Going for the Gold: Haley Johnson

Biathlete Haley Johnson has set qualifying for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games in her sights. The 2010 Games would be her Olympic debut, and she is hoping to be on her way to Vancouver come February.

This past February, Johnson and three teammates had a breakthrough finish in the women's 4x6-kilometer relay at the World Championships in Pyeongchang, South Korea. They finished 10th, which is the best the relay team has done since placing ninth at the 1997 World Championships.

Dominated by Europeans, biathlon is a complex sport as athletes must be experts in both cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Shooting alternates with skiing in the event. Depending on the race, missed shooting targets are penalized by adding extra time to the total ski run or having biathletes ski penalty loops. Naturally the athlete with the shortest time wins.

At the 2009 World Championships, the 27-year-old also competed in the 15-kilometer individual, which is her specialty race. In that event, Johnson came in 23rd, a personal best. During the 2008-2009 World Cup circuit, she finished 52nd in both the sprint in Hochfilzen, Austria, and the 10-kilometer pursuit in Oestersund, Sweden.

The Lake Placid, N.Y., native was first named to the National Team A in the 2007-2008 season. Johnson had another 52nd-place finish in the pursuit in Oestersund at the 2008 World Championships. She also competed in the sprint and placed 53rd. In the World Cup circuit, she finished 56th in the pursuit in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

When she's not skiing down the slopes or shooting targets, Johnson enjoys knitting. On her downtime during competitions, she sometimes can be found in her room knitting hats.

While it will be difficult to beat out the European biathletes for podium spots in Vancouver, Johnson hopes for a chance to at least place in the top 20. With a finish like that, maybe she will open the doors for future American biathletes.