(Dec. 20, 2022) – Following this past weekend’s IBU Cup trials in Craftsbury, Vt., the U.S. Biathlon International Competition Committee has named the athletes representing the U.S. at the first three IBU World Cup events of 2023, the first two IBU Cup races, and the Open European Championships.
Below are the rosters for each event in ranking order along with alternates and clarification on which athletes are attending.
The first three IBU World Cup events of the 2023 calendar year will be held in Pokljuka, Slovenia (Jan. 5-8), Ruhpolding, Germany (Jan. 11-15), and Antholz-Anterselva, Italy (Jan. 19-22).
US Biathlon Roster for IBU World Cups 4-6
WOMEN
Joanne Reid (Grand Junction, Colo.)
Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, Wis./National Guard Biathlon Team)
Chloe Levins (Rutland, Vt.)
Kelsey Dickinson (Winthrop, Wash./Craftsbury Green Racing Project)
Tara Geraghty-Moats (West Fairlee, Vt./Craftsbury Green Racing Project)
MEN
Sean Doherty (Center Conway, N.H./National Guard Biathlon)
Paul Schommer (Appleton, Wis./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Jake Brown (St. Paul, Minn./Craftsbury Green Racing Project)
Vaclav Cervenka (Grand Rapids, Minn./National Guard Biathlon)
The two January IBU Cup events will be held in Brezno-Osrblie, Slovakia (Jan. 5-8), and Arber, Germany (Jan. 12-15).
US Biathlon Roster for IBU Cups 4-5
WOMEN
Jackie Garso (Lake Clear, N.Y./Craftsbury Green Racing Project)
Amanda Kautzer (Plymouth, Minn./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Grace Castonguay (Jackson, N.H./Team Soldier Hollow)
*Margie Freed (Apple Valley, Minn./Craftsbury Green Racing Project)
ALTERNATE: Anna French (Bozeman, Mont./Team Altius)
*Margie Freed will not attend the IBU Cup 4-5 trip. Anna French will receive the nomination as the alternate.
MEN
Maxime Germain (Chamonix-Mont Blanc, FRA/National Guard Biathlon)
Vincent Bonacci (Salt Lake City, Utah/Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team & USBA)
*Bjorn Westervelt (Stowe, Vt./University of Vermont & USBA)
Eli Nielsen (Stehekin, Wash./National Guard Biathlon)
ALTERNATE: Nikolas Burkhart (Olympic Valley, Calif./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
ALTERNATE: Tim Cunningham (Georges Mills, N.H./NYSEF)
*Bjorn Westervelt will not attend IBU Cups 4 and 5. Nikolas Burkhart will get first choice to attend as the first alternate.
The Open European Championships will be held in Lenzerheide, Switzerland (Jan. 25-29)
US Biathlon Roster for 2023 Open European Championships
WOMEN
For European Championships, there will be 2 athletes that come from the 5-person Antholz World Cup team and will take two spots on the OECH roster. The resulting roster looks like this:
Antholz WC Athlete TBD #1
Antholz WC Athlete TBD #2
Jackie Garso (Lake Clear, N.Y./Craftsbury Green Racing Project)
Amanda Kautzer (Plymouth, Minn./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Grace Castonguay (Jackson, N.H./Team Soldier Hollow)
Margie Freed (Apple Valley, Minn./Craftsbury Green Racing Project)
ALTERNATE: Anna French (Bozeman, Mont./Team Altius)
MEN:
For European Championships (OECH), there will be 1 athlete that comes from the Antholz World Cup team and will take one spot on the OECH roster. The spots will be filled as follows:
Antholz WC Athlete TBD
Maxime Germain (Chamonix-Mont Blanc, FRA/National Guard Biathlon)
Vincent Bonacci (Salt Lake City, Utah/Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team & USBA)
*Bjorn Westervelt (Stowe, Vt./University of Vermont & USBA)
Eli Nielsen (Stehekin, Wash./National Guard Biathlon)
Nikolas Burkhart (Olympic Valley, Calif./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
ALTERNATE: Tim Cunningham (Georges Mills, N.H./NYSEF)
*Bjorn Westervelt will not attend OECH. Tim Cunningham will get the choice to attend as the alternate. If any other named athletes choose not to attend, the ICC will discuss whether or not to fill the vacant spot.
