Athletes Heading to Finland for Elite-Level Training After Trials in Utah

LAKE PLACID, NY (October 31, 2023) – After an exciting weekend of trials in Utah, U.S. Biathlon has announced the roster for the European pre-season camp to take place in Vuokatti, Finland. New York Ski Educational Foundation will send Post-Graduate Biathlete Lina Farra of Heber City, UT. 

This on-snow camp will later determine the rosters for the IBU World Cup and IBU Cup.

Farra traveled back to her home state of Utah in early October to participate in an altitude training camp and to compete at the US Biathlon Team Trials, putting up some solid results and placing 6th in the Women’s Sprint (with 90% shooting), and landing in 8th in the Women’s Mass Start.

This year, US Biathlon used the Team Trials races to name a fall-on-snow camp roster, rather than finalize their World Cup and IBU Cup rosters, as they have in years past. 

“I believe this provides a more fair opportunity for athletes, as it can be tough to determine one’s early season fitness based solely on rollerski results,” said NYSEF’s Head Biathlon Coach Maddie Phaneuf.

The team will travel to Finland in early November for pre-season camp, where Farra will be given the opportunity to train with the National Team and their knowledgeable coaching staff before competing in some on-snow biathlon races that will finalize the World Cup and IBU Cup team rosters. 

“We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that the training camp is successful for Lina, and she can begin her race season either on the World Cup or on the IBU Cup circuit!” said Coach Phaneuf. 

“Congratulations to all of the athletes for the hard work and effort it took to get to this point,” said Lowell Bailey, U.S. Biathlon Director of High Performance, and NYSEF alumnus. “Now, for the first time ever, we will bring this larger group of athletes over to an on-snow camp in Vuokatti before selecting the final roster spots for the World Cup and IBU Cup teams. This will allow athletes to prove themselves on snow, closer to the competition season.”

The European pre-season camp will begin November 6 with athletes training ahead of the first BMW IBU World Cup to take place in Oestersund, Sweden, beginning November 25, and the first BMW IBU Cup to take place in Kontiolahti, Finland, beginning November 30. Former NYSEF biathlete Jackie Garso of Lake Clear, NY will join Farra in Finland. 

(Image courtesy of  Sara Donatello/USBA)