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Biathlete Moser heading to second world championship

Whitehorse’s Nadia Moser is Europe-bound for the second time this season.
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Whitehorse’s Nadia Moser is Europe-bound for the second time this season.

With two podium finishes at national team trials in Valcartier, Que., Jan. 7 and 8, Moser will represent Canada at the 2017 IBU Youth/Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie, Slovakia.

“It’s pretty exciting. I’m excited to go,” said Moser. “Anything could have happened. I was pretty sure I was going to make it, but not 100 per cent sure because I could have had really bad races, missed everything and not made it.”

Moser won gold and bronze at the races, which doubled as NorAm Cup/Quebec Cup events.

The 19-year-old took first in the junior women’s 7.5-kilometre sprint on Saturday.

Moser cleaned — shooting 10 for 10 — in two trips to the range. She was one of just two biathletes out of the 73 who competed on the day to do so.

“I’ve done it once before, at the last trials I think,” said Moser.

Moser finished with a time of 30:25.1, more than a minute ahead of second place’s Megan Banks.

Moser then placed third in the junior women’s 7.5-kilometre pursuit with a time of 32:39.8 — two minutes behind winner Banks — on Sunday.

“I didn’t shoot too well in that race,” said Moser, who hit 14 out of 20.

A sprint race scheduled for Jan. 9 was cancelled due to cold temperatures.

Moser, who has this season and next as a junior, twice placed in the top 25 for youth women at her first IBU Youth/Junior World Championships in Romania a year ago, while in the youth division.

“It’s going to be my first time racing junior, so it’s a lot harder than youth,” said Moser. “We’ll see what happens.”

Moser competed at two International Biathlon Union Cup events in Europe this past December. Her best result was 35th out of 83 in the women’s 15-kilometre individual race at the IBU Cup 3 in Obertilliach, Austria.

“She has performed close to my expectations, although being a junior competing against the senior field is not easy,” said Richard Boruta, head coach of the Biathlon Alberta Training Centre where Moser trains full-time, in an email to the News last month.

“She has been skiing well and shooting quite close to her capabilities, which is a good sign. She will need a few more years to develop to her full potential, but if she can stay focused and if she can find the necessary financial support, it is quite possible that she can represent Yukon at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.”

Contact Tom Patrick at tomp@yukon-news.com