Biathlon 2020 – Part 3

The Canmore Nordic Centre (CNC) was built in 1988 for the Winter Olympics.  The venue hosted biathlon, cross-country skiing, and the cross-country skiing part of the Nordic combined events.  This year it hosted the 2020 Alberta / Territories Cadet Biathlon Championship.  Everyone involved must have felt privileged & excited to be present and/or competing at a former Olympic venue.  I know I was.  The CNC is one of three Biathlon High Performance Training Centres used by Biathlon Canada.  The other two are located in Whistler, BC, and Valcartier, QC.

            

Stepping off the bus on the afternoon of January 24, I noticed many parked cars and cross-country skiers.  The CNC has withstood the test of time and managed to keep going after the Olympics.  Too often we hear stories of former Olympic venues remaining empty, abandoned, and in permanent state of disrepair.  Countries are beginning to realize that hosting the Olympics may not be worthwhile if the newly built venues can’t find people to use them after the games.  Speaking of countries, flags of the countries that participated in the 1988 Olympics still stand near the main lodge and parking lot. 

The cadets unloaded the trailer and moved all their equipment to the Wax Room Building (WRB).  While this was being done, I photographed the majestic Rocky Mountains that surround the venue and the town of Canmore.  The scenery provides the perfect picturesque background to a biathlon competition.  The planners had reserved the entire WRB for the weekend.  Like I mentioned in the first paragraph, cadets from Alberta & the Territories were competing at the same time, thus they all need rooms to store & wax their skis.  The WRB has many individual rooms equipped with tables, chairs, and electrical outlets.  I was surprised to see my name on one of the wax room doors.

Underground Tunnel.

The cadets were given two hours to ski the racetrack so they could become familiar with the route.  I told my cadets not to waste this opportunity.  While the cadets were out skiing, I investigated & photographed the outdoor shooting range.  The range looks professionally built.  Behind the range were: part of the race track, Judges Building, and the wooden bleachers for spectators.  We had been explicitly told to use the underground tunnel to access the shooting range.  Walking across the racetrack was forbidden to prevent collisions with racers.  The area in front of the Judges Building was the location of the Start & Finish Lines. 

Wax Room Building.

The cadets returned to the WRB at 4pm and put away their skiing equipment.  We then boarded the bus to be driven to a local high school where we would rest, relax, eat, and sleep at the end of the day.  The military was able to rent the school for the weekend because one of the officers in charge happens to be a teacher at the school.  Everyone went through registration.  The cadets would sleep in the gym and the officers/coaches would sleep in classrooms.  The people from the territories were provided with sleeping bags & air mattresses.

A Welcome Address & Briefing was held in the school’s auditorium after dinner.  The Officers-In-Charge introduced themselves & the judges, and went over the rules of the school & the competition.  The cadets were dismissed for the night, but the officers & coaches remained for the competition briefing.  We were given documents containing: the schedules, competition rules, and layout of the racetrack. 

           

Judges Building.

January 25 was the first day of the competition.  Reveille was at 6am, followed by breakfast at 6:30am.  School buses transported everyone to the CNC at 7:45am.  The competition staff were already at the venue getting everything ready.  Loud music was playing from speakers on the roof of the Judges Building.  The first race of the day would be the Junior Female Sprint Race.  The four cadets from Arctic Bay & Iqaluit would be competing in this race.  All competitors were given time to practice shooting & skiing.

           

Penalty Loop.

My tasks for the races were to signal my cadets which shooting lanes to use and refill the ammunition bowls with .22LR bullets.  Another officer would handle the rifles.  He made sure each cadet had a designated rifle.  Just before the commencement of the race, cadets were given numbered bibs & instructed where to line up.  Competitors would start one after the other.  I reminded my cadets that the shooting range is a Silent Zone, meaning I couldn’t give them any shooting advice or assistance.  They would be on their own.  I also told them not to forget to do their penalty laps.  One missed target equals one penalty lap.   

           

Arctic Bay cadet.

Arctic Bay cadet.

