Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

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After today's events, just some XC skiing RACES would be good.

and less 90's summer hits.

Heeeey, Macarena.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

and less 90's summer hits.

Heeeey, Macarena.

They played The Darkness at Lillehammer. I'll take Macarena every day and twice on Sundays over I Believe In A Thing Called Love.

And I might take a return of Therese Johaug over more of this.

 

[Mayomaniac]

They played The Darkness at Lillehammer. I'll take Macarena every day and twice on Sundays over I Believe In A Thing Called Love.

And I might take a return of Therese Johaug over more of this.

At least Karlsson tried to make the race hard more than once. After the classic races in Davos and Val di Fiemme she deserved it.

Also, what's problem with playing corny, wannabe 80ies, rock?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

At least Karlsson tried to make the race hard more than once. After the classic races in Davos and Val di Fiemme she deserved it.

Also, what's problem with playing corny, wannabe 80ies, rock?

The Darkness are a novelty band that people took seriously as though they were anything other than a 15 minutes of fame joke band trying to bring back a style of music that should have died long before it was ever born the first time around, let alone surviving another generation of kitsch.

Then it became all-consuming and unavoidable for a year or two. And people go "oh but it's funny! It's tongue in cheek! You can't hate it because it doesn't take itself too seriously!" Yes, but I hate it because I subjectively think it's shallow, soulless, crap music, that KNOWS it's shallow, soulless, crap music, and has worked out that by serving it with an even bigger side-helping of turd presentation, people will kid themselves that it isn't shallow, soulless, crap. If I want terrible music served up in a tongue in cheek manner that's actually entertaining, then I'll watch This Is Spinal Tap.

And because they made a Christmas record (which is also terrible), they are going to continue to earn money from their absolute dreck until the day they die. You think I hate Jessie Diggins or Sepp Kuss? That's nothing on the revulsion I feel for Justin Hawkins.

 

[Mayomaniac]

You can hear how cold the snow is in Antholz.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Meh, Slovenia should have put Lampic in the first leg to make everyone's life miserable.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Jeanmonnot V2ing all the climbs like a boss.

 

[titan31]

Didn't look like Vitozzi touched Bionaz there at all on the handover

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Johannes Kühn racing more like the guy we've known for most of his career today. Italy keeping things honest on home snow but I've just felt this was Norway's ever since Knotten hit 5 in stand. They're the strongest team on paper and they're the strongest team in practice.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Didn't look like Vitozzi touched Bionaz there at all on the handover

Yeah, they'll probably get dqed afterwards...

 

[titan31]

So JTB might be back then. That was a ridiculous shoot after going hard enough on the lap

 

[titan31]

Yeah, they'll probably get dqed afterwards...

Not sure if they will but probably should. Really looked like no contact on the best angle

 

[Mayomaniac]

Not sure if they will but probably should. Really looked like no contact on the best angle

Looked like a rookie mistake with Bionaz being too eager to start fast.

 

[BigCoward]

The only team that should be able to beat Norway is their2nd team.
Italy shot 87.5, 3 World class biathletes and they never really had a chance.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Honestly, if Wierer gets her skiing speed back up things might get interesting.

 

[titan31]

The only team that should be able to beat Norway is their2nd team.
Italy shot 87.5, 3 World class biathletes and they never really had a chance.

I think a few teams can if Norway have an average day (miss 3/4 more than anyone else). Mainly looking at Sweden, France and Germany.

French in particular when you replace the women with Simon and Braisez Bouchet.

It does take them all skiing to their best though and Norway having an off day

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The only team that should be able to beat Norway is their2nd team.
Italy shot 87.5, 3 World class biathletes and they never really had a chance.

If France can somehow figure out what the hell has happened to QFM and Jacquelin since Beijing, they can be as strong on paper. Knotten is consistent and has had a surprising leap forward this year, but she's not as dynamic as a Simon type, and Ingrid is still capable of the odd meltdown. The problem is that those two top Frenchmen don't look anything like their former selves anymore. 2024 Simon and Braisaz-Bouchet (or Jeanmonnot for that matter) plus 2022 Jacquelin and Fillon Maillet and that's as formidable a lineup as there can be.

Germany at full strength will be good but they're just a cut below Norway. At least they'd keep them honest, however. Sweden are not showing very good form at the moment, their A-team would be very useful here as long as Elvira and Ponsiluoma kept it together in the range, but they don't have the depth on the men's side of the squad and would probably have to sacrifice the SMR entirely for that. Although on today's evidence that might not be a bad idea.

