Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

[dobrien]

I think it was very stupid to do the Birkie (when WC overall the big prize, but to be fair to Diggins Kershaw had a very good explanation as to why it on a personal level made a lot of sense for Diggins to do the Birkie) and thats the main reason she was very bad in Lahti and lost a lot of points there.

Then I think it’s hard to read to much into her form since Lahti. Classic sprints in Drammen and Falun are hard for the type of skier she is. Good results in these for a skier with the profile of Diggins are maybe more dependable on the skis and how the heats are being raced and the positioning than form.

With questionable form and difficult conditions it can really go both ways today.

Yeah, if she was going to do the Birkie close to her prime (which as you alluded to on a personal level was super important to her) it had to be in this, a non-championship year. She really does care about her Midwest USA roots and I know it might seem crazy to a European but I'm pretty sure to Jessie it's a fair tradeoff this season. Good post though as usual. So far Jessie looks to be more than rising to the challenge.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Diggins with a really good time at the 4.3km time check, Karlsson pulling a Karlsson?

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Diggins doing very well the first 6,3 km. It looks like shes fighting for a podium / top 5 today and shes far ahead of Svahn in the first few kilometers. Looking very good for her now.

 

[dobrien]

Finish times to this point well over 30 minutes; tough day out there!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I think it was very stupid to do the Birkie (when WC overall the big prize, but to be fair to Diggins Kershaw had a very good explanation as to why it on a personal level made a lot of sense for Diggins to do the Birkie) and thats the main reason she was very bad in Lahti and lost a lot of points there.

Then I think it’s hard to read to much into her form since Lahti. Classic sprints in Drammen and Falun are hard for the type of skier she is. Good results in these for a skier with the profile of Diggins are maybe more dependable on the skis and how the heats are being raced and the positioning than form.

With questionable form and difficult conditions it can really go both ways today.

I don't think it was stupid because she's already won a WC overall, even if that was affected by the Covid absences, and it's a long-standing personal ambition. If she hadn't already got a globe it might be a different story of course, but in the circumstances, if she feels that a chance to win the race that she ordinarily wouldn't have had and was given the opportunity to by serendipitous race scheduling (albeit as I've said before I think that whole leg of the World Cup was about trying to engineer the home triumph for her), then why wouldn't she? In any other season with the Worlds or Olympics as a target and travelling trans-Atlantic between World Cups it's just not feasible, but this year it was super convenient for her to enter it.

 

[dobrien]

Fresh snow, not perfect tracks and possibly difficult waxing conditions. This has potential to become a nightmare for Diggins.

Looks like it's poor Linn having the nightmare.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Watching Brennan ski I get back pain from only watching her. The same happens whenever I see her in person on the tracks in Toblach.

Matintalo with a great race.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Looks like it's poor Linn having the nightmare.

This may have been part of the plan for Diggins too. She seems to be fading but only slightly, but going out really hard to stop Linn from having the chance to dare to dream seems to have demoralised her early.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Watching Brennan ski I get back pain from only watching her. The same happens whenever I see her in person on the tracks in Toblach.

Matintalo with a great race.

Matintalo has a great finish, she's several places back at 4,3 but has done well on the back half of the course every time this last few weeks. Challenging classic conditions and Finland, name a more iconic duo.

 

[dobrien]

Love her or hate her, that was pretty clutch today from Jessie when she needed it the most.

Matintalo on the podium would be really cool.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Love her or hate her, that was pretty clutch today from Jessie when she needed it the most.

Matintalo on the podium would be really cool.

Her base level is pretty high, her bad days tend not to be that bad.

Here comes the full Northug ten minutes of rolling around on the floor finish as usual, mind.

 

[dobrien]

This may have been part of the plan for Diggins too. She seems to be fading but only slightly, but going out really hard to stop Linn from having the chance to dare to dream seems to have demoralised her early.

It also seemed to me at least that Svahn's skis weren't gliding that great?

 

[dobrien]

Her base level is pretty high, her bad days tend not to be that bad.

Here comes the full Northug ten minutes of rolling around on the floor finish as usual, mind.

Lol, I know I know, but almost everyone else does it too.. ;-)

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Dixon has finally figured out that Matintalo did a faster second half of the race and is extremely confused that Niskanen lost a bit of her lead.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Lol, I know I know, but almost everyone else does it too.. ;-)

To that extent? Really? Jess is one of the most histrionic, sometimes like on Alpe Cermis it's because she genuinely has gone that deep, but sometimes it's blatant camera-mugging.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Finnish storms of steel!

Actually a solid race by Ganz.

Too bad that they only let Gismondi race the mass start, those slow conditions would have suited her.

 

[dobrien]

Matintalo on the podium makes me so happy! Always have a soft spot for those 'great but not tippy top' skiers...

 

[Mayomaniac]

Stadlober had an absurdly good 2nd half of the race.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Double finnish is fun. Diggins decided the overall today. Another good classic race from her. What shes lost in the sprint compared to earlier seasons she has gained in classic distance races this year.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Stadlober had an absurdly good 2nd half of the race.

She was ahead of Matintalo at 4,3

 

[dobrien]

Svahn really coming apart; unless Diggins undergoes a collapse of epic proportions tomorrow this was it today.

 

[OJRvE]

Matinalo always pace herself well, wonder if it’s related to her running background.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

I don't think it was stupid because she's already won a WC overall

I was perhaps a bit imprecise. I meant that if WC Overall was the only goal it was stupid, but I know that’s not the case (which is what Kershaw were saying and that I agree with).

And now she’s done both, won the Birkie and today more or less decided the overall. An amazing season really.

 

[roundabout]

Svahn really coming apart; unless Diggins undergoes a collapse of epic proportions tomorrow this was it today.

13th or better should be enough even not contending the intermediate sprints (I think there are 2 of those, right?)

 

[Mayomaniac]

She was ahead of Matintalo at 4,3

Yeah, but she actually gained 1 sec on Matintalo from 7.7kms to the finish line,