December 23, 2014 – SkiTrax caught up with Canadian biathlete Scott Gow after he landed on the podium this past weekend at the IBU Cup in Obertilliach, Austria. He grabbed bronze in the men’s 10km Sprint with a perfect shooting record. Check out what he has to say about his career-best performance and his plans for the rest of the season.

Congrats on your IBU Cup podium – is this a career-best result and your first podium at this level?
Scott Gow: Yes my third place is my best result at the IBU Cup/World cup level. I have had a fifth place in Sweden in 2012 and a 4th place in at the IBU Cup in Obertilliach in 2011.

You’re not a stranger to the podium with Canada Games records – how does this compare?
SG: Canada Games was a very special experience, but the IBU Cup podium is a bigger accomplishment. The IBU Cup is a very competitive circuit, so being able to stand on the podium, for me, is a very proud moment.

Perfect on the range is a key marker for any biathlete – did you do anything different in your training this off season?
SG: Strong shooting is very important. I wouldn’t say I’ve done anything too different this year compared to last. I have spent the off season focusing on speeding up my shooting times and trying to be more efficient, and I have seen some steady improvement from it. At this level it’s always hard to make any significant improvements in shooting, but any little bit can make the difference. That was very obvious with the top three being 1.6 seconds apart.

How was the course and conditions?
SG: The course was in great condition on Friday. We had a clear night and below zero temperatures, which hardened up the track very nicely, and a perfectly calm range for absolutely perfect race conditions. I honestly couldn’t have asked for better race conditions. The conditions didn’t break down very much at all over the course of the race.

Walk us through your race – did it unfold as planned ?
SG: My race unfolded almost completely as planned. My main focus was on clean shooting, and my secondary focus my skiing. I had confidence with my skiing after the first sprint race two days before, so I wasn’t too concerned with trying to outdo myself in the ski department. My shooting was something I had been struggling on and off with the past few weeks, so my main focus was hitting all ten targets. I was very happy when I was able to accomplish that goal.

Do you have any particular goals this season?
SG: My goal for the season is to ultimately race at the world champs. On a performance level I would like to see myself in the top 30 multiple times, and I would really like to achieve a top 16. If I could do this at the World Championships that would be perfect, but anytime throughout the world cup season would be great.

Are you aiming for Canada’s IBU World Cup team down the road ?
SG: My goal is to be on Canada’s world cup team. I have a very good chance to be placed on the team after the past few races, and I am hoping good performances on the world cup can secure a consistent spot for the future.

What’s up next for you?
SG: Next I will be going home and enjoying a quick break for Christmas. I will be spending a few days in Calgary and then I will head down to Whitefish, Montana for some downhill skiing and R&R. After a quick vacation we will resume training and head back to Europe for the next series of races.

Congratulations again and all the best through the holidays.
SG: Thanks