Five Burnaby biathletes from 759 Falcon Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron brought home medals from their first winter biathlon competition of this season, held at the Whistler Olympic Park last Saturday.
After performing exceptionally well in a race that required 4.5 kilometres of skiing and 10 rounds of shooting, the local cadets claimed five out of six spots on the podium.
Cpl. Yimi Huang, Cpl. Eve Sung, and air cadet Eunice Lui claimed the gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the junior female age 12 to 14 category.
In the junior male category, leading air cadet Davis Li won gold and air cadet Davin Hu took the bronze medal.
Cpl. Jeffrie Yan finished second in the junior division, while Sgt. Jasper Zhu was a runner-up in the senior boys’ 15 to 16 age category.
Huang, Sung, Lui and Li are likely to be selected to compete at the provincial biathlon competition, which will be held in the first week of February.
Winter biathlon is a unique sport that encompasses the techniques of cross-country skiing and rifle marksmanship.
The team of 10 cadets from 759 trained nearly every week leading up to the day of competition at the Port Coquitlam and District Hunting and Fishing Club outdoor range, Confederation Park track, and on Cypress Mountain.
The zone, provincial, and national cadet biathlon competitions are supported by the Pacific Regional Cadet Support Unit and West Coast Nordics annually.
Competing in a pool of 100 cadets from all across the Lower Mainland, it is a remarkable feat that these cadets were able to claim so many spots on the podium. Congratulations and good luck on your future competitions air cadets.
