Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

[Libertine Seguros]

Hennig did switch skis, they just had to make the skis very hastily.

Ah, fair, I had lost track of that. May have been mentioned while I was at the coffee machine in fairness.

The great Patricija Eiduka (I've decided to use Patrick Winterton's criteria for calling somebody "the great", which is "anybody I like") with 12th - and possibly 11th if Nepryaeva's DQ is upheld. Pleasing after a rough couple of seasons for her.

Edit: and Keidy Kaasiku 14th, that's phenomenal even if it's utterly disgraceful that the two twins have been willing to leave each other behind here in Val di Fiemme, usually they're putting out almost identical performance levels.

20th for Hailey Swirbul, sorry Hailey but with only Brennan and Diggins ahead of you in your team, I hope you realise you've just condemned yourself to being back on Classic relay legs for the rest of your second career too, lol!

 

[dobrien]

Hennig did switch skis, they just had to make the skis very hastily.

Didn't know that, thanks for the info

 

[dobrien]

Shame on the broadcaster

If Jessie ever becomes homeless for some reason I know a place she can live rent free.

 

[KZD]

Really deserved gold for Andersson. She was the best skier of the last two World Championships but she had no Olympic gold medal and gets her redemption in the 50k after the disappointing relay.

First individual silver medal for Weng she can be really satisfied with her Olympics. If she finishes her career she will end it on a high note.

Fantastic bronze medal for Kälin, great Olympics for her with two medals.

Rucka-Michalek fantastic race from her, one of stories of today just like Hennig doing the whole race with one pair of skis.

 

[dobrien]

Poor Krista so far out; she was wrestling with continuing for the last couple seasons I believe, one would think this has to be it.

 

[search]

Hennig did switch skis, they just had to make the skis very hastily.

The new ski were ready 8s before her exchange, they just said

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Poor Krista so far out; she was wrestling with continuing for the last couple seasons I believe, one would think this has to be it.

She had already gone home and had to travel back to race this on short notice once there was sickness in the camp. I do believe this may well be the end of the line for her (well, this season, I'm sure she'll want to at least make it to sign off in Lahti, even if she decides not to do Holmenkollen or Lake Placid) and she has been a shadow of herself for a while now, but I don't think today's performance is truly representative as a result.

 

[search]

Krista asked herself to be included in case of a drop out, as she considered it a fitting way to end her career. She was happy to be able to participate.

 

[BullsFan22]

With Niskanen and Parmakoski retiring soon, Finnish skiing will take a hit. There’s good women that have skied well in the past 5, 6 years, but the aforementioned two have championship pedigree and bags of experience. I am interested to see where Finnish skiing will be in the next few seasons, both women and men.

 

[Mayomaniac]

With Niskanen and Parmakoski retiring soon, Finnish skiing will take a hit. There’s good women that have skied well in the past 5, 6 years, but the aforementioned two have championship pedigree and bags of experience. I am interested to see where Finnish skiing will be in the next few seasons, both women and men.

I have more faith after this season, Ruuskanen and Anttola are the guys fir the future on the men's side and some of the women stepped up at the TdS. Today Matintalo had to quit because of lower back pain, she was crying at the finish.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

What a great race. Ebbas performance was definitively worthy of the history books, and the battle for bronze was amazing.

 

[dobrien]

Krista asked herself to be included in case of a drop out, as she considered it a fitting way to end her career. She was happy to be able to participate.

Totally understand. I have been a longtime fan of Krista (one of my favorite WC skiers actually) and did not mean in any way for my post to be a slam on her, genuinely apologize if it came off that way. I just fondly remember the days when she would have been in the thick of that battle today; time comes for us all. Chapeau to her.

 

[dobrien]

What a great race. Ebbas performance was definitively worthy of the history books, and the battle for bronze was amazing.

I loved how Ebba was still going hard right to the end, perhaps her way of saying “Frida or no Frida, I was winning Gold today!”.

Nice Silver for Heidi, and I enjoyed the little bow to Ebba at the finish.

Absolutely loved the race for Bronze, it seemed like every couple of kilometers the balance of power shifted, in doubt until very late. That was a gut check for everyone in that group.

Fantastic top 10 for Rucka-Michalek; watching her ski up to the Bronze group was pretty fun.

Vastly better race than the men’s. (Understanding of course that had Frida been here a lot of the air would have come out of that balloon early; feel badly for her missing but considering her medals early on, not as badly as I might have otherwise.)

