07.02 Sochi: US Biathlon Hope Tim Burke Hardened by 2010 Olympic Failure

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia, February 6 (R-Sport) – The man tasked with winning the United States its first ever Olympic medal in biathlon, Tim Burke, has told R-Sport that failure under high expectations at the 2010 Games in Vancouver has made him tough enough to fight for glory in Sochi.

Burke, from upstate New York, entered the 2010 Olympics on the back of a season in which he became the first American to lead the World Cup standings, but finished no higher than 18th in any of his Vancouver events.

“I was there as a medal contender, and I was pretty nervous. I feel like that got to me a little bit,” he said. “It took me out of my normal racing routines and my game plan.”

Burke added: “I learned more from that than I have from anything else in my entire career. I feel like that’s helped prepare me now to deal with the pressure of the Olympics, which I don’t feel as much now.”

Despite winning individual silver at last year's world championships, Burke enters the Olympics with less of a media buzz about him, which he said was something of a relief. "I haven’t had as much media attention, which for me is totally fine," he said.