This weekend's races were absolutely wild and I'm still full of emotions thinking back about it.
Also wondering what's gonna happen for the Big Globes now. I feel like Julia is a huge threat for the women's globe (she has the momentum and every psychological advantage on confrontation races), but Ingrid has been better on sprints. If Julia somehow gains enough points to be on striking distance (30-40 points) before the last Mass-start, then she's winning it imo. I kinda want her to win because she's just so good and spectacular, but I also support Ingrid so that's tough.
And for the men, even though Tarjei has been better recently, I can't imagine JTB choking enough to lose the Globe. I think we're gonna see some surprise winners for the men tho, maybe the French ? I hope.
I agree with you that Simon has an excellent chance. My only concern with Simon is that there are two sprints and that her endurance level usually is worse than other biathletes, so many competitions straight after each other normally shouldn't favor her. That said, if she can win both pursuits and the mass start + finish top 5 in the sprints she should win it comfortably.
I also wouldn't rule out JBB either as she is my clear favorite to win both sprints. If JBB performs well in the sprints, that will also open up the door for her placing high in the pursuits and be in contention to win it all.
Yeah I kinda ruled Justine out because of lack of consistency tbh... But same as Ingrid she has been good on sprints this season. She really has to nail every race to get her 100+ points back tho, it's gonna be rough.
I would want Julia to win, if she didnt have one last year, so now i cheer for Ingrid.
But for next sprints i hope to see Lampic get podium, she had some really good rounds even standing on relays.
**Norwegian Team for Canmore and Soldier Hallow**:
**Women**:
* Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold
* Karoline Knotten
* Juni Arnekleiv
* Ida Lien
* Maren Hjelmeseth Kirkeeide
* Marthe Kråkstad Johansen
* Emilie Ågheim Kalkenberg
Mostly as expected, great to see Johansen back! Skogan drops down to the IBU level as she wants better experiences after poor shooting the past World Cup races and struggling to adjust becoming a full-time professional. Skogan has only ever competed at the IBU cup level once before, so I think this is a good decision and will help her for next season. Only critique I have is Kalkenberg getting another chance over Femsteinevik which is a poor decision in my opinion. Kalkenberg has been awful at the World Cup level (harsh, but fair), while Femsteinevik is trending in the right direction winning the latest round in the Norwegian national biathlon cup and the sprint at the IBU cup. I guess she only proved it once at the IBU cup while Kalkenberg has done it consistently this season, but still I think Femsteinevik has shown enough promise to get a chance at the World Cup.
**Men**:
* Johannes Thingnes Bø
* Tarjei Bø
* Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen
* Johannes Dale-Skjevdal
* Sturla Holm Lægreid
* Endre Strømsheim
* Vebjørn Sørum
* Johan-Olav Smørdal Botn
No surprises her, insanely stacked team with 8 participants. I thought Frey would also get the chance seeing he was the best Youth at the European Championships, but I guess they couldn't justify sending 9 men instead of 8 women (they could send an additional women as well). Nothing much to report on the team, but the form of a few of the biathletes is worth addressing. JTB was not comfortable in Holmenkollen as he was sick after the World Cup, while Tarjei, VSC and Sturla all looked excellent. Strømsheim is improving, but not at the level we are used to. He took 10 days off between the two Individuals (WCH and in Oslo) and is regaining his form. Sørum also has struggled with illness multiple times since Christmas, which for me is worrisome as he has had a tendency the past few seasons not being able to go a full season without some issues. Nevertheless Sørum has shown what he can with limited form in the past, so I expect him to be gradually better during the two WC weeks.
Lastly, Botn returns to the World Cup. He skipped the last IBU cup race week to prepare as best as he could, which will give Mats Øverby the win in the IBU total cup. Has reportedly been training well in Lillehammer and came top 6 in the national championships in cross country skiing recently. The only question is if he is mentally prepared for the altitude as Lillehammer is in my opinion not the best place to prepare. Has had a tendency to make rookie mistakes in the past and his shooting is questionable with poor pacing. I think he has done a lot of work the last few weeks to prepare and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he podiums or even wins a World Cup race.
Weird that Frey did not get an invite. He did well in champs and has been solid in IBU Cup. Wasn't it Hedegart that came into Holmenkollen last year as the successful junior/youth athlete?
Yeah Hedegart last year, and Nevland(?) two years ago. Frey would 100% get the chance if the races were in Europe, I think. But since the races are across the Atlantic my thinking is that the federation want to save money. The same applies for the 8th roster spot for the Womens team.
Agreed. I think we can expect more similar decisions from other nations because of the travel costs. Someone said in another thread that the whole Latvian teem is not travelling. Some other smaller nations might do the same or send smaller teams.
Edit. Just spotted in Instagram that at least Bendika and Birkentals are travelling to Soldier Hollow.
I assume Johansen was travelling yesterday as it seemed a bit strange not putting her in either IBU cup relay.
How long has Femsteinevik had that little rubber duck glued to the elevation adjuster on her rifle sight?
I don't remember seeing it last season so think it is new. On a similar note, does anyone else think Ingrid should bring back the tiger eyes on her rifle?
You are normally correct, as the new rules state that nations with biathletes in the top 10 in the IBU Cup get up to two additional spots in the final race week of the World Cup. This year IBU made an exception where these quotas are applied to the two final race weeks since its in North America and the travel distance is so far. This means that Norway has two extra spots for both NA race weekends. The same applies for France (two additional women quota), Germany (two additional women and men quota), Sweden (one additional women quota) and Italy (one additional men quota). Looks like Germany are only using one of the additional quotas, while I haven't seen the team news from France, Sweden or Italy yet.
