Biathlon 2019 - 2020 Discussion Thread

[Agger 1,663]

44 minutes ago, Monzanator said:

 

This is the same BS excuse they used to get rid of time trial races in cross country. Now even 10km is a damn mass start there. Totally pathetic.

 

It's 21st century, you got big TV screens in the stadium where you can follow the live results PLUS everyone has a damn smartphone these days where you can follow the live results. IBU's live timing page is a work of art where you can check everything instantly. Don't sell me "people are confused" crap because it's a complete nonsense. It's not 1979 anymore.

 

Worrying about how it is to be a spectator is not BS! And it's not BS to think that it's complicated!

Having been to time trials in cycling, I have no doubt that it's complicated to follow the same thing with several laps and adding the shooting. It's not like there are big screens everywhere and with athletes more or less constantly passing by, spending time with the live timing isn't necessarily possible.

That's honestly where this site gets frustrating sometimes. We can all agree about the conclusion (remember, I'm strongly against how it's getting more and more about mass starts in and once again, I miss the good old individual 50km as well and I'm against cutting the individual in biathlon), but it becomes frustratingly automatic that because their ideas of a solution is bad, the reasoning is as well.

[heywoodu 15,145]

6 minutes ago, Agger said:

Having been to time trials in cycling, I have no doubt that it's complicated to follow the same thing with several laps and adding the shooting.

 

If there are screens showing the standings - and better, if internet is working fine - it's just not. Plus even the IBU Cups have stadium speakers helping you out, no doubt the World Cup has the same.

 

It's easily possible to keep an eye on live timing if internet works fine (which is a bigger issue in such an event), also with athletes passing by. Just keep the live timing open and you need like 5 seconds to take a quick peek. There's always moments in which no athlete passes by.

Edited February 17, 2020 by heywoodu

[Monzanator 4,503]

3 minutes ago, Agger said:

 

Worrying about how it is to be a spectator is not BS! And it's not BS to think that it's complicated!

Having been to time trials in cycling, I have no doubt that it's complicated to follow the same thing with several laps and adding the shooting. It's not like there are big screens everywhere and with athletes more or less constantly passing by, spending time with the live timing isn't necessarily possible.

That's honestly where this site gets frustrating sometimes. We can all agree about the conclusion (remember, I'm strongly against how it's getting more and more about mass starts in and once again, I miss the good old individual 50km as well and I'm against cutting the individual in biathlon), but it becomes frustratingly automatic that because their ideas of a solution is bad, the reasoning is as well.

 

I'm sorry but nobody convinces me a 10k mass start is exciting and time trials are boring.

 

Time trials are getting removed due to TV demands. They want a short, sweet event with a fixed time zone. It has nothing to do with "fans being confused". TV doesn't want a three hour time window for a 50km time trial so they forced the mass start BS where you can turn away to show sth else at any stage. After all, you might as well show the start and the last 5-10 kms since it's all that matters. Nothing what happens between 1-45 kms really matters. You know the Norwegians will split the pack to 20-30 top athletes literally 5kms into the race anyway.

[Olympian1010 7,976]

17 minutes ago, Monzanator said:

Biathlon is heading towards cross country skiing where the fastest skiers will win all the time regardless of missed shots. Slower skiers will have no chance to be rewarded for a perfect shooting. Even now Lisa Teresa Hauser has no chance of a podium finish even if she hits 20/20. Nadezhda Skardino was probably the last of Olympic medallists who was rewarded for her shooting skills while being a mediocre skier.

Which is why Individual should be kept on the program . I’m allowed to say “We should keep this, it’s just not the most interesting event”.

 

By decreeing the end of times, you’re showing your age too 

Edited February 17, 2020 by Olympian1010

[Grassmarket 3,409]

In a time trial over a hundred athletes can start.  In a mass start, 60 maximum.  So they’d be getting rid of all the minor countries.

[Monzanator 4,503]

1 minute ago, Olympian1010 said:

Which is why Individual should be kept on the program . I’m allowed to say “We should keep this, it’s just not the most interesting event”.

 

By decreeing the end of times, you’re showing your age too 

 

Your generation's ideas are usually short-attention span nonsense tbh. Break dance as Olympic sport takes the cake so far

[Olympian1010 7,976]

7 minutes ago, heywoodu said:

 

If there are screens showing the standings - and better, if internet is working fine - it's just not. Plus even the IBU Cups have stadium speakers helping you out, no doubt the World Cup has the same.

 

It's easily possible to keep an eye on live timing if internet works fine (which is a bigger issue in such an event), also with athletes passing by. Just keep the live timing open and you need like 5 seconds to take a quick peek. There's always moments in which no athlete passes by.

We didn’t have speakers or commentary at the Soldier Hollow World Cup (at least not that you could hear). I do agree with @Agger that having to watch a race by looking a TV to see the skiing, looking at my phone to see the shooting stats, and using my tablet to look at the times is highly annoying.

[Monzanator 4,503]

1 minute ago, Grassmarket said:

In a time trial over a hundred athletes can start.  In a mass start, 60 maximum.  So they’d be getting rid of all the minor countries.

 

That's the whole idea. The big countries want to create a special environement where only they can dominate. Big nations, big TV markets, big money. Nobody wants someone from Kazakhstan as biathlon's top performer

[heywoodu 15,145]

3 minutes ago, Grassmarket said:

In a time trial over a hundred athletes can start.  In a mass start, 60 maximum.  So they’d be getting rid of all the minor countries.

 

And that is in an unfair format only, either the pursuit or the mass start 60.

[heywoodu 15,145]

2 minutes ago, Olympian1010 said:

We didn’t have speakers or commentary at the Soldier Hollow World Cup (at least not that you could hear). I do agree with @Agger that having to watch a race by looking a TV to see the skiing, looking at my phone to see the shooting stats, and using my tablet to look at the times is highly annoying.

 

Then you're just not used to watching it yet  For me it doesn't feel different than when I'm watching F1 with live timing on another screen.