Tough day for Burke, Bailey in Vancouver biathlon

It was a tough day yesterday for North Country biathlon skiers competing in Vancouver.

Lake Placid’s Lowell Bailey finished 36th in the twelve-and-a-half kilometer “pursuit” competition. Tim Burke from Paul Smiths finished in 47th place.

Both men will have at least two more chances to reach the podium in the sport, which combines rifle shooting with endurance cross-country skiing.

Burke told the AFP news service that he expects to fare better in the “mass start” competition on February 21st.

“Today was just a training day for me. I had nothing really going on, no expectations.

“I’ve been on the podium in the past and so I’m sure I’ll take the podium for the (15 km) mass start race,” said the 28-year-old New Yorker, who earlier this season became the first American to hit the overall World Cup biathon points leaderboard.

Tomorrow during the 8 O’clock Hour, we’ll have a special Winter Olympics edition of StoryCorps.

Bailey and Burke will talk with Kris Seymour, from Saranac Lake, one of their early coaches, about what it was like to grow up competing in the Adirondacks.

Tags: olympics