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going by the live timing, it should be, yeah. Intermediate times at 1.3, 1.8 and 3.6k into the lap would fit with the top of the hills on the 5k loop
edit: confirmed on Finish media. YLE says it's 5k
(google translated) "According to Piirainen, Finns also get help from the five-kilometer track used in the race.
- It is a cross-country skiing track in the sense that it is possible to ski along the traditional cross-country trail all the time. There is no ascent rise. The ascents are suitably gentle and the descents are not demanding, Piirainen estimates.
The track is able to cross-country skiing really much thanks to the slow snow and high air area, and it is well suited for Finns. The 3.75-kilometer track, which had relatively steeper climbs, was used in the combined race, as there is now a fast-running section of just over a kilometer.
- The 5k trail is better for Finns than the 3.75-kilometer track. It has a slightly gentler ascent that is more suitable for Finns, and the more than a kilometer of running is actually still good for high-speed skiing, at least for Kerttu and Krista. This track is especially popular with skiers with good oxygen uptake.
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A 5km loop will likely suit Johaug even more, but it could be interesting if her kick wax is as average as it was during the skiathlon. I see 7 women with realistic chances at a medal, not including Johaug, who is the favorite for the gold. Conditions should be similar to the men’s skiathlon, so the wax technicians should be able to deal with kick wax better, plus most have been there for almost two weeks.
the Norwegians have considered to shift in Eckhoff for the CC relay (if I got that right, for the classics part?!), btw, but it's not gonna work out due to her biathlon obligations.
www.nettavisen.no
Iversen henvendte seg til skiskyttertreneren foran stafetten
Norge har vurdert mulighetene for å hente inn Tiril Eckhoff på kvinnenes langrennsstafett.
www.nettavisen.no
They must be rather desperate if they are thinking about it.the Norwegians have considered to shift in Eckhoff for the CC relay (if I got that right, for the classics part?!), btw, but it's not gonna work out due to her biathlon obligations.
Iversen henvendte seg til skiskyttertreneren foran stafetten
Norge har vurdert mulighetene for å hente inn Tiril Eckhoff på kvinnenes langrennsstafett.
But yeah, who do you put in the first leg? I assume Johaug in the 2nd, Fossesholm in the 3rd and Tiril Udnes Wenng at the end.
Tiril-Johaug-Haga-Fossesholm. Think its a pretty strong team actually. Haga and Fossesholm are way better than their showing in Skiathlon when they don’t need to ski classics. I hope the Swedish girls will do a good showing tomorrow (possibly their skate skis Saturday was not perfect), but unless that happens, Norway will be the team to beat.
Sure, but she is still faster than Haga and has experience from last year, its quite unusual with sprint finishes in the relays anyway. If they put Tiril or Johaug on skate, they need either Falla or Lotta Udnes Weng on the first leg which is a big risk.
Upthread someone wondered how Niskanen can be in such a good form. What was not explicitly mentioned was a fracture injury about a year ago for which she lost a couple months, which makes it all the more impressive. Well, she is 33 so perhaps she went all in, as they say. Today is her make or break day, I guess. Expecting her to medal. With some luck with skis (good for her, bad for others) who knows.
Johaug, Niskanen and Karlsson will probably be the favorites, followed by Stadlober, Nepri, Pärmä, Andersson (in no particular order). Brennan, Matintalo? Tight race is in the cards.
Johaug, Niskanen and Karlsson will probably be the favorites, followed by Stadlober, Nepri, Pärmä, Andersson (in no particular order). Brennan, Matintalo? Tight race is in the cards.
Finland look to have very good skis. Wasn't expecting anyway to keep up with Johaug today.
Karlsson started poorly, Nepreyeva absolutely flying. I'm sure she has gone off too quick if she has taken +10 seconds on Johaug in first 1.3km.
Edit Niskanen has 11 seconds on Johaug at 6.3 but she looked wrecked at the top of that hill.
STFU about Diggins, she is a non factor.
Karlsson started poorly, Nepreyeva absolutely flying. I'm sure she has gone off too quick if she has taken +10 seconds on Johaug in first 1.3km.
Edit Niskanen has 11 seconds on Johaug at 6.3 but she looked wrecked at the top of that hill.
STFU about Diggins, she is a non factor.
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Why is there only one set of tracks on such a wide course?
