Irwin Races to Top 15, Freed Hits World Cup Personal Best
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by Sara Donatello
Under the lights in Nove Mesto na Morave, CZE, the U.S. Biathlon women rose to the occasion in tonight’s 12.5km short individual. With more than 20,000 fans packing the venue, the electric atmosphere only fueled the fire.
Battling through the race while not feeling 100 percent, Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, WI/Army World Class Athlete Program) delivered another strong performance, earning her third top-15 finish of the season. Shooting an impressive 19-for-20, Irwin crossed the line in 13th place, +2:04.6 behind France’s Justine Braisaz-Bouchet.
Braisaz-Bouchet claimed the victory, joined on the podium by teammate Lou Jeanmonnot in second and Germany’s Franziska Preuss in third.
Margie Freed (Apple Valley, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) continued her upward trajectory, skiing with confidence and shooting 17 for 20 to secure a World Cup personal best 31st place finish. Her previous best came at the Soldier Hollow World Cup in March 2024, where she raced to 32nd in the women’s 7.5km sprint.
Joanne Reid (Grand Junction, CO/Colorado Biathlon Club) rounded out the U.S. women, finishing 60th on the day with 15 hits on the range.
Racing continues tomorrow in Nove Mesto, with Reid teaming up with Vaclav Cervenka (Grand Rapids, MN/National Guard Biathlon) for the single mixed relay at 7:15 ET/13:15 CET. The mixed relay squad of Irwin, Freed, Campbell Wright (Wanaka, NZL/Waiorau Nordic Skiing), and Maxime Germain (Chamonix-Mont Blanc, FRA/National Guard Biathlon) will follow at 9:10 ET/15:10 CET. Racing can be streamed live and free on Eurovision Sports; more information is available HERE.
