Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

[Kokoso]

Re: Re:

Thanks. I did end up watching the race on youtube, and while it didn't seem like the worst move ever, it was definitely the closing of the door by Pidrushna. I know most Germans are very sporting, so Dahlmeier was diplomatic after watching the replay, so too the other members of the relay team, although at first she was fairly upset. No surprises there. While it's not fun to hear booing in a sport like biathlon, particularly when the host is involved, I completely understand the fans and their reaction.

Perfectly visible here from 1:13:15. Pidhrusna definitely didn't close the door on Dahlmeier. All time she headed the most smooth ridden part of the left lane, no moving left or right. Maybe it wasn't visible from public angle, otherwise I can't explain their despicable reaction. Feel sorry for Ukrainians.

 

[Kokoso]

Re: Re:

Do you know if something happened to Benny Weger? He was quite a talent but this year his results are sad to see.

He was very good last season, especially on the tracks, where he had good skiing ranks in the mass starts and pursuits. This year he's 1.2% slower than last year and his hit rate has decreased by 5%, so it's only 75% as of december the 23rd. He did however have the 2nd best course ranking in the Hochfilzen pursuit after MF, so clearly his form can't be all gone. If you are interested, you could try read his blog:
http://benjamin-weger.ch/Aktuell
It says his summer preparation went well. My guess is he's just not that consistent yet. Same with Rastorgujevs whose performances also seems to vary a lot.

Maybe it's think of camera work or director. Formerly Swiss biathletes used to be on the screen much more, especially Simon Hallenbarter being on the screen god knows why when there was somethign much more interesting (at least for me

Czech team had big problems with ski preparation in Ruhpolding, Moravec had really bad ski in mass start, Soukalova in both mass start and individual.
After poor season beginning Czech men are back with respectable performances. Michal Krčmář was fifth in mass start where je overtook Schempp, Svendsen, Desthieux, Eder and Moravec after last shooting.

 

[BullsFan22]

Re: Re:

Thanks. I did end up watching the race on youtube, and while it didn't seem like the worst move ever, it was definitely the closing of the door by Pidrushna. I know most Germans are very sporting, so Dahlmeier was diplomatic after watching the replay, so too the other members of the relay team, although at first she was fairly upset. No surprises there. While it's not fun to hear booing in a sport like biathlon, particularly when the host is involved, I completely understand the fans and their reaction.

Perfectly visible here from 1:13:15. Pidhrusna definitely didn't close the door on Dahlmeier. All time she headed the most smooth ridden part of the left lane, no moving left or right. Maybe it wasn't visible from public angle, otherwise I can't explain their despicable reaction. Feel sorry for Ukrainians.

"Despicable reaction" is a little harsh.

 

[Kokoso]

Re: Re:

Thanks. I did end up watching the race on youtube, and while it didn't seem like the worst move ever, it was definitely the closing of the door by Pidrushna. I know most Germans are very sporting, so Dahlmeier was diplomatic after watching the replay, so too the other members of the relay team, although at first she was fairly upset. No surprises there. While it's not fun to hear booing in a sport like biathlon, particularly when the host is involved, I completely understand the fans and their reaction.

Perfectly visible here from 1:13:15. Pidhrusna definitely didn't close the door on Dahlmeier. All time she headed the most smooth ridden part of the left lane, no moving left or right. Maybe it wasn't visible from public angle, otherwise I can't explain their despicable reaction. Feel sorry for Ukrainians.

"Despicable reaction" is a little harsh.

As well as telling that Pidhrusna closed Dahlmeier, public was harsh on Ukrainians too. Anyway my english isn't very good so sorry for that. What's the right word?

 

[BullsFan22]

Re: Re:

Thanks. I did end up watching the race on youtube, and while it didn't seem like the worst move ever, it was definitely the closing of the door by Pidrushna. I know most Germans are very sporting, so Dahlmeier was diplomatic after watching the replay, so too the other members of the relay team, although at first she was fairly upset. No surprises there. While it's not fun to hear booing in a sport like biathlon, particularly when the host is involved, I completely understand the fans and their reaction.

