His teammates call him ‘The Beast,’ ‘NATE-orade’ and the ‘Termi-NATE-or.’ But now they can call him the history maker.
Canmore’s Nathan Smith became the first Canadian man to medal at a biathlon world championships, winning silver in the sprint in front of 18,000 fans in Kontiolahti, Finland on Saturday (March 7).
Smith, 29, had an early bib number for the interval start and when he stopped the clock in 24:24.9, shooting 9/10, he knew he’d be in the mix, but was unprepared for what came next.
“I’ve been having really good feelings about racing for the past month, but I absolutely didn’t expect to medal,” Smith said. “I knew I was a few seconds behind, and I thought it was possible I could start in the top eight.”
Swirling winds and slow, wet snow impeded the top contenders, who faltered in the range. Only Johannes Thinges Boe of Norway was faster than Smith, a mere 12 seconds, while Boe’s brother Tarje took bronze.
“I’m sure this will be a career highlight. I’ll always remember this,” Smith said.
On the heels of an incredibly strong year full of several top-10 finishes, the result is absolutely massive for Canada’s biathlon team. Smith is the first Canadian to break through into the top three at world championships since Olympian Miriam Bedard accomplished the feat in 1993.
Humble, soft-spoken and never one to seek the limelight, Smith was quick to credit those who helped him get to this point. He joked he’d make a shrine in his garage with the world championship trophy alongside his hunting bow and motorcycle (and of course his beloved cat, Puma), but through all of the excitement he was sure to pass credit to those around him day in, day out over the past decade in the sport.
“My teammates push me every day in training. Without them to push me, I can’t get this medal today. They always crush me on the uphills. Matthias Ahrens has been coaching me for nine years and Roddy Ward has coached me for three years, and they’ve stuck by me. The wax techs too … this result is a good thank you for all of their hard work.”
Smith was a late bloomer in the sport, but his career truly took off after he won back-to-back-to-back IBU Cup races in Canmore in 2012. Those wins solidified his position on the world cup team and his career has been on an upward trajectory since. He made his first Olympic Games last year and has had several top results on the world cup circuit, but this is his first medal at this level.
“I was thinking back to Canmore three years ago. I was a little bummed I couldn’t be there this year (for IBU Cup 7&8), but I had a job to do here,” Smith said.
Smith said during the race, he felt strong, but he feels he’s had better races, but not the results.
“My pursuit race in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic) where I finished seventh was equally as good, but it depends on what your competitors do,” Smith said. “They salted the course for the sprint, so the conditions were tough for skiing. It didn’t feel like I was having a great race, because of those tough conditions, but they’re the same for everyone. You have to keep it in perspective, I guess.”
Even after the race, the press conference and words of congratulations from coaches and teammates, Smith said the result didn’t really sink in until he saw his wax technicians, who were through the moon.
“I knew those guys would be the most stoked. They’ve worked hard for years,” Smith said.
But even amidst the celebrations, Smith, who still has two more races, tried to keep it in perspective. He said he was equally excited when he won his first medal at Canadian nationals, and was also pretty happy when he won IBU Cup medals in Canmore
He wasn’t the only Canadian to have a strong result. Brendan Green finished 21st in the sprint, even while nursing a tender back. Scott Gow and brother Christian were mid-pack, finishing 50th and 73rd respectively.
The weather actually worsened for the women’s race. Megan Heinicke was the top Canadian, finishing 23rd, while Rosanna Crawford was 31st. Julia Ransom finished 52nd to qualify for her first ever world championships pursuit, while Audrey Vaillancourt was 77th.
In a pursuit race on March 8, Smith dropped back to 13th, Green moved up to 16th, while Scott Gow was 52nd. Crawford jumped into 25th spot in the women’s pursuit, Heinicke was 28th and Ransom was 57th.
With a relay and mass start race to go, the Canadians are still riding high. Biathlon Canada officials are hopeful the result will garner attention from Own the Podium and other sponsors to ensure the team has the resources to continue their hot streak … and allow Smith to celebrate for at least one day.
“Brendan and I have this thing, where I call him the Beast, and he calls me the Beast based on our races and training. I guess for this one time, I’ll admit I’m the Beast.”