 

[BigCoward]

If France can somehow figure out what the hell has happened to QFM and Jacquelin since Beijing, they can be as strong on paper. Knotten is consistent and has had a surprising leap forward this year, but she's not as dynamic as a Simon type, and Ingrid is still capable of the odd meltdown. The problem is that those two top Frenchmen don't look anything like their former selves anymore. 2024 Simon and Braisaz-Bouchet (or Jeanmonnot for that matter) plus 2022 Jacquelin and Fillon Maillet and that's as formidable a lineup as there can be.

Germany at full strength will be good but they're just a cut below Norway. At least they'd keep them honest, however. Sweden are not showing very good form at the moment, their A-team would be very useful here as long as Elvira and Ponsiluoma kept it together in the range, but they don't have the depth on the men's side of the squad and would probably have to sacrifice the SMR entirely for that. Although on today's evidence that might not be a bad idea.

I'm not sure Knotten should be in the Mixed Relay team at the minute, i think Arnekliev has more upside.

The trouble is the other teams have strength on paper, but Norway are nailing it every time.

And if he's on it they need to find 30 seconds advantage at least before JTB starts. Norway beats the rest of the world team 7/10 IMO. And that's not healthy for the sport.
I am pleased Germany have had a renaissancethis year so there are 3 other teams with the chance to compete. But it still needs something to go really wrong IMO, for Norway to lose.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I'm not sure Knotten should be in the Mixed Relay team at the minute, i think Arnekliev has more upside.

The trouble is the other teams have strength on paper, but Norway are nailing it every time.

And if he's on it they need to find 30 seconds advantage at least before JTB starts. Norway beats the rest of the world team 7/10 IMO. And that's not healthy for the sport.

Arnekleiv probably has more upside but Knotten has just been metronomically reliable this season. But if you wanted to suggest that means the best alineation would be Knotten in the SMR (probably with Vetle or Sturla) and then Arnekleiv and Tandrevold in the MR that would make sense too.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I'm not sure Knotten should be in the Mixed Relay team at the minute, i think Arnekliev has more upside.

The trouble is the other teams have strength on paper, but Norway are nailing it every time.

And if he's on it they need to find 30 seconds advantage at least before JTB starts. Norway beats the rest of the world team 7/10 IMO. And that's not healthy for the sport.
I am pleased Germany have had a renaissancethis year so there are 3 other teams with the chance to compete. But it still needs something to go really wrong IMO, for Norway to lose.

The Germans will find a way to screw it up no matter how well they're otherwise doing, as we saw again today.

 

[BigCoward]

The Germans will find a way to screw it up no matter how well they're otherwise doing, as we saw again today.

Used all their luck in the SMR.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The Germans will find a way to screw it up no matter how well they're otherwise doing, as we saw again today.

Nominating Johannes Kühn and Benedikt Doll as your Mixed Relay pair was kind of asking for trouble though. Kühn has really improved his shooting this year in individual start races, but he's still at around 80% in head to head races and had a penalty loop in the Östersund relay too. Which is an improvement, but there is still volatility there. Doll has made a bit of a habit of doing great in sprints and then collapsing in pursuits, and is at 73% for the year shooting in head to head races.

 

[titan31]

Arnekleiv probably has more upside but Knotten has just been metronomically reliable this season. But if you wanted to suggest that means the best alineation would be Knotten in the SMR (probably with Vetle or Sturla) and then Arnekleiv and Tandrevold in the MR that would make sense too.

They can field both in the world championships though as the schedule has them separated. Same people can race both. Kind of expect JTB and Tandrevold will end up doing both

 

[DonAragona]

Girls relay tomorrow looks like the weakest of all time. Only Sweden sends 2 strong teams and Germany has 1 strong team. The United States hasn't bothered to enter a team.

Could Sweden 2 beat Norway 1?

 

[Mayomaniac]

Girls relay tomorrow looks like the weakest of all time. Only Sweden sends 2 strong teams and Germany has 1 strong team. The United States hasn't bothered to enter a team.

Could Sweden 2 beat Norway 1?

At least this time the Italian women are fielding an entire team...

2 Italian men's teams is also an interesting pick. Salvadori and Graz are an different team that Barp and Pellegrino.
Italy 1 is Nöckler-Barp-Daprà-Pellegrino, Italy 2 Salvadori-Chiocchetti-Graz-Mocellino.