Just short of perfection

Cool shot: Lt-Col Lindsay Bridgford takes aim at the Nordic and Biathlon Skiing Championships in Germany.

AN ARMY representative almost attained an elusive perfect score in a shooting event as part of the ADF team that competed in the British Army’s Nordic and Biathlon Skiing Championships in Germany.

In one of the opening biathlon races, Lt-Col Lindsay Bridgford – who is currently training for Australian Winter Olympic team selection – scored best in the shooting during the men’s 20km individual race. He only dropped one shot out of 20 during the four circuits, winning the Best Shot Trophy.

Team manager Sqn-Ldr Schouten said the entire team watched in anticipation as Lt-Col Bridgeford almost achieved a perfect score, a feat that never has been achieved. “No one has ever shot a clear round. He dropped on his last shot. We really felt for him,” he said.

The ADF team of four men, five women, manager and coach spent the lead-up to the January competition training in Austria with participation in one of the world long distance ski races, the Pustertaler Ski marathon, 43km in length, before moving to the small town of Ruhpolding in Bavaria for two weeks of specialised nordic and biathlon competition.

Sqn-Ldr Bob Schouten said the competition was extremely high in the cold weather against teams from the British Army Regiments, RAF, the German military, the Belgian military and a contingent of British Olympic development squad personnel.

“Our team did very well with our ADF men’s and women’s teams placed in the top half of most results,” he said. “It was freezing. The range at Rupholding never gets the sun on it and the British military play for keeps.”

While this was the first official team tour and most members had not competed in Europe before, the team included some excellent talent, including Lt-Col Bridgford.

The team also met the British Ambassador to Germany, Sir Peter Tory, and Chief of General Staff General Sir Mike Jackson, who both commented on the presentation of the team.

“The comp and all the effort to get there was really worth it. It was very efficiently run, great organisation and a great comp. Each event and competitor started on time,” Sqn-Ldr Schouten said.

He said the sport had a direct relationship to military skills and character building as each competitor skied many kilometres to shoot accurately under high levels of physical and mental stress.

The ADF Nordic and Biathlon Association has extended an invitation to British and European teams to compete in the ADF’s next National Interservice Nordic and Biathlon Ski Championships at Mt Hotham, Victoria in August.