- Feb 20, 2010
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That lunge did look quite painful, and seemed like the most likely explanation, but without any commentary it was hard to tell.
- Sep 25, 2009
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Re: Re:
a fool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!kingjr said:A what?python said:bolshunov just made a full out of you (and 4 norwegians asthmatics to boot). nepryeva also made you look like a full misreading bad sports luck in a contact sprint for insulting the athletes.kingjr said:
Re: Re:
Sound volume was not the issue. Anyway, I was rooting for Bolshunov. But his crash was just silly.python said:a fool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!kingjr said:A what?python said:bolshunov just made a full out of you (and 4 norwegians asthmatics to boot). nepryeva also made you look like a full misreading bad sports luck in a contact sprint for insulting the athletes.kingjr said:
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Surely there've been some more surprsising names than Marko Kilp (who has number of WC sprint top 30 results) - Lepisto, Krasnov, Haeggstroem, Maltsev. These guys are new or almost new in top 30.python said:
- Sep 25, 2009
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the 10K just started...i find it very interesting how johaug will performorm after missing the tds. all the girls that could have provided the competition are at the start line. oestberg looks the closest, but i personally hope that ebba or nepreyeva push therese. kalla ? may be, if it was a skate, but than again, she's been very strong in some classic races. parma ? absolutely. though it is not in finland, but otepaa is as close in culture and language as finland.
the course is hilly with a very sharp hill in the middle - sort of favoring johaug, BUT is is also cold and packed giving some powerfull girls like kalla a chance.
also, in today's expressen.se there is a very interesting article with the analysis of the johaugs winning margins...
the conclusion they arrived at is that they have gone down this season. the same exact conclusion i arrived at...but for that one has to refer to the clinic
----adding
The normal word is 'destruction', but i'd use johaug 'demolished everyone'. so far the biggest 10k margin this season.
the course is hilly with a very sharp hill in the middle - sort of favoring johaug, BUT is is also cold and packed giving some powerfull girls like kalla a chance.
also, in today's expressen.se there is a very interesting article with the analysis of the johaugs winning margins...
the conclusion they arrived at is that they have gone down this season. the same exact conclusion i arrived at...but for that one has to refer to the clinic
----adding
The normal word is 'destruction', but i'd use johaug 'demolished everyone'. so far the biggest 10k margin this season.
- Apr 7, 2011
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Tough race in Otep that's how it should lawys be. Great track. Some serious gaps even in the men's race, crazy gaps in the women's race. Expected victories for Niskaanen und Johaug. Great Weekend for Bolshunov who continues to prove that he he the best skier of the season.
Hello! Big fan of winter sports here.
I have to say the state of professional cross-country skiing makes me sad. Especially on the men's side. Remember the days, when we had competitive teams from a variety of nations like Germany, Italy, Czechia, Sweden? Now these countries have at best 1 competitive skier if any at all. Hell, even Canada had a strong relay team in Vancouver. It's only Russia and Norway left now. And among those, who trouble them, the likes of Manificat, Cologna and Harvey also have been around for a decade already, so they are kinda old-school. When they retire, who is going to replace them? What has changed during the last 10 years? XC has always been kind of a marginal sport, but now the state of it is worse than I have frankly ever seen before. And it's getting worse each year.
On the women's side at least Sweden is also competitive, so that makes three competitive nations. Andersson is a future star. Almost a present star already. The only problem is for her is a certain other skier, who keeps winning by a minute every time, lol. But never mind, that's not gonna last forever. Finland is a Nordic country as well, but they have only got Iivo Niskanen and Pärmäkoski left with everyone else a loong way behind. Even a 40-year-old Roponen still easily makes the Finnish team, because there is no-one to take that position away from her.
Biathlon... Now in contrast it's better than ever before. Even relays are more competitive than, say, 10-20 years ago. In women side it used to be either Germany or Russia winning, now it's totally open. Men, yeah also good. There are about 5-6 teams both in women and men, who can win a relay on a good day. And we are talking about relay, where you need at least 4 reasonable competitors! About 15 nations (not counting exactly here though, lol) can find at least one athlete, who could get an individual podium on a good day.
But of course in a way I'm not surprised, how it is affecting popularity and hence strength of competition. Biathlon as a spectator sport is much more exciting than cross-country with all the drama and all that, hence attracting better viewing figures. So maybe the success of biathlon has at least partly played to role of the demise of competitive cross-country skiing.
Well, could go on, but these are my first thoughts.
I have to say the state of professional cross-country skiing makes me sad. Especially on the men's side. Remember the days, when we had competitive teams from a variety of nations like Germany, Italy, Czechia, Sweden? Now these countries have at best 1 competitive skier if any at all. Hell, even Canada had a strong relay team in Vancouver. It's only Russia and Norway left now. And among those, who trouble them, the likes of Manificat, Cologna and Harvey also have been around for a decade already, so they are kinda old-school. When they retire, who is going to replace them? What has changed during the last 10 years? XC has always been kind of a marginal sport, but now the state of it is worse than I have frankly ever seen before. And it's getting worse each year.