Perfectly visible here from 1:13:15. Pidhrusna definitely didn't close the door on Dahlmeier. All time she headed the most smooth ridden part of the left lane, no moving left or right. Maybe it wasn't visible from public angle, otherwise I can't explain their despicable reaction. Feel sorry for Ukrainians.

"Despicable reaction" is a little harsh.

As well as telling that Pidhrusna closed Dahlmeier, public was harsh on Ukrainians too. Anyway my english isn't very good so sorry for that. What's the right word?

Have you ever taken part in a xc or biathlon race before?

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Tiril Eckhoff skips the WC events in North America because she wants to avoid the jet lag.
http://www.nrk.no/sport/eckhoff-tar-verdenscup-pause_-_-gambling-1.12760791

Instead she will be participating in the IBU cup

 

[Libertine Seguros]

This happened in 2010-11 when they had Presque Isle and Fort Kent as well, with the World Championships in Khanty, people didn't want to fly to North America, fly back, adjust to jet lag, do a bit of training then fly all the way over to Khanty. The February IBU Cup events that year saw especially secondary nations saving money and effort of travelling to North America, as well as Russians splitting their team, so people like Shipulin, Kuzmina, Ustyugov, Gereková, Anev, Iliev and Bogaliy-Titovets appeared in the IBU Cup; the Slovaks and Bulgarians basically sent nobody to the US, while the Russians sent most of their IBU Cup squad out there to gain World Cup experience.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Some different names in the top 10 today. Good to see.
Funny course times aswell, with Mäkarainen barely among the top 10 skiers and Soukalova and Hildebrand out of top 10. Can it be the altitude or just a sudden lack of form?

 

[TomasC]

I think altitude definitely plays a big role here. It is actually historically the best placing for Soukalová in Antholz in any individual discipline. Same for Veronika Vítková. They are pretty happy with top 10 I think.

 

[Kokoso]

Re: Re:

Have you ever taken part in a xc or biathlon race before?

No. Even if my english is bad I know that it isn't much of answer

 

[Kokoso]

Re:

I think altitude definitely plays a big role here. It is actually historically the best placing for Soukalová in Antholz in any individual discipline. Same for Veronika Vítková. They are pretty happy with top 10 I think.

There can be more factors to it, i.e. Vítková said she had cold, cough and feel exhausted before Antholz.

 

[Kokoso]

Re:

I think altitude definitely plays a big role here. It is actually historically the best placing for Soukalová in Antholz in any individual discipline. Same for Veronika Vítková. They are pretty happy with top 10 I think.

Actually what you say is misleading. In 2012/2013 season she did actually well in Antholz compared to some other venues, and she has worse results in venues which are in lower altitude. Also she has good results in Pokljuka, which is in higher altitude too. Similar for Vítková.

 

[Nastyy]

Re:

Some different names in the top 10 today. Good to see.
Funny course times aswell, with Mäkarainen barely among the top 10 skiers and Soukalova and Hildebrand out of top 10. Can it be the altitude or just a sudden lack of form?

Mäkäräinen has been sick lately, so that probably affected her skiing yesterday.

 

[python]

...so we have another biathlon sprint in 20 minutes...i would like a surprise name to win, sort of like yesterday in women. if podchu could be called a surprise.

regarding the xc sking wc coming this weakend, the queen even will the team realy on sunday. quite interesting, northug at first claimed to go to nove mesto to only perform his frequently demonstrated 180...i don't buy his explanation. that's a puzzle for the norwegians as to who will be the finisher for norway 1. quite likely it will be against russia 1 ustiugov finishing. could that duel avoidance be the true reason for the petter turn around ?

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re:

...so we have another biathlon sprint in 20 minutes...i would like a surprise name to win, sort of like yesterday in women. if podchu could be called a surprise.

regarding the xc sking wc coming this weakend, the queen even will the team realy on sunday. quite interesting, northug at first claimed to go to nove mesto to only perform his frequently demonstrated 180...i don't buy his explanation. that's a puzzle for the norwegians as to who will be the finisher for norway 1. quite likely it will be against russia 1 ustiugov finishing. could that duel avoidance be the true reason for the petter turn around ?

