Biathlon 2020 - 2021 Discussion Thread

[Werloc 3,164]

On the 25th-27th of September, the Lithuanian Summer Biathlon Championships are going to be held. Since the travelling bans in Latvia, the competition was re-scheduled to take place in Ignalina, Lithuania.

 

It will be that time of the year where we can somewhat find out which of our athletes are still biathletes 

[RobtheAggie 340]

Biathlon course in China is completed on time and ready for the test event this Winter and the Olympics next yet.

[Grassmarket 3,409]

16 minutes ago, RobtheAggie said:

Biathlon course in China is completed on time and ready for the test event this Winter and the Olympics next yet.

I’m sure athletes & fans will be eager to flock to Plaguelandia to see it.

[RobtheAggie 340]

1 hour ago, Grassmarket said:

I’m sure athletes & fans will be eager to flock to Plaguelandia to see it.

I wonder if the Test event will happen this Winter.  With the previous IBU regime, I could see it going forward.  This group seems to be more open to concerns from the athletes, etc.  I would not be surprised if that is one of the World Cup stops that is cancelled.

[heywoodu 15,145]

3 hours ago, RobtheAggie said:

I wonder if the Test event will happen this Winter.  With the previous IBU regime, I could see it going forward.  This group seems to be more open to concerns from the athletes, etc.  I would not be surprised if that is one of the World Cup stops that is cancelled.

Why would that one be cancelled, and those in more risky areas wouldn't?

[Grassmarket 3,409]

13 minutes ago, heywoodu said:

Why would that one be cancelled, and those in more risky areas wouldn't?

Wow!  A man who believes Chinese health stats!  Can’t be many of those around. M

[Werloc 3,164]

2 hours ago, Grassmarket said:

Wow!  A man who believes Chinese health stats!  Can’t be many of those around. M

Unrelated note, but China is actually pretty strict and they would be capable to make the World Cup work out, but if nothing changes in the near future, it will be completely impossible for the athletes themselves. 

 

Right now, there's an eSports World Championship being held in Shanghai, with European, North American, Korean, Southeast Asian, Russian, South American, Japanese, Australian and Turkish teams that have travelled there.

 

All of them were individually locked up in a hotel room that they couldn't leave for 14 days and would only open their door to pick up their food delivery.

 

In the further stages of the tournament it's also mentioned that a smaller, spread out audience will be able to attend the stadium live.

 

I've been following the journey of the pros closely on Twitter, Instagram, Twitch and other media, so this is one of those rare times when I can say that China is really doing their best to make such a huge event happen.

 

Since they are e-athletes, they could've practiced from the room and that's why I wouldn't put my money on a World Cup happening there, because it would screw up all of the athletes to be in lockdown for 14 days and I'm not too optimistic that their strict regime towards travelling is going to severy change in the following 3-4 months.

[Olympian1010 7,976]

@RobtheAggie Do you have any good photos of the new Mt. Van Hovenberg Biathlon Center? I tried to post some the other day, but it didn’t work for whatever reason. The facility (which includes the bobsleigh track, lodge, and biathlon/cross country center) looks really nice, is that the one they plan to use for Lake Placid 2023?

[Grassmarket 3,409]

9 minutes ago, Werloc said:

Unrelated note, but China is actually pretty strict and they would be capable to make the World Cup work out, but if nothing changes in the near future, it will be completely impossible for the athletes themselves. 

 

Since they are e-athletes, they could've practiced from the room and that's why I wouldn't put my money on a World Cup happening there, because it would screw up all of the athletes to be in lockdown for 14 days and I'm not too optimistic that their strict regime towards travelling is going to severy change in the following 3-4 months.

Well, exactly.  That couldn’t be scaled up for the average World Cup winter sport.  

[RobtheAggie 340]

No post Christmas race in Germany.  I will miss that event.

 

Interesting interview with Hanna Oeberg.  Noting groundbreaking, but she does provide some context for her start in biathlon.

 

J.T. Boe pledges to take over as the voice of clean sport from Martin Fourcade.