Canmore to house national biathlon training centre

In a push to keep more budding athletes in the sport, Canmore has been named the site of a new National Biathlon Training Centre.

“This is a brave new step for biathlon in this country,” said Biathlon Canada Chairman Ken Davies. “Traditionally, only the cream of the crop has been able to pursue biathlon beyond high school.”

The new program, primarily funded by Biathlon Alberta and Biathlon Canada, will allow more athletes to stay with the sport through their developing years. Most biathletes don’t peak until their mid to late 20s, and athletes who don’t make the national team right away after high school tend to leave the sport. Currently, Canadian biathletes run the risk of being thrown into world cup competition too early.

“This is a need everyone sees,” Davies said. “It’s a logical stepping point. Now there’s a lot of pressure on athletes in late teens to qualify for the national team.”

The announcement essentially solidifies Canmore’s role as a hub for the national biathlon program and a breeding ground for the next generation of high performance athletes.

The centre will host between 10 and 20 biathletes year-round, offering full coaching, physiotherapy and sports psychology services for athletes between the ages of 18 and 23. The centre will also help athletes with schooling decisions as the organization moves closer to an integrated services model.

“These would be people who are top 10 in their age group already, but we will take promising athletes also,” Davies said.

Canmore has long been an unofficial Canadian biathlon training centre, however, this announcement formalizes the community’s role as the hub for the sport in Western Canada. Davies sees the model expanding to other communities, with similar training centres one day popping up in British Columbia and New Brunswick. Quebec has a similar program, as many of the sport’s top athletes train in Val Cartier. Davies said some Quebec athletes may transfer to Canmore.

To start, the training centre will partner with the Alberta World Cup Academy to share resources. The World Cup Academy has trained several of the nation’s top cross-country skiers.

“We’ll definitely share camps and coaching,” Davies said.

In the greater sports world Canmore is strengthening its role as a training ground for elite winter athletes.

“We’ll see this become a more focused winter training centre,” Davies said. “Sport governance in Canada has been pushing the idea of sports excellence centres.”

Work will begin right away, as the training camp has already scheduled a ski and shooting camp.

Funding support for the training centre will come from Winsport and Own the Podium.

Top Canadian biathlete Zina Kocher said the program is a great addition to the Canadian biathlon scene.

“This is exciting for the development of biathlon in this country. The program is a great step for athletes going for the national team.”

Richard Boruta has been named the head coach of the development program. The Canmore resident has more than five years experience with the Canadian national team and has also worked with the Austrian and Czech Republic national teams.

Davies said a second coach will be hired if more than 10 athletes enroll in the program.

While the centre will attract athletes from across the country, Davies is confident Bow Valley biathletes will enroll in the program.

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