A combination of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, four athletes with ties to our area are headed to South Korea to compete in this year's competition.
Susan Dunklee
Home: Barton, Vermont
Age: 31
Olympic history: 12th in the mass start in 2014
Career highlights: After finishing 12th in the individual race in the 2015 World Championships and 8th in the sprint in 2016, Dunklee won silver in the 2017 WC mass start event, becoming the first American woman to earn a biathlon medal at the World Championships.
Backstory: A member of the national team since 2008, she is the daughter of two-time Olympic cross country skier, Stan Dunklee.
Born in Newport, Vermont and a graduate of St. Johnsbury Academy, Dunklee shifted to biathlon after helping Dartmouth win the 2010 NCAAa championships as a cross country skier. Is a beekeeper in the off-season.
Lowell Bailey
Home: Lake Placid, New York
Age: 36
Olympic history: A four-time Olympian beginning in Torino in 2006, Bailey’s best finish was eighth in the individual race in Sochi in 2014, the USA’s best Olympic finish, one missed shot from a medal.
Career highlights: Became the first American to win gold in a major biathlon competition in the 20 km individual race at the 2017 World Championships.
That made him the first athlete to qualify for the 2018 USA Olympic team.
Backstory: A graduate of the University of Vermont, Bailey was a member of the Catamounts’ Nordic team where he finished second in back-to-back NCAA championship races in 2004 and ’05. Focused solely on biathlon after graduation.
Emily Dreissigacker
Home: Morrisville, Vermont
Age: 29
Olympic history: first Olympics
Career highlights: Was a cross country skier who switched to rowing in college before shifting to biathlon in 2015. She earned a spot on the USA’s B team in 2017.
Finished 19th in two World Cup sprint relays, 17th in a WC relay and fifth in a WC individual race this season.
Backstory: A graduate of People’s Academy and a two-time All-American at Dartmouth, Dreissigacker’s older sister Hannah finished 23rd in the 2014 Games in Sochi in the 15km event.
Emily’s mother, Judy Geer, was an Olympic rower in 1976 and 1984, and her father, Dick Dreissigacker, was an Olympic rower in 1972.
Tim Burke
Home: Lake Placid, New York
Age: 36
Olympic history: 4-time Olympian with bests of 9th in relay in 2006 (Torino), 13 in relay in 2010 (Vancouver) and 8th in mixed relay in 2014 (Sochi)
Career highlights: Second in individual at 2013 World Championships, 7th in 2007 individual WC, 7th in 2017 relay, ranked No. 1 in world for part of 2009-10 season.
Backstory: Born in Paul Smith’s, New York, Burke began competing in biathlon at age 13.
An avid fly-fisherman, he also in an avid biker and bike collector.
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