Strath quartet make GB biathlon development squad
Cairngorm Biathlon and Nordic Ski Club (CBNSC) members are celebrating after four of their rising stars made the GB Biathlon National Development Squad for this year.
Kingussie High School pupils Robert Sircus (16), from Kincraig, and Sam Cairns (16), from Glen Feshie, along with Hector Cowie (18), North Kessock and Fortrose Academy, and Lachlan Cowie (16), North Kessock and Fortrose Academy, were picked by the British Biathlon Union, the national governing body for the sport.
Robert Sircus tops the list of all those selected, and along with the others has been invited to attend National Development Squad training camps at RAF Kinloss during April, May and June.
All four are taking Higher or Advanced Higher exams in May so they will need to juggle their training with their academic studies.
Selection for the GB teams to compete and train over the coming months has also been announced.
CBNSC’s Scott Dixon and Calum Irvine will be representing Great Britain at the Biathlon Junior World Championships from February 20 to 26, at Kontiolahti, in Finland.
Both will also be competing for the GB team in the International Biathlon Union Cup event at Altenberg, in Germany, and continue on to summer training with the national team.
Club chairman Rex Sircus said: "These announcements are a wonderful reward for the biathletes themselves, their families, coaches and support staff at CBNSC, and most of all for club founder and head coach Mike Dixon.
"Mike had the foresight and determination to create a pathway through which young biathletes could be developed in order to improve the long-term success of the national biathlon team.
"The CBNSC is just seven years old but in a short time has begun to re-shape British biathlon in a way that is expected to bring future success to the national team and to other boys and girls hoping to take up and succeed in the sport with CBNSC."
• For more on the club’s performance at Great Britain’s Nordic ski and biathlon national championships see tomorrow's Strathy.