Camp Ripley Holds Olympic Level Biathlon Competition

(KNSI) – The annual Chief of the National Guard Biathlon Race was held over the last five days at Camp Ripley near Little Falls. The Olympic level competition featured 120 athletes with soldiers and airmen from 20 states, including four competitors from Croatia going for a championship in one of four competitions.

Minnesota National Guard Army Sargeant Jakob Ellingson is from Lauderdale and says he joined the National Guard to be part of the biathlon team.

“I got recruited into the guard to be part of this program and then it opened up a lot of different doors and I was able to do a lot of cool things through the guard even though I joined for biathlon. There are a lot of really cool places that you can travel. I got to go over and race in Europe when I was 18 and 19.”

He says the same soldiers competing in Minnesota were contenders for the Winter Olympics.

“Some of the athletes that where here were racing to try and get to the Olympics. We have four athletes that are part of the National Guard that are actually over in China right now competing at the Olympics. And they are people that I’ve trained with and we’ve all trained with here.”

Jake Judd (KNSI News)

The four National Guard members on the Olympic team are with the Vermont National Guard. Staff Sargeant Nichelle Nagle from Rogers has been competing in biathlon for three years and got into the sport because of a fellow soldier.

“A guy in my unit just heard that I used to cross country ski in high school and so, he said a you should really join the biathlon team. And so now here I am.”

She talked about what she likes best about the sport.

“I enjoy the competition. And then it’s the overall mental and physical challenges. And it’s always a good time regardless of whatever you place. It’s just always enjoyable.”

Tony Housley with the Camp Ripley Public Affairs Office says all soldiers and airmen can take the skills they learn in biathlon and take them back to their units.

“They’re able to explain to their fellow service members all the necessary things about winter survival. Disciplines in firing, how to properly wear your equipment, you know, a lot of the things that the military has stepped aside over the past two decades since we’ve been fighting in the desert.”

Jake Judd (KNSI News)

Competitors describe biathlon as combining two different sports, shooting and cross country skiing, into a race. The Chief of the National Guard Biathlon Race biathlon consists of four races, the Sprint Race in 30-second intervals, the Pursuit Race of 14-second intervals, the Relay race, and the Patrol Race designed to mirror a specific military operation.

The race is held at Camp Ripley every third year and will return in 2025. The championship race rotates between Minnesota and facilities in Utah and Vermont.

See the awards ceremony and find the winners from this week’s events by clicking here.

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