Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

[Mayomaniac]

Wierer winning at home, a ton of people won't show up at work tomorrow because of a horrible hangover, I'm pretty sure of that. Overall the whole spectacle in Antholz is pretty decadent, they are actually selling diapers forr adults to the fans.
On the Ski Tour, Krogh surprised me today, he was faster than Sundby in a classic pursuit. He's rather light and a good sprinter, so the first sprint should suit him really well. Only the final pursuit is bad for him, he could end up really high overall.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Dorothea!!

She has been my favourite in the past two years, so it was great to see her win. I like it when someone who does well in the World Cup also wins a world title. To do it in South Tirol for someone from that region is surely the best moment of her career!

 

[search]

due to strong wind on the forecast, the Storlien - Meråker stage of the Ski Tour is in danger of getting cancelled...

Beskedet: Loppet riskerar ställas in

ÖSTERSUND. Vädret kan i värsta fall sätta stopp för långloppet mellan Storlien och Meråker i Ski Tour 2020. Enligt väderprognosen ska det blåsa 11 meter per sekund när åkarna ska åka över fjället och i fjol blev Storlirennet inställt just på grund av vädret. – Faran blir om det driver så mycket...

www.expressen.se

 

[BullsFan22]

Curious how Roethe got away without a reprimand in the 15km skate that he won. Coming into the finish area, instead of right away going into the left lane into the finishing straight, he cut in left after the market sign that split the finish lane and the lap lane.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

due to strong wind on the forecast, the Storlien - Meråker stage of the Ski Tour is in danger of getting cancelled...

Beskedet: Loppet riskerar ställas in

ÖSTERSUND. Vädret kan i värsta fall sätta stopp för långloppet mellan Storlien och Meråker i Ski Tour 2020. Enligt väderprognosen ska det blåsa 11 meter per sekund när åkarna ska åka över fjället och i fjol blev Storlirennet inställt just på grund av vädret. – Faran blir om det driver så mycket...

www.expressen.se

Winter is ruining our winter.

 

[Põhja Konn]

Winter is ruining our winter.

Tbh, it has been a complete freakshow of a winter throughout northern Europe. Average temperatures have been up to 10 degrees warmer than long term norms, at least where I live.

Nordic Combined World Cup and Biathlon European Championships that should have taken place at Otepää had no chance of happening despite being placed on what is usually the safest period in winter in terms of having proper winter weather. This winter, there weren't even enough nights with subzero temperatures for making artificial snow to prepare even the minimum lenght of tracks required for those competitions.

 

[zarnack]

Also one has to wonder about implications for next season. For example usually ski resorts make artificial snow and keep it hidden over summer, so that they could prepare tracks already in the beginning of the season before 'real' snow arrives. However, with winter like this, ski resorts can't make any artificial snow, let alone for the next season. So when the next ski season is supposed to start, there wouldn't be any tracks anywhere. So basically if in 2020/21 we get as poor winter as the current one has been, ski season would be even worse off than now due to lag effect of some things.

 

[search]

Johaug when she saw today's finish

Oestberg said that she's put all her money Johaug - and seems like others did. She moved into the clear favorite's position for today at the bookies.

it's interesting that many of the athletes/teams really didn't seem to know what to expect though.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

So what do you guys think of this hill sprint?

 

[Laplaz]

Wierer with a fantastic double on her home soil.

 

[BullsFan22]

That was some of the most blatant, dirty skiing I've seen in a cross country ski race on the World Cup. Krüger was a sacrifice for Golberg and Klaebo, impeding Bolshunov and eventually taking him out. I am shocked Bolshunov didn't say something to the Norwegian. That is dirty and totally unprofessional. He purposefully cut inside the Russian and impeded him. I'll be rooting super hard now for Bolshunov to take a massive dump on the Norwegians come the end of the tour. There's no reason for him to make a sharp deviation towards Bolshunov like that. That should have been a straight disqualification, not a yellow and Bolshunov should have, perhaps, been put into the final. Krüger wasn't even angry about it.

 

[zarnack]

So what do you guys think of this hill sprint?

An interesting experiment, though I'm still not sure, how much I'd call it a sprint. I actually thought sprinters wouldn't stand much of a chance, but top3 (Kläbo, Pellegrino, Jay) sounds quite sprinteresque.

In women yeah sprinters didn't stand a chance against Johaug, so that's a shame.

 

[BullsFan22]

It's not a sprinter's course with the hill, but the most important part of today was getting into the hill in good position, because if you were at the back of the group at the bottom of the climb, you had little to no chance of getting through, unless the people in front of you died and you somehow meandered well enough, or doors opened up, like they did for Johaug in both the semifinal and final. I don't understand why they all decided to go to the right side of the course and just leave such an opening for Johaug.

The American women all started fast to get early positioning and it mostly worked in the quarterfinal, but none of them had anything left for the semis, and almost rightfully so, it's clear gamesmanship to sprint to get first or second place and slow the pace down, then speed up when someone tries to pass you or at least comes to your side. I am glad none of them made it to the final.

It's interesting viewing once or twice, but I hope that's not the way skiing is headed. Though I wouldn't put it past Mignerey to keep including races like this on the circuit.

 

[search]

It's interesting viewing once or twice, but I hope that's not the way skiing is headed. Though I wouldn't put it past Mignerey to keep including races like this on the circuit.

yeah, it was a bit too much climbing today maybe, but occasionally I wouldn't mind it either. I mean, the pure sprinters have enough opportunities already anyway, and as the FIS is unlikely to turn any sprint into a long distance race, this is probably the best kind of a change we can hope for.

 

[KZD]

I find this 'hill sprint' an interesting idea, clearly better than the Dresden flat sprint however I think it should have been longer.

