A Closer Look at Three Midwest 2026 Olympic Baithletes!
Over the past 30 years of ski coaching and racing, I have enjoyed meeting so many unique athletes from all over the Nation. I feel fortunate to know many of the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympians from the Midwest. Three of the Olympic Biathlon Team members (Paul Schommer, Luci Anderson, and Margie Freed) were kind enough to answer some last-minute interview questions before heading into the 2026 Olympic Games!
I was able to get Paul and Margi’s interview questions back in time to write up this article but have not connected with Luci yet. If you want to check out my 2025 April blog post on Luci, click here: Shooting for the Stars! I have no doubt that Luci will be skiing and shooting like a star at the 2026 Games!
I met Paul Schommer while working as the Director of the Trail Kids Program at the Loppet Foundation. Paul was recovering from a knee injury and was looking to help coach the Trail Kids mountain bike program. I invited Paul to attend one of the Trail Kids summer mountain bike camps, where he led a bike biathlon game for all the camp participants. We used Beanie Babies to throw into target baskets along the bike course! I am thrilled to cheer on Paul in the 2026 Biathlon Olympic Games!
Paul Schommer
Paul Schommer was born in Appleton, WI, and is the second oldest of four kids. During Paul’s sophomore year of high school, he was introduced to cross-country skiing. He quickly fell in love with the sport and enrolled in the College of St. Scholastica (CSS) to ski at the NCAA level under the guidance of Chad Salmela. Chad quickly recognized Paul’s talent in skiing and, as a former biathlete, suggested Paul consider trying biathlon himself. Upon graduating from CSS, Paul pursued biathlon full-time and has been a member of the US Biathlon team since 2017. Paul Schommer trains with Team Birkie Racing Team based in Minneapolis.
Luci Anderson
I coached Luci from 7th grade at Plymouth Middle School through 12th grade at Armstrong High School. She was, and still is, a good friend to my daughter, Leah Senner, who also raced for Armstrong Nordic and trained with Luci at the Loppet Nordic Racing ski club.
Luci grew up in Golden Valley, MN. After having spent many years as a cross-country skier, skiing in high school, then competing collegiately at the University of New Hampshire, Luci took a shot at biathlon in 2024 and has continued to grow in the sport. Since then, as a member of U.S. Biathlon’s Project X program, Luci made her IBU Cup debut in November 2024, followed by her World Cup debut weeks later in Hochfilzen, AUT, in December 2024. By February 2025, Luci was named to the U.S. Biathlon Team for the 2025 World Championships. Luci will make her Olympic debut in February 2026! Luci trains with Team Birkie Ski Club based in Minneapolis.
Outside of biathlon, Luci enjoys hanging out with her friends and family! She also enjoys knitting during the season; she finds it very meditative and helps her turn her brain off and relax.
Lucinda Anderson (USA) – IBU World Championships Biathlon, sprint women, Lenzerheide (SUI). www.nordicfocus.com. © Manzoni/NordicFocus.
Margie Freed
Margie Freed and my oldest daughter, Hannah Rudd, trained together on the LNR ski club. They became good friends through all their summer training camps and Junior National competitions. I have enjoyed cheering on Margie over the years and look forward to seeing her smile across the finish line!
Margie grew up in Apple Valley, Minnesota, and played soccer until she was 18. She started skiing with the District 196 High School Nordic team and became the women’s 2026 MN State Champion. Margiue competed on the University of Vermont NCAA ski team for four years before joining the Craftsbury Green Racing Project. Her career highlight was racing at the cross-country World Cup in Minneapolis. I casually learned biathlon for a few years and then began training full-time two years ago.
World Cup Racing
What was your first World Cup Biathlon racing experience like?
Paul: My first World Cup race was in 2017 in Antholz, the same venue for biathlon during this year’s Olympics. I was relatively new to biathlon at the time, and it was a bit surreal to compete at such an iconic biathlon venue. The Antholz World Cup is one of the favorite stops on the IBU World Cup circuit and has huge crowds, upwards of 50,000 fans. It was such a cool experience to see the scale of it all and to race among the best biathletes in the world. It was a bit intimidating, but that’s what added to the wow factor!
