Paul Smith’s College to be training center for US Biathlon

PAUL SMITHS, N.Y. (AP) — Paul Smith’s College in upstate New York’s Adirondack Mountains will serve as the eastern education and training center for US Biathlon.

The team’s athletes will be able to attend classes on campus and train on the college’s new 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) trail network that opened during the winter and also on the 25-mile circuit that was already in place. A biathlon shooting range is planned for this summer at the college, the only four-year institution of higher education in the Adirondacks.

Under the partnership announced late last week, biathletes also will be eligible to receive a range of athletic scholarships and when competing nationally and internationally will be able to study remotely.

“The education of our athletes is a priority for US Biathlon and we are so fortunate to be able partner with Paul Smith’s College,” said Max Cobb, president and CEO of US Biathlon. “We are grateful for the generosity of the college and their donors who are making education more accessible for our athletes. Sport and education go together.”

Biathlon’s national governing body is based in New Gloucester, Maine. Athletes compete domestically and internationally in World Cup, world championships and Winter Olympics.

“This partnership will be a great asset for both US Biathlon and Paul Smith’s College,” said Tim Burke, a four-time Olympian and now the organization’s director of athlete development. “I am thrilled that our up-and-coming athletes will have a chance to pursue a college education while continuing to chase their athletic goals.”

This is the second such partnership the college has arranged with a U.S. national governing body. In December, USA Nordic named Paul Smith’s as its official East Coast training site.