As the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics approach, the U.S. biathlon team sets its sights on breaking a 66-year medal drought in the sport, which combines the endurance of cross-country skiing with the precision of rifle shooting. Historically, the U.S. has medaled in every Winter Olympic sport with the sole exception of biathlon. The key to potentially ending this dry spell lies with standout athlete Campbell Wright.
At just 23 years old, Wright has already made headlines by switching his allegiance from New Zealand—where he competed at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics—to the United States, the birthplace of his parents. This switch occurred in 2023, and it has proven successful; Wright won two silver medals at the 2025 Biathlon World Championship, making him the first U.S. biathlete to earn two medals in a single world championship event. He also marks a significant milestone as the first American to win a world championship medal since Susan Dunklee in 2020 and the first male biathlete to achieve such success since Lowell Bailey’s gold medal in 2017.
The biathlon made its Olympic debut at the 1960 Squaw Valley Games, evolving from military patrol competitions held as demonstration events in earlier Olympic games. Currently, the Olympic biathlon consists of 11 events for men, women, and a mixed relay, with athletes competing in various distances and formats. Each athlete must navigate a cross-country course while transitioning to a shooting range, where scoring precision is vital; missed shots incur penalties, impacting overall race time.
Alongside Wright, Deedra Irwin, aged 33, is another notable athlete representing Team USA. Following her strong performance at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where she finished seventh in the women’s 15 km individual race, Irwin aims to surpass that finish in the upcoming Games.
Internationally, France has emerged as a dominant force in biathlon, with six golds and a total of 13 medals at the 2025 Biathlon World Championships. Norway, Germany, and Sweden have also made considerable contributions with impressive medal counts. In the individual arena, French athlete Quentin Fillon Maillet set a record in Beijing by winning five medals during the Winter Games.
As the countdown to the 2026 Winter Olympics continues, there is palpable excitement surrounding Team USA’s biathlon prospects, particularly with promising athletes like Campbell Wright leading the charge. Whether Team USA will finally clinch that elusive biathlon medal remains to be seen, but the team’s recent achievements bring hope and optimism for a strong showing in Milano Cortina.