Later this week, biathletes coming from over 30 countries will arrive in Utah to compete at the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, just as many before them have done since the 2002 Olympics.
The youth and junior athletes are ages 16 through 21. They represent countries all over the world, from Japan to Russia to Greenland. Europe will be especially well-represented, sending athletes from Scandinavia, France, Germany, Ukraine and even Andorra.
“It’s a wildly popular sport to watch around the world,” says Zach Hall, Soldier Hollow sport program senior manager. “The athletes that are coming have all had to rise to the top of their pool that they’re in their countries. So, this truly is the best youth and junior athletes in the world coming together for one big competition.”
Youth competitors ages 16 through 18 will compete first on Wednesday, February 23. The next day begins races for juniors ages 19 through 21.
Everyone will compete in sprint races, which are three laps over two to 7.5 kilometers of cross-country skiing, depending on age and gender, and target shooting. The top 60 racers will move on to the longer pursuit races, which are five laps over 10 kilometers.
There’ll also be relay races, and the longest individual races are up to 15 kilometers.
Local youth athletes include Wes Campbell and Sidney Bennion, who compete for the Soldier Hollow team Hall coaches. Former Soldier Hollow athletes competing include National Guard racer Lina Farra and Vincent Bonacci of the Bozeman-based Crosscut club.
Races will take place every morning and afternoon, other than a training day February 28. There’ll be spectator areas, and on festival days the first weekend after races begin, Soldier Hollow will host activities like ax-throwing on-site.
Hall says seeing the world-class athletes up close and personal is the main reason to come out. In-person spectators will join a worldwide biathlon audience tuning in to the European Broadcasting Union’s coverage. Hall calls it the “NASCAR of winter sports” with an audience reaching as many as a billion viewers.
“We’ll have a TV crew out running a bunch of cameras around the course, and we’ve got some really good spectating zones,” Hall says. “If you come early, kind of before a race starts, athletes are out zeroing their rifles, trying to get the fastest skis prepped, etc., there’s a lot of excitement before the first racers actually start, and of course we get all the racers making their laps and shooting, and so it’s a really great spectator sport, and we’re excited to invite locals to come check it out.”
Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce Director Dallin Koecher expects over 1,000 visitors to the area. He says that’ll benefit sales, restaurant and hotel room tax coffers.
“They’re spending $150 to $200 a night on their lodging, and then going to eat and explore the valley and buy groceries,” Koecher says. “The event will take care of a lot of their stuff, but [having] visitors will bring some economic value to our community, for sure.”
In January, Koecher proposed a pilot public bus program to use during the second half of February during the world championships. The Wasatch County Council opted not to cover the $40,000 cost.
Soldier Hollow is seeking volunteers to help run the event. No experience is required.
For more information, visit soldierhollowbiathlon.com. To volunteer, visit the event website or justserve.org.
