US Biathlon takes 4th place in Soldier Hollow World Cup, a historic high

1) Norway 2) Italy 3) Germany - Men's Relay Podium. USA got 4th place in the Biathlon World Cup at Soldier Hollow, the best result the US has had on home soil. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

MIDWAY, Utah — In the IBU Biathlon World Cup at Soldier Hollow (SOHO) on Friday, the United States men finished 4th, their highest in history, in the 4 x 7.5 km Team Relay after winners Norway, then Italy in 2nd, and Germany rounded out the podium. USA’s team competitors were Vincent Bonacci, Sean Doherty, Campbell Wright and Jake Brown.

Earlier this season, there had been the highest men’s placement in Finland with a top six.

While his three teammates are from out of state, Bonacci grew up in Salt Lake City where he’s spent time on Team TUNA (The Utah Nordic Alliance) and on Team SOHO. The graduate of West High School is 24 now but started skiing the trails at Soldier Hollow when he was six. He told TownLift,

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“I’m really happy with my shooting, it was a bit of a miracle. We’ve got great skis and that felt good. I didn’t want to let the hometown crowd down so had to put it all out there. The snow on course is holding up really well, they’ve done a good job and that SOHO magic never hurt anyone. Having people cheer me all the way around the course is a really special feeling. Fans in foreign countries cheer for the Americans but here, they cheered me by name, so that was great. This is my home, so a lot of people here are my friends and family, I know most of the volunteers by name, it’s an amazing feeling, it’s awesome and I am excited to be part of it.”

That quote was from after his leg of the race, however the day before he spoke more about his overall experience in the video below.

Two of the four-man first-place finishers from Norway spoke to TownLift following their race. Norway is the men’s Biathlon World Cup leader.

In the video below, the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation‘s Luke Bodensteiner talked to TownLift about hosting a Biathlon World Cup in Utah for the first time in five years—and at the newly constructed facility.

The new building, which will be completed this Fall, is having a soft opening for this World Cup. Representatives from the Utah State government were literally conducting successful building inspections on the sawdust-strewn, ladder-laden, hard-hat heaven rooms, which weren’t part of this event.

Park City’s Kris Severson, with his company K2 Creative Productions, is the race’s Venue Producer. Of his seven Olympic Games, he did biathlon once in Vancouver 2010. Kris, a retired member of the U.S. Ski Jumping Team, is on his way to Norway to produce the ski flying World Cup following this competition.

Peter O’Doherty, also from Park City, with his company NABS (Need a Big Screen), is in charge of the video production.

The beloved Herb Lepley, who for decades was known as a small-town family doctor in Park City, is working with the Intermountain Health medical team here.

Elementary school students from the Heber Valley were brought out in buses to spectate and get up close and personal with the international athletes as well as the similarly-aged local development team skiers from Team SOHO, who got the world-class experience of forerunning.

Equally enthusiastic flag-waving, costumed, clapping, cheering, cow bell-ringing crowds are expected as the Biathlon World Cup continues on Saturday and Sunday, the 9th and 10th, with the Women’s Team Relay on Saturday.

Park City High School student Emily Campbell from Team SOHO/Park City Ski and Snowboard, a two-time Jr. World Championships racer, is rostered in the Biathlon World Cup right here at her home shooting range and cross-country ski venue. Her brother, Wes, recently raced in the Cross Country Jr. Worlds in Europe.