Fort Kent welcomes unexpected biathlon windfall

FORT KENT – The “Little Town That Could” will have a chance to showcase its talent again now that a last-minute glitch has a biathlon competition headed this way.

Officials at the Maine Winter Sports Center’s 10th Mountain Lodge learned Christmas Eve that they will be hosting the World Championship Team Trials and a stop on the North American Cup Tour this week.

Biathlon is a sport that combines cross-country skiing with rifle marksmanship.

The events fell into the hands of crews in Fort Kent after the snow failed to show in Lake Placid, N.Y., where the trials were scheduled.

“Lake Placid experienced some warm weather and rain recently,” Fort Kent event coordinator Nancy Thibodeau said Monday. “As a result, the participating athletes will be here all week competing.”

The Maine Winter Sports Center was the site of the 2004 Biathlon World Cup in March, and 10th Mountain will be hosting the 2005 International Paralympic Committee Nordic World Championships this March. That event is slated to bring 125 of the world’s top disabled athletes to Aroostook County.

As a result of the preparations for that affair, Thibodeau explained, 10th Mountain was in the perfect position to fill in at the last minute for Lake Placid.

“We have already made some preparations for the Paralympic games,” she said. “So it is just a matter of changing some of the routes back and getting volunteers in place to help us.”

Some 50 to 60 athletes were scheduled to start arriving in Fort Kent by Monday afternoon, and the events will begin Wednesday.

Thibodeau said she expects the economy of the Little Town That Could, a slogan that materialized after the success of the World Cup, to be boosted by this week’s events.

“I think it is going to help out the businesses,” she said. “We will have spectators watching the events, and snowmobile season has just taken off up here, too. I expect the stores to get some of that business.”

Despite the stress of last-minute arrangements, Thibodeau said, 10th Mountain is happy to take over for Lake Placid.

“I think that everybody is really excited,” she said. “Of course, we feel bad for the people in Lake Placid, because we know that they put a lot of work into getting their site ready only to have the weather ruin it at the last minute. But we are happy to help out in any way that we can.”