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Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

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yeah, if he also managed to stay in good shape, definitely. Weng is back in Norway as well, but apart from that, I haven't found any news.

Any ideas for the sprint tomorrow?
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looks like not so easy a course, and the snow conditions will probably be slow again as well. Hard enough for the types of Bolshunov or Nepryaeva to get involved again?
Tough sprint course indeed. Certainly nothing for pure sprinters. I guess someone like Wenzl is glad that he is retired seeing those tracks.
Still, anything but a Klaebo vitcory would be a ausprise. No matter the conditions.
I really hope that Ustiogov will do well, though I fear he wont given team Karmers results in the skiathlon.
 
The late schedule (16:00 qualification; 18:30 heats) will ensure colder temperatures, which means slower snow, and if there’s wind (from what I see there shouldn’t be too much, certainly not as much as there was for the women’s skiathlon) that will make things tricky. I think Klæbo’s strengths could be neutralized. It could benefit power sprinters like Ustiugov and Bolshunov and the French guys. Of course nobody really knows what sort of form Ustiugov is in, not really sure even he knows, but if he’s in decent form you’d expect him to use his power on the second long hill to try and soften the race up. If optimal shape he’s capable of pushing from the gun and really breaking up the heats he is in. I don’t think that will happen tomorrow, because I don’t think he’s in the 2012-2018 form, certainly not 2016-2017, his best season to date, where he’d win qualification by 3 or 4 seconds. Maybe he’ll play it tactical and use his speed on the long back stretch and last 150-200 meters, I don’t know. Having enough luck will be in play as well I think. Who picks what heat, obstructions and crashes (hopefully we have none of that, at least the course is wide enough for passing opportunities), how much rest in between heats, pacing, etc.

Personally I’d like to see Ustiugov and Pellegrino get on the podium. Ustiugov fell in the final in Sochi in 2014, when it looked like he could challenge for the win. Then wasn’t allowed in Korea, plus the injuries and illnesses, so it would be huge if he can get a medal of any color. Pellegrino last big chance, IMO. He is two years older than Ustiugov and while he does have a medal from 2018, I am sure he’d like gold this time. He hasn’t been to impressive this season but I think he’s getting better, and De Fabiani’s ston result in the skiathlon yesterday means he should be in solid form, as they’ve trained together.
 
Damn Fillon Maillet was scorchingly fast today unlike Tarjei Boe which was very slow. Smolski should be good enough for the podium with a little help from Loginov in the last lap.

As for the sprint, I think Ustiugov may very well win it given the great recovery ability that he has but the French are also looking dangerous and Klaebo is always a candidate.
 
Chanavat went thermonuclear in the quali.
Speaking of thermonuclear, who is the Chinese guy in 5th place?
quite a good performance indeed. There was an article in Dagbladet (Google Translate will do the job) yesterday. He has a Norwegian couch, and they bought some Russians (Kirillov probably the best known) to increase the level of competition for him in China.

 
quite a good performance indeed. There was an article in Dagbladet (Google Translate will do the job) yesterday. He has a Norwegian couch, and they bought some Russians (Kirillov probably the best known) to increase the level of competition for him in China.


I believe Kriukov is his coach.
 
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