Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

[Discgear]

Amazing 10k today. Sundling, Diggins, Pärmakoski, Weng and Andersson within 6 sec. Have women's XC ever been more competetive and even? The outlier's obituary can be read in the Clinic.
Halvarsson is a talent that haven't been able to put things together.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Reading Swedish media it seems like he is an idiot and has no idea what he is doing. What worse is that he has taken on leadership role and influenced the younger male skier in a bad way (especially Victor Thorn who ruined his talent by wrong training) which led to the complete breakdown of Swedish mens team. However, I think it’s better now, for instance him and Poromaa are good friends but it seems Poromaa is not taking any advise related to training.

Yeah, the Swiss commentators often talk about how the Norwegians see him a bit of a clown and think that most of his ideas are nonsense.

 

[OJRvE]

Yeah, the Swiss commentators often talk about how the Norwegians see him a bit of a clown and think that most of his ideas are nonsense.

Last year he employed a cycling coach (Mathias Reck) and they put a plan to optimize his chance in the worlds 50k. But he was secretly spending time in gym to build upper body muscles which ruined the training programme completely.

 

[Sciatic]

Last year he employed a cycling coach (Mathias Reck) and they put a plan to optimize his chance in the worlds 50k. But he was secretly spending time in gym to build upper body muscles which ruined the training programme completely.

Maybe he was unduly influenced by our CN forum colleague (was it “CheckMy___”) who used to go on about how cyclists should have more upper body strength?

 

[Mayomaniac]

Last year he employed a cycling coach (Mathias Reck) and they put a plan to optimize his chance in the worlds 50k. But he was secretly spending time in gym to build upper body muscles which ruined the training programme completely.

And this year he tried a diy weightloss programm.

 

[Discgear]

Halfvarsson is a ladies’ man and sneered for it, not at least by guys like Iversen. Maybe something into it, or just an ounce of envy, since rumors tells he's a sizeable man. Hopefully he can produce some more seasons with full focus on training and competition.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The men just seem extremely keen to make this a last leg ski-off among the women. Except Iivo Niskanen, because he is doing God's work out there. On paper that US team shouldn't be competitive because while the women are absolutely elite tier, their men are a level below the top, but conservative racing hasmade it a one-leg shootout, so now it looks like Glitterface will win.

"We've talked about the Americans quite a lot over the last five years or so" - Patrick Winterton, master of understatement.

Winterton now talking about how they should cut the biathlon mixed relay to 5km because it's better to have shorter distances.

"THIS IS A GREAT MOMENT FOR AMERICAN CROSS COUNTRY SKIING! THEY'VE TAKEN ON THE WORLD AND THEY'RE GOING TO BEAT THEM! IT'S A HISTORIC DAY!" I can't find the vomit emoji for this level of sycophancy. Jack Edwards would be saying "tone it down guys, your bias is showing". "The Cross Country world has found a format that provides EVERYTHING they need, perfect for everybody, for athletes, for fans and for viewers. What a day! What a day! It belongs to USA!" You know, other than anybody who is better in classic, or is better at distance, or thrives on anything other than a sprint. They'd be talking about the tweaks the format needed with any other result.

Again, the usual crap - Winterton believes every race should be shorter and only feature the same 10-15 names that he already knows about, so he can sell the sizzle, since he has no idea how to sell the steak, and all this does is mean he spends most of the time complaining through any format other than a sprint that the sport isn't exciting enough unless an American is winning.

 

[Norbea]

I thought Norway had learned years ago that putting Johaug on the last stage isn't a good solution. Still we keep on doing it.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

"With her glitter on her face, she's put a sparkle in everybody's eyes"

Pass the bucket.

 

[Discgear]

I thought Norway had learned years ago that putting Johaug on the last stage isn't a good solution. Still we keep on doing it.

Well, no need to whine about it since this was the last time, wasn't it?

 

[Discgear]

Norway has absolutely ridicolous surf in the super warm conditions of Otepää. Earlier they were obsessed with worries about other nations using high fluor wax. Much ado about nothing, it seems...

 

[BigCoward]

Christiansen must be gutted the season is ending. He is in his state of grace right now.

 

[Norbea]

Christiansen must be gutted the season is ending. He is in his state of grace right now.

It is strange that he hasn't had much success before. He was such a great talent that has underperformed year after year. A long awaited break through.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Lamparter put up one hell of a fight.
He's only 20 years old, imagine the duels between and Riiber in the coming years.

 

[BigCoward]

Lamparter put up one hell of a fight.
He's only 20 years old, imagine the duels between and Riiber in the coming years.

Oftebro and Geiger are both young enough aswell, that the next decade of NC looks set.

Also I didn't mind the USA winning the mixed relay. The 2 men are probably never going to get near a podium for the rest of their careers. This will be the highlight of their proffesional life, just a shame Diggins was the anchor that's all, and that the commentary team was who it was.

