A provincial record for the sport of biathlon will be established in Vernon this weekend.
A total of 230 racers will take part in the BC Cup/Odlum Brown Western Series races at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 6 and 7.
“The BC Cup is part of our provincial series, and there’s also a North American Cup which is a different designation race that brings competitors from all over Canada and the United States,” said Roddy Ward, general manager of Biathlon BC.
“We have 230 racers which is a record for B.C. The record was set last year, also at Sovereign Lake, at 177. We’re growing as a sport and we’re super excited about the numbers. We’re bringing more people together.”
That was the idea behind the Odlum Brown Western Series, which is a joint event between B.C. and Alberta biathlon associations.
“We take two of our BC Cups, they take two of their Alberta Cups, and we’ve made a series at locations close to the borders to bring the athletes and provinces closer,” said Ward. “We’re bringing the Alberta athletes to B.C., and our B.C. athletes go compete in Alberta, so we’re hosting bigger, more meaningful races.”
The series kicked off in Canmore Nov. 29 and 30. The second Alberta event is set for Hinton Feb. 21 and 22, and the B.C. and Western Canadian championships will be part of the series, held in Prince George, March 5 to 8.
Biathlon is a sport that combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting, and there’s been some new technology added to the shooting discipline.
“We have a big group of kids competing in electronic biathlon using electric rifles, not the usual .22s,” said Ward. “It’s a technology like Duck Hunt. There’s no bullets, so you aim an electric rifle at the target.”
More than 40 athletes from the Sovereign Lake club will compete this weekend.
Training day is Friday, Dec. 5, and competitions go Saturday and Sunday. Individual competition events are slated for Saturday, with IBU (International Biathlon Union) Classes taking part in the morning. Electronic Rifle Classes will begin at 12 p.m., and BC Cup Classes go in the afternoon.
The event’s dinner and awards ceremony takes place at Paddlewheel Hall in Okanagan Landing starting at 5:30 p.m.
Sprints are on the agenda Sunday with the same classes going out at the same times.
Medal presentations will take place on the range following the final event finisher.
All competitions are open to the public to watch.
“I’d love to give a shout out to the local organizing committee,” said Ward. “This (Sovereign Lake) is really the only place we can race in December with reliable snow, and they move mountains to do it. It’s been a low snow year but the volunteers are out there shoveling snow, rolling, grooming, and doing a ton of work.
“They’ve been awesome about this.”
• Two local athletes will miss out on the chance to represent their home club on their home course.
They’re busy representing their country.
Quinn Morgan and Max Nilsson are overseas competing for Canada at a pair of series.
“Quinn is representing Canada on the B tour of the IBU Cup,” said Eric Schryer, Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre head coach. “It’s one step below the World Cup.”
“Max flies out this weekend and he’ll be competing at the Junior IBU Cup, the Junior World Cup, if you will. Quinn is racing against competitors 21 and older, the best of the best. Max is in the Junior age category.”
Morgan is from Golden, and Nilsson is originally from Ontario. Both moved to the North Okanagan to join Sovereign Lake’s development centre program.
• Vernon biathlete and former national team member Emma Lunder has called it a career.
Lunder, 34, competed for Canada at two Olympic Games (2018, South Korea, 2022, China), and wore the Maple Leaf at six World Championships. Her best result was a seventh-place finish in the mass start at the 2023 Worlds in Oberhof, Germany.
Lunder had five other top-10 finishes in individual and relay World Championships, as well as 11 top-20 results.
She had a 10th place finish in relay at both Olympics.