Travis Cooper, a 2015 graduate of Kenai Central High School, made his International Biathlon Union World Cup debut Thursday in Pokljuka, Slovenia.
Cooper finished 105th of 109 competitors in the 20-kilometer individual. Martin Fourcade of France won at 47 minutes, 9.2 seconds, while Cooper was 10:02.0 behind. In the 20K individual, competitors shoot 20 times and have one minute added on for each miss. Fourcade and the others in the top three were all perfect on the range, while Cooper had six misses.
Friday, Cooper raced again in the 10-kilometer sprint and finished 103rd of 110 racers. Johannes Thingnes Bo of Norway won at 23:46.3, while Cooper was 3:57.4 back. In the sprint, racers take 10 shots and ski a 150-meter penalty loop for each miss. Bo had one miss, while Cooper had five.
Cooper had staked his claim to World Cup racing at the U.S. Biathlon team trials, held on roller skis at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. On Oct. 30, Cooper was third in the 10-kilometer sprint. On Nov. 2, he was third in the 13.5-kilometer mass start.
Cooper is a member of the National Guard biathlon team and the U.S. Biathlon national development team.
