Besides, I think Eitrem will be better than Ghiotto. You can see it after 1500 meters. He is younger. The whole Norwegian team is also in great shape. You just have to look at the team Norway has, how many new and young skaters there are and in our group A there is one Trentini, who takes last place. In every winter sport we invest too little money to be counted.
If Eitrem has the same form over long distances as he does over 1500 metres, he will dominate this season, not Ghiotto or Roest.
Looking at last season's 1st World Cup, it's worse for now and it should be the other way around. Bosa out of shape, Trentini weak. Both will drop to a lower group. It's similar to skeleton, i.e. regression instead of progress. I hope this doesn't mean Ghiotto is also in weaker form, because it could end up with 0 podiums this weekend.
In general, our picture for a little over 1 year until the home games looks like this:
- the women's sector is still based on one Lollo, who is 3 years older than 2022,
- the women's and men's sprint sector is based on one Bosa and possibly the young Pergher (0% possobility for medal in 2026),
- Ghiotto has made a lot of progress and that is a big plus. He could result to give our even 3 medals, including 1/2 gold. Our team's performance also depends to a large extent on Ghiotto's form,
- the rest of the men's team is basically unchanged. There is Giovannoni in the mass start, there is Malfatti in the longer distances, but they are not competitors on the podium of a major event.
I will repeat myself: if Ghiotto continues to make such progress, we will probably win 3 medals, 2 of which gold and it will be a success. If something doesn`t work out, an injury, illness, etc. (we know from Vitozzi that this can happen to anyone), then it could be very bad. By the way, this also applies to other sports: the above-mentioned Vitozzi in biathlon, Goggia in downhill, Brignone in giant slalom, etc.
With the World Cup season in most of the winter sports about to begin and qualification in some sports already underway, I think it's about time for this thread.
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Team Size Prediction for Winter Olympic Games 2026 Milano Cortina
Ski Sports
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Freestyle Skiing () -
Snowboarding () -
Biathlon () -
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Skating Sports
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Short Track Speed Skating () -
Figure Skating () -
Sleigh Sports
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Skeleton () -
Bobsleigh () -
Team Sports
Curling () -
Ice Hockey () -
Total Optimistic Prediction - ()
Total Pessimistic Prediction - ()
Total Realistic Prediction - ()
Today is a day without Italians in the leads positions. I`m worried that they are not trying to revive this our sprint. There is only one Bosa and he is old. Pergher is young but she is also only one. It is a pity. After the Olympics they will probably 100% give up on the entire sprint. Our medal bag in Cortina will depend 90% on Ghiotto, just like it did on Fabris in Turin 2006. If Ghiotto will be in goodshape, he can even win 2 individual golds + a team medal. If not, it will be a flop. Apart from him, only Lollobrigida can compete in the mass start and possibly Giovannini in the men's mass start.