Josh Thompson (biathlete)

Joshua Casey Thompson (born in Lawrence, Kansas on February 28, 1962[1]) is a retired American biathlete and pilot. He was educated at Colorado Rocky Mountain School and Western State Colorado University, attending the latter on an athletic scholarship and leading them to a national collegiate cross-country title. He initially enjoyed success at junior level as a cross-country skier before switching to biathlon after first coming across the sport while competing at the junior national cross-country championships in 1980.[2] His silver at the 20 km race of the Biathlon World Championships 1987 was the best place a US biathlete had achieved at that point.[3][4] He never won an Olympic medal[5] but finished sixteenth at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, which was a good showing for Americans at that time.[6] As the sport was not popular in the US at that time he was said to be better known in Europe than in his homeland.[7] He has since become a pilot in Gunnison, Colorado.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Sports Reference
  2. ^ Lieber, Jill (27 January 1988). "Targeting The Top". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  3. ^ Sports Illustrated
  4. ^ "US Biathlon history page". Archived from the original on 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
  5. ^ Philadelphia Inquirer - February 21, 1988 - D12 SPORTS
  6. ^ Dallas Morning News
  7. ^ Popular Mechanics March 1988
  8. ^ Average Joe: God's Extraordinary Calling to Ordinary Men by Troy Meeder, pgs 138-145