RobtheAggie

If the season starts on time, Irina Starykh will miss some time. She was scheduled for an operation on her neck back in July, only to have the Dr contract COVID19, and the operation cancelled while she was already in the operating room! Also in Russia, the city of Labytnangi, just east of the Ural Mountains and south of the Kara Sea, will get a brand new biathlon center. I love their Town flag!

That was a pretty direct article. I wonder how he has been kept from the Russians.

All 4 Canada Nordic sports have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the possibility of combining all four into one organization. Former International Biathlon Union (IBU) President Anders Besseberg and ex-secretary general Nicole Resch have so far refused to be interviewed by an independent group set up to investigate corruption allegations made against them.

That is not good that he is in the hospital. I hope he and his family recover.

So the IBU Exec Committee had a meeting this week with the following points of interest: 1. "No calendar changes have been made so far. However, recognising that the situation is ever-changing and evolving the IBU is also planning for a number of alternative scenarios. One of which includes determining which venues have free capacities in the winter in order to host additional events as part of an alternative schedule with reduced travelling in case any governments restrictions require such changes." 2. "The EB agreed to decide the schedule for each trimester of the season separately, with dates to be set on when each decision will be taken. The decision on the schedule for the first trimester – the events in November and December – is planned around the next Executive Board meeting end of September. Once the schedule for the trimester is confirmed, continued flexibility will be required as the situation can change rapidly."

Will it be streamed anywhere?

So if you watch here, around the 3rd - 15th min, you will see the shooting competition.

Interesting post on biathlon23 today. I know many of you subscribe to it, but the discussion of shorter races, mirrors what a lot of views are on this board as well.

Anyone know if the Norwegian rollerski/biathlon race that usually happens in August is going to happen? I can not remember the name to look it up.

Australia were going to try to have events, but did cancel the Victorian Biathlon Championships this weekend. They have also cancelled the Australian Championships next month. https://www.biathlon.asn.au/events.html

I am starved for any real news, so here are sort of interesting things. Tatiana Akimova has been brought back into the Russian team. Czech biathletes took part in a roller ski race. Good to see anything happening.

That might be the best hashtag that I have ever seen. Very descriptive and no question as to its intent.

The USBA announced a modified schedule with Biathlon Canada. They have changed the focus or the former NorAm Cup races. I hope that it works. North American Biathlon Competition Calendar 2020-2021*: Continental Racing - USA/CAN North American Western Open: Canmore AB December 5-6, 2020 North American Eastern Open: Jericho VT February 13-14, 2021 National Racing - USA U.S. Winter IBU Cup Trials: Eastern USA - TBA December 17-20, 2020 (tentative) U.S. Youth/Junior Team Trials: Anchorage AK December 27-31, 2020 U.S. National Championships: West Yellowstone MT March 24-28, 2021 National Racing - Canada Canadian Tour 1 Trials: Canmore AB Week of Nov. 2 (tentative) Canadian Jr/Yth Trials: Western Canada - TBA Approx. Dec 30-Jan 9 Canadian Championships: Valcartier QC Mar 22-28, 2021 National-level cross country skiing to highlight: U.S. Ski Cross Country Nationals: Houghton, MI January 2021 Nordiq Canada WJr/U23 & Sr Trials: Whistler BC Jan 7-10, 2021 Canadian Ski Nationals: Gatineau QC Mar 14-20, 2021 Regions: Atlantic Cup (PEI, Nova Scotia) Eastern Cup (QC, ON, ME, NH, VT, NY, MA, etc.) Midwest Cup (MN, WI, MI, etc.) American West (ID, MT, UT, CO, WY, CA, WA, OR) Canadian West (AB, BC, Saskatchewan) Great Northern Cup (Alaska, Yukon)

It looks like the wording on the coaches shirt and hat are backwards. It does look really odd without Martin in that group.

FIS has announced what they hope to do for the upcoming season,I wonder how long behind the IBU will be?

I always liked watching him compete as well. Too bad, does Bulgaria have anyone of note on the IBU cup or Junior ranks?

So if any of you are interested in statistics, the mathematical discipline, here is a very interesting analysis of the Women's Pursuit Competitions from last season. I will be honest, but Math was never my strong point, but this is a pretty interesting read.

It looks like Lenzeheide has submitted bids for World Cup stops in 2022/2023 and 2025/2026. The articles from Swiss Ski is found here. Anyone want to be an Assistant Professor of Biathlon?

I agree that Haecki can be very frustrating to watch, and that Selina Gasparin is nearing the end, but they do seem to have the youth and junior structure figured out for the time being. Amy Baserga will be 20 in September and she won the Junior Cup total by almost 100 points. Lea Meier was 28th in the Cup standings and is only 19. The men also had Niklas Hartweg win the Junior Cup by 80 points over Cisar. Now we have seen that over the years not all can make the jump to the WC stage. But If Baserga can continue her improvement, and Haecki and have the lows not so low, they could still have a decent team.

So a few articles about the IBU World Championship bids. Swiss-Ski announce plans to turn Lenzerheide into "biathlon hot-spot" - Although this article does not mention it, I wonder how the rise of the Swiss Women's team has helped create this decision. It is also interesting to see if Lenzerheide gets World Cup hosting chances. Raubichi has excellent chance of hosting World Biathlon Championship in 2025 - Belarus feels pretty good about the 2025 coming to them. Nove Mesto na Morave ready to get 2024 - I love how they want to not say that it is theirs yet, but as the only bidder, it is theirs.

It has, that one is for the larger/longer one. I appreciate it. COVID19 has helped and hurt. I can not travel anywhere nor can I get anything from other libraries, but is has allowed me to work on what I do have, and can access. So good and bad.

Yes, the IBU has been very helpful. I only had to send one e-mail and got a great response. Subsequent e-mails have helped been quickly answered. Right now I am actually working on a relatively short term paper on Swiss Biathlon (more there than you might think) and a longer term one on the USBA. Lots of really interesting things there. The Swiss biathlon paper should be published in November.

It was not easy, I had to ask and wait on this for about 4 months. But I see your point.

I also wonder if there is a thought process in the IBU that goes like this. We will try a venue with the IBU Junior/Youth Cups ... if successful, we will "promote" you to consideration for IBU Cup/ events... if successful, promotion to WC events. If successful. World Championships.

Watch me try and bring this thread back to biathlon. The last Biathlon World Championships was back in 1994 at Canmore. Lake Placid had it back in 1987 and 1973. Do you think we will see the World Championships outside of Europe in the next 15 years? I know that in 2023 Lake Placid is hosting the World University Games, a step back into the limelight for them? They are putting a decent amount of money into the biathlon venue there. That would make 4 potential venues in the US and 2 in Canada. Also as an aside, I sat in on a USBA zoom meeting (with permission) they are moving to a more regional concept with Biathlon Canada, and the Nordic Tour. They want the biathletes to race in Nordic races as well as biathlon ones. The races will be more localized to increase participation instead of trying to do a race series over the entire continent.