Now is Better Than Later

The new year started with what was always going to be a challenging tour of Europe—three venues in two countries over three weeks. The logistics alone were something else. Historically, this type of 'tour' is not the norm for the Para circuit, but with changes over the past few years, this may become the new norm for how we travel for competition blocks. This block was going to be the bulk of this season's World Cup racing, and both the Biathlon and Cross Country World Cup seasons would wrap up before a small break before the Paralympics. That also meant that the push for the crystal globes and overall titles was on.

The first stop was Notschrei, Germany, for a Biathlon World Cup. Many might not recognize the name, but I have been to this venue in the past under the name of Oberreid. I was here in January 2010, 2014, and 2018, as a pre-games staple. And as far as I can remember, this might have been the driest visit, but that by no means there was no precipitation. It snowed on most race days, and significantly so, but what I meant was that it was not raining, which had seemed standard in past events. For me, the trip did not start well, as my duffel bag with all my clothing was delayed and only arrived early Friday morning, after five days, including the first race on Thursday, when I had to borrow a race suit from my roommate and maybe stretched his tights more than they were used to. It was a bit of a mess. I accepted that these things happen, but how it was handled was very frustrating, as the first three days, the bag did not move at all, sitting there in Calgary. I pride myself on being prepared and well-equipped. I like to be the guy who can offer my stuff to others, but borrowing is not something I like doing. Though at times I was very calm about it and making it work, I think that it stressed me out a lot more than I realized in the moment.

For the first race, the Individual, it was a tough mental battle. I have a very well-established routine that, for me, has been very successful, but now I had almost nothing of that to rely on. I thought it would be a great challenge to perform to my normal standard while in a very unfavourable state. I almost wanted to overprove that fact, which was not helping either. There were several times that morning when I felt I was off, my timing was off. A lot of things felt foreign. I was so out of sorts, and nothing felt smooth about that warm-up. I had to try to stay focused on the absolute requirements and get those done, so I could be ready to perform at my start time. Somehow, I pulled off the warm-up, and with one more awareness piece that I was still spinning too high, I took a couple of big, deep breaths at the start line, resetting and shifting the focus to what I needed to do on course. To my surprise, after missing two in my third bout due to severe wind gusts, I set the fastest time and took my fourth consecutive victory this season. It was a trying day, mentally, physically, and emotionally, but several great lessons and observations made it much better.

The second race, a Sprint Pursuit, was more physically testing. In relentless snowfall, skiing was never easy. And I made my own matters worse with two misses in the qualifier, putting me in a tough position. The snow did not help, but several small issues were costing time, and I was not at my best on the range. The afternoon proved to be a better story: I only missed one in my first bout, clean in my second, and strong skiing allowed me to ski back into contention, from 6^th to 3^rd. What made this day extra special was that it was my 100^th Biathlon World Cup start, and skiing back to the podium also meant it was my 60^th Biathlon World Cup podium finish. Both achievements I am very proud of, but they show that I have been around for a while.

Unfortunately, there would be few celebrations, as that evening I had a bit of a runny nose and started doing whatever I could to keep it from getting worse. However, it didn’t work. Waking up the next morning, not that I felt bad, but I was not 100%, and this was not the year to mess around with that kind of thing. So, as much as it hurt, I knew it was the right call and decided not to start that day's Sprint.

That wrapped up the World Cup in Notschrei, and Monday was a travel day across Germany. From the Southeast corner to the Southwest edge of Germany on the Czech border, to Finsterau. I last visited Finsterau in 2017 for the World Championships, and two previous World Cups before that. Finsterau and I have not always gotten along; at the two previous World Cups, I got quite sick here. The World Championships were great and a very memorable event for me, thanks to several outstanding results. But here I was again, not healthy in Finsterau. At no point was I very sick; it was always minor symptoms that lingered for a few days, and, as I said before, this is not the year, nor the time, to not give my health the respect it demands. As a former athlete said, maybe it was not a bad time to be unwell, better now than in March or at the Games. Fair point. As much as I wanted to race in one of the biggest Standing Men's fields I have seen in years (maybe in over a decade), I was firm on my decision to skip the first two races and rest, recover and see if I could turn this around in time to battle in the Classic Sprint on Saturday.

I was close, but out of caution, I decided I was not quite there yet for the Sprint and would focus on Sunday’s Relay. Relay legs are a 2.5km of all-out, lung-busting effort. I knew perfectly well this was going to hurt a lot. However, I also knew if I was healthy, I needed this kind of effort to get ready for the following week's Biathlon World Cup Finals in Poland. The unique experience of racing with my teammates in a Relay was usually reserved for Worlds or Games, but this year, there was one at a World Cup as a rehearsal for the Relay at the Games. It hurt a lot. I am happy enough with the effort I put in after a week off from racing. I know that at my peak, it would have been more, but on that day, I gave everything. I, unfortunately, got in only one race in Finsterau and can work to improve my relationship with Finsterau as we will return next season as they host the 2027 Para Cross Country World Championships.

Another Monday, another road trip across another country, this time to the next venue, Jakuszyce, Poland. A new venue, it was only constructed in 2022. For me, not only a new venue but also a new country. And in typical European fashion, we started in Germany, quickly entered Czechia, driving from the south to the north, only entering Poland mere minutes before arriving at the venue. Literally, after the 'Welcome to Poland' signs, it was forest, and the first non-tree thing we saw in Poland was the venue—a beautifully built stadium, but windy for the first few days that we were there. After illness and the lack of racing in Finsterau, I was keen to test out the body once I got to Jakuszyce. To my surprise, it was responding well. Though I could feel I was missing the slightest top-end, the rest felt ready to go, and I was looking forward to the next three races to see where I was and what kind of challenge I might be able to present for the Biathlon World Cup Overall.

