Doping in XC skiing

[Cloxxki]

Of course it does! What the hell is Anti-Doping Norway supposed to do if not testing their best athletes?

Who knows exactly?
Which organization initiates tests?
- National sports union
- National anti-doping agency
- International sport union

And is there a difference between regular and targeted?

 

[LouieLouie]

Of course it does! What the hell is Anti-Doping Norway supposed to do if not testing their best athletes?

Anti-Doping Norway isn't, has never been and will never be the Norwegian Biathlon Union.

 

[LouieLouie]

Who knows exactly?
Which organization initiates tests?
- National sports union
- National anti-doping agency
- International sport union

And is there a difference between regular and targeted?

According to Anti-Doping Norway:

- International sports union
- WADA
- National anti-doping agency

The national union is not listed.

 

[neineinei]

6 year ban for Christian Hoffman

NADA (The Austrian Anti-Doping Agency) has given former cross country skier Christian Hoffman a six year ban. Two years for being a client of Humanplasma, and four years for co-owning a blood centrifuge.

http://blogs.fasterskier.com/worldcup/2011/12/06/austrias-hoffmann-banned-for-six-years/

This is the blood centrifuge Bernhard Kohl claimed he bought with Hoffman and Rasmussen.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/austrian-blood-doping-case-reveals-more-cyclists

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

Anti-Doping Norway isn't, has never been and will never be the Norwegian Biathlon Union.

But they are the ones responsible for testing norwegian biathletes (and other norwegian athletes), not the norwegian biathlon union.

 

[LouieLouie]

But they are the ones responsible for testing norwegian biathletes (and other norwegian athletes), not the norwegian biathlon union.

Which is exactly why I wrote "This has nothing to do with the Norwegian union"...

 

[Cloxxki]

Today, Hochfilzen Austria.
10km Men's sprint Biathlon

Before the podium ceremony, Carl Johan Bergman (SWE) very friendlily chatting with Andrei Makoveev (RUS) (surpringly not-slow with 5th ski time today) reporting that he was still fresh near the end of the race. Spectators could indeed see Bergman push really hard while in good control, skiing a different technique (V2 uphills) from most others, towards a 3rd ski time.

Bergmann is old and bald, last won anything significant a long time ago, and now wins two Worldcup weekend in a row. Skis faster than we seem to be used to from him.

Whatever is making Bergman fast, isn't affecting Ferry, getting the 20th ski time. BTW Ferry has been outspokingly anti-doping. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Björn_Ferry#Opposition_to_doping
Ustyugov (RUS) got the fastest ski time, bib 41. I had the impression the track got slower towards the end. But Svendsen (NOR) got the 2nd ski time with bib 93. So there goes that theory.

Discuss!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Maybe as he's getting older (and balder) Bergman's unable to be competitive full-season so is going hell for leather for these early events, especially as his home event is one of them, and as a result is in peak form now, where many of the likely overall WC contenders are not. Weren't most of Bergman's best results last year in the early events too, or am I mis-remembering?

I hope that's all it is, but I'm not exactly going to hold my breath, shall we say.

 

[Cloxxki]

Maybe as he's getting older (and balder) Bergman's unable to be competitive full-season so is going hell for leather for these early events, especially as his home event is one of them, and as a result is in peak form now, where many of the likely overall WC contenders are not. Weren't most of Bergman's best results last year in the early events too, or am I mis-remembering?

I hope that's all it is, but I'm not exactly going to hold my breath, shall we say.

Hey that's a very plausible one, peaking at GO. I've go for that appproach myself. A WC win is a WC win. The fact that it was an easier one to get doesn't matter. Everyone was there.
The baldness and lack of fatique got to me today. All those 30+ elite athletes start to look alike to me. I am saying this, 35 with a very full head of hear, BTW, so they may hate me more than I hate what I fear some are on.
I was happy for his recent win, it's the charm of biathlon, sometimes you have both a good ski day, and good shooting. The opposite just happens more often.
It's great to be on form when others are not, but come on, Svendsen was really ON, and barely got a few seconds on Bergmann as he cruised the course with long hits. I'll just hope some more....

 

[Random Direction]

V2 takes incrementally more energy and gets substantially slower if energy levels aren't maintained. That one skier who isn't usually at the head of the pack can hold it while other's can't is abnormal. Sometimes that can happen due to wax or style, but neither seems to be the case here.

Does Bergman usually use V2 where others don't?

 

[Cloxxki]

V2 takes incrementally more energy and gets substantially slower if energy levels aren't maintained. That one skier who isn't usually at the head of the pack can hold it while other's can't is abnormal. Sometimes that can happen due to wax or style, but neither seems to be the case here.

Does Bergman usually use V2 where others don't?

I never got to check his technique out as much before, but now he was in the spotlights obviously. He seemed to have just one gear and fail to tire.
Where others on the course were into a V1 cclimb, he just powered up and over, with the lack of fatique as an unlikely result.

The Russians are overwhelmingly quick. In today's pursuit, 5 were in the top-12 for ski speed. Some I didn't hear of before this world cup. I just don't understand what Makoveev is doing up there. Wasn't he the sloooow skier who never missed at the latest Worlds in RU and still didn't get his home win? Sure if an athlete is called slow that will get him training, but he's just way up there now. Bergmann's strategy? I must add that he did get 4 penalties today, after having had the lead for one lap. Might not cope well with being chased.
My favorite Bjorn Ferry (my body style, just skinnier) surprised also. Being relatively slower than I've seen him, yet shooting flawlessly. Finished behind his bib number in a pursuit, the Olympic champ.