Unfortunately not. The "German Fourcade" wins. Atleast it's good to see Tsvetkov on podium and Tarjei reducing the advantage to Fourcade.

 

[BullsFan22]

Re: Re:

...so we have another biathlon sprint in 20 minutes...i would like a surprise name to win, sort of like yesterday in women. if podchu could be called a surprise.

regarding the xc sking wc coming this weakend, the queen even will the team realy on sunday. quite interesting, northug at first claimed to go to nove mesto to only perform his frequently demonstrated 180...i don't buy his explanation. that's a puzzle for the norwegians as to who will be the finisher for norway 1. quite likely it will be against russia 1 ustiugov finishing. could that duel avoidance be the true reason for the petter turn around ?

Unfortunately not. The "German Fourcade" wins. Atleast it's good to see Tsvetkov on podium and Tarjei reducing the advantage to Fourcade.

Strange to see Schempp winning literally days after getting over the sickness which plagued him over Christmas. Like nothing happened to him. Thignes Boe was flying. I reckon the top ski times are probably Thignes Boe, Shipulin, Eberhard, Fourcade.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re: Re:

...so we have another biathlon sprint in 20 minutes...i would like a surprise name to win, sort of like yesterday in women. if podchu could be called a surprise.

regarding the xc sking wc coming this weakend, the queen even will the team realy on sunday. quite interesting, northug at first claimed to go to nove mesto to only perform his frequently demonstrated 180...i don't buy his explanation. that's a puzzle for the norwegians as to who will be the finisher for norway 1. quite likely it will be against russia 1 ustiugov finishing. could that duel avoidance be the true reason for the petter turn around ?

Unfortunately not. The "German Fourcade" wins. Atleast it's good to see Tsvetkov on podium and Tarjei reducing the advantage to Fourcade.

Strange to see Schempp winning literally days after getting over the sickness which plagued him over Christmas. Like nothing happened to him. Thignes Boe was flying. I reckon the top ski times are probably Thignes Boe, Shipulin, Eberhard, Fourcade.

Not quite, but Eberhard, Shipulin and JBoe was very fast, as you point out. Fourcade, on the other hand, was 26 seconds slower than JBoe, and barely hanging on to a top 10 course time:
http://www.realbiathlon.com/

Schempp is a beast though. He is more complete than Fourcade at the moment.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Schempp always goes well at Antholz, but yea, straight back from sickness to victory, strange. Fourcade, on the other hand, typically isn't at his best at the end of a competition block. I always used to think it was to do with altitude (his ski speed at Pokljuka and Antholz tends to not be as good as elsewhere) but Sochi put paid to that.

 

[Kokoso]

Schempp isn't going straight from ilness, races mass start at Ruhpolding already. Christmas is almost month ago now.

 

[BullsFan22]

Re:

Schempp isn't going straight from ilness, races mass start at Ruhpolding already. Christmas is almost month ago now.

Why so serious?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

They may not have got the Biathlon World Cup in Nové Mesto this year, but they've got the XC World Cup, and Maurice Manificat just upset Martin Johnsrud Duracell Sundby! I thought the snow falling during the women's race would favour the early starters, but Johaug still - just - had enough to beat Jacobsen, the best of the earlier going. Ustiugov really good today as well, finished really strongly.

Congrats to Katya Yurlova for winning a great pursuit in Antholz too.

 

[python]

i gotta say, this was one of the most interesting 15 k individual during at least this season. 1st off, congrats to manificat for an astounding win (no, not a surprise at all) but his pacing was perfect, perfect ! then, it was exciting to see the personal battle btwn krogh and ustiugov. they never said it public but i have a hunch that their rivalry - in a healthy sense - has been extended from the tds where krogh with all his bad luck was able to beat serhey in a final climb...and speaking of ustiugov's 3d, i'd say it is very impressive. iirc, it is his 1st podium in a wc long distance race (any relay excluded). he lost only 2 something seconds to sundby who was in a perfect position to gain much more being behind, but was in fact fading...i though he will deliver a baby at the finish

i was happy to see the vet bauer back this season, though he's far from any form. a somewhat disappointing halfvarsson's 1st long race of the season keep me wondering about what's going on with the swedes
and more immediate impressions...the strong show by the russians in general and by their young. if i do recall chervotkin from the last year's world ch u23 (he was very strong sprinting uphills), i have no recollection of melnichenko who showed a very good result today. legkov ? good show but behind 2-3 of his young compatriots. honestly, i'd not put him in a relay tomorrow given the today's results and him not being a classic wizard. and yes, polto also surprised by a top 10 in a very competitive field.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

