Biathlon 2019 - 2020 Discussion Thread

[RobtheAggie 340]

I was wondering how someone could fail three tests and finally get banned.  Missed makes so much more sense.

[RobtheAggie 340]

Youth Olympic Games 2020 Schedule is out

 

Biathlon

Saturday, January 11

10:30 - 12:05 Women’s Individual Competition 10km
13:30 - 15:15 Men’s Individual Competition 12.5km

Sunday, January 12

10:30 - 11:40 Single Mixed Relay

Tuesday, January 14

10:30 - 11:55 Women’s Sprint 6km
13:30 - 15:00 Men’s Sprint7.5km

Wednesday, January 15

10:30 - 12:35 Mixed Relay

[RobtheAggie 340]

Nice little article about Chloe Levins.  Quite impressive.

 

Also, the Korean Olympic Committee has announced its plans for PyeongChang.  Pretty ambitious.

 

They are bidding for the next Youth Olympic Games - 2024  Also, they are contemplating a combined bid for 2032 (summer) and 2034 (winter) with North Korea.  The Nordic and Biathlon areas will be the same courses and the Olympics.  They are also going to try and get FIS Nordic races, and IBU races. As I mentioned, I would love an IBU Cup swing of Nagano, PyeongChang, Beijing, and then Almaty.  That would be really neat.  

[Gianlu33 4,556]

Kuzmina announced her complete and definite retiremen. She will not do the relay this season

[RobtheAggie 340]

On 03/10/2019 at 02:41, Gianlu33 said:

Kuzmina announced her complete and definite retiremen. She will not do the relay this season

She will be missed.    Here is an article about it.

 

Sebastian Samuelsson has had some very strong words about what should happen to Russian athletes.  

 

“New data on the manipulation of doping samples in the Moscow laboratory leave no other choice. Russian sport should be radically cleared. RUSADA must be disqualified as soon as possible. The Russian team should be denied access to international competitions.”

 

 “Even the head of WADA, Craig Reedy, admitted that Russia got off too easily. I believe that WADA violated its own rules by restoring RUSADA.”

 

Former Austrian biathlete Wolfgang Perne has died.  He was the first Austrian Olympic medalist in Biathlon, but was later found to dope.

 

[Vojthas 949]

Just now, RobtheAggie said:

Sebastian Samuelsson has had some very strong words about what should happen to Russian athletes.  

 

“New data on the manipulation of doping samples in the Moscow laboratory leave no other choice. Russian sport should be radically cleared. RUSADA must be disqualified as soon as possible. The Russian team should be denied access to international competitions.”

 

 “Even the head of WADA, Craig Reedy, admitted that Russia got off too easily. I believe that WADA violated its own rules by restoring RUSADA.”

I like the guy. I mean I have nothing against Russians as people (although in Poland it seems quite common, unfortunately), but the national doping system instead of anti-doping is something that should be fought with very "cruel" (but justified) way. We will have a new WADA President soon - he is now a Ministry of Sport in Poland. I know he is very strict about anti-doping but I also know he says many things from which the conclusion is "it's not the way you think it is, in fact I can't do anything". I hope that as WADA President he will have possibilities to do what's right. Not only in Russia's case.

[RobtheAggie 340]

I also like that Samuelsson has been pretty direct about this.  It is interesting to see the difference from a few years ago.  Many people criticized Lowel Bailey and others for calling for Russian athletes to be suspended.  Now there are much fewer protests. 

[RobtheAggie 340]

Fourcade announces that this could be his last season.  He will assess how things are in April 2020 to determine if he tries for the 2022 Olympics.  

[RobtheAggie 340]

So the newly announce Premier event of the season, the first event that is not the first round of the World Cup, but is, will be split hosted by Östersund and Kontiolahti.  I am not sure what these events will look like, or if they will accrue World Cup points.  They start in 2020.

 

 

[Monzanator 4,501]

On 07/10/2019 at 12:29, RobtheAggie said:

Fourcade announces that this could be his last season.  He will assess how things are in April 2020 to determine if he tries for the 2022 Olympics.  

 

His time at the top has passed. If he struggles as much this season as he did last year then he will call it quits. JTB is the new King of Biathlon.