RobtheAggie

So one thing that this will cause, in my opinion is saturation in that area, and a strong decline outside of that area.

Pichler has now been discharged, and is at home recovering.

IBU announced that the fluoride wax ban will start 2021/2022 season. They also announced that the sport will work towards a climate neutral sport by 2030. The only issue I have with this is that travel constitutes a large part of this. If this is true, any WC/IBU cup events outside of Central Europe are unlikley. 81 Russian athletes have tested positive for COVID19. I am not sure as to which sport they participate in, or if that is currently though. The article is a little vague. In an article with Biathloworld, Simon Eder drops hints about retiring after Beijing 2022. Daria Domrachiva's brother was arrested by riot police in Belarus. There is a video of the incident included as well. This is not intended to be a political commentary on the situiation there.

Timofey Lapshin is denying any wrong doing, and will fight his suspension for violation of anti-doping practices. He even made a video.

I agree, the venue is what makes it exciting.

Although cancelled, the World Team Challenge in 2020 might come back, but not to Schalke, but to Ruhpoldhing. Pichler is out of a comma. Here is a few more details about the accident.

Interesting that they chose Oberhof instead of Ruhpoldhing. The weather in Oberhof in past years has been unpredictable. The drive from Ruhpolding to Antholtz would also have been a lot shorter as well.

With the announcement that the IBU Congress in November will be virtual, not in Prague a series of things will now be decided online instead of in person. 1. The official accepting of some of the rule changes noted in my post above. 2. Decisions for the IBU World Championship in 2024 and 2025. To remind you there is only one possibility in 2024, that of Nova Mesto. 2025 has either Belarus or Switzerland. 3. What to do with Russia is on the docket as well. Will they get of provisional status? 4. One member of the Exec Board is open. Dagmara Gerasimuk became the IBU Director of Development and left the position open. No idea who is angling for that spot.

Could you in theory win one Individual then scratch the other one and get the crystal globe?

Some new IBU rules for next season. 1. "The World Cup Qualification Criteria was adjusted, accounting for the late start of the IBU Cup season, which would be the normal route to the BMW IBU World Cup. Accordingly, for the first trimester only, each National Federation can register two athletes who have not fulfilled the qualification criteria. The start quotas for the BMW IBU World Cup remain the same." 2. "At the same time, the number of scratch results has been raised up to four for the World Cup Total Score. Scratch results are also introduced to the Nations Cup and Discipline scores as well as the IBU Cup Total Score. In case the total number of competitions are reduced, the number of scratched results will be deducted accordingly." Permanent Changes: 1. Blue Bib for best U25 biathlete. 2. Super Sprint will now have a standard length of 1.5 km, and no spare rounds. 3. Cross fire will not result in a DQ anymore.

Two items of news from Canada: 1. They are restructured their program and added some interesting things. 4 total teams U20 Developmental, U24 Developmental, Senior Developmental and Senior National Team. They currently have 23 in the U20 Developmental Team. 2. Canada is happy with two race weekends in Austria. Both relays did really well there last season.

Both announcements are from here. IBU Cup Schedule Arber I January 11 and 17. Arber II January 18 to 23. Open European Championships in Duszniki-Zdroj in Poland January 24 to 31. Brezno-Osrblie I February 11 to 14. Brezno-Osrbie II February 15 to 21. Ridnaun March 8 and 14. Another change: "The IBU Executive Board has decided to guarantee financial support for its event organizers, including those who are holding additional events under the new program and those who are not hosting a World Cup any longer as a result of the calendar alteration."

Live Biathlon this weekend, and it will be streamed!

Sort of Update on Wolfgang Pitchler from the IBU

Wolfgang Pichler is currently in a coma. He was cycling near Ruhpolding, had a heart attack. He was revived, but now is in a coma. I hope he recovers. Another new biathlon and ski complex in the works in Russia, this time it is in Khabarovsk, in far east Siberia.

Other weekend results: Belarusian Summer Biathlon Championship. Raubichi Sprint. Men. Results: 1. Dzmitry Lazouski (1+1) 25:48.5 2. Anton Smolski (1+1) +2.3 3. Sergei Bocharnikov (1+1) +5.8 Sprint. Women. Results: 1. Dzinara Alimbekava (0+2) 23:24.1 2. Elena Kruchinkina (0+1) +35.3 3. Hanna Sola (1+1) +41.4 Odd that they still have the ICU images still up. Wiesbaden happened this past weekend Also Dmitry Pidruchny has tested positive for COVID19, but as of now is asymptomatic.

Not really a surprise, but I wonder two things. 1. Fans? "Any decision regarding if, and how many, spectators will be allowed to attend the events will depend on the national health authorities’ regulations in place for each venue in connection with the IBU Covid-19 event guidelines." Looks like we will not know until much later. 2. Does Östersund (SWE) and Annecy-Le Grand Bornand (FRA) get spots back in the future? The IBU did not comment if they get financial compensation for losing their races, nor did they say if Kontiolahti (FIN) and Hochfilzen (AUT) receive additional. Additionally there were two other race related announcements: 1. IBU Cup - Arber (GER), Brezno-Osrblie (SVK) and Ridnaun (ITA) with five event weeks. The Open European Championships will be held in Duszniki-Zdroj (24-31 January) 2. "The EB agreed to financially support regional events in all recently defined IBU regions in which mainly neighboring countries compete. Offering a reasonable number of competitions for youth and junior athletes was of high importance following the EB’s decision earlier this month to cancel all IBU Junior Cup events for the 2020/21 season and the Junior Open European Championships." This could be interesting to see what develops out of this. The 14th Ordinary IBU Congress, originally scheduled for 13-15 November in Prague (CZE), will now be held virtually on the same dates.

News of the day: Olga Zaitseva has lost her appeal for doping in the 2014 Olympic Games. Russia loses the silver in the 4x6 relay. Olga Vilukhina. Olga Zaytseva, and Yana Romanova won their appeal for a life ban and Vilukhina gets her silver in the sprint back. Ekaterina Glazyrina and Timofey Lapshin have been provisionally suspended. Both Lapshin and Glazyrina are accused of violating anti-doping rules (ADRV). Although not Biathlon, Ruka Nordic in Kuusamo, Finland with lot have fans for the races on site. "Ruka Nordic is cooperating with Finland’s other mc organizers, Levi (alpine skiing), Kontiolahti (biathlon) and Lahti, in creating a contingency plan for the corona situation." - I would imagine that Kontiolahti will have the same rules. And in the random health side of things Tiril Eckhoff announced that she has "two kidnes basins, and that there are alos two urinary outlet routes from the kidneys." This was causing her much pain.

This is what the lodge at the biathlon venue will look like.

Pictures are here. The last two are of the new lodge.

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.

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.

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

2023 Winter University Games Town Hall meeting tonight with a Q&A

Russian IBU Cup Biathlete Kristina Reztsova will take the season off due to pregnancy. Russian Summer Biathlon Sprint Results Women 1. Yakaterina Glazyrina 22:51.1 2. Svetlana Mironova 22:53.0 3. Evgenia Pavlova 23:00.7 Alexader Loginov (I always think about the cook in The Hunt for Red October) did not race in either the individual or sprint due to an elbow injury.