This weeks' winter weather has brought plenty of snow for the U.S. National Biathlon Championships that get underway tomorrow.
Although there were concerns about a lack of snow earlier this month, the midweek snowstorm brought around 8 inches of fresh cover, says the center's Carl Theriault. And he expects another 10-12 inches on Saturday, more than enough for the three days of races.
"I heard a lot of doubts, and I just kept saying 'Nope, we're doing it, we're doing it, it's gonna happen.' There was no stopping us," he said.
Biathlon combines Nordic skiing and rifle marksmanship, and the championships has more than 100 competitors from across the country ranging in age from 13 to 70, including several members of the U.S. Olympic team.
This year's event includes the first ever Collegiate National Championships, which will help build recognition for the sport, says Theriault.
"So we're trying to support our athletes by building strong affiliation between universities and Biathlon facilities," he said. "So this is the first championship, just trying to build a recognition of the sport and the need for places for athletes to train."
The championships include three different styles of race, a team relay, the individual sprint, and the pursuit race- in which competitors' starting times are based on how they finish in the sprint race.
