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Nordic World Ski Championship

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Feb 12, 2010
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cartman said:
The german skiers are/were apparently quite unhappy with the training methods used for this winter, I think they changed it up somewhere in the middle of the season. Obviously it didn't reap instant rewards.
The German juniors looked to be pretty good this year, but it's still notable that the country's love of biathlon means that people who could be very good XC prospects gravitate to biathlon. Somebody like Miriam Gößner for example should probably be an XC skier; she's close to the fastest biathlete on the world circuit at age 20, but her shooting is... let's be kind and say "variable". And since their races are shorter in distance and so the penalty loop is longer in comparison with the race distance and also they ski it slower due to physical constraints, the shooting is more important in women's biathlon than men's.

Well the 50 km start 13:00 CET on the last sunday, and I believe the pursuit (for men) starts 10:00 (for women) 12:30, on the saturday there's the 10 AM biathlon sprint for men, and 2 PM sprint for women, while the 30 km starts at midday. So I'm going to have to ditch the women's biathlon races. Missing the 'kollen 50 km is blasphemy.
See, this is the problem. I prefer biathlon to XC in general, but the 50km is such an important event. If I can watch both I'll flick between them. I think there will also be some consideration given to when key figures in the women's sprint are setting off to catch the maximum amount of relevant events.
 
Feb 12, 2010
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Libertine Seguros said:
The German juniors looked to be pretty good this year, but it's still notable that the country's love of biathlon means that people who could be very good XC prospects gravitate to biathlon. Somebody like Miriam Gößner for example should probably be an XC skier; she's close to the fastest biathlete on the world circuit at age 20, but her shooting is... let's be kind and say "variable". And since their races are shorter in distance and so the penalty loop is longer in comparison with the race distance and also they ski it slower due to physical constraints, the shooting is more important in women's biathlon than men's.

Hah, you just made me realise it's her together with Neuner in your profile pic. I'd say there's a slight problem if people more talented in XC are instead doing biathlon, although it might work out for her as she's still young. It's easier to make the switch from biathlon to XC than the other way around, so that way if it doesn't work out she could change discipline later.

Libertine Seguros said:
See, this is the problem. I prefer biathlon to XC in general, but the 50km is such an important event. If I can watch both I'll flick between them. I think there will also be some consideration given to when key figures in the women's sprint are setting off to catch the maximum amount of relevant events.

Yeah, hope to catch as much as possible, probably going to have biathlon on the computer and the nordic world championship on the TV. Might have to look up startlists and time this.
 
cartman said:
Hah, you just made me realise it's her together with Neuner in your profile pic. I'd say there's a slight problem if people more talented in XC are instead doing biathlon, although it might work out for her as she's still young. It's easier to make the switch from biathlon to XC than the other way around, so that way if it doesn't work out she could change discipline later.
At the same time, it's clear that Neuner is a big inspiration for her (probably unsurprising). Neuner was similarly super fast on the skis when she broke through, but unreliable in the shot. However, Neuner has always been at least decent in the prone, while Gößner is a bit of a lottery every time she shoots. She was taken to the Worlds in 2009 and the Olympics last year as part of the German XC team; they wanted her for this season but she chose to work on her shooting and stay with the biathlon team. I think she's still open to XC but only as her second choice. As her biathlon performances have seen massive improvement this year, it may be that she stays there, as it seems that's her desire. And as long as XC is only a secondary focus, she will not improve greatly in it, since her ski speed is not any worry at all in biathlon, so most of her improvement work will be, naturally, on her shooting.

Yeah, hope to catch as much as possible, probably going to have biathlon on the computer and the nordic world championship on the TV. Might have to look up startlists and time this.

Yea, that's pretty much my plan.
 
Feb 12, 2010
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Libertine Seguros said:
At the same time, it's clear that Neuner is a big inspiration for her (probably unsurprising). Neuner was similarly super fast on the skis when she broke through, but unreliable in the shot. However, Neuner has always been at least decent in the prone, while Gößner is a bit of a lottery every time she shoots. She was taken to the Worlds in 2009 and the Olympics last year as part of the German XC team; they wanted her for this season but she chose to work on her shooting and stay with the biathlon team. I think she's still open to XC but only as her second choice. As her biathlon performances have seen massive improvement this year, it may be that she stays there, as it seems that's her desire. And as long as XC is only a secondary focus, she will not improve greatly in it, since her ski speed is not any worry at all in biathlon, so most of her improvement work will be, naturally, on her shooting.

You've made me investigate a bit, and I found an interview with her (http://www.nrk.no/sport/skiskyting/1.7461013) , where she says that it's not the fact that biathlon is more popular in Germany that she does it, but because she likes biathlon better. She also says she might be in the relay team, but adds that there's little time between the relay the 3rd and the 5th when the sprint is. She would like to do a couple of XC races each season.
 
