At every level, the 2024-25 season was marked by positive steps forward for the U.S. Biathlon Team. As the season ended and a new one began with an on-snow camp in Bend, Ore., Head Coach Armin Auchentaller joined Heartbeat from his home in Antholz, characterizing the season as one of seeing what’s possible. But he was quickly pointed out that now it starts all over again. And how do you get even better?

“It always helps to have results because people just stay positive,” said Auchentaller. “There's a good mood. People see that things are possible. But I think, the day after those good results or the season, when the next season training season starts, once you had those good results, I think the best is to come back on the ground and just think of almost like, ‘yeah, how can I get better?’”

In this episode of Heartbeat, Auchentaller speaks to the showcase results of Campbell Wright, winning two silver medals at the World Championships, a career-best for Paul Schommer, and continued development progress by Maxime Germaine, Lucy Anderson and Margie Freed.

One of the keys to that progress has been shooting. “In order to reach good shooting skills, we need to work on the basics a lot, like dividing all the little things, like learning how to trigger, learning how to aim, learning how to breathe, learning how to bolt, learning how to go into position quick, and all of those little things and little things. Then put those things together. Those need to be high quality. It will take a lot of patience. It will take a lot of personal workload in their off times when they are without the team on their own.”

One of the keys to the growing success of development athletes is Olympic shooting champion Matt Emmons, who serves as a coach for U.S. Biathlon. “We try to use his expertise in a way where athletes get access to experience what he had himself and open up a different perspective, under a different light, and give the athletes a lot of theoretical feedback through that and a lot of sharing, experience and a lot of expertise from his shooting career.”

From a 2025 recap to a breakdown of the Bend camp to the vital innovation in the Montana State physiological testing program, Auchentaller covers a lot of ground in this final episode of Heartbeat for the 2025 season.

Two weeks after he made history at the BMW IBU World Championships with a pair of silver medals, U.S. biathlete Campbell Wright reflected on his accomplishments. Heartbeat caught up with Campbell relaxing in his hotel room at Nové Město, mentally preparing for the resumption of the BMW IBU World Cup.

“Yeah, that was a pretty cool two weeks,” he said said with a grin!

At the World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, Wright took silver in the sprint then backed it up the next day with silver in the pursuit. It was the first double medal for the U.S. men in history.

Wright talked about how he approached the day just like any other. “I never had any expectations going into any race because that just leads to failure and disappointment,” he said. “And bad things every single time. So, no expectations as always. And, yeah, it's a good way to set yourself up for success.”

In the Heartbeat interview, Wright recapped both races – where he found strengths, and where he found challengers. In the sprint, he shot clean, and had only one miss in four shootings in the pursuit.

In the sprint, he ran well before some of the race favorites, so he had to endure a wait in the finish before he knew the outcome – with the top 15 biathletes in the world starting behind him. But one thing he knew from the start – he was happy with his performance.

“It kind of sunk in when Fillon Maillet crossed the line, and he was behind me,” he said. “That's when I was like, ‘oh yeah, okay. Yeah, you've done well here, Campbell!’”

With the pursuit the next day, there was little time for celebration. It was a surreal experience for Wright starting second. He missed one shot in the first shooting, but was clean the rest of the way. Still, it was a battle to the finish to hold onto the silver medal.

Despite having just joined the U.S. Biathlon Team two years ago, the historic moment was not lost on him. Most of all, he spoke of what it meant for him to be on a list with his childhood heroes, Tim Burke and Lowell Bailey. Burke took silver in 2013 at Nové Město, while Bailey won gold at Hochfilzen in 2017.

“I started watching biathlon or getting to become familiar with biathlon when Tim and Lowell were really in their heyday,” said Wright. “I don't think I'm there career-wise, but on the medal tally it says I am. But in real life, I still don't think I can compare my career to those guys.”

Campbell Wright really opens up in this episode of Heartbeat. He showcases his motivations, philosophies as an athlete, and the vital importance of the support he has had from U.S. Biathlon to help him get there.

