KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia, February 6 (R-Sport) – The man tasked with winning the United States its first ever Olympic medal in biathlon, Tim Burke, has told R-Sport that failure under high expectations at the 2010 Games in Vancouver has made him tough enough to fight for glory in Sochi.
Burke, from upstate New York, entered the 2010 Olympics on the back of a season in which he became the first American to lead the World Cup standings, but finished no higher than 18th in any of his Vancouver events.
“I was there as a medal contender, and I was pretty nervous. I feel like that got to me a little bit,” he said. “It took me out of my normal racing routines and my game plan.”
Burke added: “I learned more from that than I have from anything else in my entire career. I feel like that’s helped prepare me now to deal with the pressure of the Olympics, which I don’t feel as much now.”
The Sochi Olympic biathlon events will be a lottery, but Burke said he feels he definitely has a ticket.
“I think there’s probably 40 guys here who have a chance to get on the podium,” he said. “For me, it’s going to take a perfect day. I mean, you need great material, the shape of the day and perfect shooting. I can do that, it’s just a matter of making that happen here.”
Biathlon starts Saturday at the Laura Cross-Country and Biathlon Complex with the men’s 10 kilometer sprint, one of Burke’s strongest events.
