Wasaga Biathlete returns from World Juniors
A former member of the Highlands Trailblazers Nordic Skiing and Biathalon club has recently returned from the 2025 Youth Junior World Championships in Ostersund, Sweden and is feeling pretty good about his performance.
Malcolm McCulloch is a former Wasaga Beach resident and a Collingwood Collegiate grad. He started training at the Highlands Nordic ski resort in Duntroon at the age of seven, and has since relocated to Canmore to train at the Biathalon Alberta Training Centre, the epicentre of biathlon in Canada, a move that has greatly contributed to his continued growth as an elite athlete.
This was McCulloch’s first time at an international competition.
“I was a bit disappointed with my shooting in the individual competitions but the overall experience was really incredible,” he said. “We did really well in both relays.”
McCulloch earned his place at the World Juniors with a strong showing at the recent Canadian National Championship, where he finished second in the 19 and under age group. His relay teammates in Sweden included two other athletes from the Canmore program, and one racer from the Yukon.
“The second race in Sweden – a relay – was the best race of my life. I started my leg in 10th place and made up some ground so I handed off to my teammate in fifth and we finished in fourth overall,” said McCulloch.
The relay format involves a team of four – two men and two women. Each skier races 7.5 km with four shooting sessions along the route. Two of the shoots are prone; two are standing. At each shoot, the athlete has a maximum of eight shots to hit five targets. If they don’t get all five targets, a penalty loop is added. Final standings are determined through a combination of race placement and how well the athletes shoot.
Days after returning from Sweden, McCulloch was in Val Cartier, Quebec for another competition. It is a gruelling schedule, but he has his eye on the 2030 Olympics in France. According to McCulloch, “Biathletes tend to peak around the age of 24. I’m 18 now so the timing is right for me to go to the Olympics.”
