A strong performance in Europe by Marlo biathlete, Darcie Morton, has her on target for the 2024 Biathlon World Championships.
The biathlon combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.
The participants race through a cross country trail, broken up by shooting rounds, with missed shots resulting in time penalties.
A solid effort (71st) in the opening International Biathlon Union (IBU) World Cup of the season in Ostersund, Sweden in December saw Morton improve her IBU Q points World ranking.
This enabled her to secure a National Federation wild card for January World Cups in Oberhof, Rupholding and Antholz, which has allowed her to set her sights on the 2024 Biathlon World Championships in Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic from February 7-17.
Morton’s performances achieved for Australia are one of only three wild cards from the IBU for January for females’ athletes.
Wild cards are provided to National Federations outside of the top 25 ranked nations in the IBU World Cup total score.
Accumulated ranking points guarantee Morton a start in the World Championships, her pinnacle event for the season.
The outstanding start to the World Cup season was set up through an IBU National Federation Partnership between the Czech Republic and Australia which saw Morton, her Australian coach and brother Damon Morton, Australia’s leading male athlete Noah Bradford and several emerging junior athletes undertake a joint training camp with the Czech Republic IBU Cup team in Pokljuka, Slovenia, in October.
Following the development project and the building of relationships with Czech Biathlon, which is a top eight ranked biathlon nation, Morton was invited to continue to train with the Czech Republic IBU Cup team in Idre, Sweden, and Sjusjoen, Norway, in November in preparation for the World Cup season.
The world class training paid dividends with Morton improving her ski speed and form.
The Czech Republic World Cup team has extended support to Morton to service her skis through the IBU World Cup season.
The exciting partnership with Czech Biathlon also saw Morton partner with Czech coach Petr Plechac in Ostersund. Plechac will also coach Morton at the World Championships.
The highly successful IBU Development Project with Czech Biathlon is part of the IBU’s vision to support developing nations like Australia to close the gap to the top nordic nations.
It has been instrumental in providing Morton with the aspiration to pursue qualification for 2026 Milano Winter Olympics, knowing she can train alongside other top athletes her age and be provided with world class support at events.
With only 10 wild cards available to nations outside the top 20 in the Nations Cup World ranking for the Milano Olympics, Morton knows she needs to be a professional athlete, train and compete alongside her fellow European competitors over the next two years if is she is going to achieve her Olympic dream.
At age 24, having completed a Degree in Medical Science in 2022, Morton is realising her potential and chasing her dream on the Biathlon World Cup circuit.
At the same time she is keen to set up her career after sport as a veterinarian and is seeking to gain entry into a post graduate degree in Veterinary Science.
It is a challenging scenario as Morton juggles the commitment to study, train full time and earn enough money to fund her ambition and undertake successive world tours in a professional sport that it is not well recognised in Australia.
Morton is an inspirational young female role model who is excelling in sport and life.
Support in the form of tax deductible donations through her Australian Sport Foundation fundraising project, can assist to help her realise success at the Nove Mesto World Championships and afford her to stay on the pathway towards the Milano Olympics.