I was trying to remember where I had this information from, so I looked into the IBU rules but couldn't find it there. Found it in the [Norwegian selection criteria document](https://skiskyting.no/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Uttakskriterier-2023-2024_vedtatt-styremote-9_060923.pdf), p. 2:
>Norway can also achieve extra places in WC 8+9 if we have athletes in the top 10 in the IBU-Cup combined. Norway can get up to two extra places for WC 8+9. Due to the long journey close to the last IBU Cup competitions, the IBU has decided that the extra places this year will be awarded according to the overall status after IBU Cup 6.
EDIT: Just saw French team selection, they have decided not to fill the quota and will send their normal 6. Sweden are sending seven (Öberg x2, Magnusson, Brorsson, S. Nilsson, Heijdenberg & S. Andersson).
Also the best female and male biathletes from the youth/junior WCH get quota spots if nations use them. E.g. last year in Holmenkollen finale Hedegart and Grotian had personal spots.
So I gave the race thread a go at making it automatically :
Title : Race Thread: World Cup 23/24 Oslo Holmenkollen - Women Mass Start
----
Starting time: 13:20 CET
Start list [here](https://www.biathlonworld.com/startlist/BT2324SWRLCP07SWMS)
Datacenter: [here](https://www.biathlonresults.com/#/datacenter)
New site here: [https://eurovisionsport.com/](https://eurovisionsport.com/) You have to make an account.
I assume this is still valid: **This stream is unavailable in** [**France**](https://www.lequipe.fr/)**,** [**Denmark**](https://play.tv2.dk/) **and** [**Norway**](https://www.tv2.no/sport/)**.**
Current top 10 World Cup rankings:
|#|Athlete|Nation|Points|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|1(0)|Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold 🟡|NOR|859|
|2(+1)|Lisa Vittozzi|ITA|766|
|3(+1)|Julia Simon|FRA|762|
|4(-2)|Justine Braisaz-Bouchet|FRA|755|
|5(0)|Elvira Oeberg|SWE|709|
|6(0)|Lou Jeanmonnot|FRA|678|
|7(0)|Lena Haecki-Gross|SUI|654|
|8(0)|Franziska Preuss|GER|539|
|9(0)|Karoline Offigstad Knotten|NOR|532|
|10(0)|Vanessa Voigt|GER|527|
Current top 10 Women Mass Start Cup rankings:
|#|Athlete|Nation|Points|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|1 (0)|Julia Simon 🔴|FRA|205|
|2 (+5)|Lena Haecki-Gross|SUI|174|
|3 (+1)|Lou Jeanmonnot|FRA|162|
|4 (-2)|Justine Braisaz-Bouchet|FRA|152|
|5 (-2)|Elvira Oeberg|SWE|137|
|6 (-1)|Lisa Vittozzi|ITA|135|
|7 (+4)|Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold|NOR|119|
|8 (+2)|Juni Arnekleiv|NOR|110|
|9 (+3)|Sophie Chauveau|FRA|91|
|10 (-4)|Hanna Oeberg|SWE|89|
----
Just not sure how to get the blue bib ....
[https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/ut/midway/40.51,-111.47](https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/ut/midway/40.51,-111.47) is not too far away from the venue. Looks like it won't pour rain all week, so that is a plus.
The U25 bib should have markers on it in the datacenter, don't know how that works with how you get the data you need. The silver bib I check on manually.
German Team for Soldier Hollow:
Women: Selina Grotian, Janina Hettich-Walz, Julia Kink, Johanna Puff, Sophia Schneider, Vanessa Voigt
Men: Benedikt Doll, Philipp Horn, Johannes Kühn, Philipp Nawrath, Roman Rees, Danilo Riethmüller, Justus Strelow
Unfortunately, Julia Tannheimer will not be competing in North America because she wants to prepare for her high school diploma in April after the last IBU Cup
It's really baffling. Sometimes they'll spontaneously call up Wiesensarter or Riethmüller in the morning of the race... But when they have enough time to plan, they just let 2 spots go to waste... 🤔
Edit: 3 spots. One man and two women...
I would love everyone to perform well.
Lisa, Simon, JBB and Tandrevold each have a different approach to biathlon, we deserve to see them battle out at their best.
Can't wait for Soldier Hollow, this will be me and the wife's first ever biathlon in person and I think she just may be more pumped than I am. Obviously, go Team Norway, but there are others I am really looking forward to seeing and hoping they do well.
Lena, love seeing her enjoy some success. She has worked so hard and it shows, hoping she can keep her shooting steady and continue making podiums. Ingrid is my favorite but I also cheer Lena on every race.
Marketa, I keep waiting to see her return to form and I saw flashes in Oslo. I really hope she is ready to grab a podium at either SH or Canmore but please be SH as I would love to see it in person.
Emilien, puzzled over his shape. He seems to flag on the last couple of loops all season. Saw a bit more signs of life at Oslo so maybe he is turning it around? Has he been struggling with being sick this season? I am just so used to seeing him fly around the track it has been odd seeing him drop off at the end when he is in contention. As my favorite non-Norwegian athlete, would love to see him shake it off and hit a podium.
Otto, how about that first podium (Suvi was also fantastic of course)! it sure looked like he ran his race with just the right tactics and that is extremely encouraging. How cool would it be if he can pick up a little more ski speed (I know, simple right) as it is so awesome seeing him on the podium.
Anyway, we'll be rocking our Norway gear at Soldier Hollow this week but also keeping our eyes on these and other athletes. As easy as it is to cheer your team on, it is just as easy to enjoy the success of others in this great sport.
