Vadim Kurales was one of the few athletes to hit 19 out of 20 targets on the shooting range on Saturday, while the biathlete from Kazakhstan won the gold medal in the men’s 15km individual event at the 2023 FISU World University Games in Lake Placid.

The 20-year-old student at the Kazakh Academy of Sports and Tourism secured the win with an impressive 42 seconds ahead of Norway’s Oerjan Moseng, who finished second with his unbelievably strong skiing after missing four goals.

The bronze was won by Frenchman Axel Garnier, who studies at INSEEC Alpes-Savoie.

Kurales, who struggled with a leg problem during the race, was very pleased with his performance.

“The shooting may not have been completely perfect, but it was the best I’ve had all season, maybe even my career so far,” said Kurales.

While the sky was clear and the wind barely perceptible, none of the 37 male athletes managed to leave the range with a flawless shot.

Meanwhile, on the women’s side, Canadian Shilo Rousseau completed the 12.5km race in over 48 seconds, conceding only two of twenty long-range shots.

The podium was completed by Polish Barbara Skrobiszewska and Tereza Jandova from the Czech Republic.

Rousseau, a student at the University of Ottawa, said she was very nervous ahead of the race.

“But I managed to get through the track really well, calm my nerves and gather my strength at the shooting range,” said the 22-year-old, who came with a lot of experience from previous races in the highly competitive IBU Cup.

Two local athletes from Lake Placid also competed in the first biathlon event at these FISU Games.

Nathan Livingood and Dulcie Tanguay, students at Paul Smith’s College, finished in exactly the same place, finishing 33rd^r&d in men’s and women’s competition, respectively.

“I am very proud to represent my country and race on home soil,” said 19-year-old Livingood. “It’s great to compete at Lake Placid.”

Both athletes felt tremendous support on and off the track.

“I had so many teammates today, my parents and also a lot of locals cheering me on,” said Tanguay, a third-year student. “Being able to do biathlon full-time is something I would never have been able to do without the support of Paul Smith’s College. So a lot of credit for being here and competing goes to them. “

The next biathlon event will be Monday’s mixed relay.

Written by ANNIKA SAUNUS

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