Astrid Lynae Nordgren's birth certificate will say she was born Feb. 6 at 7:55 p.m. Her dad, Leif Nordgren, will always remember getting the news at 8:55 a.m. on Feb. 7.
Leif, a biathlete from Minnesota who is competing at the Beijing Olympics, was 6,570 miles away when his wife, Caitlin Nordgren, gave birth to the couple's first child in Burlington, Vt. The 13-hour difference between Beijing time and U.S. Eastern Time made Astrid a morning arrival in Beijing and an evening baby in the U.S.
US Biathlon, which announced the birth, said Astrid and Caitlin are both "healthy and happy.'' The organization also provided a photo of Leif meeting his baby daughter for the first time via video call from Zhangjiakou, China, where Olympic athletes in biathlon, cross-country skiing and ski jumping are staying.
The new dad started his Olympic competition on Tuesday, finishing 87th among 92 racers in the 20-kilometer competition. He's scheduled to be in three more events in the coming days.
