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Biathletes Need 3 Letters

Biathletes Need 3 Letters – Kaisa Bosek from Alexandria skis during her time abroad where she competed in biathlon on tracks in France and Switzerland. For Bosek, a high school student, it was an opportunity to compete for Team USA against other top biathletes her age from around the world. She spent most of January in Europe. (Photo by Jeffrey Leopold)

ALEXANDRIA, Minnesota. Alexandria’s Kaisa Bosek had just started her biathlon career in 2016 when she and her family casually talked about where the sport could potentially take her.

Biathletes Need 3 Letters

Kaisa was only a seventh grader then. She was curious to see how much she would enjoy this sport, which tests the speed of a cross-country skier and marksmanship on a shooting range, and is not necessarily geared towards competition on the world stage, but the family was aware of the possibilities. be there if she was working on it.

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“I’d like to continue right now and see where I come up,” she said in an interview in March 2016.

Four years later, Kaisa was among the best young biathletes in the United States. She is now in high school and returned to Alexandria in early February after spending almost a month abroad, competing in both the Winter Youth Olympics and the 2020 IBU Youth/Youth World Championships in Switzerland.

“It was a really amazing experience,” Kaisa said. “I have always dreamed of going abroad and racing. Actually being able to do this is just a great experience and I’m happy that I was able to do it. Having these goals for yourself and actually achieving them is a wonderful feeling. It makes you want to move on and see how far you can actually go.”

Kaisa Bosek from Alexandria, a high school student, returned in early February after being given the opportunity to compete in biathlon for the United States at the Youth Olympic Games and later at the 2020 IBU Youth/Youth World Championships in Switzerland. (Eric Morken/Echo Press)

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Kaisa was one of six athletes, three boys and three girls, who were nominated at the end of August 2019 by the US Biathlon Association to compete in the Youth Olympic Games.

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“It’s amazing,” said Jeff, Kaisa’s father, watching her compete at this level. “Looks like this is not your child. Looks very professional, like they belong here. When they actually race, it’s pretty cool. We were very proud of her all this time.”

Jeff, his brother John, and his sister Kathleen were with Kaisa during the Youth Olympics before Jeff and John had to return home. Kathleen, who teaches through online courses, was able to work remotely and stayed with Kaisa throughout the World Cup.

“When I got there, I was just really excited,” Kaisa said. “It was a bit overwhelming because at the Youth Olympics you see everyone from all these different countries and people from all these different sports. There are different languages around you and you see all these different commands. You’re like, “Wow, I’m not in Minnesota anymore.”

That was part of what made the experience so special, Kaisa said. She not only competed with other top biathletes of her age, but also got to know different cultures.

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During the Youth Olympic Games, the Boseks did not often meet with Kaisa. To ensure their safety, the organizers of the games required the athletes to adhere to a strict regimen that focused on competition. The experience of the World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, really allowed the athletes to see family and friends more often and take advantage of some tourism opportunities.

On the track, Kaise had to race through picturesque landscapes against the backdrop of snow-capped mountain peaks. She is an outstanding skier for the Cardinals’ Alexandria cross-country ski team, but her marksmanship with a .22 rifle has landed her during her time in Europe.

Her father, a former US Marine Corps sniper, worked with her for many years to strengthen her technique on the range.

“I think my shooting accuracy was the best, especially at the Youth Olympics,” Kaisa said. “It helped me get the best seat I’ve ever had.”

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Kaisa Bosek shoots from a prone position while participating in the Youth Olympic Games in January. Bosek’s biathlon shooting accuracy helped her lead the US team as the top biathlete in the group during the Youth Olympic Games competition. (Photo by Jeffrey Leopold)

Biathletes run to firing points, where they shoot at five targets from a distance of 50 meters. Kaisa’s heart rate is typically around 180 beats per minute when she reaches the station after a ski race. She can typically shoot accurately from a prone position in 35-45 seconds, and from a standing position in about 30-40 seconds.

“She’s got it, but we’re always trying to get better,” Jeff said. “It’s nice now that we’re tweaking something. I’m making another cheek for her rifle because the one she has now doesn’t quite fit. This might help a little more. Now she is an excellent shooter, but even if you have been doing this for 15 years, you can always improve a little.”

Competing at the world level at the age of 17 is something that most kids can’t refuse, but it comes with a lot of sacrifice. Kaisa was grateful to her teachers at home who helped her make her life easier when she was away from class for almost a month.

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“My teachers were very kind to me and helped me understand what I should do and gave me assignments in advance,” she said. “Online, I had to check what they were doing every day. If I had a question, I would write to them and they would answer me. My teachers helped me do it, so I didn’t feel stressed there.”

Kaisa also had to miss part of the Cardinals’ ski season, including the Central Lakes Conference championship in late January. She returned in time for the section meeting in Detroit Lakes on February 4, but in turbulent circumstances.

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The Alexandria Girls were one of three programs competing at the top of the section for the top two spots that could qualify for the state. Bosek finished third and joined his teammates Emma Reinecke and Bethany Miller in the individual qualification for the state competition, but the Cardinals missed the team game by one point.

“You don’t feel well,” Jeff said. “I talked to some other kids who said Kaisa would win. It’s like, “No, no, no. You do not understand. She’s worn out.” Once you get to altitude, you really burn a lot of energy and you can’t replenish it that quickly.”

Kaisa Bosek skis during the women’s biathlon 6K sprint at Les Tuffes Nordic in France during the Winter Youth Olympic Games. (Photo: OIS/Ben Queenborough. Handout courtesy of OIS/IOC.)

The Bosecs knew this was a unique opportunity for Kaisa as she approaches a point in her life where she will need to make a decision about how far she wants to go in biathlon.

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“A lot of kids who are even really good are kind of a tipping point. You’re in college and you can’t compete that much,” Jeff said. “A lot of kids give up at this point.”

Kaisa intends to continue her career in sports as soon as she enters college. She looks to schools that have biathlon facilities nearby and says she wants to keep competing for as long as she can.

The following year, she set her sights on more national and world competitions. The upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics are scheduled for 2022. The family knows how difficult it would be to put together such a team at the age of 19 in a sport where many athletes reach their peak in their early 20s.