Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

[OJRvE]

A media guy from swedish NSF gave both Anderson and Karlsson golden caps after the race. But apparently Andersson was upset with Karlsson having a cap aswell and said “It's not your time to shine”. (Actually in English for some reason). Later in the day Karlsson changed back to a regular blue cap. Norwegian media picked that up, Andersson seemed annoyed when confronted and said it was a joke. I am not so sure, it doesn’t seem like they are on joking terms with each other even if they like to pretend they are good friends. So I guess the drama inside the Swedish team continues, a clear advantage for those who stayed in the team as of now.

Karlsson seemed really happy with her own preformance and said the preparations hasn’t been optimal because of her sickness. Still she managed to find some form the last days and hope to be better next week.

Let see what happens when the weather conditions changes, I think both Andersson and Karlsson benefited greatly both with superior skis and also the conditions in general. I guess Andersson will still be able to medal the 10k as she looks super strong but it will be a fight with Diggins for the gold while Karlsson probably needs to up her game.

For tomorrow I am a bit surprised US put Diggins as the opener. She has proven to be a dangerous finisher before (beating Falla/Nilsson 2018 among others) and to me she could have had a chance against Sundling. Now, I don’t see Sundling having any problems with Kern so US chance is probably Diggins breaking Ribom completely. Ribom can probably playing it safe giving Diggins a few meters the second time if she is on the limit.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Ok Slind is kinda crazy. Will ski the 30km race on saturday, fly to Sweden the same day and race Vasaloppet on Sunday.

 

[Mayomaniac]

A media guy from swedish NSF gave both Anderson and Karlsson golden caps after the race. But apparently Andersson was upset with Karlsson having a cap aswell and said “It's not your time to shine”. (Actually in English for some reason). Later in the day Karlsson changed back to a regular blue cap. Norwegian media picked that up, Andersson seemed annoyed when confronted and said it was a joke. I am not so sure, it doesn’t seem like they are on joking terms with each other even if they like to pretend they are good friends. So I guess the drama inside the Swedish team continues, a clear advantage for those who stayed in the team as of now.

Karlsson seemed really happy with her own preformance and said the preparations hasn’t been optimal because of her sickness. Still she managed to find some form the last days and hope to be better next week.

Let see what happens when the weather conditions changes, I think both Andersson and Karlsson benefited greatly both with superior skis and also the conditions in general. I guess Andersson will still be able to medal the 10k as she looks super strong but it will be a fight with Diggins for the gold while Karlsson probably needs to up her game.

For tomorrow I am a bit surprised US put Diggins as the opener. She has proven to be a dangerous finisher before (beating Falla/Nilsson 2018 among others) and to me she could have had a chance against Sundling. Now, I don’t see Sundling having any problems with Kern so US chance is probably Diggins breaking Ribom completely. Ribom can probably playing it safe giving Diggins a few meters the second time if she is on the limit.

From what I've heared Ebbahas a different character. A lot more reserved and rather humble.
I think yesterday's condition highlighted some of Karlsson's technical flaws, those deep condtitions actually make uphill V2 the more economical style.

 

[meat puppet]

Pärmäkoski also starts the team sprint with Joensuu.

 

[OJRvE]

From what I've heared Ebbahas a different character. A lot more reserved and rather humble.
I think yesterday's condition highlighted some of Karlsson's technical flaws, those deep condtitions actually make uphill V2 the more economical style.

They are very different indeed. Andersson is more shy and not as outspoken or flamboyant as Karlsson. But I wouldn’t call her humble, she is rather self-centered with a strong will.

After seeing another interview with Karlsson I need to adjust my previous statement about the joke, It was actually Karlsson who questioned the media lady why she should have a golden cap and then Andersson said her line as a funny comment.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Ok, what Diggins is doing today is actually fun to watch and pretty awesome. Full gas from the start to crack Ribom.

 

[DonAragona]

Julia Kern isn't good enough to lead all the way, awful tactics from her. She needed Diggins to do what Diggins does and then full speed last lap.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

And yet it all comes back together on lap 4 and I think it's all gonna be about that hill where she has been V-2 while everybody else has been V-1. Ribom is looking fairly comfortable with her though. And now Kalvaa is better than Diggins on said climb until she gets impeded. Winterton now saying that if the loop was 100m longer Diggins would have broken clear.

She should have guaranteed them a medal at the very least, she doesn't need an excuse today.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yup, the Team Sprint is still a crap format. This is just about best case scenario for it, and it was just... the top teams together until the last lap, and then the stronger sprinters disappear off the front like it's a regular sprint.