 

[Discgear]

All this hatred against Diggins, what've I missed? I

 

[BigCoward]

All this hatred against Diggins, what've I missed? I

Her face, personality, skiing style.
But ultimately its something which she had no control over, the fawning by certain eurosport commentators.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yea, she'd be easy to dislike without the commentators, but with them it's full blown "go away heat".

 

[Sciatic]

Yea, she'd be easy to dislike without the commentators, but with them it's full blown "go away heat".

Her bubbly exuberance is indeed over the top, but I also get the sense that folks are not familiar with what is pretty normative behavior for 20-something women from rural Minnesota and Wisconsin. My daughter went to university in Minnesota. She used to joke, when I would pick up at the airport in Seattle when she came back for school break, "oh, it's so nice to back here where not everyone is blond and smiling all the time!"

 

[Discgear]

Hatred against a female skier because of her looks and personality...? It's just over the top sexistic and misogynistic. Behavior when competing is something else, like screaming the guts out when crossing the goal line minutes before competition. But yeah, the international commentators of Eurosport are hyperbiased and so is also NRK.

 

[KZD]

So people like Niskanen and Holund already complained about the new mixed relay and they are totally right. 5km laps for the men makes this essentially a race for sprinters and if it does indeed replace the traditional 4×10km relay it will be another travesty by FIS.

 

[BigCoward]

So people like Niskanen and Holund already complained about the new mixed relay and they are totally right. 5km laps for the men makes this essentially a race for sprinters and if it does indeed replace the traditional 4×10km relay it will be another travesty by FIS.

I'm guessing the Russians would hate it as well as they tend to be far stronger at distance. Don't see why it couldn't be 7.5 for women and 10km for men.

 

[Mayomaniac]

So people like Niskanen and Holund already complained about the new mixed relay and they are totally right. 5km laps for the men makes this essentially a race for sprinters and if it does indeed replace the traditional 4×10km relay it will be another travesty by FIS.

No way it's gonna really replace th 4x10km, that would mean less events and less medals overall at the Olympics. If anything they are gonna add it to have even more events.
If I coul change just one thing I'd bring back the pursuit instead of the Skiathlon. Race organizers also dislike the later because you need really wide tracks to accomodate for multiple classic lanes and a wide skating lane.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Hatred against a female skier because of her looks and personality...? It's just over the top sexistic and misogynistic. Behavior when competing is something else, like screaming the guts out when crossing the goal line minutes before competition. But yeah, the international commentators of Eurosport are hyperbiased and so is also NRK.

How is it being over the top sexist and misogynist to dislike somebody from their individual personality? I don't think BigCoward means her looks as in being like "oh I hate that girl because she's pretty/I hate that girl because she's ugly". If so, then you might have a point, but I don't think that's what is meant. More the way how she presents herself (the exaggerated antics for attention at the startline, the face glitter) is an extension of her personality, the "I'm always grinning! I'm fun to be around! Look at how fun to be around I am!" side of it. It's about her exuding that vibe of a Disneyland member of staff, of 'forced fun', like it isn't enough to be enthusiastic or happy, you have to make sure that everybody knows at all times that you are enthusiastic and happy, and that's extremely tiresome - precisely as in Sciatic's anecdote. And then when the supposedly neutral commentators are then shoving down your throat how enthusiastic and happy YOU should be about how enthusiastic and happy she is, it takes a trait which is annoying and makes it unbearable.

I agree re Johaug's screaming with race finishes. It made sense back in about 2011, but when she's still doing it for her 80th and 90th career wins, it's like, enough now.

 

[BigCoward]

How is it being over the top sexist and misogynist to dislike somebody from their individual personality? I don't think BigCoward means her looks as in being like "oh I hate that girl because she's pretty/I hate that girl because she's ugly". If so, then you might have a point, but I don't think that's what is meant. More the way how she presents herself (the exaggerated antics for attention at the startline, the face glitter) is an extension of her personality, the "I'm always grinning! I'm fun to be around! Look at how fun to be around I am!" side of it. It's about her exuding that vibe of a Disneyland member of staff, of 'forced fun', like it isn't enough to be enthusiastic or happy, you have to make sure that everybody knows at all times that you are enthusiastic and happy, and that's extremely tiresome - precisely as in Sciatic's anecdote. And then when the supposedly neutral commentators are then shoving down your throat how enthusiastic and happy YOU should be about how enthusiastic and happy she is, it takes a trait which is annoying and makes it unbearable.

I agree re Johaug's screaming with race finishes. It made sense back in about 2011, but when she's still doing it for her 80th and 90th career wins, it's like, enough now.

This, it just all screams a bit too much 'try hard and OTT'. Im prepared to accept it might just be because I'm a cantankerous and jaded old cynic though.

I don't have an actual opinion on her attractiveness or not.

Johaugs scream is very tedious, Eckhoffs little hop over the line is charming though.