After almost two years of traveling and honing her craft, Australian biathlete Darcie Morton followed in her father’s footsteps by making her Olympic debut 20 years to the day after he made his own.
The 26-year-old sharpshooter from Marlo debuted in the women’s 15 kilometre individual race, mirroring her father Cameron, who he made his maiden race at the Torino Games in 2006.
Competing at the Anterselva Biathlon Arena, Morton completed the course in 55 minutes and 28 seconds, finishing in 90th place, with French woman, Julia Simon taking the gold.
It was a tough debut for the brave Australian, taking on the best the world has to offer in a sport many of her fellow country men and woman had never heard of until this week.
Morton’s Olympic debut is the culmination of a two-year period of intense hard work during which she only spent a month in her native Australia; the rest of the time was spent training in Norway, Austria and Italy’s South Tyrol region, where the biathlon competitions at the current Games are being held.
Morton’s father was one of only a handful of Aussie Olympic biathletes 20 years ago and the sport in Australia remains small.
“Biathlon is a very small sport in Australia, and not many people even know what the sport is, compared to Europe where it is the biggest winter sport, so it’s really difficult,” Morton explained.
Morton hit the slopes again three days later, in the the shortest event on the biathlon program, the 7.5 kilometre sprint.
After navigating the nerves of her Olympic debut, Morton returned to the start line in a different headspace.
“I definitely came to the track in a different headspace. I think I got rid of the nerves. I was very, very nervous for the first race, as you are with an Olympic debut,” Morton said.
The Sprint format, which includes one prone and one standing shoot across three laps, encourages aggression which Morton embraced.
She attacked the early loops with intent, pushing into what she later described as the “death zone” on the climbs above the range.
Morton finished 87th in her final event of this Olympic campaign, with Norway’s Maren Kirkeeide taking the gold.
Morton was cheered on loudly by the thousands in the stands as she crossed the line.
“The crowd was just incredible, they cheer for everyone. It’s just great to be here,” Morton said.
While she would have liked a stronger result, Morton leaves Italy richer for experiencing her first Olympic campaign.
“I wish I had got a little bit better result and that my form had been a bit better, but when you’re healthy and you’re able to put what you can on the track, do your best, and have so many good supporters out there, that’s all you can do,” Morton said.
Australia has won three gold medals and currently sits 11th on the medal count.