At least they've learned a bit about how to design the courses, it wasn't a farce like Seefeld where they held trackstands at the top of the last climb.

 

[Discgear]

Sundling super finish. Both Norwegians getting werbal warnings for obstruction...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

C'mon Pelle. This race has been awful, but you have the chance to save it.

And then you didn't.

 

[Mayomaniac]

What a race by Pellegrino.
In the end De Fa wasn't strong enough and was gapped a bit by Golberg. If Pellegrino didn't have to close that gap in the long climb it could have been really close.

Calle doing Calle things, they even finished behind Canada.

Norway again with obscenely good skis, the sport really needs neutral waxing teams asap!

 

[Mayomaniac]

Julia Kern isn't good enough to lead all the way, awful tactics from her. She needed Diggins to do what Diggins does and then full speed last lap.

They did the best that they could with Kern there. Maybe a distance skier + Diggins (in that order) could have given the Swedish women more problems.
Then again, Karsson + Dalquist probably could have won this one too.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

"Justyna Kowalczyk said before the show that this is the event she finds the most exciting. For those of you that don't agree, maybe you now agree, that was really thrilling!"

No it wasn't. It was absolutely tedious, just slowly also-rans dropping while nothing happened, then a 1km shootout won by the guy that wins every 1km shootout all season.

The women's race was actually pretty similar but at least it looked like people were trying to break away, just not succeeding.

They're really, really pushing hard that this format is amazing and we should love it. This is clearly FIS' pet project. Still trying to cling to their hopes of making it a mainstream sport by getting rid of endurance, only to then leave us with farcical non-events where only the last kilometre counts.

Kind of like most men's mass start races since FIS decided that was the future, I guess.

At least I guess they are aware that not everybody loves the Team Sprint, but they've stopped letting people give them feedback when they're pushing their agenda that we should judge races based on how easy they make Patrick's job because he is incapable of reading a timing screen (Mike is much more capable in this respect) and how likely the USA are to win them.

 

[OJRvE]

Calle and Anger blaming their skis in swedish TV… Ofcourse it was worse than Norway but still the girls managed to win. Quite tired of them always coming up with excuses.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Calle and Anger blaming their skis in swedish TV… Ofcourse it was worse than Norway but still the girls managed to win. Quite tired of them always coming up with excuses.

When the Italian men had bad skis in the last few races they said "we have to work more on our ability on this kind of snow", with this meaning everyone, skiers and stuff. Swedish men underperform and throw the skimen under the bus, nothing new.
Saying that the slow conditions with the fresh snow were bad for bigger guys like Anger and Halvarsson would have been a legit point, but of course they have to throw the staff under the bus to deflect...

 

[Discgear]

When the Italian men had bad skis in the last few races they said "we have to work more on our ability on this kind of snow", with this meaning everyone, skiers and stuff. Swedish men underperform and throw the skimen under the bus, nothing new.
Saying that the slow conditions with the fresh snow were bad for bigger guys like Anger and Halvarsson would have been a legit point, but of course they have to throw the staff under the bus to deflect...

Maybe. Or maybe forbidden fluor wax is still at play...

 

[Mayomaniac]

Maybe. Or maybe forbidden fluor wax is still at play...

Yeah, but would that explain so many nations beating them?
In the end the slow conditions were pretty bad for those 2, since they are bigger guys. According to Cologna it was slower than yesterday.

 

[Discgear]

Yeah, but would that explain so many nations beating them?
In the end the slow conditions were pretty bad for those 2, since they are bigger guys. According to Cologna it was slower than yesterday.

Well, for quite a time now we've heard from the Swedish expert commentators (like Theodor Peterson) that Sweden together with Norway has the best waxing/preparation teams in the world. But also that, if it's newly fallen snow and just below zero the Swedish waxing team are much inferior. No explanation has been given why, but it has been repeated over and over again. Sundling and Ribom really had to fight today, but looking back on the results earlier this winter and in the individual sprint it seems to me they can survive without top notch skis. That is certainly not the case wit the Swedish men, to put it mildly. I also have no doubts whatsoever that the Norwegian team wouldn't let something so banal as a ban of flour wax - which is so far undetectable - come in the way of maximizing the conditions for their athletes.
But you do certainly have a point with Halvarsson and Anger being sizeble guys, Anyhow, everyone in the SVT studio seemed to agree that the skis were far from perfect today.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Due to the time difference I'm only catching replays - honestly the most fun to watch right now (at least for me) has been the Nordic Combined. At least there's some variety there and other nations besides Norway and Sweden have a chance to stand on the podium. I really like that young German gal Nathalie Armbruster - the way the American commentators are butchering her last name when pronouncing it is just astonishing!

