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Campbell Wright

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Campbell Wright
Wright in 2023
Personal information
Birth nameCampbell McRae Wright
Citizenship
  • New Zealand
  • United States
Born (2002-05-25) 25 May 2002 (age 22)
Rotorua, New Zealand
Height1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Sport
CountryNew Zealand (2017–2023)
United States (2023–)
SportBiathlon
Coached byEmil Bormetti
Medal record
Men's biathlon
Representing  New Zealand
Junior World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Shchuchinsk 10 km sprint
Representing  United States
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2025 Lenzerheide 10 km sprint
Silver medal – second place 2025 Lenzerheide 12.5 km pursuit

Campbell McRae Wright (born 25 May 2002) is a New Zealand and American biathlete. He made his Biathlon World Cup debut in 2021 and represented New Zealand at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.[1] In 2023, he became the first New Zealander and Southern Hemisphere athlete to win a medal in biathlon, after winning the 10 km sprint at the 2023 Junior World Championships. In 2025, he became the most decorated American biathelete in a single World Championship, after winning two silver medals in the Sprint and Pursuit in the 2025 Biathlon World Championships in Lenzerheide.

Early life

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Born in Rotorua on 25 May 2002, Wright is one of four sons of Americans Scott and Alison Wright, who emigrated to New Zealand in 1993.[2][3] Scott Wright, an audiologist, was one of the founders of Bay Audiology New Zealand, and sold his interest in the company in 2009. The family moved to the Wanaka area in 2011.[3] Campbell Wright was educated at Mount Aspiring College.[2]

Career

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2016-2021: Early Career

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Wright began cross-country skiing at Snow Farm when he was ten years old and took up biathlon in 2017.[2] He competed at the Biathlon Youth World Championships in 2019, 2020 and 2021, with a best result of sixth in the sprint biathlon in 2020.[2] He represented New Zealand at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics, where he was the team's flagbearer at the opening ceremony, finishing fourth in the 7.5 km sprint biathlon and sixth in the 12.5 km individual biathlon events.[2][4] He also competed in three cross-country skiing events at the Winter Youth Olympics.

2021-2022: Senior Debut

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Wright made his senior international debut at the IBU Cup in January 2021. The following month, he was 75th in the 10 km sprint biathlon at the 2021 Biathlon World Championships. Later that year, in November, he debuted in the Biathlon World Cup in Östersund, where he placed 40th in the sprint biathlon, becoming the second teenager in Biathlon World Cup history, after Ole Einar Bjørndalen, to score World Cup points.[2]

In January 2022, Wright was added to the New Zealand team for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.[4] He became the second New Zealander to compete in biathlon at a Winter Olympics.[4] In his first event at the Olympics, the 20 km individual, he was the youngest competitor. He finished 32nd in a field of 92 athletes.[5]

2022-2023: Junior World Champion

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During the season, Wright was coached by and traveled with the U.S. Biathlon Association.[6]

He participated in 2022-23 Biathlon World Cup, scoring a career best in the 10 km sprint in the season opening in Kontiolahti.[7] He lated improved on this result when he ranked 20th in the 20 km Individual competition in the 2023 World Championships in Oberhof. He finished the season in the 55th place in the Overall World Cup ranking, collecting 55 points overall.[8]

In the 2023 Junior World Championships, he won a gold medal in the 10 km sprint and became the first New Zealander and Southern Hemisphere athlete to win a medal in biathlon. He later finished 6th in the 12.5 km pursuit competition. These results also placed New Zealand at equal third in medal count in the championship, following Germany and Norway.

2023-2024: Representing the United States

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On October 23, 2023, The United States Biathlon Association announced the addition of Wright to the US National Biathlon roster. The move was done in collaboration with the New Zealand Biathlon and Olympic association, and was possible due to his double citizenship in New Zealand and the US.[6]

Following disappointing results in the first competitions of the season, he again achieved a career best by placing 12th in 10 km sprint in Rupholding, followed by 17th in the 12.5 km pursuit. In addition, he ran the 1st leg for the 4 x 7.5 km men's relay, in which the U.S. team placed 10th, a season best. In Anterselva-Antholz, he participated in his first single mixed relay, alongside Deedra Irwin, and placed 9th.

He scored another career best in the 2024 World Championships in Nove Mesto na Morave, where he ranked 11th in the 10 km sprint, 12th in the 12.5 km pursuit, 20th in the 20 km Individual, 7th in the single mixed relay (with Irwin), 5th in the men's relay, and 18th in the 15 km mass start.

The following week, he improved on this results when he ranked 8th in the 20 km Individual in Oslo Holmenkollen, and again 7th in the sngle mixed relay.

As the season concluded in two North American stops, he finished in the flower ceremony for the first time in the World Cup when he ranked 6th in the Sprint in Soldeir Hollow, USA[9]. He was also the 3rd leg for the U.S. team's 4th place in the men's relay, the team's best-ever result.[10]

He had a total of 20 Top 20 results throughout the season, including a 13 competition long streak of Top 20 results between January 20, 2024 and March 10, 2024. He had a total of 216 world cup points, and finished 31st in the Overall score.

2024-2025: First Medals, U.S. World Championship Record

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In 2025, Wright became the first U.S biathlete to win two medals in a World Championship, when he won back-to-back silver medals in the sprint and pursuit competitions. He was the first American biathlete to win a world championship medal since Susan Dunklee in 2020, and first man since Lowell Bailey's gold medal in 2017.

He finished the season in 17th place in the overall score, with 455 points. In addition, he ranked 13th in the sprint and pursuit score, and won the U23 Blue Bib (best biathlete under 23 years old).

Career results

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Olympic Games

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0 medals

Event Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Relay Mixed relay
China 2022 Beijing 32nd 75th — — — —

World Championships

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2 medals (2 silver)

Event Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Relay Mixed relay Single mixed relay
Representing New Zealand New Zealand
Slovenia 2021 Pokljuka — 74th — — — — —
Germany 2023 Oberhof 20th 46th 45th — — — —
Representing United States United States
Czech Republic 2024 Nové Město na Moravě 20th 11th 12th 18th 5th — 7th
Switzerland 2025 Lenzerheide 23rd Silver Silver 4th 9th 19th 16th

References

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  1. ^ "Campbell Wright | New Zealand Olympic Team". olympic.org.nz. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Campbell Wright". Beijing 2022 Olympics. Archived from the original on 7 February 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b Cook, Marjorie (7 October 2014). "New audiology service for Wanaka". Southland Times. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Wanaka biathlete latest to be named to Olympics team". Otago Daily Times. 22 January 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  5. ^ Nugent, Sean (8 February 2022). "NZ biathlete Campbell Wright impresses on Olympic debut". 1News. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b "The United States Biathlon Association Welcomes Campbell Wright to the National Team". www.usbiathlon.org. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  7. ^ "International Biathlon Union - Race results for Men 10 km Sprint at Biathlon Stadium Kontiolahti". International Biathlon Union - IBU. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  8. ^ "International Biathlon Union - Athlete profile for Campbell WRIGHT". International Biathlon Union - IBU. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  9. ^ "Flowers For Campbell Wright At Home World Cup". www.usbiathlon.org. 10 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  10. ^ "U.S. Men's Relay Team Makes History at Home". www.usbiathlon.org. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
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