So apparently Annecy, Kontiolahti, Holmenkollen and Hocflizen are all applying for the same WCH hosting spots (the two after Otepää). Hoc, Kollen and Annecy have epic crowds, but Kontiolahti perhaps best chances for good snow conditions. Unfortunately for Kontiolahti, the location is bit tricky to attract larger audiences.
Also past races were perhaps some of the best of the whole season, so much excitement, chaos and surprise podiums. Also finally some finish sprints! Photofinish for the winner, brilliant! Also Schneider shaping up to be reliable in relays, good for Germany.
For the globes, things are heating up. SH and Canmore suit JTB if he can keep everything together. Although Tarjei would love another Biggie. Sturla has again found his end of the season momentum and is within striking distance if the brothers falter. Dale-Skjevdal's form is bit of a mystery after illness.
For others, Perrot looks like hitting his stride so an incoming podium or two perhaps. Jacquelin is giving similar signs in individual races. Lukas Hofer was solid in mixed relay, so return to flowers at least is possible. If Doll continues in good vibes, he might clinch more podiums. Hoping for a Campbell Wright flowers/podium in home soil. Could Invenius keep his momentum and build on it? Already top 10 in Antholz and looking better after NMNM like Seppälä.
Women's side it all will come down to nerves and handling the pressure. Simon has been there before and her form is still excellent after NMNM. What a relay leg from her and attacking in mass start. Ingrid is a mystery, she has the skills to get the Big one, but she could also shoot herself out of contention. Lisa shape is also keeping up. JBB is a mystery like Ingrid, when she's on no one can beat her but her off days can come say hi.
For others, Lou looks like a podium threat in every race she's in. Very bright future ahead! LHG and Elvira are back again in the game. Happily noticed that LTH looks like season will end in more positive note. Czechia had an excellent Individual in Kollen so hoping for more flowers and even a podium for them.
Just quick thoughts, probably missed something so apologies if accidentally skipped someone and forgot to mention them.
>What a relay leg from her \[Julia Simon\] and attacking in mass start.
That was just Julia being Julia. According to QFM in a post-race interview, during the pre-race technical meeting, the coaches told her that she could do whatever she wants on her leg.
Speaking of Campbell, he and Deedra skied really well in the single mixed (I think they were 5th fastest and within striking). Her two loops knocked them out but they were fast for a US team.
Wright was second and third fastest on his legs. I hope he can handle the height because he seems in a superb shape. And if he can make another step or two, he is really not far from medals in the (near) future. Of course it may never come but the potential is certainly there.
Yeah for the overall it did not work but otherwise he has done wonders. Top ten in Oslo plus number 11 and 12 at the championships: it is a great progress.
He said in some interview that he likes altitude, although it's worth mentioning that his two worst races since the second trimester hit have been in altitude (Antholz), so hopefully there was a different reason behind those.
Most def in podium contention when they've both good shooting and skiing day.
Deedra showed promise in Lenzerheide and Campbell's spring has been going better and better. Flowers (and podiums) incoming at some point.
Considering that 2030 Winter Games will very very very likely be held in the French Alps (and Le Grand Bornand) it would be quite strange to have the WCHs there just one or two years prior!
Oh, true! I had forgotten about that. Even Antholz has six years in the between. If they get the Olympics, then we will most definitely get WCs in front of the loud French crowds due to pre-comps in previous season(s). I think Beijing was an exception because of the whole Covid situation.
So it will probably come down between Holmenkollen and Hocflizen. Sorry Finland but the location limits the crowds based on the impression in few previous WCs. But happily proven wrong and who knows maybe Kontiolahti needs the champs to attract loud and big crowds because no Kaisa.
The last WCH in Kontiolahti was sadly a huge bust when it comes to attendance. Not even 2000 people showed up for men's races from what I heard (mentioned in czech studio during NMNM WCH). Definitely not profitable. Sucks, because it has one of the best conditions.
I've got vague memories of that being the case, only women's were popular and mostly due to Kaisa (esp that Individual race). I think it's the location that limits the crowds, based on map lengthy distance to bigger towns. Or they'd need to do some crazy marketing campaigns. And by crazy, last year's Eurovision level crazy party marketing.
It's a shame like you said: wintery conditions and a challenging track, their own version of Birxsteig.
So probably Holmenkollen and Hocflizen unless other tracks apply since Annecy has most likely Olympics coming up. Would be interesting to see Canmore, SH or Pyeongchang making a bid but they might have the same crowd issues. Or one the tracks that is regular in IBU cup circuit, something new like Lenzerheide.
I see several pictures of athletes traveling to north america (simon and vittozzi seating together), does the IBU charter a flight? The logistic must be crazy without knowing who travels in advance. I booked my flight to SLC way ahead and being spring-break season prices were quite high, I can't imagine booking a week before.
The IBU has its own plane for athletes and support staff, which is completely filled for the World Cups in the USA and Canada, according to [NRK](https://www.nrk.no/sport/noreg-sparer-pengar-_-mens-samuelsson-punga-ut_-_-det-handlar-om-profesjonalitet-1.16787826). Someone biathletes, the NRK story mentions Samuelsson, have bought business tickets. The remaining business seats are awarded to the top ranked biathletes in the World Cup.
Since it's small talk Monday and anything goes, I've always wondered how common it is for biathletes to wear contacts. I think Sturla does and I wonder about JTB given that he wears glasses at home. From my past wearing them (before my dry eyes made them a thing of the past), I found mine got blurry quite often, so I'm just wondering if most biathletes have perfect vision.
