At the prizegiving at the New Zealand biathlon championships at the Snow Farm on the Pisa Range yesterday are (from left) women’s champion Nico Pettit, of Wanaka, and placegetters Linnea Magnussen, of Sweden, and Iva Kiszovicova, of the Czech Republic. PHOTO: MARJORIE COOK
Biathlon is an unusual sport that combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting.
It is very popular in the northern hemisphere but in New Zealand most biathletes are Wanaka teens who belong to the country’s sole biathlon club.
Both of the national champions are students at Mount Aspiring College — Nico is in year 11, Baxter is in year 13 — and they triumphed over a field of 24.
Most were their school mates. The field included three international athletes.
Biathlon coach Jason Sklenar, of Wanaka, was delighted with the champions’ form.
"They are pretty good. The aspiration is to keep these guys going and to get overseas again.
"It is challenging financially to get them over there but we did it last year and will try it again", he said.
