Shooting for History: Jericho's Irwin and Vermont Stars Eye U.S. Biathlon's First-Ever Medal
Vermont’s role as the sport’s epicenter is no accident. According to U.S. Biathlon’s official history, the sport’s American roots are military, dating back to the 10th Mountain Division.
For six decades, one prize has eluded the United States at the Winter Olympics: a medal in biathlon. Now, on the eve of the 2026 Milano Cortina Games, a team of athletes with deep Vermont ties has brought that impossible dream within reach. Leading the charge is Staff Sgt. Deedra Irwin, a Jericho resident and member of the Vermont National Guard, whose historic seventh-place finish in Beijing shattered a ceiling for U.S. Biathlon.
But as the nation’s Olympic hopes soar, the very heart of the sport in America—the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho—is in a state of flux. A federally-funded, multi-million dollar upgrade has shuttered the facility, leaving the local clubs, high school teams, and collegiate athletes who form the sport’s bedrock scrambling for solutions. It’s a Vermont-centric dilemma that pits a long-term vision for international glory against the immediate needs of the community that nurtured the sport for 50 years.
The Soldier-Athlete and the Dream
In 2022, Deedra Irwin, a Wisconsin native who joined the Vermont Army National Guard in 2019, did what no American biathlete had done before. In her very first Olympic race, the 15-kilometer individual, she shot 19-for-20 and finished seventh, the best-ever individual Olympic result for any American, male or female. According to Irwin, it was a “breakthrough confidence-building race” that proved a podium was no longer an abstract fantasy but a tangible goal.
Irwin’s path highlights a little-understood reality for many U.S. Olympians: the indispensable role of the military. She is a soldier-athlete in the Army’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), a crucial support system for niche sports that lack lucrative professional leagues. According to an Army profile, Irwin stated emphatically, “I can say 100% I would not have gone to the Olympics and I would not be the biathlete I am today without the National Guard and the Army.”
The program, headquartered at Fort Carson, Colorado, allows elite soldier-athletes to train full-time at world-class facilities. For biathletes, that means Jericho. Irwin’s experience also reveals an unexpected synergy. “Coming back to biathlon after Army basic training, I noticed that my shooting had improved a ton,” she explained in an Army article, noting she was “much more relaxed on the range.”
A 50-Year Partnership: How Vermont Saved U.S. Biathlon
Vermont’s role as the sport’s epicenter is no accident. According to U.S. Biathlon’s official history, the sport’s American roots are military, dating back to the 10th Mountain Division. But in 1973, when the U.S. Army shuttered its primary biathlon center in Alaska, the sport faced extinction. A delegation approached Vermont’s Adjutant General, Major General Reginald Cram, who agreed to transfer the national program to the Vermont National Guard.
Since then, the Ethan Allen Firing Range (EAFR) in Jericho has been the sport’s cradle. What began as a “rudimentary facility” has evolved, according to a U.S. Biathlon description, into “one of the best biathlon gems in the country” and has sent over a dozen Vermont Guardsmen to the Olympics.
This half-century stewardship by the Vermont National Guard provided a level of stability, infrastructure, and resources that a civilian organization could likely never have afforded. It created the foundation upon which athletes like Deedra Irwin could build their Olympic dreams.
The Jericho Dilemma: Progress at a Cost
That foundation is now undergoing its most significant transformation ever. The Vermont National Guard has received $16 million in federal funding for a massive upgrade to the Jericho facilities. The goal is to secure an International Biathlon Union “B” license, which would allow the venue to host international competitions and cement its status as a world-class site. Plans reportedly include a new lodge, wax buildings, wider trails, and improved snowmaking.
This exciting long-term vision, however, has come with a disruptive short-term cost. As reported by the Ethan Allen Biathlon Club and Craftsbury Green Racing Project, the facility is currently closed to all civilian access for an indeterminate period while construction, much of which is still in the design phase, gets underway.
This closure has created what program leaders call a “significant gap” for the entire local biathlon community. The very groups that form the pipeline for future Olympians—including high school teams, the University of Vermont ski team, and civilian clubs—are now locked out of their primary training ground.
This situation highlights the complex, double-edged nature of the sport’s reliance on its military partner. The Guard’s stewardship saved and nurtured U.S. Biathlon. Yet, the execution of a large-scale military construction project, with its own timelines and protocols, is now causing a major disruption to the community it serves.
The Path Forward: Questions Vermonters Can Ask
As U.S. Biathlon’s national ambitions reach a fever pitch, Vermonters are left to wonder about the future of the sport at its grassroots. The central issue is not whether to upgrade the facility, but how to manage that transition without severing the sport’s local roots.
For Vermonters seeking to “make their own determination,” the situation raises several key questions for state officials and program leaders:
What is the plan for community access? During what could be a multi-year project, what provisions are being made for the high school and civilian clubs that depend on the Jericho range? Were temporary facilities or phased construction models considered?
Who is advocating for the local clubs? What role are the Vermont National Guard and the national U.S. Biathlon organization playing to ensure these vital programs survive the disruption?
What is the long-term community vision? Once the $16 million project is complete, will the new facility prioritize expanded community and youth access, or will it function primarily as an elite venue for national team and international events?
The best solution will ultimately lie in a transparent and collaborative partnership between the Vermont National Guard and the civilian biathlon community, ensuring that the quest for national medals doesn’t leave the next generation of Vermont biathletes out in the cold.
A Team Transformed and Ready
The stakes for a solution are higher than ever because, for the first time, the U.S. has a team with multiple, legitimate podium contenders. The hope no longer rests on one athlete.
Alongside Irwin, the national team features a strong Vermont contingent, including Chloe Levins of Williston and University of Vermont graduate Bjorn Westervelt of Stowe. But the most dramatic arrival has been Campbell Wright. The 23-year-old, who formerly competed for New Zealand, electrified the 2025 World Championships by winning two silver medals for the U.S.
This new depth, combined with Irwin’s veteran leadership, has the team heading to Italy with unprecedented potential. Irwin herself has grown into a leader off the course, having courageously helped spearhead cultural reforms to address what she and other athletes described as a “culture of abuse and harassment” within the sport. According to interviews, her advocacy, rooted in her values as an Army NCO, was pivotal in creating a safer and more respectful environment.
Now, as she told The PowHERful Podcast, she and her teammates are focused on the final prize. “Going into this next Olympics, I’m super excited to hopefully be that athlete that gets that podium,” Irwin said. “But if not, I’m super confident in my teammates.”
That collective confidence, born from Irwin’s 2022 breakthrough and fueled by new talent, is palpable. The U.S. biathlon team is fighting to win on the snows of Antholz. But for the sport to have a lasting future, the challenge at home in Jericho—securing the foundation for the next generation—must also be won.