Ruhpolding, Germany, January 13.  Rachel Steer (Anchorage, AK) and Sarah Konrad (Laramie, WY) both qualified for Sunday’s 10K Pursuit competition by finishing 42nd and 59th respectively,  in today’s World Cup 7.5K Sprint competition.

After two exciting, evening relay competitions, today’s Women’s Sprint was conducted at a more normal time of 2:15 in the afternoon. This made the conditions much more comfortable for both the 109 women in the field and the standing room only crowd of over 20,000 biathlon fans. Temperatures were just below freezing, with was no wind, almost perfect conditions.

On such a perfect biathlon day Rachel Steer, the top ranked US woman notched her second best World Cup result of the season with 42nd, only one place behind her Sprint result at Hochfilzen, Austria last month. Almost everything about today’s result was close to the same as Hochfilzen. In each, she had one penalty, which today was in standing and the last time in prone; her time back today was 2:14.1, compared to 2:19.4 last month. But Steer always expects more from her efforts and was clearly not satisfied with her results. At the finish, her only comment was that, “my shooting was OK.”

Still on a day when 28 of the women in front of her either equaled or bettered her one penalty, her 2:14 back put her in a good position for the Pursuit. She will be starting just 35 seconds behind the 25th woman and with another solid performance could move into the top 30.

Like Steer, Konrad had more than a good day on the shooting range as her three penalties were a personal best. She is a professed novice in biathlon, starting less than three years ago when she was in her mid-thirties. Now 37, Konrad has qualified for the 2006 Olympic Biathlon team, and only dreams of a race with a single penalty. She usually hits half of her targets, so 70% shooting is very good result. Coach Algis Shalna commented, “Today, Sarah did everything right. She shot with a good cadence, and had her best result. It is too bad she could not ski as fast today as some other times.”

Konrad, unquestionably the fastest woman skier on the US Biathlon Team did not have her usual great ski race today because, “I did not sleep at all last night. My throat was scratchy and I was considering not starting. My resting pulse was higher than I can remember in recent years. But I am very happy with only three penalties.” Leaving the shooting range after two standing penalties, Konrad was in the catbird (non-qualifying) 61st place. Despite not feeling her best, she pulled a few seconds out of her body and picked up the next-to-last Pursuit spot for Sunday, finishing 59th, 2:53 behind France’s Sandrine Bailly.

The thin, almost frail looking Bailly earned her first win of the season with one penalty shooting and a finish time of 24:57.6, just .4 seconds ahead of Germany’s Kati Wilhelm, also with one penalty. At a post race press conference, Bailly commented, “I was in good form in December but did not get a win. After the relay the other night, I knew I was ready for something good to happen here in Ruhpolding.” Obviously, a win is more than just “good.” Despite Bailly’s victory, Wilhelm retained the Overall World Cup lead.

While Steer, Konrad and surely Bailly and Wilhelm had what could be called “good” days, the other two US women did not have that kind of a day. Both Tracy and Lanny Barnes (Durango, CO) matched Steer, Bailly, and Wilhelm on the shooting range with one penalty. But in the final results, the twins, who are still trying to find their top skiing form, finished 91st and 93rd, 5:02.1 and 5:24.4 back. They will have to wait until next week in Antholz, Italy to see if they too can have a “good” day.

The competitions in Ruhpolding continue with another afternoon start tomorrow for the Men’s 10K Sprint. US Biathletes Jay Hakkinen, Jeremy Teela. Tim Burke, and Lowell Bailey will be looking for seasonal best performances and spot in Sunday’s 12.5K Pursuit.

The United States Biathlon Association is the National Governing Body for the sport of Biathlon in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Biathlon Union. The US Biathlon Association supports the US Biathlon Team and development of the sport on all levels within the United States.

TD Banknorth is the title sponsor of the US Biathlon Team. Lapua, adidas®, the Hilton Family of Hotels and Exel Ski Poles are supporting sponsors of the US Biathlon Team.

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