Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

[Eddy Evenepoel]

At the beginning of the third lap in the mens race, Nordhagen attacked and the others just let him go. The chasing group had enough of trying to keep up with him on the first two laps and resigned to a race for the silver and bronze.

Nordhagen gonna win with a huuuuuge margin here.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Nice team tactic from Italy. Ghio was tired after the first two lap and went pretty passive after that and with three italians in the group behind Nordhagen they let Artusi go and get a serious gap. Then Ghio attacked from the group, brought Naeff with him, then attacked Naeff and closed to Artusi. Now the two italians going togethe for silver and bronze.

 

[BullsFan22]

Perhaps wonderboy Myhlback should focus more on racing against his peers rather than grinding himself with marathons…

 

[KZD]

With Nordagen choosing cycling instead its as if the Italians got first and second in the men's and together with Gismondi's win in the women's, its a huge result two years before the Olympics.

 

[BigCoward]

France, Norway, Sweden, Germany and Italy all have a realistical chance of winning but I will go with Norway.

For the rest of the Championships, I expect Simon to be the strongest in the women's side and in the men's while I expect Norway will dominate, I don't think Johannes Bø will win 5 gold medals like last year because Christiansen and Dale are looking really strong and might get individual golds too.

Shame the swiss don't have one more decent female.

 

[Salvarani]

A monster.

 

[Salvarani]

Perhaps wonderboy Myhlback should focus more on racing against his peers rather than grinding himself with marathons…

He did traditional distances in the begining of the season.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

With Nordagen choosing cycling instead its as if the Italians got first and second in the men's and together with Gismondi's win in the women's, its a huge result two years before the Olympics.

I think the home Olympics are coming 4 years too early for the athletes we saw today. Very few skiers are able to reach the needed level at 22. Looking at the two men who medaled today, they are far behind Nordhagen and Nordhagen still isn't quite there with Krueger etc, so they have a big gap to close in only 2 years. 2030 however should be great for these guys if they can continue to develope.

He did traditional distances in the begining of the season.

The main problem in my eyes is his over the top focus on double poling during the summer/autumn on roller skies, not whether he actually races traditional or ski classics. With last season full focus on Ski Classics as well it seems to me that he's developed very well physically, but is nowhere near the same technical level as a guy like Nordhagen (or the average top 20 WC-skier). He probably shouldve swapped a lot of the 3-4-5 hours long trainings double poling along the country roads with skating in technical roller ski tracks.

 

[BigCoward]

I'm worried JTB has been building toward an insane peak like last year and is just going to ski off into the distance all week.

 

[BullsFan22]

I think the home Olympics are coming 4 years too early for the athletes we saw today. Very few skiers are able to reach the needed level at 22. Looking at the two men who medaled today, they are far behind Nordhagen and Nordhagen still isn't quite there with Krueger etc, so they have a big gap to close in only 2 years. 2030 however should be great for these guys if they can continue to develope.

The main problem in my eyes is his over the top focus on double poling during the summer/autumn on roller skies, not whether he actually races traditional or ski classics. With last season full focus on Ski Classics as well it seems to me that he's developed very well physically, but is nowhere near the same technical level as a guy like Nordhagen (or the average top 20 WC-skier). He probably shouldve swapped a lot of the 3-4-5 hours long trainings double poling along the country roads with skating in technical roller ski tracks.

Definitely focus more on actually using all the techniques necessary, not just double poling. Not the smartest way to develop a young athlete by having him ski marathons.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I don't think the Italians are gonna medal the mixed relay.

 

[BigCoward]

I'm worried JTB has been building toward an insane peak like last year and is just going to ski off into the distance all week.

Apparently not. He's gaining nothing.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Apparently not. He's gaining nothing.

Yeah, his last lap wasn't great. Norway isn't out of it yet, but it'll require some poor French shooting for them to win.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Yeah, his last lap wasn't great. Norway isn't out of it yet, but it'll require some poor French shooting for them to win.

Oh look, some poor French shooting

 

[BigCoward]

Simon of 3 weeks ago can make ip 30 seconds on anyone on the last leg. Easy. Now its interesting.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

FFS. But the race is close now.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I thought the Italians were going to get lapped, but Wierer has done well enough.

 

[BigCoward]

This is great for the neutral.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

We need some more poor French shooting now. It's a shame Baserga and Voigt aren't the best skiers.

 

[BigCoward]

Come on Switzerland. That gap looks fragile though

 

[Mayomaniac]

Not a lot of snow there, do you know when she moved to Trentino?

Wasn't Valerio Checchi also from around Rome? I always find is fascinating with athletes becoming skiers when they are growing up with almost no snow nearby.

Yes, she was born in the same town as Checchin and is from the same ski club. They have some snow in the Appeninnes, but she when to a Winter sport specific spots highschool in Tavisio, in the Friuli region.
Fun fact, 16 year old Ashley Tshanda Ongonga, who recently competeted for Kenya at the youth games, is also from the same ski club/town as her and is now also at the same spots school in Tarvisio. From what I know their ski club is doing a great job at bringing young people to the spot.

About the classic individual start, she needs slow, deep conditions and a demanding course, otherwise del Rio, de Martin-Pinter and some of the Scandinavian girls should beat her.

About the men's race, Italy nearly always managed to place multiple guys in the top 10 over the last few years and guys like Graz and Barp where great in the junior ranks. Then you also have Luca Del Fabbro, who won a junior WC gold medal in 2019 by beating Moseby, Cyril Fähndrich and Schumacher, but is now struggling to even get a podium result in Italian FIS races. No idea if it's because he was overtraining or just the classic mistake of trying to turn everyone into a sprinter than the Italian coaches made before Cramer came along...

That said, I do rate Ghio, Matli and Artusi, they are all really talented. Matli dominated the classic individual start at the youth games last year and also won the skating individual start. I do rate him higher in classic skiing.

 

[titan31]

Braisez Bouchet was lightning on her lap. Even with the penalty loop, she outskiied everyone there.

 

[BigCoward]

Do we think Norway just messed up the waxing? Or do they have some other issue?
None of them were close to what their best should be.

 

[kingjr]

Do we think Norway just messed up the waxing? Or do they have some other issue?
None of them were close to what their best should be.

Tarjei Boe, same time as Samuelsson, sounds about right. Perrot 4 seconds faster is a small surprise, but no sensation.
JT Boe, 3 seconds faster than Naewrath, 5 seconds faster than Ponsiluoma, sounds about right for this season.
Knotten 59 seconds back, that's a bit much probably, but Braisaz was really flying.
Tandrevold 12 seconds behind Lampic and maybe about a similar amount behind Simon had the latter done a normal last lap.

Aside from perhaps Knotten, they were all doing fine. France was really good, though.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Tarjei Boe, same time as Samuelsson, sounds about right. Perrot 4 seconds faster is a small surprise, but no sensation.
JT Boe, 3 seconds faster than Naewrath, 5 seconds faster than Ponsiluoma, sounds about right for this season.
Knotten 59 seconds back, that's a bit much probably, but Braisaz was really flying.
Tandrevold 12 seconds behind Lampic and maybe about a similar amount behind Simon had the latter done a normal last lap.

Aside from perhaps Knotten, they were all doing fine. France was really good, though.

JTB losing time to Nawrath over the last lap and losing time to QFM in the last few hundred meters were not what you'd expect from him. And his shooting also let him down, so right now it definitely doesn't look like he'll be dominating these championships. Form is temporary though.