Finland looking good for the relay, whole team is bringing it, no idea what has happened to the Swedes, though I read that Karllson was really struggling with the cold.
Finland looking good for the relay, whole team is bringing it, no idea what has happened to the Swedes, though I read that Karllson was really struggling with the cold.
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It was, but they were level through most of the start of the race. Then Johaug lost 10 seconds in a short time in the middle, then gained it in a short time at the end. The splits were odd.
Especially since the time Johaug lost was on the uphill section where you would expect her to be at her best (it was very windy though).
I've been watching live and didn't see or hear anything to explain it.
Something definitely looks like it happened to Johaug after 5km. She had started gaining time on everybody, then she lost more than a few seconds to the top skiers in 1 km (10+ seconds to Niskanen) , then she's gaining time again.
What a shame for Niskanen and Nepryaeva. What was Nepryaeva thinking going out so hard in the first 3 km? She clearly has the power and speed. Damn.
If Parmakovski and Niskanen do the classic leg, they are going to have at least 30 seconds on everyone else in the relay. And Norway really don't have anyone to chase them down without Weng.
It could actually be a really competitive race between Norway, Sweden, Russia and Norway. No idea who I would put my money on.
It could actually be a really competitive race between Norway, Sweden, Russia and Norway. No idea who I would put my money on.
The Finns will likely put one of those two in one of the skate legs, they don’t have any top skaters besides those two. They need to maybe put Matintalo or Kyllönen on the first leg.
Finland have absolutely nailed the waxing at these Games, in both skiathlons and here they clearly had top skis.
Speaking of waxing, that is, of course, what has been blamed on commentary for Diggins being a non-factor, as ever.
It was important to stay out of the tracks on the last couple hundred meters, as it was faster glide. That’s where Niskanen lost gold and where Nepryaeva lost bronze. I can’t understand why they skied in the tracks in the finishing straight. Unfortunately no coaching in the stadium, so they likely didn’t get that information, but then again that’s mostly how the entire 5km course was, faster out of the tracks.
The Finns could risk putting Niskanen and Pärmäkoski on the first two legs to try and get a gap and then hope to conserve as much of it as possible, but I think the Russians have the advantage on them in the skate legs. Sorina is in decent shape and Stepanova had an excellent sprint race, just losing out on a final. 5km skate is what she’s really good at at the moment, so I am thinking she will be able to deal with the distance and course. Stupak finally woke up today, finished 7th, it appears she and Nepryaeva had the two fastest finishes of the day. That bodes well for them for both the relay and team sprint.
The Finns could risk putting Niskanen and Pärmäkoski on the first two legs to try and get a gap and then hope to conserve as much of it as possible, but I think the Russians have the advantage on them in the skate legs. Sorina is in decent shape and Stepanova had an excellent sprint race, just losing out on a final. 5km skate is what she’s really good at at the moment, so I am thinking she will be able to deal with the distance and course. Stupak finally woke up today, finished 7th, it appears she and Nepryaeva had the two fastest finishes of the day. That bodes well for them for both the relay and team sprint.
With the info I have (same as yours, basically), I would say it was about strategy and/or topography. Johaug clearly wanted to absolutely smash the last hill and the run to the finish and I surmise went for a quasi negative split pacing. She did just that. Niskanen followed a more traditional one where the athlete fades a bit towards the end.
Not saying an incident is impossible. Just have not seen one.
The end result was a catch 22 for me: wanted johaug to lose as always, but also all-in Niskanen to not win.
Johaug won the race in the stadium. See how she accelerated out of the last bend and then did not sprint on the tracks. Niskanen did not accelerate similarly and chose the track.
The Finns were the first xc team to arrive in China, they had a week or almost a week to prepare.
As for Eurosport, I think you need to mute them. No point in listening to them, especially when she’s on the screen.
It was funny watching Johaug go past Diggins like she was a novice and hearing the wheels whirling in their heads as they tried to justify it.
So in theory their waxing advantage should be less and less as it goes on. Which is a shame. Enjoying them being super competitive.
Looking at Norway, in 2 or 3 years when Johaug and Weng presumabky start to decline, they really have nothing coming through at all.
It's a far cry from 6 or 7 years ago when Norway 1, 2 , 3 and 4 were finishing in the top 6 (IIRC) In a relay.
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