If Matt Neumann was as good at playing hockey as he is at biathlon, he likely wouldn't be in his current position.
Days after he achieved top-three results at the North American Cup national biathlon team selection races in Lake Placid, N.Y., and locked up a Canadian national team position for an upcoming European tour, the 21 year old from Prince George has been forced to turn that opportunity down.
The reason? He doesn't have the $6,200 in team fees to cover the cost of the trip.
Neumann is qualified for the European Championships in Ridnaun, Italy, Feb.21-27; the Alpen Cup in Italy, March 4-6; and the International Biathlon Union (IBU) Cup No. 8, in Annecy, France, but he won't be going.
"It would be my first senior tour with the Canadian team and would be an amazing opportunity to perform at an international level," wrote Neumann, in his website blog. "It would be the highest level I have competed at and would give me a good indication of the level I am aiming to reach.
"Unfortunately, the tour came with a ($6,200) team fee. This was a deciding factor in my heartbreaking decision that I couldn't afford to attend. I receive less than a thousand dollars a year from my national sport organization, which is even more than most athletes. I think its unrealistic for a 21-year-old full-time athlete to write a $5,000 cheque and not be worried about finances. This decision has increased my bitterness towards how sport is so insignificant in Canada and how expensive it is to reach your goals."
Neumann finished seventh overall in the Nor-Am race in Lake Placid. He started his biathlon season two weekends ago at Nor-Am races in Canmore, where he placed second in the pursuit and third in the sprint.
The former B.C. provincial team member made the move to Canmore last summer and has been competing on the Alberta Cup cross-country circuit. He did well enough to earn a spot on the B.C. team for the cross-country event at the 2011 Canada Winter Games later this month in Halifax. Thankfully for Neumann, the costs of that trip are covered.
"I hope to never use money as an excuse again, especially if it means turning down an international opportunity to perform," said Neumann.
Also on Neumann's competition calendar this year are the biathlon national championships in Charlo, N.B., and the North American championships at Callaghan Valley.