From Feb. 12-23, the biathlon world will gather amidst an idyllic alpine setting for the BMW IBU World Championships Biathlon Lenzerheide. It will be the first World Championships in Switzerland since 1985 – an initiative to grow the sport in the picturesque alpine nation. Heartbeat sat down with organizing committee CEO Jürg Capol to learn more about the motivation of the Swiss community to build a biathlon arena, host the world, and seek to expand the footprint of the popular winter sport.

The event will be the focal point of the season for biathletes from more than two dozen nations. Tens of thousands of spectators will arrive in the valley outside of Chur, while tens of millions will watch live broadcasts around the world.

Switzerland last played host to the Championships in 1985, when the women’s events were held in Egg im Etzel, a small community in the rolling hills of northeastern Switzerland. The concept of biathlon in the Albula Valley dates back to 2006. The vision took hold, and in 2013 a trail network and stadium debuted with a 30-point range – Switzerland’s first permanent biathlon venue!

From there, the sport escalated quickly. By 2017, the venue had its A-license from the IBU. In the 2020 season, the IBU Youth and Junior World Championships were held there. And in November, 2020, Lenzerheidi won the right to the 2025 World Championships. Its first World Cup came in December, 2023.

Capol spoke with Heartbeat on the eve of the Championships. The episode covers plans for the championships, how it is already building a legacy for biathlon, and its steps to produce a sustainable event in a valley that has limited access.

The Chur native is somewhat of a legend in winter sport. For nearly a decade, the 1994 Olympic cross country skier Capol was cross country director for the International Ski Federation. He led during a time of notable change in cross country, popularizing new formats and debuting the concept of the Tour de Ski.

Switzerland has long been a nation aligned with nordic sport. But its success in biathlon has been limited. It’s most notable athletes have been the Gasparin sisters, from over the mountain in Samedan (near St. Moritz). Selina Gasparin won silver in the 15k individual at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi – Switzerland’s only Olympic biathlon medal.

Lenzerheide 2025 is hoping that the attention from the World Championships will jump start the sport. Already, its Biathlon 4 You program is getting youth started through laser rifles.

It’s a fascinating episode with Jürg Capol as he dives into the depths of organizing the sport’s biggest event. And he reminisces of his past visionary success with programs like the cross country Tour de Ski.

The last six months for biathlete Luci Anderson have been exhilarating, to say the least. The Minnesota native entered her first biathlon race last August. Just over three months later, she was on the IBU Cup tour. A few weeks later, she was racing World Cup.

Anderson joined U.S. Biathlon’s Heartbeat podcast from the U.S. Cross Country Championships in Anchorage, where she was among the top U.S. athletes. It was a warmup, of sorts, for her anticipated appearances at the Ruhpolding and Antholtz World Cups.

Growing up in Minnesota, she found cross country skiing through the Minnesota Youth Ski League at Theodore Wirth Park, eventually gravitating to the acclaimed Loppet Nordic Racing program. She earned All State honors in high school, before heading to the University of New Hampshire where she raced five seasons with the Wildcats – earning nine podiums including six wins.

The summer before her final year competing for UNH, she discovered biathlon at a try-it camp. She tucked the idea in the back of her mind, finished her masters degree in biotech, then dusted off the concept of biathlon after graduation. She was hooked.

Anderson’s story is similar to those of others, like Margie Freed and Grace Castonguay. But her progress curve is quick – qualifying for the IBU Cup at October trials then quickly advancing to the World Cup after two weekends.

Today, Anderson is skiing with Team Birkie and U.S. Biathlon’s Project X. In her conversation with Heartbeat, she conveys a great sense of organization as she maps her plan. At the same time, she exudes confidence in herself. When the phone call came from High Performance Director Lowell Bailey that a World Cup spot was available, she quickly consulted with coaches and took on the opportunity.

This episode of Heartbeat is another refreshing look at the excitement cross country athletes are finding with biathlon. Watch for Luci Anderson on the IBU World Cup tour this month.

