics and kinesiology team. This includes VO2 max testing, threshold, motion capture, and force analysis. These evaluations are a cornerstone of U.S. Biathlon’s high performance program, providing critical data to guide training and support a strong push into the 2025 season.