Margie: Both skiing in Cross-country World Cup races and Biathlon World Cup competitions were similar but different. Biathlon was more of trying to stay afloat with all the different things that the sport requires. Skiing was super fun because I was familiar with the crew and ski racing scene.
Luci: Her first 2024 IBU Cup event was held in Idre Fjäll, Sweden. Luci placed 34th in the sprint / 33rd in the sprint / 21st in the pursuit race events. Luci was invited to compete in the 2024 World Cup Biathlon race held in Hochfilzen, Austria. Luci shared, “ I placed 20th overall in my ski time and 94th in the sprint, which gave me confidence that my skiing was fast enough to be competitive.” Shooting in biathlon can take years to perfect, but I was ready for the challenge”.
What has been your favorite venue to race at on the World Cup for biathlon and regular Nordic World Cup races?
Paul: I think Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway, is one of my favourite places to race. It feels a bit like a pilgrimage for a Nordic skier to race at such an iconic venue. Norway has a rich history and a vibrant Nordic ski culture, and when I race there, I feel like I am skiing alongside some of the greats of our sport.
Margie: Skiing, my favorite venue is Theodore Wirth 🙂 I like the Nove Mesto biathlon venue because there are many nice V2 hills, and it reminds me a little of the Midwest.
Luci: I finished my 2025 biathlon race season at the Oslo World Cup races. My entire family came to watch, which was very special. The Oslo World Cup Biathlon attracted thousands of spectators due to the famous Norwegian Biathlon skiers, the Boe Brothers, who won the relay and skied their final races before retiring on home soil.
How do you stay motivated to train?
Paul: I like to post my goals daily, not only for biathlon but for whatever I am looking to achieve in life. I think continually reminding myself of what I am working towards helps me stay focused and bring intentionality to every day.
Margie: In the past few years, I have really seen how training can help during the race season. This helps keep me motivated, as well as cross-training. I like biking, running, and other activities, all of which help toward fitness.
What has been your favorite part of being a full-time professional athlete?
Paul: I really love the training and the places it has taken me. Some of my fondest memories from sports are from training camps and hanging out with my teammates in cool places.
Margie: I like having a flexible schedule during training season. This way, if my friends want to go on a weekend getaway, I am usually available and can make it work.
What is the hardest part of being a full-time professional athlete?
Paul: Being on the road all winter and living out of a suitcase in Europe is the most difficult part. Even a short trip home can give you a mental reset you will never get on the road. As a North American, I don’t have the luxury of making trips home during breaks in racing, and it can make for a long race season.
Margie: Traveling for so much of the winter and not being home. I miss being able to see family and friends, as well as the hobbies and activities that don’t travel well to small mountain towns.
Cortina Milano 2026 Olympic Races
What Olympic race are you looking forward to the most?
Paul: I don’t know if there is a specific race I am looking forward to more than another. We don’t get to do a lot of 20km Individual races, so it’s always great to race those. I also think we have a strong shot at doing well in the relay, so I am looking forward to it.
Margie: I’m looking forward to the relays. I like having a team goal, and everyone seems more excited.
What are your personal or team goals for the individual and team relay events?
Paul: I set a goal for myself of getting a top-10 at the Olympics this past year, so I am keeping my sights set on that. I think there are a lot of people who have set the goal of a medal for our men’s team in the relay, but for me, it’s all about just going out and hitting targets and skiing my best.
Margie: There have been a lot of strong relay results in trimester 2 (early January), so there is a lot of motivation there! For individual events, I want to be dialed and have a race I can be proud of.
What are you looking forward to racing at the Cortina venue?
Paul: I’ve always enjoyed racing in Antholz and love the atmosphere of the venue. It will be the first time my brother has been at one of my biathlon races in Europe, so I am looking forward to having them there.
Margie: I’m looking forward to my friends and family cheering in the crowd! There are always lots of fans at races, but rarely are people cheering for me!
What are the team dynamics going into the 2026 Olympics?
Paul: We have a special team right now where everyone gets along really well, and we feel like a family. I am really grateful to have a team I am so close with, and it makes being on the road a pleasure. We are always doing something together, whether it be knitting, playing cards, an impromptu jam session, or just hanging out.
Margie: We have a strong team that gets along well. We all want to be our best and see the team succeed! It is cool to see other nations that experience our dynamic always have good things to say about us
What will your training look like in the days leading up to the Olympics?