From its origins with U.S. Biathlon in 1958 at Fort Richardson, Alaska, the partnership with the National Guard has been a vital tool in the success of the sport in America. Today, many core athletes on the U.S. Biathlon Team – men and women – are supported by the National Guard. In this episode, Heartbeat explores the longstanding National Guard partnership with Sergeant First Class Quenten Jones, who administers the program, and longtime national team member turned coach, Warrant Officer Leif Nordgren.

Nordgren, who retired in 2022 after competing in three Olympics and nine World Championships, has taken over as coach from longtime leader Travis Boyer. Now a Blackhawk helicopter pilot in the Vermont National Guard, Nordgren makes his home in Vermont working out of the National Guard training base in Jericho.

In the early years of his career, Nordgren had looked at the National Guard program but opted to stick with the national team. But after his second Olympics in 2018, he revisited the opportunity to join the program for his final Olympic cycle. It was a productive program for him, not only as an athlete but in setting him up on a career path in the Guard, including a role with the sport he loves.

Jone and Nordgren dive into insights on the National Guard program with U.S. Biathlon, including the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP). They talk about the national team athlete support, but also the opportunities for biathletes nationwide. They also speak to the training center at Jericho, which has long partnered with regional club programs, and some of the upgrades in planned renovations.

It’s an especially deep look into the impact on athletes from Nordgren, who has the benefit of experiencing the national team program, four years of National Guard support, and how his own experience as a coach.

Nordgren, who appeared as a guest twice previously on Heartbeat, also takes advantage of the opportunity to talk about his new passion for flying Blackhawk helicopters.

An underlying principle both Nordgren and Jones feel deeply in their heart is pride of their country, and of their engagement with the National Guard.

Listen in now as Leif Nordgren and Quenten Jones take us inside the relationship between the National Guard and U.S. Biathlon on Heartbeat.

Past Episodes

Leif Nordgren: A Distinguished Career - May 6, 2022

Leif Nordgren: A Family Affair - Jan. 29, 2021

More Information on National Guard

Our Mission: Biathlon

JAKE BROWN: CARRYING CONFIDENCE INTO THE SEASON

November in Finland is a fascinating time, with limited daylight, big snowflakes falling from the heavens, and an electric atmosphere as the U.S. Biathlon Team makes final preparations for the season just days away. Heartbeat headed to the team camp in Vuokatti this week to catch up with veteran Jake Brown, a key figure on the U.S. Biathlon men’s team that caught the world’s attention last season.

A Minnesota native, Brown came into biathlon late after a strong career as a runner and cross country skier. Now 32, the 2022 Olympian is the backbone of a young team that burst onto the scene last season with a pair of top-five relay finishes with Brown anchoring.

“The vibe is great here,” said Brown to open the podcast. He was coming from an evening ‘team culture session,’ which brought athletes, coaches, and technicians together. He reflected back to the team four years ago – four guys and a coach. “Now, we have a bigger U.S. Biathlon Nation that we consider as our team.”

Vuokatti has now become a melting pot for both the IBU World Cup and IBU Cup teams, all working together with an expanded staff.

“It feels like we all get to know each other a little bit better – that’s the general theme and vibe of Vuokatti!”

In an hourlong interview with Heartbeat hosts Tom Kelly and Sara Donatello, Brown covers a wide range of topics from missing World Championships in 2023 because of illness, to the challenges of a pandemic Olympics in Beijing, to the cosmic vibe after anchoring the men’s relay to an unprecedented fifth place finish last February. You’ll want to listen in to learn who broke out their guitar in the wax cabin in celebration!

Jake Brown has long been a fan favorite on the U.S. Biathlon Team. In this episode, he takes us deep into the Vuokatti camp, and shares his philosophies on sport that have served him well. He also reflects back on what advice he would give his younger self, plus outlines three valuable travel essentials for a globetrotting athlete.

Join hosts Tom Kelly and Sara Donatello for this fast-paced conversation with one of U.S. Biathlon’s stars on the eve of the 2024-25 season.