Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

[BullsFan22]

To be fair if you mention they got good skis for the team sprint, it's reasonable that wasn't the case in at least some of the other races.

It wasn’t skis in the other events, it was the conditions. Americans don’t do well in soft snow. Brennan and Diggins especially. They don’t have the technical skills to adjust like a lot of the other top skiers do.

 

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[dobrien]

She’s 37, her technique is awful, and she’s had to deal with personal issues. Not sure why people are so shocked at her results.

She’s not going to race the relay. Her inclusion in the Olympic team is purely on historic results and kind of a ‘thank you for your service.’

I don’t see the US medaling in the relay. The Swedes will be big favorites, obviously. The Norwegians, Germans, Finns, Swiss, even the Italians on a really good day could beat the US.

I think Brennan did qualify on objective criteria, but otherwise completely agree with this; based on how she is skiing right now she really adds absolutely nothing to the team. Normally I would be whinging about the spot not going to a younger skier for the Olympic experience but the US is so weak on the women's side right now there really isn't anyone better. To 'historic results' and 'thank you for your service' I would also add I think there is a bit of a (misguided) hope among the coaches that she can pull some sort of miracle out of a hat, but there is literally nothing in her performances this year which would indicate this as a possibility.

If the US coaches put her on the relay team I will (metaphorically) shoot myself. She will get to start the skiathlon and classic sprint I imagine; if she skips one or both those races I'm going to start getting nervous that the coaches are saving her for the relay.

 

[dobrien]

America have zero chance of winning a relay medal.

Diggins should be more like Alex Harvery and focus on herself.

My advice would be to drop the sprint and the relay.

I would 100% hope she drops the sprint, the first week is packed and its arguably going to be her worst event; she should be laser focused on the 10K imho. Of course Diggins being Diggins and the US team coaches being the US Team coaches, my guess is she will be skiing everything, stupidly. Hope I'm wrong.

There is no universe in which she is not going to ski the relay but I actually think it's good if she skis it. It's on the 14th, then Team Sprint on the 18th, then 50k on the 22nd. Plenty of time in between all those; for sure some could argue that skipping the relay lets her focus and relax more but that isn't going to happen anyway so the point is moot.

As always, much depends on skis and how the races unfold; she will have a chance in the skiathlon if the classic leg isn't skied hard but I don't see that happening. I think the Swedes are going to hammer the classic. The 10k is clearly her best shot at a Gold, obviously. No chance in the relay. For the Team Sprint I think on a good day with good skis Kern won't be too bad; no chance to beat the Swedes but I would not rule them out of a medal. 50k, even though her classic skiing has improved dramatically I can't see her beating Ebba and Frida who essentially have built the last two months of their seasons around that race.

 

[Sciatic]

I would 100% hope she drops the sprint, the first week is packed and its arguably going to be her worst event; she should be laser focused on the 10K imho. Of course Diggins being Diggins and the US team coaches being the US Team coaches, my guess is she will be skiing everything, stupidly. Hope I'm wrong.

That's certainly what NBC will want to attract viewers

 

[DonAragona]

Warm conditions in VDF.

Feels perfect for Andersson to win her first Olympic Gold Medal

 

[search]

warm and soft doesn't really sound like very suitable conditions for the Swedes, though?

Looks like a very open race to me. More or less all favorites come with a bit of a question mark, either in regards to shape, profile or conditions.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Ever since I was a First grader in 1994, Olympic Games and Cross country skiing were the most exciting days to happen. This year i barely care anymore. The sport has been totally deluded and some of the best athletes are excluded for political reasons. Absolutely worthless Games.

 

[meat puppet]

It's gonna be diggins unfortunately. Unless they drop her on the classic leg.

Edit: just as I post she takes a tumble

 

[dobrien]

Diggins caught up in that crash, not her fault, just behind the wrong person.

 

[meat puppet]

The swedes (Andersson, Karlsson and Sundling) and slind have a small gap.

 

[DonAragona]

Diggins was struggling before the fall, losing lots of time on the downhills

Karlsson and Andersson will drop Sundling on the next lap.

 

[dobrien]

Diggins was struggling before the fall, losing lots of time on the downhills

Karlsson and Andersson will drop Sundling on the next lap.

Yup, Diggins was never going to be in this anyway.

I wouldn't be so quick to write off Sundling!

Sweden is going to make this Olympics as boring for the women and Norway will for the men.

 

[dobrien]

Uggh, watching on Peacock, they won't shut up about Jessie; she's totally out of it but they're acting as though she has a chance in the skate. So silly.

 

[dobrien]

Diggins was struggling before the fall, losing lots of time on the downhills

Karlsson and Andersson will drop Sundling on the next lap.

Looks like I was wrong about Sundling...

 

[meat puppet]

Sundling seems toast. Lost 8sec very quickly on the climb.

 

[dobrien]

Sundling seems toast. Lost 8sec very quickly on the climb.

Same with Slind too, she's fallen off almost right away and to me is looking technically rough; maybe skis?

 

[dobrien]

Weng on a mission, she's sensing blood from Slind.

 

[meat puppet]

Same with Slind too, she's fallen off almost right away and to me is looking technically rough; maybe skis?

Cannot discount skis, but to me it seemed that the swedes just went very hard beginning the skate leg and cooked her proper

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Karlsson is really good today

 

[meat puppet]

Helluva time gaps.

 

[dobrien]

Cannot discount skis, but to me it seemed that the swedes just went very hard beginning the skate leg and cooked her proper

Agreed.

 

[dobrien]

Karlsson is really good today

If she's on a day like this in the 50 it's going to be over after about 15k. Not great racing.

 

[esp123]

Not good for the sport that an athlete not doing anything since the first race in Kuusamo is this far ahead of the rest.

 

[dobrien]

Frida just crushed everyone, wow; nice silver from Ebba but if she's looking for an individual gold might be a tall order against this version of Karlsson. Happy for Heidi getting bronze, very nice races from Kaelin, Kerttu, Janatova. USA disaster; I have a cousin onsite whose daughter is on the World Cup and he said it looks like they really missed the skis, but still. Yikes.