 

[roundabout]

No, Makoveev isn't slow. He isn't among the very fastest normally but I would say that he is in the second ten over a season.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

That was Ustyugov in the Mass Start (if you're referring to that I think you're being very harsh since Svendsen only missed once and only outsprinted him in the last 2-300m), or Maksimov in the Individual (who shot 20-20 but was 40 seconds down on Bø who missed one).

Makoveev is a decent skier. Not a great one, but a very decent one. He also went off too fast in lap 2 and paid for it in the second prone, after which he had to work super-hard to get back up in the mix.

 

[Kristian]

I have honestly never seen woman xc-skiing weaker than now. It is extremely bad for the sport. Where are the italians, russians and germans? Forget about doping. The reason for the Norwegian domination is down to the sports popularity in the each country. In Norway its very popular, in other countries its just a minor fart in the wind.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

That doesn't explain Kalla's horror show today or Kowalczyk's awful form so far this season though.

Bjørgen is getting pretty boring now.

 

[roundabout]

Why aren't Norway equally dominant in the men's events then?

 

[Kristian]

That doesn't explain Kalla's horror show today or Kowalczyk's awful form so far this season though.

Bjørgen is getting pretty boring now.

That is the major problem. When Kalla an Kowalczyk is out of form the whole competition becomes a Norwegian championship. The level of skiing is almost laughable. Look at the ski-technique, its horrible to watch. This is not sport at a high level at all. They should study a video of Thomas Alsgaard and learn something.


Bjørgen is very, very boring. Its no even watchable anymore.

 

[Kristian]

Why aren't Norway equally dominant in the men's events then?

Obviously its a lot more competitive than the womans competition. Historically this has always been the case both here in Norway and in the FIS-races.

 

[Cloxxki]

Today in Davos, 30km individual XC freestyle.

Northug took nearly a minute out of everyone. Skiing just got a little bit more boring. He's good at spreading his efforts, starting slowly and all, but really.
Not unheard of for a youngster to improve his aerobic efficient halfway his twenties. But for the rest of the world to get slower...odd.
Right now the guy who wins every man-to-man strong over more than 2km, is the same as the one who takes a minute out of everyone in an individual 30km.
Heikkinen was notiously slow for this kind of an event. Peaking? Or moral pressure from the homefromt?

 

[Cloxxki]

That was Ustyugov in the Mass Start (if you're referring to that I think you're being very harsh since Svendsen only missed once and only outsprinted him in the last 2-300m), or Maksimov in the Individual (who shot 20-20 but was 40 seconds down on Bø who missed one).

Makoveev is a decent skier. Not a great one, but a very decent one. He also went off too fast in lap 2 and paid for it in the second prone, after which he had to work super-hard to get back up in the mix.

You found my error, thanks. Confused him with MAKSIMOV Maxim.

For a decent skier, Makoveev is getting single digit ski time ranks. This is saying something in the sport of biathlon. If the Norwegian XC lot are relatively weak at skating, and tend to welcome help from the biathletes, look at the Russians. They spank the Norwegians in biathlon now, and get spanked by the Norwegians in XC, even skating.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Why aren't Norway equally dominant in the men's events then?

easy, if you haven`t noticed all other countries on the women side is starting on a new generation, all germans, italians, and people from finland is either old or has retired.

Give them 2 or 3 years and they will be back there again

 

[meat puppet]

Heikkinen was notiously slow for this kind of an event. Peaking? Or moral pressure from the homefromt?

Don't know about the rest really, but Heikkinen is notorious for pushing himself over the limit while training, so it might be that. Even his nickname is "happo" (literally: acid, but lactic is the best translation) and so on. I for one was actually positively surprised for his enhanced performance (no puns intended). I guess he tries to peak for TdS - just like all the rest.

But yeah, Northug was in a league of his own. Given how the women in general and Björgen in particular have dominated this season, my willingness to give the Norwegians the benefit of the doubt is on the decrease. Even if we factor in the allegation that the general level of competition is getting lower especially among women, as someone said in this thread. Not sure if I even agree with that, though.

 

[maltiv]

You found my error, thanks. Confused him with MAKSIMOV Maxim.

For a decent skier, Makoveev is getting single digit ski time ranks. This is saying something in the sport of biathlon. If the Norwegian XC lot are relatively weak at skating, and tend to welcome help from the biathletes, look at the Russians. They spank the Norwegians in biathlon now, and get spanked by the Norwegians in XC, even skating.

Wait, what?

 

[Cloxxki]

Wait, what?

Interstingly, today it worked out differently indeed. Russians shot well, Norwegians skied better.
Still that Russian ancor leg skier, whatshisname, managed to break M. Fourcade's mojo skiing away from him. Who ever gets to ski away from Martin in 2.5km? It's not like Martin has been slacking the past few days, just shooting less well. He was always up there with the fastest skiers.
The fastest pursuit biathlete, Bjoerdalen, was given a rest for today. Making the Norwegian's win more impressive.
I think Berger made up time on everyone, despite a penalty lap. Yet always staying in his calm efficient ski mode.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Dmitry Malyshko. He's relatively young, but very unassuming and a real surprise inclusion on the anchor leg of all places. He was 10th in the sprint though, so maybe he's the coming man for the Russians.