U.S. Biathlon Names 16 Athletes to Austrian Pre-Season Camp

Since September 22, the U.S. Biathlon National Team has been based in Midway, Utah for its annual fall training camp at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, a key altitude block in preparation for the upcoming 2025-26 international race season and the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games. The three-week camp has brought together the nation’s top biathletes to train and race in the Wasatch Mountains.

Throughout the camp, athletes have taken advantage of Soldier Hollow’s world-class facilities and surrounding terrain to focus on every aspect of their performance. The training block has included combo workouts, precision shooting and ski technique sessions, strength training, and long-distance skis up Cascade Springs and Guardsman Pass.

The second weekend of camp, October 3–4, brought the biathlon community together for the annual U.S. Biathlon Fall Festival and International Team Trials, with an additional team trials race held earlier in the week on September 30. Athletes went head-to-head in sprint and mass start formats, showcasing months of preparation. Full race results are available at usbiathlon.org/results.

Results from the International Team Trials determined the 16 athletes who will travel across the pond for the final pre-season camp on snow in Obertilliach, Austria in November 2025. The camp will serve as the final tune-up before the official selections for trimester one World Cup and IBU Cup teams and the start of the 2025-26 season.

Athletes selected for the pre-season camp in Obertilliach:

Women:

*Joanne Reid (Grand Junction, CO/Colorado Biathlon Club)

*Chloe Levins (Williston, VT/Mansfield Nordic Pro)

Luci Anderson (Golden Valley, MN/Team Birkie)

Margie Freed (Apple Valley, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project)

Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, WI/Army World Class Athlete Program)

Lina Farra (Heber City, UT/NYSEF)

Kelsey Dickinson (Winthrop, WA/Craftsbury Green Racing Project)

Grace Castonguay (Jackson, NH/Team Soldier Hollow)

Men:

*Campbell Wright (Wanaka, NZL/Waiorau Nordic Skiing) 

*Maxime Germain (Chamonix-Mont Blanc, FRA/National Guard Biathlon) 

Paul Schommer (Appleton, WI/Team Birkie/Ariens Nordic Center)

Jake Brown (St Paul, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project)

Vaclav Cervenka (Grand Rapids, MN/Army World Class Athlete Program)

Sean Doherty (Conway, NH/Army World Class Athlete Program)

Vincent Bonacci (Salt Lake City, UT/Unaffiliated)

**Eli Nielsen (Stehekin, WA/National Guard Biathlon)

*Also pre-qualified for World Cups 1-2

**Eli Nielsen has declined his spot and Bjorn Westervelt was nominated to fill the spot.