Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

[Mayomaniac]

I really hope Bolshounov is smart enough to skip the Sprint.

The Russians and Bolshunov himself being smart enough to skip a race? Probably wishful thinking.
I totally agree with you that he should skip the skating sprint.
Spitsov may have earned himself a spot in the 15km classic race today.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

I really hope Bolshounov is smart enough to skip the Sprint.

We know this won't happen. I am quite sure he will compete in all six races.

 

[bambino]

So after 2 races... Borodavko crew flying (except Chervotkin), rest of Russians more or less lost. Finns suprisingly strong on the races they did not expect much. Norway in troubles (except Johaug). Swedes not great (except Poromaa). We ought to have interesting games in our hands, especially for relays.

 

[BullsFan22]

I’d rather see Cramer’s group doing this well, tbh. I hope they get something out of these Olympics. Ustiugov deserves some medals. Hope he’s fit enough and can have a very good sprint. Then he would get a spot in the team sprint.

 

[DenisMenchov]

Perfect course, perfect race, perfect result. Give me more of this kind of XC skiing any day of the week over the boring mass sprint to the line.

 

[search]

The Russians and Bolshunov himself being smart enough to skip a race? Probably wishful thinking.
I totally agree with you that he should skip the skating sprint.

on German commentary, Jochen Behle joked, that the covid cancellations of the January races may have won him the gold, as he otherwise would have arrived tired, probably having done all of them anyway

 

[Bavarianrider]

Oh well Norwegian media is accusing Bolshunov of Doping already. Dagbladet has a huge headline on their front webpage. Maybe they should bring a million asthma units instead of 100thousand next time.

 

[BullsFan22]

So is the American media, Nat Herz (a clown, if we’re to be honest) already asked Bolshunov about doping suspicions that readers of the Fasterskier website may be asking.

 

[titan31]

I thought it was a dull race. Was over after about 8km. I know some like that but a race like that doesn't get TV viewers.

 

[Mayomaniac]

on German commentary, Jochen Behle joked, that the covid cancellations of the January races may have won him the gold, as he otherwise would have arrived tired, probably having done all of them anyway

The Swiss made the remark that he's probably the only one who wants to race even more races than the Russian federation expects him to race and that they actually didn't want him to start in Dresden.
About Norway, sour grapes...

 

[DenisMenchov]

Bolshunov, Terentyev, Ustiugov and Maltsev for Russia in the sprint.

 

[Mayomaniac]

That said, I believe that being one of Riiber's close contacts and all that comes with it had an impact on Klaebo performance. Him being this bad in the classic part of the race isn't normal.
I don't think he'd have taken a medal, but a performace similar do Golberg would have been possible.

 

[search]

That said, I believe that being one of Riiber's close contacts and all that comes with it had an impact on Klaebo performance. Him being this bad in the classic part of the race isn't normal.

I don't think he was, not in terms of facing any consequences at least. Are you mistaking him with J.T. Boe maybe?

 

[Mayomaniac]

I don't think he was, not in terms of facing any consequences at least. Are you mistaking him with J.T. Boe maybe?

I thing I heard sonewhere that he was also a close contact, but apparently not, my bad.

 

[Silhouette]

Everybody on the Norwegian cross country teams were close contacts when Weng/Krüger tested positive. Because of this they arrived very late in China. I don't think Klæbo was close contact with anybody more recently. Klæbo was never going to win a race in these conditions when Bolshunov was back in his shape. Of the Norwegians, Krüger would have had the best chances for a podium.

 

[Sciatic]

I watch races a few times per year, so perhaps this isn’t that unusual—but was interested to see that during the long double-poling sections of the classic leg, most of the leading group was skiing the platform between the sets of tracks instead of in the tracks. So for some reason the tracks were slower? I ski in a very mild, wet climate, and often the tracks are slower when they get soggy, but obviously that wasn’t the case there?

 

[Bavarianrider]

I watch races a few times per year, so perhaps this isn’t that unusual—but was interested to see that during the long double-poling sections of the classic leg, most of the leading group was skiing the platform between the sets of tracks instead of in the tracks. So for some reason the tracks were slower? I ski in a very mild, wet climate, and often the tracks are slower when they get soggy, but obviously that wasn’t the case there?

The Strong wind is constantly transporting tiny bits of snow through the air. In the tracks this snow gets stuck and makes the tracks slower.

 

[DenisMenchov]

The Strong wind is constantly transporting tiny bits of snow through the air. In the tracks this snow gets stuck and makes the tracks slower.

And not only snow but the dust (sand) from the mountains around as well.

 

[Sciatic]

The Strong wind is constantly transporting tiny bits of snow through the air. In the tracks this snow gets stuck and makes the tracks slower.

Thanks, that’s good to know. I always appreciate your, LS’s, Mayomaniac’s, and Bullsfan’s (and some of the others) expertise on this forum; I learn a lot. At first I wondered if they were staying out of the tracks because there’s more sun exposure in the platform than in the shaded tracks, allowing at least at bit of melting on the surface—but I guess it’s too cold for that to be a factor.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Thanks, that’s good to know. I always appreciate your, LS’s, Mayomaniac’s, and Bullsfan’s (and some of the others) expertise on this forum; I learn a lot. At first I wondered if they were staying out of the tracks because there’s more sun exposure in the platform than in the shaded tracks, allowing at least at bit of melting on the surface—but I guess it’s too cold for that to be a factor.

Well, that is most definitely a good thought and I think this very well might be a factor to a certain extend, too.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Just rewatched the race again. Absolutely crazy how much time Bolshounov and Spitsov gained in everyone in the First 3.75 km of skating. They were absolutely flying after the Change while everyone else wasnlooking cooked as hell.
IT will be interesting to See what Happens to Kleabo. If Temperaturen stay Like this He could be a real liabilty for the relay.

 

[BullsFan22]

One of the things that surprised me was Holund not being able to even make up a bit of time on Niskanen. Niskanen looked already cooked on the first uphill in the skate part. Holund was much more dynamic and had glide, yet he still lost time to the top 3. With the way the skate portion started, I thought there was no way Niskanen would hold on.

 

[Silhouette]

Holund said he was on the limit or above for the classic part of the race and almost passed out before they started to skate.

 

[Sciatic]

Holund said he was on the limit or above for the classic part of the race and almost passed out before they started to skate.

Wow

 

[search]

Extremely surprising results from Patterson and Vermeulen. Didn’t see those results coming, at all.

Stadlober said that she had very good skies in classic, and "a rocketship in skating". So sounds like the Austrians pretty much nailed it - maybe Vermeulen benefitted from that as well.