Swedish Finale

After a short period back in Canmore for some rest after the tour around the Dolomites, with the test event in Val di Fiemme and the World Championships in Pokljuka and Toblach-Dobbiaco. Not that it was originally planned, but there was an opportunity to return to Europe for the Para Biathlon World Cup Finals in Torsby, Sweden. Some might recognize this town from the past two summers, where I have spent time skiing in their tunnel. It is a unique chance for me to visit a place in the summer and winter. It's not hard to see that Torsby has the potential for fantastic skiing. The terrain, trails and courses look fun in the summer, so I looked forward to seeing what it looked like in the winter. Unfortunately, the weather had different ideas, so I could only imagine the potential of so much more from the Nordic centre in Torsby. The local area had suffered from an extended warm spell, with multiple weeks above zero and rarely freezing during that period; coupled with rain, it had melted most of the snow the venue had. It was an incredible effort from the local ski club, the organizers, volunteers, and IBU to preserve the remaining snow, which was isolated to only enough trails to host the races. Don't get me wrong, the course we used for the races was fun and challenging, but you look at the surrounding area and see the potential for so much more that would not be realized this year. One of the aces up the sleeves of the host was stored snow from the tunnel, which was used to bolster certain weak sections of the course. Using that snow, they created a fair and useable course for the three days of competition: a Sprint, Individual and the final race of the international season, a Sprint Pursuit.

PC: Krystek | IBU

For the week, I worked with the French and British teams for support on the range and with my skis. I wanted to extend a heartfelt Thank You for their support and for helping me reach some incredible achievements and milestones, which would not have been possible without their support. The trip taught me a lot about different aspects of what I do as a skier. I flew from Calgary to Oslo, Norway, where I rented a car and drove the two hours or so to Torsby, Sweden. Rarely would I ever drive myself on a trip, so I'm even learning from that. What kind of car would I rent that would fit all my gear? I met up with a teammate later, and we both needed our gear to fit to return to the airport at the end of the trip. Arranging accommodation, meals, race fees and accreditation were new to me. There is a lot that the coaches and staff take care of that the athletes are not aware of, and that does not even happen or needs to be done.

The primary focus for the trip was to secure the Crystal Globe as the Overall World Cup season winner. I had a substantial lead, nearly a hundred points going into these final three races. All I had to do was compete, and I should be able to take the globe home. But that's not how I wanted to conclude the season. I wanted to continue showing why I had such a lead by being one of the most consistent performers. We competed in the Sprint on Saturday in the impressive but still soft, and slushy conditions. I felt great in that race, skiing extremely well in the deep slushy conditions. At several points in the race, I checked in with myself and thought I was exactly where I wanted to be. My only real mistake was a miss in my second bout that cost me the chance to fight for the win. The eventual winner shot clean, and making up a penalty loop against him was impossible that day. Without the miss, it would have been a tight race. It was a strong start to the event, but I wanted more.

Wanting more might have been the danger and an element of the next day's poorer performance to my standard. The Individual was the next race, and I looked forward to it. I knew the shooting wasn't perfect, but I could fix that. The skiing felt good, but the first race would probably kick the body back into race focus, and my skiing would get better for the next race. One of those was right: the skiing part. I had a fantastic skiing performance on Sunday, setting the fastest ski time by nearly 45 seconds. But it was a disappointing and frustrating performance on the range. Missing three shots, one in each of the first three bouts and adding a minute with each miss. Missing three and still only finishing a minute twenty behind the winner is impressive, but I was in fourth place for a bit. It wasn't until some penalties were assessed that I would move up to third.

The desire for more, the overthinking of everything and a strange sight picture thing that was going on, all contributed to the misses. I could have lived with one, maybe two, but my frustration with myself after repeatedly making mistakes was hard, and I was not satisfied with that performance after working out some of the frustrations during my cooldown. Some trees in Torsby may be slightly upset with my yelling at them. I did go and enjoy the podium with the two French athletes. That wax room and team swept the podium in the Men's Standing that day, and I think it was pretty cool to be a part of that. And by the skin of my teeth, I continue a streak of podium finishes that extends back over three and a half seasons. The last time I was not on the podium in a Biathlon event was in December 2021.

The next day, Monday, was a day off from racing and the final official training before Tuesday's Sprint Pursuit. I took a deliberate approach to refocus and simplify what I was doing. Very specific drills to isolate my sight picture and focus. Which went well. I knew I had done everything I could to prepare, and it would come down to simply going through my process for performance.

I had an okay start to the qualification for the Sprint Pursuit. There wasn't a real opportunity to ski away from others in such a short race and in those icy conditions. It was going to come down to the range. I started with a strong first bout, but the same strange fidget happened in the second bout. This time, I was aware of it as it happened. It was not that I could prevent it, but I now knew what was happening, and that was better than in the previous races. That miss hurt and dropped me to third or fourth in qualifying. Based on impairments, I would start third, a minute from the first starter and twenty seconds behind the second starter. It wasn't the easiest gap to make up, but with steady, strong and simple racing, I could put myself into a contesting position. I felt from qualifying that I was not at all dynamic in my lower body as I skied. So, in the warm-up, I had a deliberate focus to force the dynamic movements and prime the body to continue that when I started the race. I had just that and made up some time on the two ahead of me. Again, the range was critical, and finally, I listened; I shot clean in the first bout, after an adjustment I felt I needed to make after seeing the increase in wind intensity. I continued to ski strong on the second lap, which put me in a position where the three contenders all lay down on the range simultaneously. My bout was not the fastest (the slowest of the three), but I went clean, and with a miss from one of the others, I was down to chasing only one other for the lead. With a difference in impairment, I quickly caught the leader, went by and told myself to charge to the high point of the course. I knew my skis were the best in the second half of the course, so if I could get to the high point, I would be in a great position to defend the lead. That's exactly what happened. I kept the pressure on, but I had enough of a lead for the final few meters to stand up and celebrate crossing the line for the victory. It was very special for several reasons. After the struggles of the two earlier races, to refocus and get the job done in this final race feels great. For my seventh win (along with two seconds and two third-place finishes) of the season, I concluded yet another international season. Earning my third consecutive Crystal Globe Overall World Cup title.

PC: Krystek | IBU

From the cold start in Vuokatti, Finland, then the test event in Val di Fiemme, Italy, to the Worlds in Pokljuka, Slovenia, and wrapping up in Torsby, Sweden. It has been another incredible Biathlon season. Peppered amongst some great Cross Country performances, I reflect upon some fantastic experiences and look forward to the upcoming twelve months as I prepare and execute the final training season before the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. The circled date of March 7, 2026, gets closer each day, and it is about making the most of each day, learning what I can and doing what I must to be at my best. Each success comes with many failures, frustrations, and challenges. This year has been no exception, but what you learn and how you react to those challenges, failures, and frustrations allows you to succeed. Each day is a step; it is up to you whether that step holds you back or makes you stronger!