Incredible how Klaebo can win this with so much advantage while having been so bad the past weekend. Its like his sprint ability doesn't even suffer from his bad shape.
Curious how unlike in the men's race, in the women's, distance racers were stronger with Johaug taking advantage of her weight.

As long as they don't cancel the pursuit, I still think Bolshunov will win the overall.

 

[zarnack]

Incredible how Klaebo can win this with so much advantage while having been so bad the past weekend. Its like his sprint ability doesn't even suffer from his bad shape.

I'm struggling to remember the last time Kläbo lost a sprint. His distance form is so-so and can fluctuate a lot, but he goes unbeaten in sprints this season despite illness and injury and whatever he has had. He's like the Johaug of sprints, lol.

 

[search]

due to strong wind on the forecast, the Storlien - Meråker stage of the Ski Tour is in danger of getting cancelled...

Beskedet: Loppet riskerar ställas in

ÖSTERSUND. Vädret kan i värsta fall sätta stopp för långloppet mellan Storlien och Meråker i Ski Tour 2020. Enligt väderprognosen ska det blåsa 11 meter per sekund när åkarna ska åka över fjället och i fjol blev Storlirennet inställt just på grund av vädret. – Faran blir om det driver så mycket...

www.expressen.se

it will not be cancelled, but start and finish and Meråker instead. The exact details are not published yet, as far as I can see, but it's supposed to remain a "long distance" stage

 

[BullsFan22]

Maybe it's better that it changes, as it could make the course harder, more compact and likely less gradual downhills. That said, it could benefit guys like Krüger, Roethe and Holund. Tomorrow is a danger stage for Golberg. He may lose time. He still has a classic sprint where he is likely the 2nd favorite to Klaebo and a 30km classic pursuit, but I'd put money on Bolshunov in that one. The Norwegians will certainly try to play tactical games with Bolshunov so hopefully the Russians can help him out. They have plenty of firepower in skate distance racing, Spitsov, Melnichenko, Yakimushkin, Belov, are guys that have made the podium in skate races on the WC. Belov won the 15km skate in Davos last season and seems to be improving in form. Larkov excels in long distance and mass start races. It will be crucial for Bolshunov and the Russians to gain time on Golberg tomorrow because he'll be tough in the classic sprint and classic distance racing favors him more than skate. Bolshunov is in the same boat as Golberg, but he is a noticeably better skate distance skier (and always has been) than Golberg.

What will Klaebo do? Will he just cruise tomorrow and save his energy for the sprint? I don't see how he can gain a lot tomorrow, unless his finger miraculously recovered. He would have to be flawless in the final three stages to get onto the podium.

There's really nothing to say about the women's race. The sprint yesterday all but assured Johaug the tour win. A 38km mass start will see her winning by over a minute, maybe 2 minutes, maybe more...Hopefully skiers like Andersson, Parmakoski, Stadlober, Kalla can be up there and challenge the Norwegians. I don't think they are in top shape, so it'll be difficult to stop the Norwegians, but I think most will agree that the Norwegian dominance needs to be challenged. Nobody wants to watch a Norwegian national championship every race, even the hardcore, traditional Norwegian fans.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Yes, Landi!!!

 

[zarnack]

Nobody wants to watch a Norwegian national championship every race, even the hardcore, traditional Norwegian fans.

In Ski Tour overall top 10 there are currently 8 Norwegians and 2 Russians. Well, you could say that the bottom of the barrel has really been reached here. It can't really get any worse than that, lol. The red suits of 2 nations dominate so heavily that there is barely anybody else in top 15.

In women the international picture looks a bit more diverse with "only" 5 Norwegians in top 10, although incidentally they all occupy top 6 as well.

Yes, Landi!!!

Austria has a knack of getting a bronze medal in every championship, and somebody in their old guard delivers. And Landi has a knack for Individuals.

Among major nations Sweden is still without a medal, as their biathlon seems to heavily rely on Öberg (twice 4th so far).

 

[Gigs_98]

Yes, Landi!!!

I didn't watch today and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the result. Landi is so ridiculously clutch when it comes to big events

 

[zarnack]

I didn't watch today and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the result. Landi is so ridiculously clutch when it comes to big events

Another old-guard individual stalwart Jakov Fak was 4th, so there are some guys, who excel in that discipline, where you don't need to ski the fastest.

Also both in yesterday's women's individual and today's men's race there was only 1 athlete across the whole field, who shot a 0. So clearly good shooting has been paramount here. And who can do that, can get a good position.

I don't dare to predict the result of tomorrow's single mixed relay though. Anything can happen, especially in the shooting range, and not much opportunity to make up for lost time there.

 

[BullsFan22]

What's happened to Landertinger's ski speed?? He used to be a consistent top 10 skier, now he's relying heavily on his shooting. What's going on? He is not that old, he's the same age as Tarjei Boe, Fourcade, Garannichev...He shot 19/20, this sort of shooting would have brought him gold years ago. Maybe I am reading it wrong.

Disappointing for Fak. When I saw that he cleaned the last shoot and had time in hand, plus he was skiing better than Landertinger and he has almost always had a great final lap, particularly in big races like this, I thought surely he would stay in bronze. I guess he ran out of energy. I also think that having Loginov to ski with in the latter stages of the race helped Landertinger a lot. Loginov was one of the fastest guys out there, though he was still 47 seconds behind Fillon Maillet.

 

[search]

What's happened to Landertinger's ski speed?? He used to be a consistent top 10 skier, now he's relying heavily on his shooting. What's going on?

Landertinger had a disc surgery two years ago, and never really recovered from it

 

[Max Rockatansky]

That's the new course for today.