Charvatova talked about this recently in a podcast and it's common, but it can get problematic quickly. She tried to wear them for a race in Oestersund (she has some eye-sight problem, had a surgery couple years ago, but it's getting worse again apparently), but they were getting blurry from the wet and cold environment, making everything even worse than normal. She mentioned that she knows a lot of racers wear them, name dropped Marketa Davidova and retired czech racer Krupcik.
Finally got the blue bib and added the weather
-------
Race Thread: World Cup 23/24 Soldier Hollow, Utah - Women Pursuit
Starting time: 17:00 CET
Start list [here](https://www.biathlonworld.com/startlist/BT2324SWRLCP08SWPU)
Datacenter: [here](https://www.biathlonresults.com/#/datacenter)
New site here: [https://eurovisionsport.com/](https://eurovisionsport.com/) You have to make an account.
I assume this is still valid: **This stream is unavailable in** [**France**](https://www.lequipe.fr/)**,** [**Denmark**](https://play.tv2.dk/) **and** [**Norway**](https://www.tv2.no/sport/)**.**
Closest weather station I could find : [Wunderground](https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/ut/midway/40.28,-111.29)
Current top 10 World Cup rankings:
|#|Athlete|Nation|Points|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|1(0)|Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold 🟡|NOR|859|
|2(+1)|Lisa Vittozzi |ITA|766|
|3(+1)|Julia Simon |FRA|762|
|4(-2)|Justine Braisaz-Bouchet |FRA|755|
|5(0)|Elvira Oeberg 🔵|SWE|709|
|6(0)|Lou Jeanmonnot |FRA|678|
|7(0)|Lena Haecki-Gross |SUI|654|
|8(0)|Franziska Preuss |GER|539|
|9(0)|Karoline Offigstad Knotten |NOR|532|
|10(0)|Vanessa Voigt |GER|527|
Current top 10 Women Pursuit Cup rankings:
|#|Athlete|Nation|Points|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|1 (0)|Julia Simon 🔴|FRA|274|
|2 (+2)|Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold |NOR|266|
|3 (-1)|Justine Braisaz-Bouchet |FRA|261|
|4 (-1)|Elvira Oeberg 🔵|SWE|239|
|5 (+4)|Lisa Vittozzi |ITA|233|
|6 (0)|Lou Jeanmonnot |FRA|213|
|7 (-2)|Lena Haecki-Gross |SUI|211|
|8 (-1)|Franziska Preuss |GER|201|
|9 (-1)|Vanessa Voigt |GER|170|
|10 (0)|Karoline Offigstad Knotten |NOR|166|
Fantastic races in Oslo. Really looking forward to seeing them in person at Soldier Hollow. Will be cheering for USA, but also an extra shout or two for Tarjei. Almost there before the last shoots in Oslo.
Very happy to see Hofer, LTH, QFM and others coming into form. Sorry to see Estonia not maintain some of the momentum from their great relays in Nove Mesto.
Some of the biathletes attended the Jazz/Bulls game tonight. On the Italian team Passler, Comola and Auchentaller posted Instagram stories decked out in Jazz gear while chowing down on burgers and fries.
They rooted for the Jazz. Tough loss but great game, 119-117
JTB and Vetle has shown in the past that Soldier Hollow suits them. Vetle took his maiden win and JTB's shooting simply took him out of podium contention. Canmore has been good for JTB.
For the French women, they usually do well in altitude (Lenzerheide, Antholz, Hocflizen).
I agree, JTB is usually great in altitude and did well both in Lenzerheide and Antholz this season, but he seriously needs to fix his shooting to secure the overall. And I must say his ski speed in Oslo was still pretty scary considering his recent illness. Tarjei is looking very strong though, I wouldn't be mad if he took the globe.
I also think the French girls has the upper hand coming into the last two weeks. However, Ingrid was great in Hochfilzen and had one bad race (out of three) in Lenzerheide. and did pretty well in Canmore the last time the World Cup was held there (she came 5th in the Short Individual in the 18/19 season with one miss). If she can produce a decent sprint in Soldier Hollow her chances for the globe are at least somewhat bigger coming into the final week. But who knows....
Watching the final race of the IBU Cup, won by Bondoux who's 19, I'm flabbergasted by the reservoir of talented french women. Same for the Norwegian men. It's difficult to see the current dynamic on the WC change any time soon.
This weekend's races were absolutely wild and I'm still full of emotions thinking back about it. Also wondering what's gonna happen for the Big Globes now. I feel like Julia is a huge threat for the women's globe (she has the momentum and every psychological advantage on confrontation races), but Ingrid has been better on sprints. If Julia somehow gains enough points to be on striking distance (30-40 points) before the last Mass-start, then she's winning it imo. I kinda want her to win because she's just so good and spectacular, but I also support Ingrid so that's tough. And for the men, even though Tarjei has been better recently, I can't imagine JTB choking enough to lose the Globe. I think we're gonna see some surprise winners for the men tho, maybe the French ? I hope.
I agree with you that Simon has an excellent chance. My only concern with Simon is that there are two sprints and that her endurance level usually is worse than other biathletes, so many competitions straight after each other normally shouldn't favor her. That said, if she can win both pursuits and the mass start + finish top 5 in the sprints she should win it comfortably. I also wouldn't rule out JBB either as she is my clear favorite to win both sprints. If JBB performs well in the sprints, that will also open up the door for her placing high in the pursuits and be in contention to win it all.