On the women's side at least Sweden is also competitive, so that makes three competitive nations. Andersson is a future star. Almost a present star already. The only problem is for her is a certain other skier, who keeps winning by a minute every time, lol. But never mind, that's not gonna last forever. Finland is a Nordic country as well, but they have only got Iivo Niskanen and Pärmäkoski left with everyone else a loong way behind. Even a 40-year-old Roponen still easily makes the Finnish team, because there is no-one to take that position away from her.
Biathlon... Now in contrast it's better than ever before. Even relays are more competitive than, say, 10-20 years ago. In women side it used to be either Germany or Russia winning, now it's totally open. Men, yeah also good. There are about 5-6 teams both in women and men, who can win a relay on a good day. And we are talking about relay, where you need at least 4 reasonable competitors! About 15 nations (not counting exactly here though, lol) can find at least one athlete, who could get an individual podium on a good day.
But of course in a way I'm not surprised, how it is affecting popularity and hence strength of competition. Biathlon as a spectator sport is much more exciting than cross-country with all the drama and all that, hence attracting better viewing figures. So maybe the success of biathlon has at least partly played to role of the demise of competitive cross-country skiing.
Well, could go on, but these are my first thoughts.
- Sep 25, 2009
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may be bavaria does, but where did you see the anti norwegian bias there ?
he just cheered for an athlete, perhaps in a bit subjective way.. he said exactly zero about the french, finnish, swedish or norwgians. the comparison btwn klaebo and bolshu is fun, but it will always come on the side of who one is rooting for. both are the biggest young talents in the sport. their objective record shows that klaebo is a superior sprinter with good distance potential, and bolshu is better at distances with improving sprint. it would be reasonable, based on overall record, to suggest that bolshu is a bit more universal. both wrt skiing styles and sprint vs distance. this can change even towards the end of the season either way as both at 22 yo are essentially still forming.
to try to deduce who is better from a mid season gc standing imo is premature.
he just cheered for an athlete, perhaps in a bit subjective way.. he said exactly zero about the french, finnish, swedish or norwgians. the comparison btwn klaebo and bolshu is fun, but it will always come on the side of who one is rooting for. both are the biggest young talents in the sport. their objective record shows that klaebo is a superior sprinter with good distance potential, and bolshu is better at distances with improving sprint. it would be reasonable, based on overall record, to suggest that bolshu is a bit more universal. both wrt skiing styles and sprint vs distance. this can change even towards the end of the season either way as both at 22 yo are essentially still forming.
to try to deduce who is better from a mid season gc standing imo is premature.
The anti Norwegian bias is thick in this thread. It's the only way I can see how anyone would say Bolshunov is 'proving he is the best skier of the season'. Klaebo has 7 wins to his 2, and won the TdS. Theu are both very exciting, with obviously different characteristics. But im sure Bolshunov would swap victories so far this season with Klaebo in a second.
By the way, I totally get the anti Norwegian sentiment, Boe, Klaebo, Johaug and Riiber are not great for their sport with their constant victories.
By the way, I totally get the anti Norwegian sentiment, Boe, Klaebo, Johaug and Riiber are not great for their sport with their constant victories.
Re:
Sprints don't matter, tour wins based on bonus seconds don't matter, winning a pursuit with a 15s head start thanks to bonus seconds by sucking skis to the finish strait on a laughably easy course does not matter.
Bolshunov is a better skier than Klaebo. Ebba Andersson is a better skier than Stina Nilsson. Nothing to do with anti-norwegian bias.
Singer01 said:
Sprints don't matter, tour wins based on bonus seconds don't matter, winning a pursuit with a 15s head start thanks to bonus seconds by sucking skis to the finish strait on a laughably easy course does not matter.
Bolshunov is a better skier than Klaebo. Ebba Andersson is a better skier than Stina Nilsson. Nothing to do with anti-norwegian bias.
- May 5, 2009
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I would rather see more 30, 50km Mass Starts than this ridiculous amount of sprint races. Make a 5km individual start every now and then. Bring back skiathlon. Or implement an idividual skiathlon, that could be interesting, it would even decrease the effect of drafting athletes in different loops.
Looking at the world cup calendar, it's true that the season is full of sprints and 15 km (or 10 for women) races. I don't know why is that. I assume shorter races are less time-consuming? There have always been very few 50 km races, because they are quite exhausting.
As for lack of skiathlons, I read recently that FIS is planning to abolish this discipline altogether. Because arguably it's too much of a challenge or hassle for event organizers to prepare separate ski tracks for classic and freestyle. And it's an extra effort for wax teams to prepare two sets of skis. Plus you need a good stadium for a pit box.