Paul: We have been in a training camp for a little while, where we have done a little more aerobic training to reestablish some of the fitness we lost during the race season. But as we get closer, we move into a recovery and prep season to make sure we are recovered and ready to race.
Margie: There will be some focused interval sessions and range time. Some easy days to taper before the big events as well. Lots of good rest and fueling.
Will your family and friends be coming to cheer you on at the Olympics?
Paul: Yes, I will have some family and friends over in Italy, which I am really excited about.
Margie: Immediate and extended family, as well as friends from Minnesota. Many of whom I skied with.
How do you keep your mind quiet and focused during shooting?
Paul: This is something you have to manage every day, and it’s a bit different each time. For me, I have some keywords to help me focus on the key elements of shooting. For me, that is the word “Still,” which is reflected by the words on my rifle: Be Still and Know.
Margie: I have worked a lot on visualization and focus. The mental aspect of shooting is something I had never encountered in just ski training. Having one or two short phrases to repeat and focus on works well for me.
How do you deal with the pressures of the World Cup and Olympic race events?
Paul: Face them head-on and know it’s just a race.
Margie: I have already been last and had bad races, and the world kept turnin,g so I know it will be ok if I am not my best. The people who support me will still be there for me. Each day is an opportunity to learn and grow.
What food are you most looking forward to eating in Italy?
Paul: The thing most people don’t know is that the part of Italy we are racing in is called South Tyrol and is primarily German-speaking. Thankfully, they still have great food, but it’s a little different from traditional Italian fare you might find farther south. But all in all, I am always excited for a good pasta after training.
Margie: Pizza!
What does it mean for you to represent the USA and the Midwest at the 2026 Olympics?
Paul: Wearing the stars and stripes at the Olympics is special, and it’s the culmination of many things. Many people have helped me along the way and made it possible for me to qualify. Being at the Olympics for me is a way to look back on all those memories, to be thankful for all the ups and downs and how they have shaped me, and to compete for something bigger than myself.
Margie: It is exciting to represent the great Minnesota community and Minnesota skiing. I want to represent the loving people from the state and country who are fighting for their community and neighbors.
What are some of your hobbies or passions outside of skiing?
Paul: Mountain biking, paddling, cooking, hunting, tinkering, hanging out with friends, anything outside.
Margie: I like sewing and disc golf.
What are some of your favorite Midwest ski adventures as a youth/teenager?
Paul: I have many great memories from my time at St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN. There was one spring where we kept getting huge snowstorms, and my teammates and I would go ski around the city on the streets.
Margie: Exploring all the different trails and terrain of Minneapolis. One minute you are on a smooth bike path, the next on a skinny wooded deer trail.
Make sure to cheer on these three amazing Midwest Olympic Biathletes in their upcoming competitions at the Antholz Biathlon area in Italy! I wish all three of these amazing individuals good luck, have fun and enjoy the wild ride of the 2026 Olympic Games!
Kim Rudd
Below is a list of all the different dates and types of competitions.
The 2026 Winter Olympic biathlon events will be held from February 8–21, 2026, at the Anterselva/Antholz Biathlon Arena in Italy. The schedule includes 11 medal events, featuring individual races, sprints, pursuits, relays, and mass starts for men and women, starting with the Mixed Relay.
2026 Olympic Biathlon Schedule (CET Time Zone)
- Feb 8 (Sun): Mixed Relay 4x6km (14:05)
- Feb 10 (Tue): Men’s 20km Individual (13:30)
- Feb 11 (Wed): Women’s 15km Individual (14:15)
- Feb 13 (Fri): Men’s 10km Sprint (14:00)
- Feb 14 (Sat): Women’s 7.5km Sprint (14:45)
- Feb 15 (Sun): Men’s 12.5km Pursuit (11:15) & Women’s 10km Pursuit (14:45)
- Feb 17 (Tue): Men’s 4×7.5km Relay (14:30)
- Feb 18 (Wed): Women’s 4x6km Relay (14:45)
- Feb 20 (Fri): Men’s 15km Mass Start (14:15)
- Feb 21 (Sat): Women’s 12.5km Mass Start (14:15)
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