Konrad, better known as a cross country skier than a biathlete, has used those skills in the last two competitions to post third and first place finishes. This third year biathlete admits that her shooting is not at the level of some other fellow competitors. “I knew I had to shoot 60% today to be on the podium. I did not do anything different on the range than some of the other days, but the targets went down today, she commented with the big smile of victory lingering across her face. Continuing, she added, "After the other day (Sprint competition where she had seven penalties and finished third), I was confident in my skiing. It is at the stage (of the race series) that I have to go for it.”

With two top three finishes, Konrad said, “I feel comfortable where I am (in the standings), but I still have another race to go.” In winning the Women’s 10K Pursuit format, Konrad had eight penalties over the 20-shot competition. Despite covering an additional 1200 meters (each penalty loop is 150 meters), she won in 35:49.1. This was just eight-tenths of a second ahead of Sonne Nordgren (Marine on St. Croix, MN). Nordgren had “my best race ever” today on her 22nd birthday. She was “disappointed, because you never want to lose by such a small margin.” But as she later stated, "I am happy to be here (on the podium), and like everyone else, I would like to be on the Olympic team. This last race is going to be exciting.” Nordgren had three penalties for the day. Third place went to Annelies Cook (Saranac Lake, NY) who trains at the Maine Winter Sports Center. Cook said, “I had fun in the first two races, but did not shoot too well. Today, I just did what I normally do (on the shooting range).” She had only two penalties, one each in the first and final shooting stages. Cook finished 16.1 seconds behind Konrad.

The Maine Winter Sports Center’s Tracy Barnes (Durango, CO), also with two penalties, followed in fourth, 22.9 seconds back. Friday’s Sprint winner, the number one ranked US Biathlete Rachel Steer (Anchorage, AK) had six penalties, finishing 36.1 seconds back.

Like Konrad, Men’s 12.5K winner Tim Burke commented that he won “On my skiing. I felt really good about my prone stages (one penalty total), but standing was a little bit shaky (four penalties). I need some work on that. But I will always take any place on the podium with five penalties.” Burke topped his Maine Winter Sports Center teammates, Jeremy Teela (Anchorage, AK) and Lowell Bailey (Lake Placid, NY) by 27.4 seconds and 1:36.1, respectively.

Second place finisher Teela said, “I had a mission today and tomorrow—to get first or second each day. Today, some of the guys that I am directly competing with started right in front of me. I had a clean prone stage and then two penalties, and was skiing faster than them, so I just started reeling them in. I was a bit stupid in the first standing, missing three (by shooting very fast), so in the last standing stage, I slowed down a bit to leave nothing to chance. The way these races are going, this has been the most stressful week of my career. After this, the Olympic Games, even with the eyes of the whole country on you, will not be nearly as stressful.” Teela finished with seven penalties.

Bailey, like Teela shot well in prone with just a single miss, but left five of the ten standing targets untouched. He commented, “You know, in the shooting range, you have to be in the moment in standing, nowhere else. When I missed those three standing shots, I got excited and was already out of the range in my mind before I ever fired a shot.” Bailey finished with six penalties.

The three top men, besides agreeing that their standing shooting needs work, concurred that training here in Fort Kent has been a big advantage. Burke summed up their feelings, “The Maine Winter Sports Center has offered all of us great community support and great facilities for training. We know every part of the trails and you need those advantages in competitions like these.”

With three of the four competitions completed the standings for the men show Burke, Bailey and Teela solidly the top three. The battle for fourth place in the final results will be determined in tomorrow’s 10K Sprint, with Brian Olsen (Minneapolis, MN) and Jacob Beste (Minneapolis, MN) the two men closest to the top three.

The women’s standings are a bit cloudier, although Steer and Konrad are in the one-two spots now. After them, there is a logjam of four to six women who could jump into the top five with strong top three finishes in tomorrow’s 7.5K Sprint. Those closest to the top two are Tracy Barnes, Carolyn Treacy (Duluth, MN), Lanny Barnes and Denise Teela (Anchorage, AK).

The final Sprint competitions in the TD Banknorth Festival at Fort will start at 10 AM EST on Tuesday.

United States Biathlon Association is the National Governing Body for the sport of Biathlon in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Biathlon Union. The US Biathlon Association supports the US Biathlon Team and development of the sport on all levels within the United States.

TD Banknorth is the title sponsor of the US Biathlon Team. Lapua, adidas®, the Hilton Family of Hotels and Exel Ski Poles are supporting sponsors of the US Biathlon Team.