Rutland’s Chloe Levins is fierce on the golf course. She’s won the state high school championship twice. But the 17-year old also competes on snow.
The Rutland High School senior is what you’d call an uber athlete. She’s good at sports that require intense concentration like golf, but also has the explosive physical conditioning needed for Nordic skiing. Biathlon, a sport that combines Nordic racing with target shooting, harnesses both her skill sets.
Last month, Levins won all three of her races in Anchorage, Alaska at the Youth Biathlon Trails. From there, she traveled to the Youth-Junior World Championships in Romania. Now, Levins is in Lillehammer, Norway for the Youth Olympics, an international competition for 14 to 18-year-old athletes.
Max Cobb, president of the US Biathlon Association, has high hopes for Levins. He says because the sport is not included in high school athletic programs, it can be difficult for American teens.
“Here we have a few clubs that do really important work around the United States. But everybody has to fit that in around their school sports,” says Cobb. “So for an athlete like Chloe, she would be skiing on the cross country circuit for the New England Nordic Level, and she’s already won two national championships there. She won the trials for biathlon and meanwhile she’s making it work around her school schedule which is very challenging to do.”
Cobb says Sean Doherty is terrific role model. The 20-year-old from Center Conway, New Hampshire just won three medals in Romania, including gold and is looking toward the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
Cobb says he sees similar talent and determination in Chloe Levins.
“All the success that she’s had in the sport of golf really gives her the mental edge for being able to perform in biathlon too. So I think she’s got a really bright future,” says Cobb.
“She’s training with one of our best development coaches, Algi Salna, an Olympic gold medalist in the 1984 games. Adds Cobb: “He coached Sean Doherty to success and I think Chloe is in line for the same kind of success we’ve seen from Sean.”
Levins will graduate from Rutland High School this spring near the top of her class. She plans to attend Middlebury College where she’ll compete on the Nordic team and continue biathlon training.
