Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. Taking Away What's Important

I concluded my European tour with a race weekend in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. I competed in Nove Mesto previously as a member of the US Junior World Championship Team in 2011. I was nice to be in a familiar setting. While the town and surrounding areas where identical, the venue was significantly different due to the major upgrades put in place for the 2013 Biathlon World Championships. Nove Mesto presented much different conditions than those I encountered in Pokljuka, Slovenia. The massive snow banks of Slovenia where replaced by green grass and late spring conditions in Czech. The course was made up of a single 2.5k loop of dirty manmade snow. This is different from the normal compliment of 1.5-4k course options on offer in better conditions. These limitations forced the organizers to develop some creative courses and lap combinations to meek the 15k distance requirement for Saturday’s mass start and the 20k’s needed for Sunday’s individual competition.

The whitest the courses where all week 

The races themselves where very positive from in every respect except for the final results. I trained optimally to perform in the days ahead of the competition. Most importantly, I turned around my shooting outcomes and mental outlook in both races. The limiting factor was the gliding speed of my skis. I did not have the equipment for the warm, wet and dirty skiing of Nove Mesto. I do my best to not complain about my equipment, so I would like stress that the ski selection was completely my responsibility and has no reflection on the efforts of my coaches. It is quite frustrating to lose minutes to athletes I am normally competitive with, but again equipment is part of the game.

Coach Betsy Smith on the Range 

I am going to spend a few days in Southern Maine catching up with my family before traveling back to Aroostook Country. The highlight of the coming weeks will be the Youth and Junior World Championships in Presque Isle, Maine. I’m stoked to cheer for my MWSC teammates and the entire US Team! Since I am a senior athlete I will not be racing; however, I will be waxing skis for the team from the Czech Republic. I have never been part of a professional service team. I am looking forward to the opportunity. Following World Juniors I will compete at US Biathlon Nationals and I am contemplating an end of season 50km cross country race.          

Snowing in Slovenia

I have arrived in Slovenia for what I was planning to be an Alpen Cup race weekend. Unfortunately, upon our arrival we were told that the races for the weekend where canceled due to the meter plus of heavy wet snow and intermittent power failures at the venue. This is obviously quite disappointing, as the express purpose of this trip is to compete in high quality competitions. Luckily, the town of Bled and the Polkjuka biathlon center are both incredibly scenic. The skiing is excellent and I will be taking part in a time trial with our group and the Slovenian National Team. This time also gives me the opportunity to optimally prepare for the Austrian Championships next weekend. I am steadfast in adhering to the purpose of this trip, which is to make strides as a biathlete. If nothing else this will be a great training block before the spring races and a great opportunity to increase my level for next season. The photos used in this post are courtesy of my teammates Casey Smith and Katrina Howe.

To Europe

Tomorrow I am embarking on a two week trip to Europe. I will be racing in the Alpen Cup Finals in Pokljuka, Slovenia and the Austrian National Championships in Rosenau, Austria. These races will provide me with an invaluable opportunity to progress as a biathlete. Nearly as important, this tour will provide me with an opportunity to redeem myself in the shadow of disappointing results in December and January.

My goal for this tour is to focus on executing quality races and staying fundamentally sound.  

I have sent out the following message to my extended family and supporters. I have included it here to make it easier to share and with the hope of attracting more exposure.

Dear Family, Friends and Supporters,

I hope all of you have had the opportunity to take advantage of the winter season with friends and loved ones.

In the coming weeks I will be competing in Slovenia and Austria, at an Alpen Cup and Austrian National Championships respectively. These races are important because they will allow me to test myself against some of the top biathletes in Europe. During this Olympic year there are few, highly competitive biathlon races to be found in North America and for me to advance in this sport I will need this opportunity to test myself against some of the world's best. With an eye to South Korea in four years, these races will mark the beginning of my renewed quest to achieve success in this sport and earn the honor to represent my country as a US biathlete. 

The unexpected nature of this trip will not allow me or my sponsors to financially prepare for this venture. My main supporters, The Maine Winter Sports Center, will help get me there but, upon the completion of the tour more funds will be needed.  I would greatly appreciate any support you would be kind enough to offer to help me cover the cost of this vital race experience.

Tax deductible, monetary contributions can be sent to the Maine Winter Sports Center at:

552 Main Street

Caribou, ME

04736

Any donations made through the Maine Winter Sports Center are tax-deductible as the organization is a 501 (c) nonprofit.

I will be documenting my experiences abroad and throughout the remainder of my racing season on my Blog: raleighbiathlon.blogspot.com.

Thank you for your support,

Raleigh Goessling

Check back for updates on my trip overseas.