The first race up was the Sprint, which would turn out to be a memorable day, both good and bad. I was skiing very well, setting some of the fastest times, but it was in a range that left me frustrated. Two misses, one in each of the two bouts, meant I skied an extra 300m, or about 50 seconds. And against a field that was also skiing very well and hitting more targets than I was. I ended up 36.7 seconds back of the winner and in fourth place. So, ending a four-and-a-half-season-long streak - I had not been off the podium in a Biathlon World Cup since December 2021 in Canmore. I must share that there is now an element of relief, after the initial shock and disappointment. I knew the streak was there, but I almost didn't want to talk about it. Now that it has ended, part of me is proud to share that I had held this streak for so long. I should, and do, take immense pride in what I had achieved involving this streak. Showing the consistency throughout countless situations, and still able to perform at the highest level. Now that the streak is over it allows me to start anew, perhaps, maybe even start something better. As I finished, I feared the Overall title was now out of reach, but, in a strange turn of fate, I regained 19 of the 20 points I was behind after skipping the race in Notschrei. I was still second, but by only a single point, with two races left.

Into the final weekend, first a Sprint Pursuit. Where I struggled in the morning's qualifier, much like I did in Notschrei. Missing one in each of the two bouts and not skiing all that fast. I was not well-positioned for the final. The afternoon was another chance, but I had a lot of ground to make up. I needed to reset and focus on what I needed to do to perform. And so, I did, with perhaps what felt like much slower shooting (it wasn't slow at all), but I finally connected with my rifle and the range and went clean in my first bout. While others had misses, I was moving forward through the field, surrounded by several competitors as I entered the second bout. Repeating the focus of my first bout, I went clean and got up and out of the range to see what I might achieve on the final lap of the course. The leader was out of sight, but I left the stadium in second place, just ahead of the Frenchmen, Daviet (who was the current Overall leader). I needed to be efficient on the climb and try my best to maintain my momentum over the flatter middle section. In most terrain, I would say I have a slight advantage over Daviet, but I forgot that he has two poles and a better one-skate. As we came out of the final corner going into a slight uphill, he could one-skate, accelerating, which I couldn't match. I tried to close the gap over the top of the climb and into the finish stretch, but I ran out of course. Having to settle for third and losing five points to Daviet in the Overall. But this set up perhaps one of the greatest battles any of us could have hoped for. The Standing Men's Biathlon Overall title would be decided in one last race, an Individual. A simple objective: I would have to overcome the six-point deficit by finishing two places ahead of Daviet.

That final Individual lived up to the potential. I had a fantastic performance, one matched by others, but I held onto the slim advantage. I started strong and skied consistent and hard-charging laps. After the confidence I gained from the clean shooting Sprint Pursuit Final, I focused on being deliberate and settled on the range. Which worked, as with each passing bout, I hit all my targets. Coming out of the range for the fourth time with a perfect 20 out of 20, but I wasn't the only one. The German, Maier and Daviet, both had done the same, and we were in the podium positions. The race would be decided between Marco and me. I held a slender four-second lead after Shooting 4, while Daviet was third. At that moment, yes, I held the victory and had regained the Overall, but I still had 2.5km to ski. If I didn't maintain that lead, I would lose both.

As on the previous day, Daviet and I left the range together after the fourth shooting. This time, the course afforded me the ability to open a gap over Daviet on the steeper climbs to the high point—so much excitement in that final lap. Despite my best effort, the gap did narrow to Maier, as I crossed the finish line only 2.9 seconds ahead. Securing the victory and the Overall title for the 2025-2026 season. My fourth consecutive Crystal Globe and fifth of my career. The thrill and excitement of these final few races didn't come from me alone; it was the depth of the Standing Men's field. I owe them gratitude for pushing me further than I could ever have gone on my own. The races are made exciting by the quality of the competitors, and being one of them is special.

From there, it was time to wrap up this part of the season and head home. A three-week road trip was an emotional roller coaster, filled with thrilling and trying moments. I felt at times that the whole trip was plagued by gremlins, causing mischief and frustration. Issues that hadn't come up in years seemed to be a daily occurrence. Perhaps a few I would distinguish as being complacent, others I don't believe were. The value of these so-called gremlins was that they were occurring now, during the World Cups. As frustrating as it was to have nearly three weeks of them, I would always prefer to have them now instead of five weeks from now at the Games. It was three weeks of reminders of what it will take to be at the top come March. The attention to detail that is demanded of athletes as they seek to peak for the Games. I feel a sense of ease now that I've had the reminders and look forward to how I can plan to go forward.

Returning home to Canmore for a rest week to recover from the competition block and reset for what comes next. What's next started with the Team Canada Announcement, held on January 30th, which made it official that I am headed to my fifth Paralympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina. Immediately following that, I will be going into a training camp, the first part of what will probably be three distinct blocks that make up my prep block towards the Games themselves. This is the time period I love, whether before a World Championships or Paralympic Winter Games. Those final few weeks of preparation where my world becomes a singular focus, on training and preparation for the targeted event. There are frustrations to manage, emotions, but I find there is an opportunity, or I make them, all creating a sense of calm. Perhaps a calm before the storm!