Skip to content

Quesnel Biathlon Club members had a good year

Youth combined skiing speed and endurance with shooting accuracy
11007953_web1_claire-Elden-shoot-prone

Local Biathlon Club members finished their racing season at the Biathlon B.C. Cup 4 races in Kelowna on March 3-4 and put in great performances.

The local competitors go through a lot of work and training to hone this multi-skilled sport – cross-country skiing and shooting a rifle.

Chris Elden, who is a parent coach and competitor, says they start dry-land training in September two times a week while they wait for the snow, but they can shoot at other times of the year.

“Once we have snow, we can work on our skiing technique and endurance and have shooting practices.”

The club trains at the Cariboo Ski Touring Club facilities at Hallis Lake and has it’s own dedicated biathlon range, with 15 target slots for practising, Elden explains.

“So you have the endurance speed sport of skiing and the precision sport of shooting.

“You’re coming into the range while skiing in a race and you have to settle down as you come into the range.

“You pick a spot where you’re going to back off to get yourself ready to shoot….”

The competitors shoot a .22 calibre standard load, Elden says, adding they’re not high velocity and not too loud.

They shoot five rounds at metal paddles, which are five across each target, and they flip around from black to white when they’re hit properly.

There are two shooting positions – lying down and standing, Elden says.

“They don’t start standing until they’re 15 years old and they don’t carry rifles on the course until they’re 17.

“There could be two to four shooting rounds depending on the race format and the competitor’s age category.”

Race formats are Sprint and Individual, which are timed events; and Pursuit and Mass Start, which are first-across-the-line events.

This season the skiers competed in eight B.C. Cup races – four weekends with two races at each location. They raced in Prince George, Whistler, Burns Lake and Kelowna.

Kelowna results

• Landon Aaslie (Midgets) competed in eight races first place in seven; and second in one.

• Laura Balkwill (Juveniles) competed in eight races: first place in four; second in two; a fifth; and a sixth.

• Reese Hamelin (Jr. Boys): competed in six races: two eighths; two ninths, an 11th and 12th.

• Graham Balkwill (Jr. Boys) competed in eight races: two sixths; an eighth; two ninths; two 10ths; and a 13th.

• Claire Elden (Sr. Girls): competed in three races: an eighth; a 10th; and an 11th.

• Odin Mills (Sr. Boys): competed in seven races: two eighths; two ninths; a 10th; and two 12ths.

• Graeme Hamelin (Sr. Boys): competed in six races: three ninths; a 10th; and two 11ths.

• Chris Elden (Masters Men): competed in six races: four firsts; and two seconds.

11007953_web1_reese-Hamelin-ski