I think I recall reading something to that effect in German recently, but because she's of course fluent in Norwegian too it could well be separate interviews. I wonder if the preference for biathlon is influenced by its popularity (indirectly) however - after all, wintersports-fixated Germans will have biathlon as their main diet from childhood.

I didn't mean to suggest that her preference to be a biathlete was due to popularity concerns. More to draw attention to the fact that she has been (and occasionally still is) an XC skier at the top level, but it is clearly her second choice, and the skills she needs to improve most at to be a top biathlete are not the same ones she needs to improve at to be a top XC skier, so improving at one will entail stagnating at the other.

Either way, she's a big prospect, huge amount of talent.
 
Feb 12, 2010
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Libertine Seguros said:
I think I recall reading something to that effect in German recently, but because she's of course fluent in Norwegian too it could well be separate interviews. I wonder if the preference for biathlon is influenced by its popularity (indirectly) however - after all, wintersports-fixated Germans will have biathlon as their main diet from childhood.

I didn't mean to suggest that her preference to be a biathlete was due to popularity concerns. More to draw attention to the fact that she has been (and occasionally still is) an XC skier at the top level, but it is clearly her second choice, and the skills she needs to improve most at to be a top biathlete are not the same ones she needs to improve at to be a top XC skier, so improving at one will entail stagnating at the other.

Either way, she's a big prospect, huge amount of talent.

Ya, think that's a fair assessment of the situation. I obviously believe that she does what she likes the most. Didn't know she was fluent before one hour ago, cute accent. One can tell that she's German, but she doesn't sound danish like Germans have a tendency to do if they learn the language later. Little audible local dialect, although with a few clear northwesterly pronunciations.

Nordic combined normal hill + 10 km Gundersen, 15 km pursuit for the ladies and ski jumping normal hill tomorrow, will be the first time I'll watch a competition in the newly built Midtstubakken.
 
Well, obviously that would be because she didn't learn the language later, but instead from childhood!

The NC will be the point at which I really sit up and take notice, as I said before I don't really enjoy the sprints in XC. They should have fewer of them and more climbs up alpine slopes so they're good for something (alpine skiing leaves me as cold as a December evening in Östersund). The Alpe Cermis climbs are becoming more of a spectacle every year.
 
Feb 12, 2010
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Libertine Seguros said:
Well, obviously that would be because she didn't learn the language later, but instead from childhood!

The NC will be the point at which I really sit up and take notice, as I said before I don't really enjoy the sprints in XC. They should have fewer of them and more climbs up alpine slopes so they're good for something (alpine skiing leaves me as cold as a December evening in Östersund). The Alpe Cermis climbs are becoming more of a spectacle every year.

To be honest I don't really have a problem with the current world cup schedule. Sprint format allows you to have races more places, like the city sprints in Düsseldorf and Stockholm. But I agree it would be nice if there were more 'in the middle of of the race' steep climbs, like Mördarbacken in Falun. And also more mini tour's, it looks like they're trying to implement that. I'd think the danish insurance companies agree with you on the use of alpine slopes though.

She learned Norwegian from a young age obviously, but I doubt she could practice it as much as one would need while growing up in Germany.
 
Three reasons I follow the XC World Championships:
Therese_Johaug_671198i.jpg

JOHAUGXmX4119_1226650123_1226650138.jpg

Johaug2_1125553c.jpg
 
cartman said:
To be honest I don't really have a problem with the current world cup schedule. Sprint format allows you to have races more places, like the city sprints in Düsseldorf and Stockholm. But I agree it would be nice if there were more 'in the middle of of the race' steep climbs, like Mördarbacken in Falun. And also more mini tour's, it looks like they're trying to implement that. I'd think the danish insurance companies agree with you on the use of alpine slopes though.

She learned Norwegian from a young age obviously, but I doubt she could practice it as much as one would need while growing up in Germany.
True, but given that she could use it at home at any time, it's probably all the practice you need, living with a native speaker from birth!

I like the Tour de Ski, but feel like they should really cut the intermediate bonuses. The sprints need to be part of it, but there's little incentive to go for the win for somebody like Justyna Kowalczyk or Lars Petter Northug who can feel pretty sure they'll win a bunch of time in the intermediates. On the other hand, it makes the individual start into a more effective spectator format, which can only be a good thing. Short two-or-three day minitours would be a great way to expand the format and allow these little sprints and short individual start formats to increase in value and standing.

kanari said:
Three reasons I follow the XC World Championships:

Quite apart from anything else, she was stunning on Alpe Cermis. Best sporting performance of 2011 thus far.
 
