Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

[Eddy Evenepoel]

In terms of world cups, Dæhlie retired at essentially the same age, after the 1999 season.

Dæhlie actually retired in march 2001. He had a bad accident on roller skis in the autumn of 1999 and spent 1 1/2 year trying to get back before he decided to give up. His goal was to finish the career with another Olympic gold in Salt Lake, but the injury stopped him.

Alsgaard had a horrible season in 02/03 except of the World Championship, he was struggling a lot with a back injury and I think the fear of never coming back to a stable normal level because of the back problems were his main reason to retire after that season.

 

[BigCoward]

Why do so many biathletes and xc athletes retire so relatively young? Is it just the grind?

 

[OJRvE]

Yellow bib curse strikes again (even if he only held it for one day). Samuelsson now out with Covid.

 

[BullsFan22]

Dæhlie actually retired in march 2001. He had a bad accident on roller skis in the autumn of 1999 and spent 1 1/2 year trying to get back before he decided to give up. His goal was to finish the career with another Olympic gold in Salt Lake, but the injury stopped him.

Alsgaard had a horrible season in 02/03 except of the World Championship, he was struggling a lot with a back injury and I think the fear of never coming back to a stable normal level because of the back problems were his main reason to retire after that season.

Well, for all intents and purposes, Dæhlie retired in 1999, as that was his last professional race season, he may have ‘officially’ announced in 2001, but the 1998-1999 season was his last as a professional.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Why do so many biathletes and xc athletes retire so relatively young? Is it just the grind?

Winter sports usually doesn‘t really pay a lot of money as well, it seems to be mentally straining and it‘s hard to be motivated to train the whole summer if you don‘t get as much as many other athletes in return.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Well, for all intents and purposes, Dæhlie retired in 1999, as that was his last professional race season, he may have ‘officially’ announced in 2001, but the 1998-1999 season was his last as a professional.

No.

He was still a professional athlete until the end of March 2001. He was a part of the national team, he had his sponsors, he was doing everything he could to get back at the level he belonged to.

If you had asked somebody back in 2000: «Is Bjørn Dæhlie retired?» the answer would’ve been no. It was not a case of him basically retiring but not telling anyone before 2001, like you’re claiming. I don’t see the point in why you are trying to rewrite the history more than twenty years later.

 

[BigCoward]

No.

He was still a professional athlete until the end of March 2001. He was a part of the national team, he had his sponsors, he was doing everything he could to get back at the level he belonged to.

If you had asked somebody back in 2000: «Is Bjørn Dæhlie retired?» the answer would’ve been no. It was not a case of him basically retiring but not telling anyone before 2001, like you’re claiming. I don’t see the point in why you are trying to rewrite the history more than twenty years later.

That seems an unnecessarily rude way to basically totally agree with someone.

 

[BullsFan22]

No.

He was still a professional athlete until the end of March 2001. He was a part of the national team, he had his sponsors, he was doing everything he could to get back at the level he belonged to.

If you had asked somebody back in 2000: «Is Bjørn Dæhlie retired?» the answer would’ve been no. It was not a case of him basically retiring but not telling anyone before 2001, like you’re claiming. I don’t see the point in why you are trying to rewrite the history more than twenty years later.

Well, get a time machine and tell Bjørn when he’s going to retire

 

[Mayomaniac]

Something more civilised, did Lapalus get sick or something duri g the last weeks? He's nowhere near his Beitestoelen level.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Well, get a time machine and tell Bjørn when he’s going to retire

This doesnt make sense.
It would be you who need a time machine to go back to the end of the 98/99-season and tell him «sorry Bjørn, you are now retired».
I’m sticking to the actual time line and dont need a time machine.

The issue here seems to be that I think retirement is the moment an athlete stops trying to compete at the highest level, while you think it’s the moment the athlete stops competing at the highest level. If Finn Hågen Krogh announced his retirement today (I’m not trying to say the case would be the same as BD, I’m just trying to exemplify how I feel you are putting too much into actually competing at World Cup/Championship level and not enough into the time, effort and ambition of a professional skier even when they for different reasons can’t compete on the highest level) I would say «oh Finn Hågen Krogh retired today» and you’ll probably say «for all intents and purposes he retired years ago».

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

, did Lapalus get sick or something duri g the last weeks? He's nowhere near his Beitestoelen level.

I havent seen anything pointing that direction and he’s also been doing every race so I guess it must be something else.
It seems like he’s getting slightly worse every weekend. His 7th in Ruka was very good (then he was much weaker in the masstart, but to me he seems to be a guy that is often underperforming in masstarts and better in individual start races). Then 11th in Gällivare was also good, the time loss wasn’t that big. Then 12th in Östersund slightly worse as the time gap was much bigger.

Could be an example of an athlete coming in a little too hot to Beitostølen, or it can be an example of an athlete that is still training quite much between the races to reach the top form at Tour de Ski.

 

[BigCoward]

Haecki-Gross seems to be flying again.
Edit, and blows it.

 

[BigCoward]

Braisaz-Bouchet on one today. Does she live at altitude by any chance?

Some people really don't like the thin air do they. H Oeberg with a shocking time in particular

 

[dobrien]

Ouch, French women seem like they had some really bad skis in the qualifier... Svahn drilling it!

Great to see Wang up there, that raises the probability of something exciting happening.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

At the Devon Kershaw podcast they said this weekend likely will be Wangs last races in the World Cup this year, as he has to get back to China to compete in the Chinese races for the rest of the season. Hopefully he can get a good result today, so they realize there is value in sending him back to the World Cup scene.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Braisaz-Bouchet on one today. Does she live at altitude by any chance?

Some people really don't like the thin air do they. H Oeberg with a shocking time in particular

Raised in Les Saisies and lives in Hauteluce.

 

[dobrien]

At the Devon Kershaw podcast they said this weekend likely will be Wangs last races in the World Cup this year, as he has to get back to China to compete in the Chinese races for the rest of the season. Hopefully he can get a good result today, so they realize there is value in sending him back to the World Cup scene.

Wow! V2 all the way up that hill, he's got huge strength and technique. Hope he. didn't burn too many matches there!

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Wang cant repeat that attack two more times today.

 

[dobrien]

Wang cant repeat that attack two more times today.

You wouldn't think so..

Nice race from Bolger!

 

[dobrien]

Skistad just so powerful; and very uncomfortable in the spotlight. I can think of better places to be an introvert than being the top ski star in Norway...

Chanavat very good today; nice to see.

 

[dobrien]

Wax and structure will be very important this weekend.

 

[BigCoward]

Norwegians not particularly tearing it up on the tracks in the biathlon. But the first 3 have all shot clean so it might not matter.

 

[KZD]

Chanavat back to his best today but still only good enough for second.

Amundsen first sprint podium ever. I think he will be Klæbo's main rival this season with Golberg underperforming in sprints.

A shame that Samuelsson can't start, this might cost him the chance of fighting for the World Cup against the Norwegian armada.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

That's a pretty good return to the World Cup for Philipp Horn, and the Germans are simply on fire today.

 

[BigCoward]

Gemans are having a great day. Doll wins this by a lot unless Jtb goes clear.
Edit, he can probably still win with 1 miss, but Doll has flown around the last loop.
Stroemsheim must be gutted, he was rapid.