As one of several biathletes representing Australia, her consistent performances have made her a standout athlete in the country. Balancing her time between Australia and Europe, she has embraced the responsibility of representing her nation while also aiming for a spot at the 2026 Winter Olympics as one of Australia’s top competitors in the sport.

Shaped by International Expertise

Darcie credits much of her success to the opportunities she has had to train and compete alongside some of the world’s best. “I think having the opportunity to spend half my year in Europe training with a number of high-level National teams and working with some exceptional international coaches has been a major contributor,” Morton shares. The time spent abroad has given her access to top-tier coaching and training environments that are critical to success in such a demanding sport.

Additionally, the close involvement of her family in biathlon has been instrumental. “Also, having such a supportive and reliable family that is closely involved in the sport, in particular my father and brother, has really helped. I’ve not only benefited from their knowledge and guidance, but also their experience as past athletes in Biathlon, which has allowed me to gain many connections within the International Biathlon Family.”

Read more: Tiril Eckhoff: Life after biathlon – Part 1

Training in Australia: The Challenges

But training for biathlon in Australia comes with its own set of challenges. While Morton is far from alone in representing her country, the limited facilities and lack of close proximity training partners can make the journey harder. “It is honestly quite difficult… I have to do the majority of my training alone which can sometimes be very mentally difficult, as there are currently no female athletes at my level,” she explains.

While Australia has improved its facilities over the years, they still different in comparison to European biathlon venues. “For example, we only have one biathlon range in Australia at Mt Hotham, and you are only able to ski (when there is snow) and/or run and shoot there. There are no places to roller ski and shoot in Australia, which is an essential part of a biathlete’s off-season training.”

To make up for these gaps, Morton spends around six months of the year in Europe, training and competing. This year, in preparation for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, she will spend eight months overseas, from September through April.

Balancing Shooting Practice with Endurance Training

One of the most vital aspects of biathlon is shooting accuracy, but in Australia, access to shooting facilities is another obstacle. “It depends on the time of the year,” Morton says. “From April-May we have a bit of a break from shooting, as the focus is more on getting high endurance hours, so I won’t really shoot at all these months. End of June-August I will base up at Mt Hotham and be shooting at the range there around 4-5 times a week.”

In between, she relies on a friend’s private property near her home, where she can shoot 2-3 times a week. Despite these limitations, Morton continues to make strides in improving her shooting technique, a crucial element of success in biathlon.

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Eyes Set on the World Championships

Looking ahead to the 2023-2024 season, Morton has her sights firmly set on some key goals. “My goals this season are to 1) Obtain my first World Cup (WC) points (top 40), 2) Achieve a top 10 result on IBU Cup, 3) Drop my IBU Qualifying Points (IBU QP) to 70 or below, 4) Shoot clean in a Sprint or Individual on WC or IBU Cup, and 5) Consistently qualify onto the Pursuit in WC (top 60).”

With her prequalification secured for the World Championships in Lenzerheide, Morton is eager to represent Australia on the world stage. “Yes, from the 2023-2024 season I obtained 2 female spots for Australia at World Championships, so I am prequalified to go there…and hopefully one of our junior women can also join me there, so we can have a mixed relay, which would be really awesome!”

Aiming for the 2026 Winter Olympics

Ultimately, all of Morton’s goals feed into her biggest ambition: representing Australia at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games. However, for Australia, which does not rank in the top 20 nations, qualifying for the Olympics is particularly challenging. Morton will need one of the 10 wildcard spots available, which are based on IBU Qualifying Points. “At the moment I am ranked around ~5th on the wildcards list and my IBU Qualifying Points (IBU QP 88) at the moment are very similar to that of the points needed to qualify for the last Olympics (~60-80 IBU QP).”

Morton remains determined. “I think I am on the right track, but it will still take a lot more hard work and some consistent good results this season to achieve this. Which is why I’m dedicated to putting 100% of my time, finances, and energy into achieving this goal and giving it my best shot.”

Read More: IBU Cup: Biathlon calendar for the 2024/2025 winter season

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