Olympic Trials - IBU Cup

This morning was the second race of the Olympic trials, a 10k sprint in Altenburg, Germany. Conditions were rough - windy with several inches of fresh snow on the course. Walt was the 4th American and 69th overall - results here. Not a bad place in a competitive international field, but not quite enough to qualify for the pursuit tomorrow (top 60). His skiing was pretty strong, but ironically it was his shooting that was just a bit off (along with half the field - it was a terrible day for shooting). Without another shot at racing tomorrow, Walt won't have another chance to improve his standings among the US Olympic contenders - sadly, this looks like the end of the road, although no final decisions have been made. The team selections will be announced in the next couple days. I talked to Walt today - he's disappointed by the sudden and somewhat anticlimactic ending to his Olympic quest, but he's coming to grips with it. He trained both hard and smart this year, and he's in the best shape of his life at exactly the right time. "I did everything I could," he said. "In the end, it just wasn't enough." That's tough to accept, but there's also a certain comfort in knowing that you gave your best. There's nothing to regret, and that's a good way to go out. We're all so proud of you, Walt!