The Junior Female Sprint Race began at 10am.  The Junior Male Sprint Race began at 10:20am.  There were enough shooting lanes to run both races simultaneously.  My female cadets began their relays at different times.  The only time I was busy was when they were shooting at the same time.  Aside from that, I was free to take pictures & video clips of the race.  The parents & cadets back home wanted to see how Arctic Bay performed.  I would also use some pics & vids for training purposes at the corps. 

Iqaluit cadets.

Spectators.

The were people in the bleachers cheering on the competitors.  My cadets were relieved but very tired when they crossed the Finish Line.  The racetrack isn’t flat.  There are several hills to ascend & descend.  Two tables containing hot chocolate & bottled water sat just past the Finish Line for the cadet competitors.

Senior Female & Male Competitors.

The next four sprint races after lunch followed the same routine, except they began 15 minutes apart.  The races were structured as: Senior Female, Senior Male, Youth Female, and Youth Male.  The Senior Female race began at 1pm.  I wasn’t needed on the shooting range because I didn’t have any participating cadets.  I watched these races from the bleachers.

Random Wedding Photo Op.

The races were done by 3pm.  We spent the next hour cleaning the range, moving our skiing equipment to our assigned wax rooms, waxing our skis, and keeping the rooms organized.  During the cleanup I noticed a professional photographer directing a large wedding party on a nearby hill.  I don’t know who was getting married but I assumed the bride & groom wanted to have a series of photographs taken with the mountains in the background.  Hopefully the pictures turned out great.

Medals.

2nd Place - Junior Female Sprint Race.
3045 RCACC.

The medal ceremony for the sprint races was held at the high school in the evening after dinner.  The high school students in the woodshop class made the medals.  Alberta & the Territories competed separately.  Competitors who placed 3^rd, 2^nd, & 1^st in their categories received medals and a group picture.  A lot of medals were given out.  My two Arctic Bay cadets placed 2^nd & 5^th in the Junior Female Sprint Race.  The two Iqaluit air cadets placed 6^th & 8^th in the same race.  Congratulations!  I announced the results on the corps Facebook page after the ceremony.

Early Arrival.

Fast forward to January 26; the last day of the competition.  The morning was busy because we had to eat breakfast, pack all our belongings, clean the school, and be out of the school by 7:45am.  The teachers needed their classrooms to get their final exams ready for the upcoming week.  We were able to achieve this goal. 

The second & final day of the competition was all about the relay races.  Competitors race in teams of two.  The first teammate completes their relay, crosses the Finish Line, and then tags their second teammate to do the same.  Once they’re done, both finishing times are added together.  The shooting range was going to be very busy & hectic because the organizers wanted all competitors to be done by 12:30pm.  Teams needed the afternoon to travel home. 

The relay races began at 10:30am with the Junior Males.  The males were given a 30-second warning followed by a loud whistle sound.  The first group rushed forward while the people in the bleachers cheered.  The race was on. 

My four Junior Female cadets began their race at 10:45am.  The starting process was the same.  The first two pushed off with the rest of the group, trying to get an early lead.  I did the same things: signal my cadets and refill the bowls.  I also noted when they completed their last shooting relay so that I could warn their teammates to get ready at the Start Line.  The first two cadets finished their relays at different times, but made sure they touched the shoulders of their teammates.  We were told a time penalty would be added if there wasn’t a point of contact.

The hill that everyone hated.

The second two cadets continued, while the first two breathed sighs of relief.  According to them, the relay race was more exhausting than the sprint race.  I think it’s because of that mad dash at the beginning.  The second two cadets performed well and completed their relays.  They too were exhausted.  They all agreed they hated that one hill where you have to frequently push up because it drains a lot of energy.

Northern Cadets.

Once the races were declared finished, a massive cleanup effort followed.  The judges went over the results while everything was being put away.  A group meeting was held with all the cadets & coaches from the Territories and two Alberta based officers.  The one who teaches at the local high school has travelled to Whitehorse many times to organize & host the cadet biathlon competitions.  We gave him a Thank You card for arranging us to be flown down to Alberta and for booking the Camrose Ski Club on the 23^rd.  We gave a second Thank You card to the other officer who helped us with the rifles and waxing.  We finished the meeting by taking several group photos.

We waited for the final results to be posted.  We all wanted to know who was going to represent the Territories at the National Biathlon Competition in early March?  

             

To Be Continued . . .