Libertine Seguros said:
The sprints need to be part of it, but there's little incentive to go for the win for somebody like Justyna Kowalczyk or Lars Petter Northug who can feel pretty sure they'll win a bunch of time in the intermediates.

It's only Petter Northug: You are mixing him up with Lars Petter Nordhaug of Team Sky ;)
 
Women's XC 15k pursuit: Really, really good race. Absolutely torn apart from the word go, and over half of it was a simple three-woman break of Bjørgen, Kowalczyk and Johaug. Johaug looked like Rujano going in a break with Boonen and Hushovd in comparison, but then what do you expect when you're about 40kg soaking wet. She did an amazing race, never getting dropped and also putting in a brilliant set up for Bjørgen's final attack (plus some subtle preventing of the immediate answer from Kowalczyk).

Bjørgen got the gold medal with said attack in the last couple of km, and very much deserved. Every medallist crossed the line with arms aloft (and I've not seen anybody so happy as Johaug was after crossing the line since Fabian Wegmann won the Rund um Frankfurt); they know full well that they were the best 3 out there by a long way and they gave everything. And of those three, Bjørgen was the best, then Kowalczyk, then Johaug.
 
Mar 18, 2009
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Libertine Seguros said:
Women's XC 15k pursuit: Really, really good race. Absolutely torn apart from the word go, and over half of it was a simple three-woman break of Bjørgen, Kowalczyk and Johaug. Johaug looked like Rujano going in a break with Boonen and Hushovd in comparison, but then what do you expect when you're about 40kg soaking wet. She did an amazing race, never getting dropped and also putting in a brilliant set up for Bjørgen's final attack (plus some subtle preventing of the immediate answer from Kowalczyk).

Bjørgen got the gold medal with said attack in the last couple of km, and very much deserved. Every medallist crossed the line with arms aloft (and I've not seen anybody so happy as Johaug was after crossing the line since Fabian Wegmann won the Rund um Frankfurt); they know full well that they were the best 3 out there by a long way and they gave everything. And of those three, Bjørgen was the best, then Kowalczyk, then Johaug.

Yes the weather is just bad here today...it looks brutal up on the hill as well.

Hoping for better weather this week (as it looks like I´ll take my son up mid-week...perhaps the 15K on tuesday :D)

Regardless of the weather, there was a 2,5 hour delay at the T stations today just to get up to the venue :eek:

1298719555068_495.jpg
 
Feb 12, 2010
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Libertine Seguros said:
NC jump: Frenzel should win this now. Great stuff from Klemetsen, and it will be strange not seeing Lamy Chappuis starting about eight minutes ahead of everybody else.

Disappointing from Moan.

It's been a while since Moan has jumped concistantly sufficient, he's not 'within the minute' today which used to be quite fun.
 
Frenzel holds on, great day from him. I had been hoping for the all-German podium when you had the chase group of Gottwald, Edelmann, Rydzek and Watabe, though I would have been very sad for Gottwald had he lost a medal on that last corner fall.

The big comeback racing, Gottwald aside, never really materialised, Kokslien in 6th being the only big gainer.
 
Feb 12, 2010
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Yeah, Frenzel had a deserved win, he looked good for most of the race. Good race by Kokslien, thought Gottwald would be a tad stronger than he was. Moan not so strong, quite natural after his bout with illness.
 
Feb 12, 2010
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Libertine Seguros said:
Women's XC 15k pursuit: Really, really good race. Absolutely torn apart from the word go, and over half of it was a simple three-woman break of Bjørgen, Kowalczyk and Johaug. Johaug looked like Rujano going in a break with Boonen and Hushovd in comparison, but then what do you expect when you're about 40kg soaking wet. She did an amazing race, never getting dropped and also putting in a brilliant set up for Bjørgen's final attack (plus some subtle preventing of the immediate answer from Kowalczyk).

Bjørgen got the gold medal with said attack in the last couple of km, and very much deserved. Every medallist crossed the line with arms aloft (and I've not seen anybody so happy as Johaug was after crossing the line since Fabian Wegmann won the Rund um Frankfurt); they know full well that they were the best 3 out there by a long way and they gave everything. And of those three, Bjørgen was the best, then Kowalczyk, then Johaug.

Pretty good scream by Johaug when she crossed the finish line, quite happy I'd say. Bjørgen looking in very good shape, and Kowalczyk got plenty of power, should be an interesting 30 km.
 
Feb 12, 2010
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flyor64 said:
Yes the weather is just bad here today...it looks brutal up on the hill as well.

Hoping for better weather this week (as it looks like I´ll take my son up mid-week...perhaps the 15K on tuesday :D)

Regardless of the weather, there was a 2,5 hour delay at the T stations today just to get up to the venue :eek:

Should be a good experience, provided you can get there. :D
 

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