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MIDWAY — Biathletes from around the world are in Utah and getting ready to compete in a world-class biathlon competition this weekend.
Vincent Bonacci is one of those biathletes getting ready for the games. He said looking at the Wasatch Mountains makes things feel right in the world.
"It definitely does," said Bonacci. "It's very much like almost a sense of confidence."
For Bonacci, having that confidence is important this week. He is competing with the best biathlon athletes in the world during the BMW International Biathlon Union World Cup at the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center that begins Friday.
Bonacci grew up in Salt Lake City and graduated from West High School. He has trained at Soldier Hollow countless times.
"At the beginning of the year, I was really excited to see it on the calendar," he said.
For a sport mostly held at European venues, being home is a nice change for him.
"There isn't necessarily a home-course advantage on the skis, but there's a home-course advantage everywhere else, like going to a store and speaking the language," Bonacci said.
This event will be the first Biathlon World Cup event at Soldier Hollow since 2019. It is also the first big event here since U.S. Biathlon moved to Utah from Maine in 2023.
"The passion that Utah has for sport and especially Olympic sport; you really feel that. When we spoke with other areas, they were really excited to have us, but there wasn't that communal embrace that you have here," said Jack Gierhart, president and CEO of U.S. Biathlon.