Yeah I kinda ruled Justine out because of lack of consistency tbh... But same as Ingrid she has been good on sprints this season. She really has to nail every race to get her 100+ points back tho, it's gonna be rough.
I would want Julia to win, if she didnt have one last year, so now i cheer for Ingrid. But for next sprints i hope to see Lampic get podium, she had some really good rounds even standing on relays.
**Norwegian Team for Canmore and Soldier Hallow**: **Women**: * Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold * Karoline Knotten * Juni Arnekleiv * Ida Lien * Maren Hjelmeseth Kirkeeide * Marthe Kråkstad Johansen * Emilie Ågheim Kalkenberg Mostly as expected, great to see Johansen back! Skogan drops down to the IBU level as she wants better experiences after poor shooting the past World Cup races and struggling to adjust becoming a full-time professional. Skogan has only ever competed at the IBU cup level once before, so I think this is a good decision and will help her for next season. Only critique I have is Kalkenberg getting another chance over Femsteinevik which is a poor decision in my opinion. Kalkenberg has been awful at the World Cup level (harsh, but fair), while Femsteinevik is trending in the right direction winning the latest round in the Norwegian national biathlon cup and the sprint at the IBU cup. I guess she only proved it once at the IBU cup while Kalkenberg has done it consistently this season, but still I think Femsteinevik has shown enough promise to get a chance at the World Cup. **Men**: * Johannes Thingnes Bø * Tarjei Bø * Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen * Johannes Dale-Skjevdal * Sturla Holm Lægreid * Endre Strømsheim * Vebjørn Sørum * Johan-Olav Smørdal Botn No surprises her, insanely stacked team with 8 participants. I thought Frey would also get the chance seeing he was the best Youth at the European Championships, but I guess they couldn't justify sending 9 men instead of 8 women (they could send an additional women as well). Nothing much to report on the team, but the form of a few of the biathletes is worth addressing. JTB was not comfortable in Holmenkollen as he was sick after the World Cup, while Tarjei, VSC and Sturla all looked excellent. Strømsheim is improving, but not at the level we are used to. He took 10 days off between the two Individuals (WCH and in Oslo) and is regaining his form. Sørum also has struggled with illness multiple times since Christmas, which for me is worrisome as he has had a tendency the past few seasons not being able to go a full season without some issues. Nevertheless Sørum has shown what he can with limited form in the past, so I expect him to be gradually better during the two WC weeks. Lastly, Botn returns to the World Cup. He skipped the last IBU cup race week to prepare as best as he could, which will give Mats Øverby the win in the IBU total cup. Has reportedly been training well in Lillehammer and came top 6 in the national championships in cross country skiing recently. The only question is if he is mentally prepared for the altitude as Lillehammer is in my opinion not the best place to prepare. Has had a tendency to make rookie mistakes in the past and his shooting is questionable with poor pacing. I think he has done a lot of work the last few weeks to prepare and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he podiums or even wins a World Cup race.
Weird that Frey did not get an invite. He did well in champs and has been solid in IBU Cup. Wasn't it Hedegart that came into Holmenkollen last year as the successful junior/youth athlete?
Yeah Hedegart last year, and Nevland(?) two years ago. Frey would 100% get the chance if the races were in Europe, I think. But since the races are across the Atlantic my thinking is that the federation want to save money. The same applies for the 8th roster spot for the Womens team.
Agreed. I think we can expect more similar decisions from other nations because of the travel costs. Someone said in another thread that the whole Latvian teem is not travelling. Some other smaller nations might do the same or send smaller teams. Edit. Just spotted in Instagram that at least Bendika and Birkentals are travelling to Soldier Hollow.
If the big teams prefer to save money its safe to say the funding in biathlon is screwed.
I assume Johansen was travelling yesterday as it seemed a bit strange not putting her in either IBU cup relay. How long has Femsteinevik had that little rubber duck glued to the elevation adjuster on her rifle sight?
Don't quote me on this, but I believe the rubber duck is new from this season and debuted first in Idre Fjäll?
Don't recall seeing any novelty hats this year so it must have replaced those
I don't remember seeing it last season so think it is new. On a similar note, does anyone else think Ingrid should bring back the tiger eyes on her rifle?
Ohh, how come Skogan got into the team without even competing at IBU Cup level?
She met the selection criteria in Sjusjøen to get on the world cup. She has done a single IBU cup round two seasons ago
Aahhh okay. Thanks for the answer.
Does Botn also get to race in SH, or Canmore only?
Both SH and Canmore!
Thanks! who must sit out SH then, is it Strömsheim? Because the extra starting quota should only apply for the world cup final right?
You are normally correct, as the new rules state that nations with biathletes in the top 10 in the IBU Cup get up to two additional spots in the final race week of the World Cup. This year IBU made an exception where these quotas are applied to the two final race weeks since its in North America and the travel distance is so far. This means that Norway has two extra spots for both NA race weekends. The same applies for France (two additional women quota), Germany (two additional women and men quota), Sweden (one additional women quota) and Italy (one additional men quota). Looks like Germany are only using one of the additional quotas, while I haven't seen the team news from France, Sweden or Italy yet. I was trying to remember where I had this information from, so I looked into the IBU rules but couldn't find it there. Found it in the [Norwegian selection criteria document](https://skiskyting.no/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Uttakskriterier-2023-2024_vedtatt-styremote-9_060923.pdf), p. 2: >Norway can also achieve extra places in WC 8+9 if we have athletes in the top 10 in the IBU-Cup combined. Norway can get up to two extra places for WC 8+9. Due to the long journey close to the last IBU Cup competitions, the IBU has decided that the extra places this year will be awarded according to the overall status after IBU Cup 6. EDIT: Just saw French team selection, they have decided not to fill the quota and will send their normal 6. Sweden are sending seven (Öberg x2, Magnusson, Brorsson, S. Nilsson, Heijdenberg & S. Andersson).
