Heartbeat: US Biathlon Podcast21 Juni 2023

Maxime Germain: Breakthrough Season

Maxime Germain: A Breakthrough Season

If you’re a skier or passionate outdoor enthusiast, two of the coolest places in the world are Chamonix and Alaska. U.S. Biathlon Team athlete Maxime Germain has roots in both. Germain is coming off a breakthrough season that saw him ski nearly an entire IBU World Cup season plus come home with a medal from the IBU Junior World Championships.

Germain talked to Heartbeat from the Lake Placid Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, taking a break from life at an early summer team camp. “It’s sleep, eat, train, repeat,” he said laughing. “Actually, it’s a bit more than that.” One of the highlights now at the OTC is the eating phase: “Yah, they’ve really stepped up their game – awesome food.”

Born in Juneau, Ak., he moved with his family to Chamonix, France when he was young, spending time in Germany and France while absorbing the culture of mountain life in the Alps. When he was 15, he moved back to Alaska, basing in Anchorage and continuing his biathlon journey.

In the winter sports crazy village of Chamonix he did it all from skiing to speed skating to ski jumping. At 12, his coaches introduced him to biathlon. French Olympic biathlon champion Martin Foucade became an early hero. “He was definitely one of the reasons why I joined biathlon.”

Moving back to Alaska, he was able to continue his pursuit of biathlon with a program in Anchorage. “Not gonna lie … shooting in the dark in winter … it was quite hard to get motivated.”

But he did stay motivated and continued his advancement. In 2020, he was third in the sprint at the Youth World Championships in Switzerland. In 2022, he was 17th in the sprint at the Junior World Championships in Soldier Hollow. He also made his World Cup debut in Ruhpolding, Germany. This past season, he started the IBU World Cup tour at Kontiolahti, Finland and stayed on the tour much of the season. But his big memory came at the Junior World Championships in Shchuchinsk, Kazakhstan, winning bronze in the 10k sprint with just one miss on the range.

On Heartbeat, Maxime talks about life in Chamonix, life in Alaska, his pride of competing for the U.S. Biathlon Team and his outlook for the future.

How to Follow Maxime

Instagram

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(71)

Lowell Bailey: Season of Milestones

For U.S. Biathlon, the 2025-26 season was one of confirmation, momentum and meaningful milestones. In a season-ending conversation on Heartbeat, High Performance Director Lowell Bailey reflected on a ...

27 Maj 39min

Armin Auchentaller: An Olympic Opportunity

The U.S. Olympic Biathlon Team will have a new vibe in Antholz, Italy this week for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games. Head Coach Armin Auchentaller sees opportunity for a team that blends veteran...

5 Feb 30min

Fede Fontana: Making Magic with Skis

There’s a certain mystique around the waxing cabins at biathlon events, where technicians work late into the night and are up before the sun – all to gain precious seconds out of the bases of skis. Ra...

29 Jan 36min

Luci Anderson-Margie Freed: Olympic Debut

Minnesota natives Luci Anderson and Margie Freed followed similar pathways as state high school cross country stars and successful collegiate skiers. Then both discovered biathlon. And just a few year...

22 Jan 26min

Annika Pasch: Focus on Health and Wellness

From cross country skiing and running to ice hockey, sport has always been a big part of Minnesota native Annika Pasch’s life. Today, she’s added biathlon to her repertoire with the responsibility of ...

17 Nov 202549min

Jim Becker: Science of Success

Watching biathlon on NBC during the 2018 Winter Olympics inspired New England native Jim Becker to participate in the sport. Today, Dr. Jim Becker is leading an innovative biomechanics research projec...

31 Okt 202539min

Jack Gierhart: Pride of Team

It’s been three years since veteran Olympic sport leader Jack Gierhart found his way to U.S. Biathlon. Now entering his fourth season, Gierhart spoke with Heartbeat from the U.S. Biathlon headquarters...

8 Okt 202542min

The Culture of a Team

There are many components to athletic success, from high-performance training to perfecting sport skills. But underlying every successful team is a culture that fosters an atmosphere of success. On th...

30 Sep 202542min