 

[Sciatic]

This is worse than men's race yesterday, 5km of racing and 45km of nothing happening. I understand why FIS wants shorter races.

I don’t quite get that— the battle for bronze was closely matched and not decided till the final kn?

 

[Sciatic]

I loved how Ebba was still going hard right to the end, perhaps her way of saying “Frida or no Frida, I was winning Gold today!”.

Nice Silver for Heidi, and I enjoyed the little bow to Ebba at the finish.

Absolutely loved the race for Bronze, it seemed like every couple of kilometers the balance of power shifted, in doubt until very late. That was a gut check for everyone in that group.

Fantastic top 10 for Rucka-Michalek; watching her ski up to the Bronze group was pretty fun.

Vastly better race than the men’s. (Understanding of course that had Frida been here a lot of the air would have come out of that balloon early; feel badly for her missing but considering her medals early on, not as badly as I might have otherwise.)

Agree about the exciting race for bronze.

 

[Sciatic]

looks like Kaelin may come back into medal contention as well

She most certainly did!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Perrot is getting the that crystal globe handed to him, but the way this season has gone he'll probably also end up getting hit by bad luck, too.

Everyone seeing Giacomel in the mass start probably couldn't help thinking of what happened to Tandrevold four years ago. Let's hope he makes a full recovery and only races again this season if he's fully fit.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Perrot is getting the that crystal globe handed to him, but the way this season has gone he'll probably also end up getting hit by bad luck, too.

Everyone seeing Giacomel in the mass start probably couldn't help thinking of what happened to Tandrevold four years ago. Let's hope he makes a full recovery and only races again this season if he's fully fit.

Giacomel was also a close personal friend of Sivert Bakken. With this now happening to him I will be absolutely shocked if he takes another start this season even if he is fully fit.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

If Tandrevold is any indication, Giacomel will now permanently forget how to do standing shootings, sadly.

 

[OJRvE]

According to the Danish expert commentator Sweden has developed a new super skier called Ebba Karlsson.

Funnily enough the Swedish announcers on state television tends to do that too. I think it all started in 2019 when Frida was new and when they get really excited by one or the others performance they might still accidently call out the wrong name.

To make matters more fun there is actually a racer named Ebba Karlsson who races on the national level but she is not as talented and unlikely to ever make it to the World cup.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Funnily enough the Swedish announcers on state television tends to do that too. I think it all started in 2019 when Frida was new and when they get really excited by one or the others performance they might still accidently call out the wrong name.

To make matters more fun there is actually a racer named Ebba Karlsson who races on the national level but she is not as talented and unlikely to ever make it to the World cup.

What's your take on my theory that Anger focussed too much on weight loss? The lower half of his torso/mid section looked clearly smaller when I saw him in person at the races in Toblach.

 

[logeardaddy]

Cyclism'actu reports that Thor Hushovd is hoping/fantasizing he can get Klaebo to join Uno-X.

 

[OJRvE]

What's your take on my theory that Anger focussed too much on weight loss? The lower half of his torso/mid section looked clearly smaller when I saw him in person at the races in Toblach.

I think it’s a general problem the Swedish men spend too much time in the gym. The women’s gym program is very successfu and their coach previously worked as a performance coach within Ice Hockey. But they have less muscles to begin with and focusing on strength training means they can use higher gears in skiing (Jonna Sundling is probably the best example of that). For the men I think the strength training are causing more muscles to oxygenate without giving any obvious benefit.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Cyclism'actu reports that Thor Hushovd is hoping/fantasizing he can get Klaebo to join Uno-X.

It's only a cheap PR play where Hushovd plays along with stupid questions. Klæbo has said he's going for the Olympics in 2030.
Physically he would probably have a good enough base to become a decent cyclist, but to learn how to ride in a pack at the age of 29-30 is unreal. And why would anyone go from being the absolute best in a sport that is big enough that you make a loooot of money to try a change to another sport where you will have no chance?

 

[kingjr]

It's only a cheap PR play where Hushovd plays along with stupid questions. Klæbo has said he's going for the Olympics in 2030.
Physically he would probably have a good enough base to become a decent cyclist, but to learn how to ride in a pack at the age of 29-30 is unreal. And why would anyone go from being the absolute best in a sport that is big enough that you make a loooot of money to try a change to another sport where you will have no chance?

And which is much more dangerous as well