Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

[jsem94]

Don't take me wrong but I think smug grin might be just product of your perception, or imagination. I don't see any. I find him likable.
So maybe Darja's style isn't that efficient, when Tora could outski her?
I'd say Marit is better in skate, last time it was well visible in skiathlon, where Charlotte could only be faster thanks to higher frequency uphill. On the flat it was clear who's superior.

To be fair, you can't properly judge ski technique in skiathlons. Because you need boots fitted for both classic and skate, the boots are designed as a happy medium. This means that the ankle flexibility is severely reduced for the classic style, but it's not as stiff for skate.

Kalla seems to be the strongest on slight inclines though, where she can utilize her one-skate superbly. I agree with Libertine though about the difference between Marit and Charlotte. It's even clearly seen in the physique of these athletes.

 

[Walkman]

With Domracheva's current form, especially shooting form, the race was a curiosity from the get go.

Wholeheartedly agree with your assessment about her technical finesse. IMHO she is technically the best skate skier around. The only relevant comparison in my book would be Elofsson, but I prefer Dasha.

If you compare her to Elofsson and says she comes out on top with regards to skiing technic I am inclined to watch some replays since I have missed all the races.

 

[Kokoso]

I think Martin Fourcade could have even better style than Darja.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

SuperSvendsen!!!!!! Teached MFourcade a lesson, haha!

 

[kanari]

SuperSvendsen!!!!!! Teached MFourcade a lesson, haha!

He almost pulled an Erik Zabel there though...

 

[maltiv]

Wow I think that's the most exciting sports event I've ever watched!

Amazing effort by Svendsen, he's been shooting insanely well this olympics (more than 95% hit I believe) and deserves a medal 100%. Almost ****ed it up at the end though, or perhaps he did on purpose as he knows how annoyed Fourcade gets when he loses by 5 cm

 

[frenchfry]

Fourcade is a bigger person than some posters on this thread. In a post-race interview he gave full credit to Svendsen and said that it was good to see him skiing at his usual level unlike in earlier races. No whining, no excuses, very humble. It was an exciting finish!

 

[maltiv]

Fourcade is a bigger person than some posters on this thread. In a post-race interview he gave full credit to Svendsen and said that it was good to see him skiing at his usual level unlike in earlier races. No whining, no excuses, very humble. It was an exciting finish!

He had some excuses before the start though - he has a cold. Said he felt bad in the start, but better during the race. Which was pretty evident as he was 40 seconds back at one point, with only 1 miss.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Fourcade is a bigger person than some posters on this thread. In a post-race interview he gave full credit to Svendsen and said that it was good to see him skiing at his usual level unlike in earlier races. No whining, no excuses, very humble. It was an exciting finish!

The man got 3 medals. He has every reason to be happy, so what would you expect from him? It's always easier to pretend to be humble when you have actually achieved something

 

[Bavarianrider]

Svendsen almost pulled the fail of the century

 

[jsem94]

Playing with fire, . Pretty exciting finish there, but Emil was the clear favorite. He is a much better sprinter.

 

[maltiv]

Playing with fire, . Pretty exciting finish there, but Emil was the clear favorite. He is a much better sprinter.

Much better is stretching it, they almost always end up like this in their duels (Svendsen winning by centimeters). Has happened at least 3 times earlier, as far as I can recall. Most spectacularly in the world championships last year, when the gap was much smaller than today.

 

[Flamin]

I recorded all channels which show the olympics, but no live coverage of the men's mass start?

edit: last 10k on BBC.

 

[Kokoso]

Much better is stretching it, they almost always end up like this in their duels (Svendsen winning by centimeters). Has happened at least 3 times earlier, as far as I can recall. Most spectacularly in the world championships last year, when the gap was much smaller than today.

Even to say better is stretching it again. It should be said that Martin had one penalty loop in addition today and one penalty loop plus 8 seconds to pursue at last year championship . So yeah, given these circumstances Svendsen sprinted better but you can't really say he's better because Martin was more tired.
I think Martin is faster. Today Svendsen's cowardly tactics win it for him.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Fourcade is a bigger person than some posters on this thread. In a post-race interview he gave full credit to Svendsen and said that it was good to see him skiing at his usual level unlike in earlier races. No whining, no excuses, very humble. It was an exciting finish!

Believe it or not, off the trails I actually don't mind Fourcade. He's quite a funny guy. I just can't stand his behaviour in races, and his dominance makes me annoyed in the same way as Sebastian Vettel (who is an amiable guy) has made F1 unwatchable in the last few years. When Svendsen is on peak form and you get a duel it's great to watch, which it isn't when he isn't, because Fourcade's head and shoulders above everybody else.

Even to say better is stretching it again. It should be said that Martin had one penalty loop in addition today and one penalty loop plus 8 seconds to pursue at last year championship . So yeah, given these circumstances Svendsen sprinted better but you can't really say he's better because Martin was more tired.
I think Martin is faster. Today Svendsen's cowardly tactics win it for him.

Martin is a faster skier, Svendsen has historically been the better in the sprint. I don't really think they were cowardly tactics; he won cos he shot 20/20. Unless you're an even bigger Lars Berger fan than I am, surely you don't consider shooting perfectly to be a cowardly way to win? Svendsen won today in a pretty similar way to when Fourcade won the Ruhpolding Mass Start last season - he shot 20/20, kept the pace slow, allowed those with misses to get back (Malyshko who was 2nd missed 1, but slow pace on the middle laps let him chase back), then on the final lap he outsprinted the others who'd had to work harder to chase back on because he had more left.

