Define peaking beautifully/badly/whatever first.
In the 3 individuals in the 2017 season Bailey was 25th, 26th and 23rd fastest skier.
In the 3 individuals in the 2017 season Bailey was 25th, 26th and 23rd fastest skier.
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Could you elaborate please how is that possible? Btw. Fourcade, JTB and Clogna all train in Central Europe, or what?Cloxxki said:Kuzmina is most shady to me alongside Fourcade, JT Boe and Cologna. In Central Europe more is possible than in other places.
everyone in the top10 is suspicious imho.Kokoso said:Kuzmina is suspicious. Fastest ever on skis even despite not very good technique. Whether children have to do something with that is a question. I've heard that after giving a birth you actually gain endurance. One such example would be Dorin-Habert in previous seasons. She was fastest ever after child. Speaking about her, she's another one very suspicious. She got really bad given her previous standard. Another suspicious one is Domracheva. Pretty subpar.
Pointless reaction. Everyone can be doping. Even those who are not in top ten.glassmoon said:everyone in the top10 is suspicious imho.Kokoso said:Kuzmina is suspicious. Fastest ever on skis even despite not very good technique. Whether children have to do something with that is a question. I've heard that after giving a birth you actually gain endurance. One such example would be Dorin-Habert in previous seasons. She was fastest ever after child. Speaking about her, she's another one very suspicious. She got really bad given her previous standard. Another suspicious one is Domracheva. Pretty subpar.
As Don Catlin said when asked (in Icarus movie/doc) whether the top athletes are using PEDs: "Yes. Every one of them."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Catlin
- he's author/designer of many of the doping tests and he is very well aware of how easy they can be avoided/fooled/passed.
Kokoso said:Kuzmina is suspicious. Fastest ever on skis even despite not very good technique. Whether children have to do something with that is a question. I've heard that after giving a birth you actually gain endurance. One such example would be Dorin-Habert in previous seasons. She was fastest ever after child. Speaking about her, she's another one very suspicious. She got really bad given her previous standard. Another suspicious one is Domracheva. Pretty subpar.
Everyone can be doping, exactly true.Kokoso said:Pointless reaction. Everyone can be doping. Even those who are not in top ten.
Of course. But those in top10 are kinda... certain (imho - history just confirms it. yeah i am way beyond the fairy tales and super(wo)men )Kokoso said:Pointless reaction. Everyone can be doping. Even those who are not in top ten.glassmoon said:everyone in the top10 is suspicious imho.Kokoso said:Kuzmina is suspicious. Fastest ever on skis even despite not very good technique. Whether children have to do something with that is a question. I've heard that after giving a birth you actually gain endurance. One such example would be Dorin-Habert in previous seasons. She was fastest ever after child. Speaking about her, she's another one very suspicious. She got really bad given her previous standard. Another suspicious one is Domracheva. Pretty subpar.
As Don Catlin said when asked (in Icarus movie/doc) whether the top athletes are using PEDs: "Yes. Every one of them."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Catlin
- he's author/designer of many of the doping tests and he is very well aware of how easy they can be avoided/fooled/passed.
BullsFan22 said:Is it just me or did Randall outperform her capabilities (these days, not 5-10 years ago) today?? Yes, a skate sprint on hard packed, fast conditions are the most ideal for her, but not allowing any sort of gap to Bjoergen and Kalla?!?
ToreBear said:BullsFan22 said:Is it just me or did Randall outperform her capabilities (these days, not 5-10 years ago) today?? Yes, a skate sprint on hard packed, fast conditions are the most ideal for her, but not allowing any sort of gap to Bjoergen and Kalla?!?
I don't think so. It's not that long since she and Diggins won the world championship (Edit: dam, 5 years went by fast). This performance is within what I think is to be expected.
Remember Bjørgen is not that dominant in sprints anymore, and Kalla doesn't have much experience in team sprints, or sprints in general.
Libertine Seguros said:Bjørgen may not be that dominant in sprints anymore, but in the four years since Sochi, Kikkan has had three podiums, all in sprints, one in Lahti 2015, another in Lahti at the Worlds last year, and one in Davos 2017. She's not podiumed a Team Sprint since that win with Diggins 5 years ago, and she's not podiumed any team race since December 2013. I know she took time out to have a baby in that break but realistically, she's 35 years old and hasn't been especially 'good' in much at all since Sochi, and was very fortunate to get that medal in Lahti too. Definitely she was above the performance level she's shown here or pretty much anywhere for most of the last few seasons, but opinions may vary on how inherently suspicious that is or isn't especially bearing in mind some of those who peaked early in the Games - given the skiathlon I'd anticipate Kalla is one of those - may be tiring now. The American XC girls do have a habit of hitting the right form at the right time, even if they do sometimes require a good dollop of fortune too - remember Caitlin Gregg? - as was the case with Kikkan's sprint medal last season when she'd been thoroughly anonymous all season; today however there was nothing fortunate about the win.
Distance and technique? In cycling, we always have the problem of comparing different decades due to training and competition faced. In skiing, there is also the very real problem of technique. In cycling its "just" pedalling, while in skiing so much of "who you are" is your technique and so comparing with the assumption of an equal technique is almost impossible (Imagine a Muhlegg with an equal technique of Bjorndalen in skate, would be the greatest ever). I believe the technical skills, particularly in skate, has improved a lot since the 1990's hence Bjorgen across the board in that discipline. PRobably an interesting fight in classic thoughBrullnux said:Who'd win between vintage (1994 lillehammer) and fully-juiced Manuela di Centa or vintage olympic bjoergen (2010 vancouver)
Oude Geuze said:Manuela had the Johaug build and cadence only with suboptimal technique. I think it depends on the course. Downhill, flats and gradients under 7% Bjorgen would demolish her. Especially gentler slopes where they now push V2? (dobbeldans in Norwegian) where before the paddled (also Norwegian translation, I don’t know English terminology). But on really steep and long climbs I think she might open a significant gap. Salt lake Muhlegg would of course still beat everyone except in sprints as salt lake muhlegg is the goat of xc for all time
Let's not pretend that Bjoergen is above suspicion. The Astma thing, the body builder long hill climber thing. Going from a sprinter to a dominant distance skier (with that muscle mass).Brullnux said:Who'd win between vintage (1994 lillehammer) and fully-juiced Manuela di Centa or vintage olympic bjoergen (2010 vancouver)
Yep. Her goddamned neck is nearly as thick as her skull!Cloxxki said:Let's not pretend that Bjoergen is above suspicion. The Astma thing, the body builder long hill climber thing. Going from a sprinter to a dominant distance skier (with that muscle mass).
Norwegians are just starting to get caught. Bjoergen and Bjoerdalen despite long careers seems to be heading for a soon enough retirement.
I actually believe Marit pulled an Armstrong/Bolt. All the bad tell tales, super blatant, top sports governors on speed dial. Marion Jones was competing in a level playing field in comparison.meat puppet said:I think the correct question is not whether björgen pulled a muhlegg but whether muhlegg pulled a björgen.