Meenagh shows strength at Prince George World Championships
Amid a year beset by early-season cancellations, the Para Nordic season drew to a close at the Prince George World Championships and World Cup contests, with Scott Meenagh delivering three World Championships and two World Cup top-10 finishes.
Following his astounding 2023 World Championships Silver medal in Ostersund, a return of sixth, seventh, and eighth place finishes in the Biathlon Sprint, Biathlon Individual, and Biathlon Sprint Pursuit events in Prince George cemented Meenagh’s position as Britain’s pre-eminent Para Nordic skier in modern history.
Competing alongside Meenagh, Steve Arnold put in his final performances as a member of the British Para Nordic team before announcing his retirement at the conclusion of the Prince George events, banking a brace of top-20 World Championships finishes with 14th in the Biathlon Sprint and 15th in the Biathlon individual.
In a truncated campaign, Meenagh added another podium to his career total with Bronze at the Canmore Continental Cup 10km Free, finishing third in an 11-man field, less than 45 seconds off Derek Zaplotinsky’s winning time.
Reflecting on the season, Scott Meenagh said:
“This was a very different year of preparation for the World Championships as I underwent two surgeries in the summer, which meant I spent most of pre-season focusing on rehabilitation rather than the high training load I would normally have planned.
“My son was also born in January which meant I didn’t attend the early World Cups, and I also had more than my fair share of illness over the winter as I tried to prepare.
“With all of that in mine, it’s safe to say I was managing my expectations going into Prince George, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well my body responded out there, especially in such a strong field.
“I’m really proud of my performances based on the run-in I had, and it’s given me a lot of encouragement to hit this summer’s training with energy and purpose as we start to narrow the focus on next season.”
The team’s focus will now shift over the summer towards the Paralympic Qualification Period which begins next season.