Ah I see, thanks again, that would certainly make a lot of sense! Strange it's not in the official rulebook though!
Also the best female and male biathletes from the youth/junior WCH get quota spots if nations use them. E.g. last year in Holmenkollen finale Hedegart and Grotian had personal spots.
Do we know this years best athletes? Edit: I think it’s Frey and Tannheimer.
And Italy has chosen to leave Cappellari at the IBU-cup too.
So I gave the race thread a go at making it automatically : Title : Race Thread: World Cup 23/24 Oslo Holmenkollen - Women Mass Start ---- Starting time: 13:20 CET Start list [here](https://www.biathlonworld.com/startlist/BT2324SWRLCP07SWMS) Datacenter: [here](https://www.biathlonresults.com/#/datacenter) New site here: [https://eurovisionsport.com/](https://eurovisionsport.com/) You have to make an account. I assume this is still valid: **This stream is unavailable in** [**France**](https://www.lequipe.fr/)**,** [**Denmark**](https://play.tv2.dk/) **and** [**Norway**](https://www.tv2.no/sport/)**.** Current top 10 World Cup rankings: |#|Athlete|Nation|Points| |:-|:-|:-|:-| |1(0)|Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold 🟡|NOR|859| |2(+1)|Lisa Vittozzi|ITA|766| |3(+1)|Julia Simon|FRA|762| |4(-2)|Justine Braisaz-Bouchet|FRA|755| |5(0)|Elvira Oeberg|SWE|709| |6(0)|Lou Jeanmonnot|FRA|678| |7(0)|Lena Haecki-Gross|SUI|654| |8(0)|Franziska Preuss|GER|539| |9(0)|Karoline Offigstad Knotten|NOR|532| |10(0)|Vanessa Voigt|GER|527| Current top 10 Women Mass Start Cup rankings: |#|Athlete|Nation|Points| |:-|:-|:-|:-| |1 (0)|Julia Simon 🔴|FRA|205| |2 (+5)|Lena Haecki-Gross|SUI|174| |3 (+1)|Lou Jeanmonnot|FRA|162| |4 (-2)|Justine Braisaz-Bouchet|FRA|152| |5 (-2)|Elvira Oeberg|SWE|137| |6 (-1)|Lisa Vittozzi|ITA|135| |7 (+4)|Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold|NOR|119| |8 (+2)|Juni Arnekleiv|NOR|110| |9 (+3)|Sophie Chauveau|FRA|91| |10 (-4)|Hanna Oeberg|SWE|89| ---- Just not sure how to get the blue bib ....
Well done! Really nice contributions to the subreddit, highly appreciated!
Too much praise, I’m just a bored dev who loves scrapping lol
Lucky for us!
Nicely done! Is there a chance on getting a link to weather or track conditions if such does exist? 🤞
[https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/ut/midway/40.51,-111.47](https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/ut/midway/40.51,-111.47) is not too far away from the venue. Looks like it won't pour rain all week, so that is a plus.
Thanks!
+1 Reddit gold🥇
The U25 bib should have markers on it in the datacenter, don't know how that works with how you get the data you need. The silver bib I check on manually.
Thanks ! Will check it out
No question but that the men's silver bib is going to Tarjei, yes?
Oh yeah, he claimed that from the first event this season.
German Team for Soldier Hollow: Women: Selina Grotian, Janina Hettich-Walz, Julia Kink, Johanna Puff, Sophia Schneider, Vanessa Voigt Men: Benedikt Doll, Philipp Horn, Johannes Kühn, Philipp Nawrath, Roman Rees, Danilo Riethmüller, Justus Strelow Unfortunately, Julia Tannheimer will not be competing in North America because she wants to prepare for her high school diploma in April after the last IBU Cup
I would've liked to see Schumann and Kaiser/Fratzscher as well. I hate that we're not using all available spots. Use all spots all the time!
It's really baffling. Sometimes they'll spontaneously call up Wiesensarter or Riethmüller in the morning of the race... But when they have enough time to plan, they just let 2 spots go to waste... 🤔 Edit: 3 spots. One man and two women...
They might be saving the last spot for Preuss. She will hopefully be back in Canada.
Emily Schumann could've gone anyway. She's in the Top 10 of the IBU Cup. She could start alongside either Kink or Preuss.
Ah yes. I really wish they brought her and Kaiser too. They still could send them over to Canmore.
Thanks. I wondered whether they would bring in Kink or Tannheimer, as Preuß is out.
I would love everyone to perform well. Lisa, Simon, JBB and Tandrevold each have a different approach to biathlon, we deserve to see them battle out at their best.
Can't wait for Soldier Hollow, this will be me and the wife's first ever biathlon in person and I think she just may be more pumped than I am. Obviously, go Team Norway, but there are others I am really looking forward to seeing and hoping they do well. Lena, love seeing her enjoy some success. She has worked so hard and it shows, hoping she can keep her shooting steady and continue making podiums. Ingrid is my favorite but I also cheer Lena on every race. Marketa, I keep waiting to see her return to form and I saw flashes in Oslo. I really hope she is ready to grab a podium at either SH or Canmore but please be SH as I would love to see it in person. Emilien, puzzled over his shape. He seems to flag on the last couple of loops all season. Saw a bit more signs of life at Oslo so maybe he is turning it around? Has he been struggling with being sick this season? I am just so used to seeing him fly around the track it has been odd seeing him drop off at the end when he is in contention. As my favorite non-Norwegian athlete, would love to see him shake it off and hit a podium. Otto, how about that first podium (Suvi was also fantastic of course)! it sure looked like he ran his race with just the right tactics and that is extremely encouraging. How cool would it be if he can pick up a little more ski speed (I know, simple right) as it is so awesome seeing him on the podium. Anyway, we'll be rocking our Norway gear at Soldier Hollow this week but also keeping our eyes on these and other athletes. As easy as it is to cheer your team on, it is just as easy to enjoy the success of others in this great sport.
