News May - Nov 2003
23 Nov 03 - Kontiolahti FIN
Team Captain and double Olympian Jason Sklenar 28 Engr Regt heads the GBR World Cup Team selected until Christmas. Marc Walker 1 GS Regt RLC, Lee Jackson 1 Green Howards and Joe Brooks 45 Cdo RM make up the team. Congratulations to those selected; commiserations to the aspirants who missed out.
Head of Selection Eddy Lowe and Team Manager Carl Evans were on snow for the 3 races which ended today. More
23 Nov 03 - Kontiolahti FIN
Tom Clemens 1 D and D, Kurt Sumner 45 Cdo RM, Steven Hope Riala SK and Carl Carrier RAF made the cut for the Men's European Cup team. Lance Hodgkins 40 Regt RA is licensed but will not race yet. Emma Fowler 1 GS Regt RLC was selected and newcomer Adele Turner 29 Regt RLC licensed and will race for the women's team. More
23 Nov 03 - ATHLETE RECORDS ON LINE
101 athletes have represented GBR in World Cups, Senior & Junior World Championships and the Olympic Winter Games since 1958. After some 2 years collation, their race records have now been published. More
The 2004 AGM will be held in Ruhpolding on Sat 31 Jan. All members of the BBU (which includes all competitors at the British Champs / Ex Rucksack) will be entitled to attend and vote. Two Directors will be seeking re-election and there is one further vacancy to fill. Full details will be published here, at least one month before the AGM.
23 Nov 03 - NEW WEBSITE GOES LIVE
We hope that you will enjoy your visits to our new look and greatly expanded website. New pages feature Medical and Doping, Athlete Records, and a new faster News page. Newer photos will complement the site during the season.
Small ongoing changes will be made during the next few days prior to WC 1 in Kontiolahti FIN, which starts on 4 Dec.
Please let us have your feedback!
12th November 2003
NEW SKI AND WAX TECHNICIAN FOR GBR
The BBU is delighted to announce the appointment of M. Claude Prica as the GBR wax and ski technician for the forthcoming season. Claude is stepping into the waxing shoes of Martin Glagow who has left the team after 3 years as the waxman. A Frenchman, Claude is 36 years old and has vast biathlon and XC experience, as both a ski / wax technician and a coach. He has been involved with such biathlon stars as Patrice Bally Salins FRA and Myriam Bedard CAN as well as the Rossignol ski technical team. Claude speaks excellent English, amongst several other languages, and most recently he has been coaching the Swiss Under 21 team. We are delighted to secure his services and welcome him to the British "biathlon family".
12th November 2003
POOR SNOW HAMPERS FINLAND TRAINING
The abundance of snow that made Scandinavia such an excellent pre-Season training venue last winter has so far failed to fall. The British squad in Vuokatti are lucky in that there is just enough to make training worthwhile there, but several other major centres are virtually snow less. There is only 1 km of track in operation at Kontiolahti, venue for the National selection races and World Cup 1. The organisers are not too despondent as they have at least 3 km of snow stockpiled with cold and perhaps snowy weather forecast for next week, after a warm and wet weekend.
it is somewhat ironical that the best early season snow is in Austria. Last year it was so poor that that the opening World Cup was transferred to Sweden. The Austrian team obviously didn't expect the change as they are training in Vuokatti with GBR!
12th November 2003
THG ADDED TO WADA PROHIBITED LIST
Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) has been added to the WADA Prohibited Substance List (2003) as a "related substance" to anabolic steroids. It is also on the 2004 list effective 1 Jan 04. It will be analysied in both competition and out of competition analyses.
11th November 2003
WORLD CUP & EUROSPORT SCHEDULE 2003 - 2004
The Eurosport Schedule until Christmas has been published and is on our World Cup page. Note - this is "Eurosport" not "British Eurosport", which is sometimes different and have yet to confirm their programming! Click for World Cup.
EUROPEAN CUP PROGRAMME 2003 - 04
Geilo in Norway now hosts EC 1. Click for latest European Cup programme.
11th November 2003
BBU Secretary General Mark Goodson has been appointed as Chairman of the IBU AD Hoc Committee on the Constitution. The Committee has been tasked to revise the IBU Constitution and present its recommendations for the IBU Congress in Bulgaria in September 2004. Mark follows John Moore who headed the old UIPMB Technical Committee for a number of years, Spud Leaning, and the late Vincent Budge as the only British international committee members in the history of the sport.
10th November 2003 - UPDATE from 27 October
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2004 - ALMOST SOLD OUT
Tickets
for the World Championships in Oberhof (Thuringa, Germany), 6 - 15 Feb 2004
are almost sold out. The only tickets left are for the Women's Individual
(Tue 10 Feb) and the Men's Individual (Wed 13 Feb). GBR hopes to field a full men's team
and one or two women.
To order tickets, click the logo. Not much of the Oberhof site is in English, but you should be able to follow it! We understand that some of the "sold out" items in the "Fan shop" will return on re-order! The BBU is unfortunately unable to help with travel, ticketing or accommodation.
