Wright on target: Campbell Wright wins double silver at IBU World Championships

by Katerina Paul • 17.02.2025
Campbell
Campbell Wright has made history once again. The 22-year-old biathlete from Wanaka, New Zealand—now competing for Team USA—secured two silver medals at the 2025 IBU World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, marking a major breakthrough in his career.

Campbell Wright has made history once again. The 22-year-old biathlete from Wanaka, New Zealand—now competing for Team USA—secured two silver medals at the 2025 IBU World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, marking a major breakthrough in his career.

On Saturday, February 15, Wright delivered a flawless shooting performance in the 10km sprint, going 10-for-10 on the range and clocking the 9th-fastest overall ski time. His performance saw him finish ahead of 96 competitors, crossing the line just 28 seconds behind World Cup overall leader Johannes Thingnes Bø. With this result, he became the first U.S. male athlete to podium in a World Championships sprint event.

“Coming into the day I just had all the confidence that I could ski with the top guys,” Wright told SVT in a post race interview. “I skied with Ponsiluoma that second loop and felt pretty in control, to be honest. I just figured, I really gotta hit the targets on standing. I managed to do it, and honestly, I have no words.”

Campbell Wright (USA), Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR), Eric Perrot (FRA), (l-r) – IBU World Championships Biathlon, pursuit men, Lenzerheide (SUI). www.nordicfocus.com. © Thibaut/NordicFocus.

A Second Silver in the Pursuit

Wright didn’t stop there. Less than 24 hours later, on Sunday, February 16, he returned to the start line for the 12.5km pursuit—and delivered another stunning performance. Missing just one target in his first prone stage, he cleaned the final three shooting stages, locking in his second consecutive silver medal.

“Yesterday after the race I was pretty hyped up—I did not sleep very much last night as you can imagine, I was pretty excited,” Wright admitted after the pursuit. “I got on the start line today and said, ‘just enjoy every single meter of this race, man.’ I’ve already proven what I needed to prove yesterday—that I can really race with these guys and I’m not just a tourist here, but I can actually ski well and shoot well on a good day. I just started this race with nothing to lose, and that’s the best place to be.”

These words echo what Wright said to Proxcskiing.com in an interview earlier this season, when he described his approach to training and competition. “I really don’t believe in a ‘silver bullet’ for becoming better,” he said at the time. “Just same old meat and potatoes training, and then race to the best of my ability wherever that is.”

That mindset has clearly paid off. Wright’s performance in Lenzerheide solidifies his place among the sport’s rising stars, proving that his move to Team USA—and his commitment to consistent, no-frills training—was the right decision.

With the Olympic year approaching, these results set him up as a serious contender. But for now, Wright is simply enjoying the moment. “I proved everything that I needed to prove yesterday, that I can race well,” he said in a post-race interview with IBU.

And with two silver medals at the biggest event of the season, he’s done exactly that.

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