The U.S. Olympic Biathlon Team will have a new vibe in Antholz, Italy this week for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games. Head Coach Armin Auchentaller sees opportunity for a team that blends veteran athletes with some rising young stars. Heartbeat caught up with Auchentaller during the final days of the team’s Ridenour prep camp before the drive to the Antholz valley.

Four men and four women will represent Team USA in biathlon. On the men’s team, Paul Schommer and Sean Doherty with Schommer competing in his second Games, Doherty his fourth. Maxime Germain will be heading to his first Games buoyed by rising international performances. Meanwhile, Campbell Wright is competing in his second Games, but first as an American. And it comes on the heels of the two silver medals he won a year ago at the World Championships.

For the women, Deedra Irwin returns for her second Games, after a strong result four years ago in Beijing. After a short break from the international tour, Joanne Reid heads to her third Olympics. And a pair of newcomers to the sport, Luci Anderson and Margie Freed are poised for their Olympic debut.

For Auchentaller, it will be a Games of much pride. As a native of the Antholz valley, he welcomes the opportunity to show off his hometown, where his father was a part of starting biathlon over a half century ago.

And to top it all off for the popular coach, his own daughter, Hannah, will make her Olympic debut with the Italian team.

The action begins Sunday with the mixed relay. You can watch all the action live or on-demand in the USA on NBC’s Peacock.

There’s a certain mystique around the waxing cabins at biathlon events, where technicians work late into the night and are up before the sun – all to gain precious seconds out of the bases of skis. Races may be won or lost on the track. But it’s the technicians who put rockets on the skis. Today on Heartbeat, we join the legendary Fede Fontana of U.S. Biathlon as he takes us inside the magic, sharing stories of his decades of experience in the sport.

While he lives today in Bavaria, Fontana hails from the Frassinoro, Italy, in the Modena area. This tiny village has produced more than its share of ski technicians over the years – a source of great pride to the region.

Fontana has served the athletes of U.S. Biathlon for over a decade. He and his team of technicians put the magic into the skis, while also serving as the team’s general manager.

In this episode, we’ll learn how turning out fast skis is a year-round job, from springtime and summer ski selection with the factories, to fine-tuning on snow during the season. Listen in to learn just how many pairs of skis for each athlete are packed into vans as the tour heads from race to race.

And check out Heartbeat’s past episodes with U.S. Biathlon General Manager Fede Fontana. Now let’s join Fede coming to us live from Nove Mesto as the team prepares for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in Antholz.

PAST EPISODES

Farewell to Fluorocarbons - Nov. 2023

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7nFkFX0cLVPytUHLloyYTl?si=5961825689824051

Fede Fontana: Inside the Wax Cabin - Jan. 2023

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4UP70osdKOxcCp3E889Fn0?si=8984636a13e04eae

Minnesota natives Luci Anderson and Margie Freed followed similar pathways as state high school cross country stars and successful collegiate skiers. Then both discovered biathlon. And just a few years later, both will make their Olympic biathlon debut at the Milano-Cortina Games this February. Anderson and Freed joined Heartbeat from the IBU World Cup in Ruhpolding on the eve of the Games.

Freed, now 28, picked up the new sport while training with Craftsbury Green Racing Project after a successful career at University of Vermont. Going into the 2023 season, she borrowed a biathlon rifle and qualified for the European Championships, eventually having the USA’s best IBU Cup finish that season. Now, she’s a regular on the IBU World Cup.

Meanwhile, Anderson, now 25, skied five seasons for the University of New Hampshire Wildcats, with six NCAA wins. Skiing with Team Birkie, she gave biathlon a try in the summer of 2024, qualifying for the IBU Cup at trials that October. She quickly got her chance at the World Cup.

Both are examples of U.S. Biathlon’s transfer initiative, finding experienced cross country ski racers who want to give biathlon a try. And both are products of U.S. Biathlon’s Project X.

With the Olympics in Antholz just around the corner, Anderson and Freed are excited about their opportunity. In this episode of Heartbeat, they talk about their unique pathways, share encouragement to others, and look forward to their dream of becoming Olympians with Team USA.

PAST EPISODES

Luci Anderson: Exhilaration of a New Sport - Jan. 2025

Margie Freed: From XC to Biathlon - Nov. 2023