WHISTLER, British Colombia (March 19, 2010) -- Former Soldier Andy Soule missed the medal stand Wednesday by just more than a minute in the men's 12.5km on the final day of the biathlon competition at Whistler. As the only competitor to shoot four perfect rounds of five shots each, Soule could not catch the Russians in the final lap and finished 1:15.2 outside of third place.
"I'm happy with my shooting," said Soule, who clocked a time of 44:26.2. "I shot clean -- 20 for 20 shots. I just didn't ski fast enough to make the top three. This field is incredible."
Soule, who has been training in biathlon since 2005, won a bronze medal Saturday in the 1.49-mile event. He is the first American in history to win a medal in biathlon.
A roadside bomb claimed both of his legs above the knee during a deployment to Afghanistan.
Russia dominated the field of 21 competitors, taking the top three podium spots. Irek Zaripov posted the fastest time of 42:22.4 for the gold medal -- his third of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.