Humble beginnings: Lowell Bailey is in purple second from the left, next to him is Billy Demong, and in blue next to Demong is Tim Burke. ©courtesy of Tim Burke
The questions posed in recent times to Lake Placid’s Lowell Bailey (Olympic biathlete), Bill Demong (World Champion Nordic Combiner), and Tim Burke (Current World Cup leader in biathlon)—all youth “teammates” in Lake Placid—predictably search for the secrets of their success in much more recent activities, and when these athletes talk about a team effort, it predictably lands as cliché on journalists’ ears. Yet these three grew up skiing under Seymour and Barrett, and matured through the visionary national development models of Max Cobb at the USBA and Tom Steitz at US Nordic Combined—both programs driven by faith in what could be accomplished, more than funds or viable world class support measures.
Though all three athletes have had different paths to the international scene, the desire to succeed at the highest level is a common thread about which Seymour and Barrett can sit back today in their homes stateside, and feel an immense source of pride and connection to, as the Vancouver 2010 hype machine goes into overdrive. It does not stop at these two, however, as the team-effort mantra is very real, and as critical as Seymour, Barrett, Cobb, and Steitz have been to the inspiration. It has taken droves of volunteers and under-paid staff over two decades to see a gold around Demong or a yellow bib on Burke, and nobody knows it more than these two.
While the media will focus on the here and now, Demong, and Burke, exhibit a universal truth for us all – that the road to “best in the world” begins at a young age and does not require many resources, just as the national programs have underscored the necessity for professional, systematic development and long-term commitment of athletes, staff, and sponsors, to do “the impossible.” Seymour and Barrett were not gurus when they worked with these three. They were fun, rational, and inspirational. Cobb and Steitz are not rainmakers. They’re roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-it-done ‘ers.
Biathlon is not sexy in America. Burke graced the cover of USA Today this week as the new poster child for the Germans to watch out this winter in Vancouver, but this is a fleeting moment in a lifetime of commitment to excellence. Burke’s emergence from a small Lake Placid club to world’s best is a long story – one of setbacks and discouragement, like so many who have persevered to overcome and win. In this respect, Burke’s story is not unique. The TV network coverage will dig for this angle, and it’s there.
But more relevant than being a guinea pig for a new hip surgery procedure, he is the first to do something long believed to be impossible, and all indications are that this is NOT a fleeting moment for Burke. Nothing is more a marker of sustained excellence than the yellow bib. With a swath of yellow fabric, he enters the realm of barrier breaker. Tim Burke is now and forever the Roger Banister of U.S. biathlon, and that will never change.
It may never be widely understood by the general public how difficult the journey has been, not only for Tim Burke but for the US Biathlon Association. In a word, it’s gargantuan. We caught up with Burke a few days ago to reflect on his recent ride to the top of his sport.
Coming into the season, did anything feel different than in years past that might have signaled you could reach what you’re achieving?
Tim Burke: Going into the season I felt that I had definitely made some improvements but the biggest difference was that I went into the season 100% healthy. I really struggled with this during the previous two seasons. Getting off to a good start gave me a lot of confidence going into each race.
Coming into Pokljuka [Slovenia], and especially after the individual race, did you have the sense you might challenge for yellow this past weekend, particularly with Bjoerndalen and Svendsen not there? Did any of that enter your mind at all?
TB: I tried not to think about it and I never went to the points list to see how close it was. That worked well for the first day after Hochfilzen [Austria] but once I arrived in Pokljuka everyone was telling me that I had a chance to take yellow. I tried not to think about it too much and I just tried to approach the races the same way I do every week.
What was your reaction to then-World Cup Leader, Christoph Sumann’s (Aus) eight misses in the sprint?
TB: I was actually in the warm up area when Sumann shot four mistakes in prone. I knew that he would have a hard time making the pursuit with so many penalties and that my chances for yellow had seriously increased.
You and France’s Simon Fourcade are having similar experiences at the moment. Have the two of you spoken before, or since the pursuit in Pokljuka about the overall, or anything in general?
TB: I have been competing with Simon for a long time now and he is a good friend of mine. We did not talk so much going into the pursuit but in the starting gate of the pursuit we both wished each other luck.
Are you noticing any day-to-day differences in the reaction to people around you with your new status?
TB: Most of the people that I am around on a day-to-day basis have known me for a long time, so of course nothing has changed here. I have noticed a pretty big difference at races though, as definitely more people recognize me.
What do you make of the German men’s performance thus far this season?
TB: I’m sure that they are a bit behind where they would like to be at this time but they will come back. The Germans have so many strong men that it is only a matter of time before one of them is on top form.
You snatched the yellow bib at a nice time. Some people hold it for a day or a couple days, like Sumann. Because of the timing, you will get to keep the bib at least until January 9th. How will you celebrate?
TB: Unfortunately, everyone on the team was headed in different directions for the Christmas break so we did not really get a chance to celebrate together. Right after the race I headed to Oberhof, Germany with my girlfriend and I’m enjoying a little down time.
What will you do with the first yellow bib you’ve been awarded?
TB: I don’t have any plans for the yellow bib yet, but I’m sure it will be coming home with me!
Everyone in America understands the Olympics but the World Cup is less understood. This is a news story here but it’s different for those who understand the sport compared to those who don’t. If you could only have one – the yellow bib but not be given a chance to win an Olympic medal, or never had the yellow, and have a chance to win and Olympic medal with no guarantee – what would you choose?
TB: That’s a really tricky question. I have been dreaming about an Olympic medal since I was a little kid, so it would be really hard to pass up the opportunity. With that said, I am really proud of the yellow bib because it something that I achieved over seven races. Many people say that it is harder to get a yellow bib than to win an Olympic medal. I can’t really say because I don’t have an Olympic medal. It would be great to be able to answer this after Vancouver!
Is it at all weird to you to be ranked the best at something in the world?
TB: Honestly, I don’t really think about it. Everything has happened so fast this year that I have not really had any time to reflect. I actually kind of like it this way. I still have some improvements that I want to make before the Games and all of my energy is going towards this.