For a quick look at the race programme see our World Cup page
2nd November 2003
BRITISH SELECTION RACES, 20 - 23 NOVEMBER
The British National Selection Races will be held at Kontiolahti FIN on 20 Nov (15 km Individual), 22 Nov (10 km Sprint) and 23 Nov (12.5 km Pursuit). These races will be organised by Team Manager Carl Evans and Technical Director Eddy Lowe in conjunction with Biathlon Kontiolahti. They are open to any British National, male or female, who wishes to be considered for the GBR team. All costs are charged to the individual athlete.
Kontiolahti is in the centre of East Finland, not far from the Russian border! It is just a few miles from the airport of Joensuu which has regular flights to Helsinki (one hour), and also a direct day and night rail service, taking 6 - 8 hours. Air fares from the UK vary from approx £ 220 / 300 return with Finnair to £ 100 return to Tampere with Ryanair, but there is then a similar rail journey as from Helsinki.
The BBU regrets it can only make travel and accommodation arrangements for any athletes in the National Senior Squad (who are in fact already in Finland). It can however assist in finding accommodation for National Development Squad athletes. Other athletes must make their own travel and accommodation arrangements.
Click for Finnair Ryanair Finnish Railways Accommodation in Kontiolahti
Click for Selection Policy
1st November 2003
WORLD ANTI DOPING AGENCY
The BBU fully expects to implement all aspects of the WADA code before the 2004 deadline. We are awaiting final and imminent comment from the IBU on certain issues before signing up with the BOA / UK Sport. In the meantime all National Squad athletes, and those entering the Army's Divisional Championships have been issued with the latest UK Sport list of banned substances.
We can not over emphasise the importance of the fact that "ignorance is not an excuse". (Witness the stripping of Alpine Bronze Medal from Alain Baxter after Salt Lake City 2002). It is a personal matter for all athletes, whether they are an Olympian or a novice to be aware of the current banned list. The British National Championships in Ruhpolding (Ex Rucksack) are liable to be subject to random doping tests, whilst all athletes on the International circuit can expect to be tested both in and out of competition.
Click for the WADA code and list of banned substances @ 1 Jan 04 (This is a 19 page PDF Document)
30th October 2003
DEVELOPMENT SQUAD GLACIER CAMP
Four members of the National Development Squad (Ash Allen, Deacon Cutterham, Stuart Paine and Steve Perry, have just returned from a 10 day glacier camp at Ramsau in Austria. This was the culmination of the NDS summer training programme which also saw 3 camps at the East Grange Biathlon Centre. Thank you to Gordon Seaton and Mark Gee for their coaching and to the Army Sport Control Board for sponsoring a vehicle for the Dachstein camp.
Click here for the Diary of Stuart Paine and the first on snow photos of the new season! (PDF)
30th October 2003
ON SNOW TRAINING IN FINLAND
At last; it's snowing! The Senior Squad athletes and National Shooting Coach Roger Roberts have arrived in Vuokatti Finland, where there is adequate natural snow and of course the famous 900m "Snow Tunnel". The squad will remain in Vuokatti until 17 November when they move to Kontiolahti for the National Selection Races. Dave Macutkiewicz and John Dickinson from the Olympic Medical Institute (OMI) - formerly the BOMC, will also be in attendance.
1st September 2003
GBR SELECTION POLICY 2003 - 04
Whilst the GBR squad athletes should all be aware of the selection policy for the coming season, some aspiring athletes who are not in the official squads may not be in the picture. The GBR selection races in Kontiolahti FIN are open to any British National who wishes to be considered for the GBR team. The races will take place approx 20 -24 Nov 03, and all costs are charged to the individual athlete.
Click for Selection Policy
26th August 2003
NEW ROUTES TO SALZBURG
Two new scheduled daily (in the day - not
0600!) flights open on 23 October from Birmingham and Southampton to
Salzburg with flybe. Fares start from as little as £ 24.00 return,
however at weekends in the ski season this can rise to be 5 or 6 times as
much times as much!, plus tax of approximately £ 40.00. Salzburg is
just 45 minutes drive from both Hochfilzen
(World
Cup 2 (11 -14 Dec 03) and RAC
Championships) and Ruhpolding (World
Cup 5 (14 -18 Jan 04) and British Championships). Click logo for info
25th August 2003
900 DAYS TO TORINO!
It is exactly 900 days until the opening ceremony for the 20th Olympic Winter Games in Torino. The biathlon facilities will not be seriously tested until the pre-Olympic World Cup in 2005.
For more info click the logo! For latest information on the GBR athletes chasing their Olympic dream, click here
OLYMPIC GAMES ATHENS 2004 - TICKETING PROBLEMS
You may have read in the press of a number of serious problems concerning ticketing arrangements (especially when attempting to book direct) for the Olympic Games in Athens, just a year away. Obviously there is no Biathlon there!
However you should be aware that for the 10th time the official BOA ticket agents are SPORTSWORLD. Neither the BOA nor the BBU can be held responsible for any ticketing, but having used SPORTSWORLD for the Olympic Winter Games we can recommend them!
See www.sportsworld-athens2004.com; Email travel@sportsworld-group.plc.uk
22nd August 2003
CONGRATULATIONS FOR BABY GEE!
