Emily Dickson of Burns Lake placed 28th Thursday at the IBU Cup biathlon women’s 7.5-kilometre spring in Idre Fjall, Sweden.
The 27-year-old Dickson had two misses on the range and finished the course 2:31.5 behind gold medallist Paula Botet of France, who shot clean and clocked 20:07.3.
Benita Peiffer of Whistler was the top Canadian, finishing 18th, 2:04 behind Botet.
The opening race of the IBU Cup season drew 108 starters.
In the men’s 10-km sprint, won by Sverre Dahlen Aspenses of Norway (23:20.7), Lucas Smith of Winnipeg placed 68th (+3:30.0) and Jasper Fleming of Whistler was 101st (+5:16.8).
That race drew 126 entrants.
Racing resumes Saturday in Sweden with women’s and men’s sprints. The top 60 in each sprint will qualify for Sunday’s pursuits.
Meanwhile, in Kontiolahti, Finland, Logan Pletz of Regina and Emma Lunder of Vernon will represent Canada on Saturday in the opening race of the BMW World Cup season – the single mixed relay.
Also scheduled for Saturday is the mixed relay. Canada will field a team that includes Pascale Paradis of Calgary, Nadia Moser of Whitehorse, Haldan Borglum of Calgary and Daniel Gilfillan of Comox Valley.
Caledonia Nordic Ski Club member Tony Fiala of Prince George, a Quesnel native who competed in the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, is in Finland working with the Canadian team serving as a wax technician.
Caledonia racer Moira Green of Prince George is starting the season on Canada’s national development team. At the national team trials in Canmore (Nov. 6-9), the 20-year-old Green finished seventh and eighth in the two sprint races and was ninth in the pursuit.
Aliah Turner of Prince George, 18, has qualified for FISU World University Games in Torino, Italy. Turner, a University of Calgary student, finished 17th and 25th in the sprints at the national team trials and was 26th in the pursuit.
Isla Cadell of Prince George is on the national youth/junior team. Cadell is slated to compete on her home course at at Otway Nordic Centre for the the youth/junior world championships Canadian trials, Jan. 3-7.
The Caledonia club is also hosting a Nor-Am Cup biathlon race, Jan. 19-21, at Otway.
