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Biathlete from La Ronge selected to compete at 2019 Canada Winter Games

Dec 19, 2018 | 11:00 AM

Dedication has paid off for a biathlete from La Ronge who was selected to compete at the Canada Winter Games next month in Red Deer, Alta.

Nineteen-year-old Michio Green began training in biathlon seven years ago after becoming a member of the local 889 Osprey Air Cadet Squadron. A winter sport consisting of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, Green initially wanted to compete in biathlon at the previous Canada Winter Games in 2015 but narrowly lost out on the chance to do so back then.

“I didn’t quite make it on the team, so I’ve been training for the last four years to make it to this year’s Canada Winter Games,” he said.

In order to advance to the 2019 Games, which are scheduled for Feb. 16 to March 1, Green needed to compete in qualifier races to prove he ready for the elite event. The Games will feature 19 sports and are expected to attract up to 3,600 athletes from across the country. It is also only held every four years with the previous Games taking place in Prince George, B.C.

Green noted biathlon isn’t as popular as it is in countries in Europe, but added Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec are quite competitive at the sport. As an effort to become a better biathlete, he chose to attend the University of Alberta in Camrose two years ago, so he’d be able to train more often.

“I like to say I do fairly well in biathlon,” Green said. “I’m also a runner outside of biathlon, so I switch between seasons of spring and summer and fall and winter.”

At the Canada Winter Games, Green will compete in four races with two focusing on skiing and the final two on shooting. The races will also be of various lengths. 

 

derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno