Biathlon IBU World Cup 2021 - 2022

[heywoodu 15,250]

18 minutes ago, JonPhi said:

Nevertheless, it has to be said that the French ladies are as strong as a team as they have ever been. We are talking about four women in the top 12 of the overall World Cup at the moment. It has probably been more than 10 years since a nation had so many ladies in front (I think Germany 2010).
The four are all capable of making it onto the podium on their own and with Chloe Chevalier they also have someone who could step in and perform well in the relay if necessary. 
The big question will be how they cope with the conditions in China and whether the form is right this time at the peak (as a team they were not in a good mood at the last three world championships).
But if they are, they have to be counted among the gold favorites together with the Swedes. They have actually already won the relay World Cup and they also lead in the Nations Cup.

Oh absolutely. My point isn't so much about the French women not being strong enough for medals, but more for the French men also being strong enough for medals  

 

Of course it can go many ways in the end, but France does have absolutely huge potential all across the board at the moment. More so than, say, Norway, which depends much more on certain athletes scoring big.

[JonPhi 250]

4 minutes ago, heywoodu said:

Oh absolutely. My point isn't so much about the French women not being strong enough for medals, but more for the French men also being strong enough for medals  

 

Of course it can go many ways in the end, but France does have absolutely huge potential all across the board at the moment. More so than, say, Norway, which depends much more on certain athletes scoring big.

Whereas I have to say that the French men have rather weakened in the last games 14 and 18. Sure, Fourcade outshone everything, but except Beatrix 14 in the Pursuit the others were really weak and in the relays they were far away from the medals.
The women are actually quite reliable at the Olympics. Especially Bescond somehow always manages to be top fit at the Olympics. But Marie also came somewhat surprisingly in 2018 with her fourth place in the sprint.

[heywoodu 15,250]

6 minutes ago, JonPhi said:

Whereas I have to say that the French men have rather weakened in the last games 14 and 18. Sure, Fourcade outshone everything, but except Beatrix 14 in the Pursuit the others were really weak and in the relays they were far away from the medals.
The women are actually quite reliable at the Olympics. Especially Bescond somehow always manages to be top fit at the Olympics. But Marie also came somewhat surprisingly in 2018 with her fourth place in the sprint.

Yes, but that just doesn't really say much. What a combination of athletes did or did not do in 2014 says nothing about what completely different athletes in completely different moments of their career can do now  

 

At least 2018 says a tiny bit more, but I think especially Fillon Maillet and Jacquelin have shown immense growth specifically after 2018. What they have been doing in recent months says a lot more than what they did four years ago, and way more than what other athletes did eight (!) years ago..

[hckošice 15,027]

biathletes at the range once again at their best... what else is new

 

[JonPhi 250]

And Eric Perrot does the Anais Bescond, only he goes completely blue. But fourth place is still acceptable. Simon Desthieux with a weak round must be said. Antonin and Fabien with very strong performances.
I would have seen the Russians closer to the Norwegians, after all that was almost the line-up.

[hckošice 15,027]

in no mercy mode

 

[hckošice 15,027]

Stage 7 in Antholz/Anterselva (ITA)

 

Men´s 4x7.5km Team Relay:

 

1. Norway    (Sturla Holm Laegreid, Tarjei Boe, Johannes Thingnes Boe, Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen) 1:12:14.7  (0+4)

2. Russia   (Anton Babikov, Daniil Serokhvostov, Alexandr Loginov, Eduard Latypov) +1:57.2 (1+12)

3. Germany   (Roman Rees, Philipp Horn, David Zobel, Lucas Fratzscher) +2:04.4 (0+4)

 

Full Final Result HERE

[Monzanator 4,579]

Vittozzi opens the Mass Start shoot with 5 misses

[Grassmarket 3,531]

1 minute ago, Monzanator said:

Vittozzi opens the Mass Start shoot with 5 misses

Huge Italian crowd has unsettled her,

[Monzanator 4,579]

Looks like the podium is set, Chevalier-Bouchet FTW, Wierer & Alimbekava. Eckhoff with a mini-meltdown on the last shoot.