One of the best pursuits of the Biathlon WC season just finished. Incredible to see Johannes outski Fourcade on the last loop despite 450 extra meters in the legs. Also, congratulations to Shipulin for winning. I hope he's on a roll now - really a cool russian biathlete, who I'd like to see more top level consistency from.

 

[BullsFan22]

Re:

i gotta say, this was one of the most interesting 15 k individual during at least this season. 1st off, congrats to manificat for an astounding win (no, not a surprise at all) but his pacing was perfect, perfect ! then, it was exciting to see the personal battle btwn krogh and ustiugov. they never said it public but i have a hunch that their rivalry - in a healthy sense - has been extended from the tds where krogh with all his bad luck was able to beat serhey in a final climb...and speaking of ustiugov's 3d, i'd say it is very impressive. iirc, it is his 1st podium in a wc long distance race (any relay excluded). he lost only 2 something seconds to sundby who was in a perfect position to gain much more being behind, but was in fact fading...i though he will deliver a baby at the finish

i was happy to see the vet bauer back this season, though he's far from any form. a somewhat disappointing halfvarsson's 1st long race of the season keep me wondering about what's going on with the swedes
and more immediate impressions...the strong show by the russians in general and by their young. if i do recall chervotkin from the last year's world ch u23 (he was very strong sprinting uphills), i have no recollection of melnichenko who showed a very good result today. legkov ? good show but behind 2-3 of his young compatriots. honestly, i'd not put him in a relay tomorrow given the today's results and him not being a classic wizard. and yes, polto also surprised by a top 10 in a very competitive field.

It's not Ustiugov's first WC distance podium. He had one last year in the Rybinsk 15km, behind Cologna and Belov. He also has some other impressive distance results from a year ago and also the Sochi season. He was 5th at the Ruka Triple in 2013/2014. Too many other solid results to post here. He also dominated the WJ and U23 championships in distance races as well. Him doing this is not shocking, although it might seem surprising. After last year he said he wanted to be an all rounder, which he most definitely is now. His coaches (Burgermeister and Knauthe) say he might be more talented than Cologna, Northug and Sundby.

Belov is rounding into form, just a shame for the TDS, his skis were crap in the Oberstdorf and Val Di Fiemme classic races.

Legkov is having a decent year, but no podium yet. I agree about the relay tomorrow, but if he goes, he'll be 3rd leg, although probably not on the 1st team.

Chervotkin is a huge talent. He too, dominated World Juniors last year, winning both distance races and relay. He already has a few top 30 WC results, but this is big for him. Hopefully the Russians don't over race him and grind him to the ground, like they did to Sedov (remember him?).

Manificat is capitalizing on his strong suit, the individual skate races. He rarely has a bad individual, middle distance skate race. He seems like a good person, so hats off to him!

Krogh is good. I was expecting more form one or two others, like Roethe, but he seems to be too up and down.

 

[python]

^^i know you discovered this thread recently, bf22, but if you page back some years, you will find out that i've been keeping an eye (and posting on) the ustiougov's huge talent for a while. yep, i am all too familiar with his youth and u23 world titles, the caution i was typically applying to him had to do with some ups and downs once he started racing full time wc... regarding his talent compared to cologna and northug and legkov (i dont recall she ever mentioned sundby), i believe knaute put it even in more definitive terms, 'the most talented russian she knew and given more by the nature' than those named. she certainly knows the swiss and russian kitchen (legkov was hers and reto's client untill recently) to pass a judgement on cologna and legkov. and she had been around the sport long enough to know the insider on the norwegians. things like the actual vo2 max etc.

manificat is not only an excellent skater, but imo one of the most elegant and a candy to watch. belov's problems at the tds according to some stuff i heard were not just his skis but some health issues too...