Biathlon IBU World Cup 2018 - 2019

[Werloc 3,164]

5 hours ago, heywoodu said:

To be fair, if you're a small nation and you somewhat have the financial resources to at least make this trip, you'd be utterly stupid not to. It is the chance to score some good points  

Nah, the main reason is focusing on the European Championships, where it's usually the only chance to make money and get government financing for our athletes, so those two stages were planned to be skipped to be at the best form possible for the ECH and then WCH.

[RobtheAggie 340]

Canmore and Soldier Hollow provide 4 races where individuals can get good points without some of the major players on the scene.  I can see some of the "smaller nations" who look at their World Championship chances as slim, really putting a lot of effort into these two weeks.  

 

I had not thought about the European Championships as a place to secure government financing.  Good point.

[RobtheAggie 340]

Russian Biathlon Union and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency have sent an updated report to the IBU about their progress in the fight against organized doping in Biathlon.  Ekaterina Glazyrina is scheduled to return from her ban on 10 Feb.  Since Russia has said that they will not travel to Canada and the US, I wonder if she will start at the European Championships?

Also, despite what was previously announced, Russia seems to be heading to Canmore and Soldier Hollow.  Two articles found here and here seem to indicate that they are going.

 

 

 

Ukriane has announced who will be going to Canmore and Soldier Hollow:

 

Women

Olena Pidhrushna

Julia Jim

Yulia Zhuravok

Nadezhda Belkina

Maria Kruchov

Jan Bondar

Men

Dmitry Pidruchny

Pryma Artem

Sergey Semenov

Artem Tishchenko

Taras Lesyuk

At the end of the starts in Canmore Yulia Zhuravok, Artem Pryma and Sergey Semenov will return to Europe to conduct training camps before the European championship.

[heywoodu 15,135]

Google translated that? I'm fairly sure Julia Jim is in fact Yuliia Dzhima?  

[Werloc 3,164]

In all honesty, Ukraine looks non-existent this season. Apart from Dzhima's win, when did we actually see anyone contend? You couldn't even tell that the Semerenko sisters are both in the world cup, because we haven't heard them and haven't seen them do anything yet.

 

The highest world cup overall athletes from women right now is Olena Pidrushina at 34 with Dzhima, Semerenko's, Merkushina often struggling to even quality to a pursuit race...

 

2017-18 season after Antholz we had Vita at 10, Valj at 14, Dzhima at 16, Merkushina at 32

 

They have better luck with men this season at 24 and 29 after Antholz...

[RobtheAggie 340]

18 minutes ago, heywoodu said:

Google translated that? I'm fairly sure Julia Jim is in fact Yuliia Dzhima?  

 

The link was in English, but I think it must have been Dzhima.

[hckošice 14,823]

Some updates from Team for the North American stages

 

The whole male team (Otčenáš, Kazár, Hasilla and Šíma) will compete In Canmore in order to form a relay and win some points in the Nations Cup, where our mens are very low this season. but they will very likely return back home just after the Canadian stage and skip the Soldier Hollow stage.

 

In the womens team only Anastasia Kuzmina and Paulína Fialková will travel to Canada (because of the Mass Start where Paja is still leading the WC standing) but after the Canmore stage she will return with the mens back home, our team will have a 2 weeks training final camp before the World Champs. Only Nastya will stay in North America one week more and she will be the only slovak athlete competing in the whole Soldier Hollow stage.

[RobtheAggie 340]

I have not found the US Squad, but here is the Canadian one.

Men    Christian Gow (Calgary, AB)   Scott Gow (Calgary, AB) Jules Burnotte (Sherbrooke, QC) Aidan Millar (Canmore, AB) Brendan Green (Hay River, NT)

Women   Rosanna Crawford (Canmore, AB) Sarah Beaudry (Prince George, BC) Emma Lunder (Vernon, BC) Megan Bankes (Calgary, AB)

 

As an aside, Canadian Megan Tandy who competed in World Cups for 12 years has retired.  The article is here.  Some interesting reasons for her retirement, and I wish her ex-husband, Illmar Heinicke, a speedy recovery.

[heywoodu 15,135]

I hope the competitions in Canmore can actually take place, so far it looks like the weather might warm up just in time.

[RobtheAggie 340]

5 hours ago, heywoodu said:

I hope the competitions in Canmore can actually take place, so far it looks like the weather might warm up just in time.

It is - 17 F right now, -27 C!

I can not imagine that the training runs are very fun.  That is cold.

Edited February 4, 2019 by RobtheAggie