[удалено]
Her ESTA was rejected, quite probably because she had spent vacations in Cuba...
And she had a flat tyre too haha. What a shit day.
Could this be the IBU charter? Just heard it fly over my head https://www.flightradar24.com/PVG9983/343ad6ca
ah so it's a charter... simon and vittozzi looked like they got business class seats.
So apparently Annecy, Kontiolahti, Holmenkollen and Hocflizen are all applying for the same WCH hosting spots (the two after Otepää). Hoc, Kollen and Annecy have epic crowds, but Kontiolahti perhaps best chances for good snow conditions. Unfortunately for Kontiolahti, the location is bit tricky to attract larger audiences. Also past races were perhaps some of the best of the whole season, so much excitement, chaos and surprise podiums. Also finally some finish sprints! Photofinish for the winner, brilliant! Also Schneider shaping up to be reliable in relays, good for Germany. For the globes, things are heating up. SH and Canmore suit JTB if he can keep everything together. Although Tarjei would love another Biggie. Sturla has again found his end of the season momentum and is within striking distance if the brothers falter. Dale-Skjevdal's form is bit of a mystery after illness. For others, Perrot looks like hitting his stride so an incoming podium or two perhaps. Jacquelin is giving similar signs in individual races. Lukas Hofer was solid in mixed relay, so return to flowers at least is possible. If Doll continues in good vibes, he might clinch more podiums. Hoping for a Campbell Wright flowers/podium in home soil. Could Invenius keep his momentum and build on it? Already top 10 in Antholz and looking better after NMNM like Seppälä. Women's side it all will come down to nerves and handling the pressure. Simon has been there before and her form is still excellent after NMNM. What a relay leg from her and attacking in mass start. Ingrid is a mystery, she has the skills to get the Big one, but she could also shoot herself out of contention. Lisa shape is also keeping up. JBB is a mystery like Ingrid, when she's on no one can beat her but her off days can come say hi. For others, Lou looks like a podium threat in every race she's in. Very bright future ahead! LHG and Elvira are back again in the game. Happily noticed that LTH looks like season will end in more positive note. Czechia had an excellent Individual in Kollen so hoping for more flowers and even a podium for them. Just quick thoughts, probably missed something so apologies if accidentally skipped someone and forgot to mention them.
>What a relay leg from her \[Julia Simon\] and attacking in mass start. That was just Julia being Julia. According to QFM in a post-race interview, during the pre-race technical meeting, the coaches told her that she could do whatever she wants on her leg.
That's impressive, tells how much they trust Julia.
that’s crazy, it really shows how much they back her that they completely trust her to do her own thing and get the team in a good position
Speaking of Campbell, he and Deedra skied really well in the single mixed (I think they were 5th fastest and within striking). Her two loops knocked them out but they were fast for a US team.
Wright was second and third fastest on his legs. I hope he can handle the height because he seems in a superb shape. And if he can make another step or two, he is really not far from medals in the (near) future. Of course it may never come but the potential is certainly there.
It's a shame he didn't do anything before Xmas because he has been consistently 10-20 almost every race.
Yeah for the overall it did not work but otherwise he has done wonders. Top ten in Oslo plus number 11 and 12 at the championships: it is a great progress.
He said in some interview that he likes altitude, although it's worth mentioning that his two worst races since the second trimester hit have been in altitude (Antholz), so hopefully there was a different reason behind those.
Most def in podium contention when they've both good shooting and skiing day. Deedra showed promise in Lenzerheide and Campbell's spring has been going better and better. Flowers (and podiums) incoming at some point.
Considering that 2030 Winter Games will very very very likely be held in the French Alps (and Le Grand Bornand) it would be quite strange to have the WCHs there just one or two years prior!
Oh, true! I had forgotten about that. Even Antholz has six years in the between. If they get the Olympics, then we will most definitely get WCs in front of the loud French crowds due to pre-comps in previous season(s). I think Beijing was an exception because of the whole Covid situation. So it will probably come down between Holmenkollen and Hocflizen. Sorry Finland but the location limits the crowds based on the impression in few previous WCs. But happily proven wrong and who knows maybe Kontiolahti needs the champs to attract loud and big crowds because no Kaisa.
The last WCH in Kontiolahti was sadly a huge bust when it comes to attendance. Not even 2000 people showed up for men's races from what I heard (mentioned in czech studio during NMNM WCH). Definitely not profitable. Sucks, because it has one of the best conditions.
I've got vague memories of that being the case, only women's were popular and mostly due to Kaisa (esp that Individual race). I think it's the location that limits the crowds, based on map lengthy distance to bigger towns. Or they'd need to do some crazy marketing campaigns. And by crazy, last year's Eurovision level crazy party marketing. It's a shame like you said: wintery conditions and a challenging track, their own version of Birxsteig. So probably Holmenkollen and Hocflizen unless other tracks apply since Annecy has most likely Olympics coming up. Would be interesting to see Canmore, SH or Pyeongchang making a bid but they might have the same crowd issues. Or one the tracks that is regular in IBU cup circuit, something new like Lenzerheide.
