Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

[BigCoward]

This is the most interested I've been in a women's relay in forever. Honestly have no idea who is going to win.
But the fact that there is a good chance its neither Norway or Sweden is excellent.

 

[meat puppet]

Joensuu just was not an option at altitude, even if it is only 5k. Choosing Kyllönen was the right call imho. The tactic is clearly to hang on during the classic legs with the weaker athletes. Targeting a medal, the order is sensible, but there are risks if Nepryajeva, Andersson and Johaug ski away on leg two.

 

[search]

really looking forward to it as well. I still don't agree about Kylloenen, though. But nor do I understand Dahlqvist. She'll be gapped by Stupak for sure, and maybe even by Weng. Sweden's race could be over after the first leg. I'd have taked Ribom instead.

 

[BullsFan22]

Really depends on the conditions and the skis, again. I expect the Russians to push the pace, that’s why they put Stupak and Nepryaeva on legs 1 and 2.

 

[BullsFan22]

Seems that the course isn’t too difficult at all.

 

[meat puppet]

Yet stupak still broke away. And she has very good skis. May have 30sec by the exchange.

E: ok, no. Had 17 but down to 12 now.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Germany is going for it. Wow.

 

[BullsFan22]

Excellent skis for Carl and the Germans.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Wow the Germans have rockets unser their feet.

 

[BigCoward]

This is wicked.

 

[BullsFan22]

What is Stepanova doing???

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Germans are gliding really well, Russia have better grip, so they're doing better on the climbs but the Germans are then catching them downhill. Jonna Sundling is on fire.

 

[BigCoward]

Norway weren't as bad as expected. The fall really screwed them.

 

[BullsFan22]

What a pity for Krista. She should have attacked or at least pushed the pace at some point. Sundling survived the last 1,5km. I thought she’d have a harder time.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

What is Stepanova doing???

Winning the race? Krehl is a sprinter and Veronika let her go out and picked her off. This is a fairly easy course and she is a 5km specialist - it's not dissimilar to the job she did in Lillehammer. For Germany the legs were too short for three legs and too long for the last one, but that's the decision you have to make in picking the team.

Sundling was crazy strong and I don't think there was much chance there, Pärmäkoski worked hard but I think she just didn't have any more in her to make an attack - Krehl being dropped probably sealed her fate because with that carrot of silver being on the horizon there was no reason to drop the pace and then try to drop Jonna for bronze. After all, even if she failed to drop Jonna, she'd be guaranteed a medal if they caught the Germans. She risked coming 4th for the chance to come 2nd, and I can't fault her for that.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

What a pity for Krista. She should have attacked or at least pushed the pace at some point. Sundling survived the last 1,5km. I thought she’d have a harder time.

I absolutely don't get the finnish lineup. The course was not hard enough to come back. They should have put the two classic queens where they belong. That would have brought them a medal at least.

Wow the Germans have rockets unser their feet.

Now we will have to read and listen to another cascade of Schlickenrieder interviews for at least another four years.

 

[BullsFan22]

Nepryaeva has gone, happy, sad, happy. I hope she can doesn’t crazy after the Olympics.

Very impressed by Germany. Sure, they had excellent skis, in all 4 legs, but you still have to push and ski smart. I was getting worried for Krehl on that hill where Stepanova dropped her, but she skied controlled and didn’t try to hang, which was smart, she knew what she was capable and won silver instead of possibly losing out on the medals at all.

 

[BullsFan22]

I absolutely don't get the finnish lineup. The course was not hard enough to come back. They should have put the two classic queens where they belong. That would have brought them a medal at least.



Now we will have to read and listen to another cascade of Schlickenrieder interviews for at least another four years.

Maybe I am overreacting, but I think Schlickenrieder’s job was saved with this medal.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Now we will have to read and listen to another cascade of Schlickenrieder interviews for at least another four years.

"This is why we need shorter and flatter races, not more traditional stuff"
"Er, you do realise that had the course been longer and harder Germany would have done better?"

That's the thing I don't get, Germany doesn't have much by way of sprint talent, and they are best in distance races with the likes of Hennig and seemingly now Sauerbrey, Carl is best over 10k, Pia Fink, and in the men Friedrich Moch is their best young talent and he's better at longer distances, Brugger is best at 15k, and they literally only entered one man - Brugger - in the sprint.

 

[Norbea]

Norway weren't as bad as expected. The fall really screwed them.

Without the crash I think they could have taken silver.

 

[BullsFan22]

Diggins died in the end, not only did she not make up time on those in front of her, she leaked a huge amount. Finisehed almost 1:30 behind Stepanova and the Russians.

 

[BigCoward]

Without the crash I think they could have taken silver.

There skis can't have been great either. As Johaug did very little.

 

[KZD]

Bad call from Finland to put Niskanen in the third leg, if she had been in the second leg they coumd have been with Germany in the second exchange and the third athlete would probably have still put Parmakoski at better position.

Germany's silver was impressive even with their great skis but Stepanova was brilliant in the end. The only team that could have beaten Russia today was Norway if they had Weng but although Norway actually did a decent race but with Tiril Weng and Haga both in the relay the medals were very difficult (I really don't think Tiril's fall cost them a medal).

I hope Finland goes with Niskanen-Parmakoski, Germany with Henning and Carl and Norway with Johaug in the team sprint. It should make for a very exciting race.

 

[Silhouette]

There skis can't have been great either. As Johaug did very little.

Easy 2x2.5km relay courses don't really work for Johaug. In addition I think she was feeling the effects of the previous races, and also started a tiny bit too fast. I'm pretty sure the Norwegian skis were more than decent. Good race by the rest, without the fall they probably would have taken a medal.

 

[BullsFan22]

Bad call from Finland to put Niskanen in the third leg, if she had been in the second leg they coumd have been with Germany in the second exchange and the third athlete would probably have still put Parmakoski at better position.

Germany's silver was impressive even with their great skis but Stepanova was brilliant in the end. The only team that could have beaten Russia today was Norway if they had Weng but although Norway actually did a decent race but with Tiril Weng and Haga both in the relay the medals were very difficult (I really don't think Tiril's fall cost them a medal).

I hope Finland goes with Niskanen-Parmakoski, Germany with Henning and Carl and Norway with Johaug in the team sprint. It should make for a very exciting race.

On the selections for the team sprint, I agree. Finns could certainly medal in that event, and possibly win gold, but the Swedes are the big favorites. The Russians will figure in for sure. I think on a good day they are the only ones able to challenge the Swedes.

Hennig looked rock solid today. She didn’t put a foot wrong. Sauerbrey with the most impressive leg for them, in my opinion. That guaranteed them a medal, or at least a very good chance at one.