It also bore more than a passing resemblance to the Pursuit at Nové Město last year when Fourcade caught 15 seconds up on the last lap while Svendsen was playing games, then Svendsen won the sprint by a nanosecond.

 

[maltiv]

Switzerland is actually going with Dario on the first leg, and his brother Gianluca on the last one tomorrow. That's rather surprising, and personally I don't think it's a good idea.

For that tactic to work, Dario has to get a huge gap on his leg, as Gianluca isn't really good enough to outsprint any of the other guys in the final (Kriukov, Poltoranin, Northug, Harvey et al).

 

[python]

Switzerland is actually going with Dario on the first leg, and his brother Gianluca on the last one tomorrow. That's rather surprising, and personally I don't think it's a good idea.

For that tactic to work, Dario has to get a huge gap on his leg, as Gianluca isn't really good enough to outsprint any of the other guys in the final (Kriukov, Poltoranin, Northug, Harvey et al).

i think dario in the 1st leg is the only proper set up. many teams are putting the 'engine' (a distance specialist) in the 1st leg so that the second leg could save some energy. we know that dario is in a super shape and is capable of closing a gap or developing one. the swiss calculation is that if by the final leg, dario is in the mix, he can set up his brother for a medal by a breakaway. personally, i think the disparity between the 2 bros conditioning is too wide.


anyway, team sprints are one of my favourite disciplines. my assessment is that the swedes and the russians are going to dominate with the norwegians and finns fighting for the bronze.

jonsson will set this race on fire. take my word.

 

[maltiv]

i think dario in the 1st leg is the only proper set up. many teams are putting the 'engine' (a distance specialist) in the 1st leg so that the second leg could save some energy. we know that dario is in a super shape and is capable of closing a gap or developing one. the swiss calculation is that if by the final leg, dario is in the mix, he can set up his brother for a medal by a breakaway. personally, i think the disparity between the 2 bros conditioning is too wide.


anyway, team sprints are one of my favourite disciplines. my assessment is that the swedes and the russians are going to dominate with the norwegians and finns fighting for the bronze.

jonsson will set this race on fire. take my word.

Maybe you're right. Norway has it the other way around though, with a sprinter (Hattestad) in the 1st leg and Northug in the 2nd. They might be screwed if the pace is much higher in the 1st than in the 2nd leg.

Russia is the big favorite, as I see it. Kriokov won't be beaten in a sprint and I can't see Vylegzhanin getting dropped (perhaps only by Cologna).

Personally, I think Jonsson will blow up spectacularly like he did in the sprint

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Can't understand why Norway don't have someone like Sundy or Ronning on the first leg. Hattestad will get blown away by Vyleg and Cologna

 

[python]

Maybe you're right. Norway has it the other way around though, with a sprinter (Hattestad) in the 1st leg and Northug in the 2nd. They might be screwed if the pace is much higher in the 1st than in the 2nd leg.

actually, this is a remarkably sharp observation, particularly for a person who's heart , understandably so, is with his national team...here's what's interesting - the norwegian team staff named the 2 team sprint candidates (petter and hatterstad) some time ago. yet, they announced that petter will go in the last leg only in the last moment. why ? in my opinion, and this may answer the vino attacks concern, it was because the norwegan coaches did not really have that many solid choices. let's review them...

roenning? a terrific classic specialist, had been showing poor form ever since toblach. this was more than confirmed by a poor showing in a sochi skiathlon and and the 15k interval.

sundby ? unquestionably the strongest norge in sochi, but he is his own man (often at odds with the prima donna northug) who wants to save himself for the 50k skate.

northug ? sure. there is no one else better fit for the fans. but it was also clear, northug was badly under performing. that he, a distance racer, was put in the 2nd leg as opposed to a pure sprinter, tells me - the norwegian coaches figured hat petter aint an engine or a break away, at best, a decent finisher if given a thick chance.

otoh, vyleg and jonsson going in the 1st leg are known for their hard work, good shape and lack of fearing anyone

 

[Pricey_sky]

Finally caught up on the mens mass start from yesterday, I actually managed to avoid finding out the result. Another brilliant battle between Svendsen and Fourcade, I thought we were going to have an epic fail from Svendsen at the end there! Fourcade must hate these close sprints.

I have been disappointed that BBC haven't shown too much biathlon compared to other sports (unless you streamed online) so I was happy to hear they broadcast the last 10k's instead of just 5 minute highlights like the previous races and they were rewarded for doing so.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

XC today.
Men's and Ladies Team Sprint Classic Style will start at 10:15 (CET).

 

[python]

if anyone wants to project how the cologna bros race may develop among men, the polish girls team with justyna would be a case in point.

except justyna was the finisher.

 

[maltiv]

Hattestad already cracked, like I predicted earlier. And we're only in the semis...

 

[python]

this was a very interesting semi. i thought northug did very well shrinking the gap by 10 seconds...still norway 4th in the semi means they have a remote chance to be a lucky loser, b/c other teams in the 2 semi will deliberately go fast to insure not sprinting against petter.

große Deutschland !