U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 1st Class Preston Keres |
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| Spc. Jeremy Teela enters the stadium at Soldier Hollow after completing his first trip around the course during the men's 10K sprint biathlon race at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games on Feb. 13, 2002. Teela, a member of the Army World Class Athlete Program, finished 20th overall, 1:45.3 behind the leader and second best American finish ever in that event. | ||||
| Brian
Lepley Olympic Correspondent U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center Public Affairs MIDWAY, Utah (February 13, 2002) — The soldier continues to shine at Soldier Hollow. By finishing 20th in the 10-kilometer biathlon sprint Wednesday at the Winter Olympics, Spc. Jeremy Teela almost set another U.S. Olympic record. The Army World Class Athlete’s performance was the second-best ever for an American in the event. “Top twenty [is] nice with two penalties,” Teela said. “I think that would be my best performance with two misses in a 10K for me. I can’t really ask for much more than 20th.” His result tied him with Willie Carow’s 20th place in the 1984 Sarajevo games. In 1980 at Lake Placid, N.Y., Lyle Nelson was 19th for the U.S.
Teela’s 14th-place in Monday’s 20K tied a U.S. record. His skiing improved Wednesday but in shooting he missed two targets out of ten. “I was really happy today with my skiing; my ski speed was definitely on top form for me,” he said. “Two misses are two misses. I was really pumped and I couldn’t get from being pumped to calm shooting.” His WCAP teammates were further back after their runs at Soldier Hollow, the Olympic biathlon and cross country venue two miles northeast of Midway. Sgt. Lawton Redman was 54th among men while Spc. Andrea Nahrgang finished 50th. National Guard Spc. Kara Salmela was 49th. The four soldiers’ finishes ensures their participation in Saturday’s pursuit races. That field is comprised of the top 60 finishers from the 10K sprint. Nahrgang and Salmela’s almost identical finishes (23:48.7 and 23:44.1) were built two different ways: shooting for Nahrgang, hitting nine of 10, and skiing for Salmela, who missed three at the range. “I feel like today I went out and had almost the best race I could have had,” Nahrgang said of her sprint race. “If I just hit that one prone shot it would have been a great race. I feel real happy with the way I performed today.” Each shooting miss in the sprint race means the athlete must ski a 150-meter penalty lap. Even with the extra 300 meters, Salmela’s skiing was good enough to leave her in a virtual tie with Nahrgang. “The skiing definitely went well. [On the range] I thought my timing was there but I just didn’t hold long enough on the standing shots,” Salmela said. “I think when you put that pressure on yourself to want to perform well that’s when you don’t do as well. I’ve had a hard time treating this like it’s just another race.” Both Olympic biathlon races have drawn more than 14,000 raucous fans. The American biathlon team is used to crowds that size when they compete in Europe. There the screams of encouragement are for the Germans, the Swiss, and the Norwegians. It’s been a different story at these American Olympics. “It was definitely motivation when I was getting really tired out there and I was really tired today,” Redman said of his fellow Americans’ cheers. “It’s the best crowd I’ve ever seen in my life. Everybody knows us and we’re crowd favorites.”
The size of the Olympic stage and stakes affect all the WCAP soldiers differently. “I don’t think I’ve ever been that nervous for a race,” Nahrgang said of her Olympic debut. “Usually I’m pretty collected but I was nervous as soon as I got in the van to come over here, I was so nervous.” “I’m so impressed by how much people want to come out and get the Olympic experience,” Salmela said. “I didn’t expect to have so many fans and people excited to come out and just watch our sport.” The soldiers all agree that the Olympic biathlon and cross country successes will be critical in building support for their sports and developing future athletes. “I think that this Olympics is going to set a new standard for Nordic skiing and biathlon,” Redman said. “We’ve already by far had the best (Olympic) performances, I think, in 20 years.” Teela has turned in two of those performances. He scoffs at the notion that his high finishes puts pressure on him or makes him a target. “No one’s really done a medal performance yet (on the U.S. team) so I don’t have a lot of weight on my shoulders,” the 25-year old Alaskan said. “I’m the underdog, that’s the easy spot.” The weight on his shoulders may not feel heavy, but where are his expectations and confidence after tying one U.S. Olympic biathlon record and tying for second all-time in another? “A couple of years ago I was excited to get in the top 40. I’ve made a lot of improvements and my expectations are for sure top ten,” Teela said. “Some people may say it’s a long shot but I’m shooting for medals. I’m skiing fast enough.” The World Class Athletes are members of the Army National Guard on active duty. WCAP is one of more than 200 Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs for soldiers and families worldwide provided by the U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center in Alexandria, Va. For more information, visit www.armymwr.com. |
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