Combined with decline in XC skiing in general - Jürg Capol said viewing figures have dwindled 40% since 2011 (is anyone surprised?) - I assume event organizers and ski teams can't afford the expenses. Or at least that's the conclusion FIS has reached.
As for lack of skiathlons, I read recently that FIS is planning to abolish this discipline altogether. Because arguably it's too much of a challenge or hassle for event organizers to prepare separate ski tracks for classic and freestyle. And it's an extra effort for wax teams to prepare two sets of skis. Plus you need a good stadium for a pit box.
Combined with decline in XC skiing in general - Jürg Capol said viewing figures have dwindled 40% since 2011 (is anyone surprised?) - I assume event organizers and ski teams can't afford the expenses. Or at least that's the conclusion FIS has reached.
Re:
I don't think Riiber winning is much of an issue, because he is new at the top and recent seasons were dominated by Germans anyway, so that's a change.
Bö (or Boe? I don't have Norwegian alphabet) is also a change after 7 consecutive victories of Fourcade overall wins.
Kläbo is quite a special talent with his unique running style, and all that. Stina Nilsson in women's sprint has had quite similar dominance. From what I have seen, both usually sprint away from others already during the middle of the course.
However, I find biggest issue with Johaug. Her technique isn't very efficient and she just utterly dominates. It's all too reminiscent of Johann Mühlegg. Imagine if Mühlegg had come back in 2004 after the ban and crushed everyone? You are right, everyone would have called him a cheat. So there is an axe hanging over Johaug's head and if she just keeps dominating so utterly that almost nobody has done in the past, this axe isn't going to disappear anywhere. But obviously it's up to WADA to catch people, and for us there is little point to complain. Just watch the show.
Singer01 said:
I don't think Riiber winning is much of an issue, because he is new at the top and recent seasons were dominated by Germans anyway, so that's a change.
Bö (or Boe? I don't have Norwegian alphabet) is also a change after 7 consecutive victories of Fourcade overall wins.
Kläbo is quite a special talent with his unique running style, and all that. Stina Nilsson in women's sprint has had quite similar dominance. From what I have seen, both usually sprint away from others already during the middle of the course.
However, I find biggest issue with Johaug. Her technique isn't very efficient and she just utterly dominates. It's all too reminiscent of Johann Mühlegg. Imagine if Mühlegg had come back in 2004 after the ban and crushed everyone? You are right, everyone would have called him a cheat. So there is an axe hanging over Johaug's head and if she just keeps dominating so utterly that almost nobody has done in the past, this axe isn't going to disappear anywhere. But obviously it's up to WADA to catch people, and for us there is little point to complain. Just watch the show.
Re:
I hated them getting rid of skiathlon, though i'd have liked it rotated so it was classic 2nd every other race. Justyna chasing the freestyle specialists down at her best in a classic second leg would have been great to see.
The lack of distance races is a pain. I don't know anybody that likes sprints most out of the disciplines.zarnack said:
I hated them getting rid of skiathlon, though i'd have liked it rotated so it was classic 2nd every other race. Justyna chasing the freestyle specialists down at her best in a classic second leg would have been great to see.
It is interesting that in biathlon women world cup overall competition is much closer than in men. And it has often been the case. Meanwhile in cross-country usually competition among men is tighter.
Thinking of reasons, I guess in men the ones, who have been the fastest skiers (i.e OEB, Fourcade, Bö), usually deliver. However, in women side the fastest ones are less reliable. That opens up the competition more. The likes of Mäkäräinen, Kuzmina and Herrmann shoot very hit-and-miss. Meanwhile Wierer and Vittozzi are hardly among the fastest skiers, but they are so rock-solid all the time. And considering the point system of the world cup, consistency is what wins you in the end. If you miss races or score nothing, you would lose a lot of ground, which is very hard to make up. I guess IBU has put emphasis on consistency to motivate biathletes compete for the whole season. Anyway... basically, who would be present in the Canadian and US world cup rounds? This could decide the fate of the cup.
Thinking of reasons, I guess in men the ones, who have been the fastest skiers (i.e OEB, Fourcade, Bö), usually deliver. However, in women side the fastest ones are less reliable. That opens up the competition more. The likes of Mäkäräinen, Kuzmina and Herrmann shoot very hit-and-miss. Meanwhile Wierer and Vittozzi are hardly among the fastest skiers, but they are so rock-solid all the time. And considering the point system of the world cup, consistency is what wins you in the end. If you miss races or score nothing, you would lose a lot of ground, which is very hard to make up. I guess IBU has put emphasis on consistency to motivate biathletes compete for the whole season. Anyway... basically, who would be present in the Canadian and US world cup rounds? This could decide the fate of the cup.
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