BIATHLON: Darcie Morton continues her rapid rise up the ranks ahead of the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games after a number of strong performances at the Biathlon World Youth/Junior Championships in Romania.
6km Sprint/7.5km Pursuit
Lining up in the 6km sprint, an event set to be featured in Lillehammer, Morton finished in 33rd out of 92 competitors.
The result was the best ever by an Australian in Youth Girls World Championships history and serves to highlight the potential that Morton has in the sport.
As a top 60 finisher in the sprint Morton qualified for the 7.5km pursuit where athletes start according to how far they finished behind the winner of the sprint event.
Morton moved up seven places to 25th in the five lap 1.5km course, shooting zero penalties on the first two shoots before missing one and two targets in the final two shoots.
The result was an extremely positive one for the daughter of 2006 Winter Olympian Cameron Morton as it was only the second pursuit event that the 16-year-old has had the opportunity to compete in.
Relay
Morton finalised preparations for Lillehammer 2016 competing alongside fellow Australians Gabrielle Hawkins and Sabrina Howell in the 3x6km realy event.
Morton got her team off to a good start finishing her leg in eighth place just over a minute off the pace before the Aussies would eventually finish in 17th.
10km Individual
Having only began the sport 20 months ago, Morton finished 16th out of 92 competitors in the youth (Under 19) 10km individual event that was twice delayed due to foggy conditions.
Despite the event not being a part of the Lillehammer 2016 program the result highlights her advanced ability to focus and control her performance and bodes well for the final two events at the World Championships and her Winter Youth Games campaign.
“She is amazing. It was windy, really windy, she was able to do the right clicks and wow,” said Australian Youth Olympic coach Luca Bormolini.
The result earned the Morton a slice of history with the 16-year-old becoming the highest placed female Australian ever in the age group.
“She is so fast – the future is in her hands,” added Bormolini.
In promising signs for the East Gippsland athlete she finished 6th among competitors born in 1998 and 1999 of whom you’ll be lining up against in Lillehammer.
Morton shot one penalty through her first three shoots and looked good for a top ten finish before missing two of her last five shots
The young gun will next take part in the 6km sprint event on Friday (6pm AEST) before Sunday’s 7.5km pursuit (6pm AEST).
From there her next competition will be at Lillehammer 2016 where she has proven she can match it with the world’s best at her age.
Matt Bartolo
olympics.com.au
