U.S. Mixed Relay Lands Fourteenth, Germain and Freed Make Olympic Debuts
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by Sara Donatello
The opening day of competition at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games delivered sunshine and blue skies for the mixed relay in front of a sold-out Südtirol Arena in Antholz-Anterselva, ITA. In a hard-fought race against the world’s best, the U.S. mixed relay team finished 14th overall.
Maxime Germain (Chamonix-Mont Blanc, FRA/National Guard Biathlon) led off the relay in his Olympic debut, starting from bib five and holding his own against a stacked opening field. Using one spare in prone and two in standing, the 24-year-old stayed composed under pressure to tag off in 10th place.
Campbell Wright (Wanaka, NZL/Waiorau Nordic Skiing) took over for the second leg in his first Olympic start for Team USA. One penalty loop and an unusual delay in standing, dropping a spare round and needing a replacement, cost valuable time on the range. Nevertheless, Wright held a solid ski speed to hand off in 13th.
Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, WI/Army World Class Athlete Program) delivered a strong third leg in her first race of the Games. She flew through prone shooting, cleaning all five targets in just 23.8 seconds to send the team back into the top 10. With only one spare needed in standing and a determined effort on skis, Irwin tagged off in 11th.
Anchoring the relay in her Olympic debut, Margie Freed (Apple Valley, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) showed poise both on the range and on skis. Needing just two spares in prone and one in standing, Freed brought the team home in 14th to close out the opening race day.
“I was ready for anything,” reflected Freed post-race. “I tried to mentally prepare for any situation. I’ve had experience at the back of races, so I was ready to try and move up, and I was also ready if I was [tagged] off in first place. I just wanted to give it my all.”
Racing continues in Antholz-Anterselva on Tuesday, February 10, with Maxime Germain, Campbell Wright, Paul Schommer (Appleton, WI/Team Birkie/Ariens Nordic Center), and Sean Doherty (Conway, NH/Army World Class Athlete Program) set to toe the line in the men’s 20km individual.
