During a short few weeks in December and January, Burke’s pendulum had swung from unknown American medal hopeful to a serious medal threat, and America was becoming conscious of it. It was to be the first Olympic medal for US Biathlon – the only Winter Olympic sport in which the U.S. had never won a medal. Burke stood on a precipice, wings flapping furiously, hoping to catch a medal-winning upsurge that would land him in the history books and front and center in the American media.
That wind never blew into Burke’s wings. It would be easy to see Vancouver as a failure if you didn’t follow the sport closely as most favourites floundered. The German men won no medals (!). The “Biathlon King,” Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, fell flat except for gold in the relay. Every individual male gold medal winner was a first-time Olympic Champion. Burke faltered race after race, and limped home to a Vancouver- and Olympic-best 18th in the mass start, the final race. He threatened early but faltered with three misses from the standing position when the pressure hit its peak in the first standing shoot.
If Vancouver was the measuring stick, 2010 was a bust for Burke, but if you erase those three weeks of the season, 2010 was a massive boom. Burke stood on the podium three times. That’s three more times than ever before. He not only led the World Cup, he lost the lead and gained it back – a sign of maturity. He also finished 14th overall in the final World Cup standings, 11 places higher than a year prior.
The downside to Vancouver for Burke was the missed opportunity. The upside is that he remains an underdog who is still emerging at the top of the sport.
SkiTrax had a chance to catch up with Burke as he prepares for the 2011 season – his most critical season to date in becoming a biathlon star, not just an interesting story.
Tim Burke: Yes, last year was definitely a very successful year for me. I proved to myself that I am capable of competing with the best. I also learned a lot from the parts of the season where things did not go so well.
Vancouver was your second Olympics, but it was the first time in your career that you were considered a medal threat. What did you learn from your experience in Vancouver?
TB: Vancouver was definitely a very different experience from Torino. One of the big lessons that I learned from Vancouver was to be more effective with my time. I was too open to doing every interview and to meet all of the media’s demands. If I could do it all over again, I would be more proactive about limiting my time for these engagements. I would also pay less attention to the different stories about me coming into the Olympics.
You were the best biathlete in the world for a spell last year. What is the next step for you this season?
TB: This season I want to attain that level more consistently. I believe that I have the ability to produce top results all season, not just in the first half.
What did you do this year to take the next step? Anything different than years past?
TB: For sure I need to more consistent on the shooting range, specifically in standing. Percentage wise, I was one of the best prone shooters on the World Cup last year but my standing percentage was awful. I have worked really hard this year to improve that. I feel a lot more comfortable with my standing in practice – but practices don’t count! In order to have consistent results throughout the World Cup season, I also need to stay healthy. At this level it is impossible to compete with the best unless I am at 100%.
TB: All of these guys have a ton of potential. Most importantly, they have the organization to back them. They have world-class support and some of the best coaches in the world so I can’t offer them so much that they don’t already have. But of course I am totally open to helping these guys with anything, whether that is technique or training ideas.
Your relative comfort and familiarity with living and training in Europe seems to be a part of your plan for success. How do you assimilate from an ocean away, to become a “regular” on the Euro scene?
TB: I have been spending winters over here for the past ten years. At first, it was definitely not so easy but after a few seasons I became more and more comfortable in Europe. I now have a lot of friends on the other teams and having a German girlfriend also helps a lot!
Is there anything you really don’t like about life as a biathlete on the European continent?And conversely is there something that you particularly love?
TB: I would have to say that my least favorite part of being a biathlete has to be traveling all of the time with a rifle. This definitely complicates travel. I often think how nice it must be to travel as a runner or a swimmer. My favorite part of being a biathlete has to be competing in front of the large European crowds. I don’t think many other sports have as enthusiastic a fan base as biathlon. Competing in this environment is a thrill every time.
Your girlfriend, Andrea Henkel, is a household name in her country. Does her celebrity ever encroach upon your own life and does it affect, positively or negatively, your own outlook on how you perform as a biathlete on the world stage?
TB: Andrea definitely sets the bar high but that does not change my goals or how I go about racing. If anything, I have become mentally stronger because of our relationship. I think at first I felt some added pressure to perform but now I am really confident focusing on what I can control. I have also become a much better photographer because of our relationship. When we are in Europe, I always get asked by fans to take pictures of them with Andrea.
With this being the first of a four-year build up to Sochi in 2014,what kinds of things will make you feel like you’re on track for success in four years?
TB: I am hoping for a big result at the World Championships. Before last year, I had always had my best results of the year at the Worlds. I want to prove to myself again that I am ready to handle the big races.