On a side note I do like Norway's hats (the ones with the puff balls on top), so there's that.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Ok Slind is kinda crazy. Will ski the 30km race on saturday, fly to Sweden the same day and race Vasaloppet on Sunday.

What's another 90km when you've already warmed up with 30km the day before, right?

I wish her well on her long, long, looong journey.

 

[Mayomaniac]

What's another 90km when you've already warmed up with 30km the day before, right?

I wish her well on her long, long, looong journey.

I mean, Ida Dahl did a 40km, almost 2 hour long race in Südtirol one day and raced the 20km individual start in Davos the next day. She also won the 62km long Pustertaler Skimarathon with a 40km solo move and finished 3rd in the almost 2 hour long 30km race the next day with a MTF on the Plätzwiese. The extraordenary thing about what Slind is doing is the amout of travelling that's involved.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Well, for quite a time now we've heard from the Swedish expert commentators (like Theodor Peterson) that Sweden together with Norway has the best waxing/preparation teams in the world. But also that, if it's newly fallen snow and just below zero the Swedish waxing team are much inferior. No explanation has been given why, but it has been repeated over and over again. Sundling and Ribom really had to fight today, but looking back on the results earlier this winter and in the individual sprint it seems to me they can survive without top notch skis. That is certainly not the case wit the Swedish men, to put it mildly. I also have no doubts whatsoever that the Norwegian team wouldn't let something so banal as a ban of flour wax - which is so far undetectable - come in the way of maximizing the conditions for their athletes.
But you do certainly have a point with Halvarsson and Anger being sizeble guys, Anyhow, everyone in the SVT studio seemed to agree that the skis were far from perfect today.

Oh yeah, I don't put anything past Norway, so much should be clear.

That said, it looked like nobody but Norway had much better skis then the rest today. De Fabiani is almost as heavy as Calle (he's 78kg) despite being a bit shorter, he's another one who would have liked faster conditions.
Still, I find it interesting how certain nations always have bad skis with certain conditions. The Russians can't deal with wet snowfall when the temperature is close to zero degrees and the Finns usually have bad skis in muddy spring snow, when the temperatures are really high.

 

[OJRvE]

I mean, Ida Dahl did a 40km, almost 2 hour long race in Südtirol one day and raced the 20km individual start in Davos the next day. She also won the 62km long Pustertaler Skimarathon with a 40km solo move and finished 3rd in the almost 2 hour long 30km race the next day with a MTF on the Plätzwiese. The extraordenary thing about what Slind is doing is the amout of travelling that's involved.

If I recall correctly the Marcialonga often clash with Norwegian Championship. In Norway (unlike Sweden were skier moves to the big clubs) most skiers stay in their childhood club. So the three Slind-sister are always among the favorites in the relay (fun fact is that old Hilde Pedersen won it together with her daughters 20 years ago) and I think more than once Astrid did travel by private plan Saturday evening so she could race with her sisters the next day. I think it’s the same sponsor (a local business man) who paid it.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Due to the time difference I'm only catching replays - honestly the most fun to watch right now (at least for me) has been the Nordic Combined. At least there's some variety there and other nations besides Norway and Sweden have a chance to stand on the podium. I really like that young German gal Nathalie Armbruster - the way the American commentators are butchering her last name when pronouncing it is just astonishing!

On a side note I do like Norway's hats (the ones with the puff balls on top), so there's that.

ES International and the Anglophone commentators have given us much fun over the years.

Fabien Claude - pronounced "cloud", with a German 'au'
Katharina Althaus - pronounced "al-toose"
Johannes Kühn - brother of Julia Kern
Joni Mäki - Johnny Mikey
Hannah Auchentaller - pronounced "ocken-taller" as though she were Scottish
Hanna Öberg - pronounced "oy-berg" for several years, they get it right now.

My favourite was David Goldstrom having to announce the podium from a biathlon race, where Eva Puskarčíková - who the usual guys pronounced pretty well for the most part in truth - had made the podium, and announcing the "third place went to Eva... well apologies to Eva but I won't try to pronounce her last name".

The best Goldstrom moment was when Jaka Hvala and Lukáš Hlava were drawn against one another in a Vierschanzentournee head to head, and his brain near exploded.