Campbell Wright was just the second New Zealand biathlete to compete at the Winter Olympics. Photo / Getty Images
Campbell Wright was just the second New Zealand biathlete to compete at the Winter Olympics. Photo / Getty Images
Standing atop the podium at the junior world championships with tears in his eyes, Kiwi biathlete Campbell Wright knew something no one else did.
After reaching the top level of the sport — a combination of cross-country skiing and shooting — and becoming the first athlete from the Southern Hemisphereto claim an International Biathlon Union medal, the event would be one of his last as a New Zealand athlete.
From the start of next month, the dual citizen will be competing for the United States instead to get the best out of his career.
The US team had tried to lure Wright before the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, but being selected to compete for New Zealand was a major goal. There was still one thing he wanted to achieve for the country, though.
“I really just wanted to give a medal to New Zealand before I sell my soul, because it does kind of feel like that,” Wright told the Herald.
“After I won [the] junior world champs this year, I felt like that was the time where I was like ‘Okay, I need to put my sporting career above my national pride’, which is a hard thing to do.
“I was either going to be remembered as the New Zealand biathlete with mediocre results or be remembered as a good biathlete who changed to the US.
“The writing was on the wall since February this year and at the end of the season, I was like, ‘Okay Campbell, now is the time to put your big boy pants on and really just give yourself no excuse not to succeed’.”
He said he has had a great relationship with Biathlon New Zealand and High Performance Sport New Zealand and acknowledged that everyone he worked with gave him everything they could.
Campbell Wright in action. Photo / AP
However, he couldn’t ignore the vast access to resources that came with being a member of the US team, resources he wouldn’t have competing as a solo New Zealand athlete. At times in his young career, Wright has had to borrow ski waxers at events and rely on the goodwill of other teams.
That won’t be the case in future.
“It’s really hard to put into words and try to explain to a Kiwi how big the difference between being a New Zealand biathlete and an American biathlete is, but it’s just night and day,” Wright said.
“I was training with the USA [team] all this year and it was honestly phenomenal for the amount of resources that these guys have, and training facilities and coaches and training partners.
“I’m living in the Olympic Training Centre with room and board, full-time massage, physio, strength room, two coaches and five athletes all just living here full time for free, which is just outrageous. That type of thing doesn’t exist in New Zealand.”
Wright was invited to train with the American team last season despite still competing under the New Zealand flag, with full access to their facilities. It led to a big lift in his performance, particularly in his skiing speed.
Wright ended the season 55th overall, after placing 64th the year prior.
Although he will no longer be competing in New Zealand colours, Wright hoped he had affected the sport back at home and helped to light the pathway forward for young athletes interested in pursuing the sport.
“For a young Kiwi biathlete, it’s never going to be easy,” he said.
“Hopefully I’ve left New Zealand biathlon in a better state than I found it. Now, there’s a pretty good group of young 14- and 15-year-olds coming up in Wanaka, so hopefully the next Kiwi biathlete isn’t going to the races by themselves and can actually have a few training partners and coaches.
“If they want to work with the US, I’ll be the first to advocate. I really do hope the next New Zealand biathlete has a smoother path.”