We are delighted to offer our sincere congratulations to Mark (Fred) Gee and Ellen on the birth of Kai, who weighed in this morning in Oslo at 3.4 kg (7.6 lbs). Mother and son are doing well, and Fred is struggling over the difficult choice of whether Kai will represent Great Britain or Norway in the 2026 Winter Olympics!
There must have been something in the snow last winter, as World Class biathletes Magdalena Forsberg SWE and Andreja Grasic SLO are both pregnant.
19th August 2003
NDS COURSE 3/03
The following students have been selected for National Development Squad Course 3/03 at the East Grange Biathlon Centre, 15 -26 Sep 03:
- Kate Connelly - RHQ NORTHAG
- Emma Fowler - 1 GS Regt RLC
- Adele Turner - 29 Regt RLC
- Ashley Allen - 28 Engr Regt
- Paul Chambers - 1 Green Howards
- Shane Clash - 22 Regt RA
- Deacon Cutterham - 1 RGBW
- Stuart Paine - 22 Regt RA
- Jamie Shilling - 16 Regt RA
This course is also a selection course for Glacier Training in October!
29th July 2003
WORLD CUP PROGRAMME 2003 - 04
Inevitable! Only 3 days after publishing the World Cup race programme, we now publish some amendments to the race schedule and, importantly, the start times (shown in GMT). World Cup
EUROPEAN CUP PROGRAMME 2003 - 04
The hyperlink has now been updated, so you really can get the provisional European Cup programme if you click European Cup
26th July 2003
BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS 2004
The 2004 British, Inter Service & Army Biathlon and Cross Country Championships will once again be held at the Bavarian venue of Ruhpolding from 21 Jan - 6 Feb 2004. For race programme and details CLICK HERE
25th July 2003
HOW TO START
Do YOU want to start in this exciting sport? Please check out the revised information in this Link!
21st July 2003
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE 2
The following students commenced NDS Course 2/03 at the East Grange Biathlon Centre today!
- Emma Fowler - 1 GS Regt RLC
- Ashley Allen - 28 Engr Regt
- Scott Cassidy - 1 GS Regt RLC
- Paul Chambers - 1 Green Howards
- Shane Clash - 22 Regt RA
- Stuart Paine - 22 Regt RA
- Jamie Shilling - 16 Regt RA
26th June 2003
SUCCESSFUL NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE
The first of three National Development Courses at the East Grange Biathlon Centre finished today with Jamie Shilling 16 Regt RA winning the closing Sprint race. Second was Steve Perry from RAF Kinloss with Shane Clash 22 Regt RA in third.
2nd June 2003 - Coronation Day
ATHLETE ARCHIVES - AMENDMENT
The eagle eyed viewer may have spotted (although none reported!), that we transposed the figures for targets "hit" and "missed" in our career stats for Mike Dixon and Mark Gee. These have now been corrected and we apologise to the athletes for any embarrassment, and to viewers for any confusion.
30th May 2003
MARK GEE'S CAREER RECORD
The details of Mark (Fred) Gee's 161 International races can now be found on our Archive Page. Over the next few months we shall be listing the records for all the current athletes. Mike Dixon's 238 race record is also in the Archives, and those of other retired athletes will follow in due course.
29th May 2003
DEVELOPMENT COURSE ON TRACK
The first of the summer's courses for the National Development Squad (NDS) will be held at the East Grange Biathlon Centre, near Kinloss from 16 - 27 June. The Course was delayed due to Op Telic, where a number of athletes were, and still are deployed. Course Director is Gordon Seaton and Head Coach Mark Gee. All athletes selected for development after the British Championships have been invited - check the NDS list! Anyone on the list who has not received instructions should contact the BBU Office immediately.
29th May 2003
EAST GRANGE BIATHLON CENTRE TO HOST DEVELOPMENT COURSES
The East Grange Biathlon Centre (EGBC) celebrates its first birthday by hosting the first of 3 Development Courses for the BBU. The EGBC is the only purpose built biathlon centre in the United Kingdom and is situated at Forres (near RAF Kinloss) in Scotland. The centre is fully licenced and insured and runs a wide range of courses throughout the year, including those for the BBU's National Development Squad. Click for more EGBC
29th May 2003
ADVICE TO ATHLETES ON THE USE OF SUPPLEMENTS
A very important document concerning the use of supplements, approvals thereof and detection procedures for suspect supplements has been published jointly by UK Sport, BOA, BPA, NSMI and HCSC.
Supplements are taken at the athlete's risk and at his or her personal responsibility. All biathletes, and indeed athletes and officials of any sport, should read this document. Click here NOW!
17th May 2003
1000 DAYS TO
TURIN!
It is exactly 1000 days until the opening of the XX Olympic Games in Torino on 10 February 2006. To mark the occasion, the useful "Countdown Clock" that was so popular before Salt Lake City, has been re-introduced at the top of this page. Click the logo for more information.
The Olympic Qualifying Standards (OQS) for GBR athletes will be set by the BOA in the Spring of 2004. The World Cup season 2004 - 2005 and the first part of the 2005 - 2006 seasons will be the only opportunities to meet the OQS.