In December 2023, three young New Zealand biathletes attended the IBU-IOC Winter Camp Pokljuka Solvenia

For Baxter Pollard and sisters Nico and Lulu Pettit, this was the first time they'd taken the sport of biathlon outside the familiar environment of Snow Farm. Going from the familiar Sunday sessions with Wanaka Biathlon Club, where we rarely see more than 10 people on our rudimentary range, to Pokjuka's World Cup stadium bustling with over 90 athletes and coaches from 18 nations was quite the experience. Read Nico's perspective below:

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My experiences at the IBU training camp in Slovenia and the IBU Junior races that were held in South Tyrol in Italy were amazing. I have learnt so much about biathlon, not only about the sport, but how it functions at an international level. It was really insightful to see how other athletes trained and prepared for races at a more serious setting in biathlon, and I personally learnt so much just from watching them. It was very interesting to interact with the people from different nations, and to hear their stories of how they got involved with the sport.

At the training camp in Slovenia, not only did we train at a full-sized biathlon range and got lessons from the coaches in skiing techniques and shooting positions, but we also had lectures on topics such as safeguarding, doping, and mental preparation. Furthermore, we even had a retired biathlete give us a presentation on her successful career and how she managed to reach such a high level.

The coaches were always happy to talk to us and give us tips, some which were really game changing.

The IBU races in Italy were even more astounding. I was introduced to the competitive side of biathlon, where everything was turned up a few notches. My only race was the last event, so I had the opportunity to watch the other biathletes in the New Zealand team race, which was surprisingly more stressful than my own. 

Racing with other athletes from around the world was something awesome to be involved in. I’m not sure if I will ever get the chance to race at that level again, but it was phenomenal to be a part of, and I’ve learnt more than I had hoped for.  

‍Nico Pettit (15) - Wanaka Biathlon Club

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