Bobsleigh IBSF World Cup 2021 - 2022

[dcro 10,210]

Looks like someone partied last night? Friedrich got only 12th with two poor runs.

[dcro 10,210]

Friedrich is back on top, ahead of Brad Hall from GB, and another 6 different countries inside the Top 8.

 

Far more competitive than aerials could ever offer.

[Illya 517]

47 minutes ago, dcro said:

Far more competitive than aerials could ever offer.

What a stupid comparison! It's 2 different sports . In aerials there are 6 countries , that can pretend to medals : Russia , Belarus , USA , Switzerland , Ukraine , Australia. I think , that you don't like this sport because Croatians there are too weak

[Grassmarket 3,537]

21 minutes ago, Illya said:

What a stupid comparison! It's 2 different sports . In aerials there are 6 countries , that can pretend to medals : Russia , Belarus , USA , Switzerland , Ukraine , Australia. I think , that you don't like this sport because Croatians there are too weak

Any good gymnastics/trampolining country can gave a good aerials team, just need finance & coaching.

[heywoodu 15,253]

2 hours ago, Grassmarket said:

Any good gymnastics/trampolining country can gave a good aerials team, just need finance & coaching.

To be fair, any good sprinting country can get a decent bobsleigh team, just need finance & coaching & learning the handful of tracks there are in the world  

 

Spoiler

I am definitely in the bobsleigh camp in the bobsleigh vs aerials discussion though.

 

[Grassmarket 3,537]

Just now, heywoodu said:

To be fair, any good sprinting country can get a decent bobsleigh team, just need finance & coaching & learning the handful of tracks there are in the world  

 

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I am definitely in the bobsleigh camp in the bobsleigh vs aerials discussion though.

 

Dunno about that. In Britain we run two squads, basically - an Armed Forces team & a 4x100m sprint team.  It’s the army team that’s winning all the medals while the 4x100m team are struggling to qualify.

[heywoodu 15,253]

2 minutes ago, Grassmarket said:

Dunno about that. In Britain we run two squads, basically - an Armed Forces team & a 4x100m sprint team.  It’s the army team that’s winning all the medals while the 4x100m team are struggling to qualify.

Well yeah, you do still need more than just fast sprinters  Just like for aerials you still do need people with actual talent for it than just good gymnastic skills.

[dcro 10,210]

The problem with aerials is that it literally exists only in 13 nations. 12 of whom are provisionally qualified for Beijing. It's non-existant elsewhere.

 

And no new nation has joined the circuit for years now. Either they can't join, or FIS is doing a criminally bad job in expanding the discipline.

 

I think the last nation who tried to join was Brazil. They sent two former gymnasts to try to qualify for Sochi, and it ended so badly that one of them (or did both eventually?) ended up permanently paralysed following a training accident. It was disturbing, and honestly FIS should be held complicit.

 

Rant ends.

[heywoodu 15,253]

5 minutes ago, dcro said:

The problem with aerials is that it literally exists only in 13 nations. 12 of whom are provisionally qualified for Beijing. It's non-existant elsewhere.

 

And no new nation has joined the circuit for years now. Either they can't join, or FIS is doing a criminally bad job in expanding the discipline.

 

I think the last nation who tried to join was Brazil. They sent two former gymnasts to try to qualify for Sochi, and it ended so badly that one of them (or did both eventually?) ended up permanently paralysed following a training accident. It was disturbing, and honestly FIS should be held complicit.

 

Rant ends.

The other one disappeared into oblivion I think, Lais Souza got paralysed...that was a horrific story to follow back in 2013 (?), right when I was really getting into following Brazilian winter athletes  

 

Something that shows how obscure aerials is: the calendar is eerily empty. There's the World Cups and some national championships, and other than a few random competitions here or there...that's it. Even bobsleigh and skeleton have a significantly larger overall calendar outside of the World Cup.

[hckošice 15,029]

Well yeah it is dangerous, but lets be fair, All freestyle skiing are similarly dangerous, Halfpipe, Ski Cross, Big Air are all dangerous as well...and if we want be nitpicking Alpine Skiing (Speed events) and Ski Jumping are probably even more dangerous..so it is not fair to just point the finger only to the aerials.

 

Aerials are quite fun and spectacular to watch. I personally like them.

 

Now the other question is if it is enough competitive to be at the Olympics and have 3 medal events, and here yes I agree that it is not. But again, it is not the fault of or that nobody else is able to compete at major events in this, and other nations do not even consider to try starting the program. The Czechs had a Olympic champion in this sport (I remember Valenta races were extremely followed in the country) but it did not help the Aerials program in the country at all.