U.S. Biathlon is actively seeking athletes with a record of fast XC skiing (primarily skating) who have not yet experienced biathlon at a high level. Many of our best performing athletes over the years have grown up competing at a high level in U.S. Skiing Junior Nationals and NCAA skiing, finding biathlon after wrapping up their NCAA skiing careers.
We would like to introduce more top performing skiers to biathlon at an earlier point in their skiing careers so they can get a feel for it sooner and determine if it could be fit for them. Biathlon offers a tremendous amount of support to qualified athletes and can provide a very direct way to achieve one's international competition goals, including a chance for Olympic teams, by already having the ski speed to be internationally competitive.
This program is called Project X and is intended for high level XC racers with a history of top 10 performances at Jr Nationals, NCAA, and U.S. Skiing's SuperTour skate races. Those hitting these standards are automatically qualified for our Project X (Elite Introduction) Camps but should apply as well so we know availability. Other athletes outside this performance standard may apply as well at the link below. All applicants will be reviewed and informed if they are in consideration for opportunities this year.
To apply for Project X Camps and other opportunities to try biathlon please fill out an application. Feel free to follow up with an email to TID@USBiathlon.org!
Jake Brown, current member of the U.S. Biathlon Senior National Team, is a 2022 Olympian and 4x World Championships team member. Jake was introduced to biathlon in 2015 at the U.S. Biathlon Talent ID Camp. After two years with the U.S. Biathlon development program, he joined the Craftsbury Green Racing Project biathlon team in 2018 and lives and trains in Craftsbury, Vermont.
Susan Dunklee first shot a biathlon rifle at the age of 22 when she joined the U.S. Biathlon development program in 2008. She is now the most decorated U.S. Biathlete in history, retiring in 2022 as a 3x Olympian and 8x World Championship team member with 2 World Championship silver medals and 5 World Cup medals.
Susan is now the Director of Biathlon at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Craftsbury, VT, as well as a member of U.S. Biathlon's Women's Coaching Initiative!
Deedra Irwin, a current member of the U.S. Biathlon Senior National Team, began her biathlon career in Lake Placid, NY in 2017 at a talent ID camp. At the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, Deedra raced to 7th in the women's sprint, claiming the best-ever Olympic finish by an American biathlete in history. In addition to being an Olympian, Deedra is a 3x World Championship team member.
Paul is a 2022 Olympian and 3x World Championships team member, currently a part of U.S. Biathlon's National Development Group. After coming up through U.S. Biathlon's talent ID program, he made his World Cup debut in 2017.
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