THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE INTERNATIONAL BIATHLON ...

PERSONALITIES PersönlichkeitenVincent Jay Once Unheralded,Now Olympic Sprint ChampionDas Leben steckt voller ÜberraschungenEditor AutorJerry KOKESH – USAMember IBU Information CommitteeMitglied IBU InformationskomiteeOriginal language EnglishOriginalfassung EnglischWhen Vincent Jay stood at the start in the Olympic 10KSprint, he was ranked 41st in the world in that event. Alittle over an hour later, he was the Olympic Sprint Champion.That day at Whistler Olympic Park proved that anythingcan happen at the OWG. Heavy wet snow shrouded theWhistler Olympic Park venue for most of the Sprint competition.Jay and the next five finishers all started in thefirst five minutes that day and escaped virtually unscathedby the weather. Jay realized that he got a break, “It wasincredible to win the Gold medal, but the weather was kindto me. I was with Ole Einar on the last loop which helpedme; a lot of small things were on my side that day.”Prior to that day, he had only been on the podium oncebefore; the previous March when he won the World Cup 20KIndividual at the same venue. His expectations for the OWGdid not focus on the Sprint. “My dream was to get the Relaymedal and a medal in the 20K, not the Sprint. I just wanteda good place, in the top 10, for the Pursuit. My shooting wasgood this year and I thought that if I started maybe sixth orseventh, I could maybe finish in third place.”Yet, he shot clean, had perfect skis and won a Gold medalthat will always be a big part of his life. “When I have children,they will say, ‘my father is an Olympic Gold medalist.’It is the dream of every athlete and now I have it. I have nostress in the future.”The 24-year-old Jay and his family found the experienceoverwhelming, since it was so unexpected. “Everything76 biathlonworld The official Magazine of the IBU 20 I 2010