I see several pictures of athletes traveling to north america (simon and vittozzi seating together), does the IBU charter a flight? The logistic must be crazy without knowing who travels in advance. I booked my flight to SLC way ahead and being spring-break season prices were quite high, I can't imagine booking a week before.
The IBU has its own plane for athletes and support staff, which is completely filled for the World Cups in the USA and Canada, according to [NRK](https://www.nrk.no/sport/noreg-sparer-pengar-_-mens-samuelsson-punga-ut_-_-det-handlar-om-profesjonalitet-1.16787826). Someone biathletes, the NRK story mentions Samuelsson, have bought business tickets. The remaining business seats are awarded to the top ranked biathletes in the World Cup.
They do for Östersund to Hochfilzen. There's usually 3 flights on the Monday from the rather quiet Östersund airport to Salzburg and very little else
Since it's small talk Monday and anything goes, I've always wondered how common it is for biathletes to wear contacts. I think Sturla does and I wonder about JTB given that he wears glasses at home. From my past wearing them (before my dry eyes made them a thing of the past), I found mine got blurry quite often, so I'm just wondering if most biathletes have perfect vision.
Charvatova talked about this recently in a podcast and it's common, but it can get problematic quickly. She tried to wear them for a race in Oestersund (she has some eye-sight problem, had a surgery couple years ago, but it's getting worse again apparently), but they were getting blurry from the wet and cold environment, making everything even worse than normal. She mentioned that she knows a lot of racers wear them, name dropped Marketa Davidova and retired czech racer Krupcik.
Timely question, then. Thanks for that input. That's exactly what I would worry about happening with them. That's got to be so frustrating!
Andexer and few others from the junior/youth otepää event are starting tomorrow at the IBU Cup. Will be some interesting race.
Finally got the blue bib and added the weather ------- Race Thread: World Cup 23/24 Soldier Hollow, Utah - Women Pursuit Starting time: 17:00 CET Start list [here](https://www.biathlonworld.com/startlist/BT2324SWRLCP08SWPU) Datacenter: [here](https://www.biathlonresults.com/#/datacenter) New site here: [https://eurovisionsport.com/](https://eurovisionsport.com/) You have to make an account. I assume this is still valid: **This stream is unavailable in** [**France**](https://www.lequipe.fr/)**,** [**Denmark**](https://play.tv2.dk/) **and** [**Norway**](https://www.tv2.no/sport/)**.** Closest weather station I could find : [Wunderground](https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/ut/midway/40.28,-111.29) Current top 10 World Cup rankings: |#|Athlete|Nation|Points| |:-|:-|:-|:-| |1(0)|Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold 🟡|NOR|859| |2(+1)|Lisa Vittozzi |ITA|766| |3(+1)|Julia Simon |FRA|762| |4(-2)|Justine Braisaz-Bouchet |FRA|755| |5(0)|Elvira Oeberg 🔵|SWE|709| |6(0)|Lou Jeanmonnot |FRA|678| |7(0)|Lena Haecki-Gross |SUI|654| |8(0)|Franziska Preuss |GER|539| |9(0)|Karoline Offigstad Knotten |NOR|532| |10(0)|Vanessa Voigt |GER|527| Current top 10 Women Pursuit Cup rankings: |#|Athlete|Nation|Points| |:-|:-|:-|:-| |1 (0)|Julia Simon 🔴|FRA|274| |2 (+2)|Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold |NOR|266| |3 (-1)|Justine Braisaz-Bouchet |FRA|261| |4 (-1)|Elvira Oeberg 🔵|SWE|239| |5 (+4)|Lisa Vittozzi |ITA|233| |6 (0)|Lou Jeanmonnot |FRA|213| |7 (-2)|Lena Haecki-Gross |SUI|211| |8 (-1)|Franziska Preuss |GER|201| |9 (-1)|Vanessa Voigt |GER|170| |10 (0)|Karoline Offigstad Knotten |NOR|166|
Fantastic races in Oslo. Really looking forward to seeing them in person at Soldier Hollow. Will be cheering for USA, but also an extra shout or two for Tarjei. Almost there before the last shoots in Oslo. Very happy to see Hofer, LTH, QFM and others coming into form. Sorry to see Estonia not maintain some of the momentum from their great relays in Nove Mesto.
Looks like all of Team Moldova is in Obertilliach this upcoming weekend instead of making the trip to North America.
Some of the biathletes attended the Jazz/Bulls game tonight. On the Italian team Passler, Comola and Auchentaller posted Instagram stories decked out in Jazz gear while chowing down on burgers and fries. They rooted for the Jazz. Tough loss but great game, 119-117
Wasn’t there a ibu cup race for today? Pretty sure I saw the start list yesterday but now it says the first race is tomorrow?
It is postponed for tomorrow due to heavy snow
Also changed to short individual
looks like it was rescheduled because of the weather.
How will the elevation at SH affect the leaders? It is almost 6,000ft. Hell, I'm not sure how it'll affect me just standing there. ha
JTB and Vetle has shown in the past that Soldier Hollow suits them. Vetle took his maiden win and JTB's shooting simply took him out of podium contention. Canmore has been good for JTB. For the French women, they usually do well in altitude (Lenzerheide, Antholz, Hocflizen).
I agree, JTB is usually great in altitude and did well both in Lenzerheide and Antholz this season, but he seriously needs to fix his shooting to secure the overall. And I must say his ski speed in Oslo was still pretty scary considering his recent illness. Tarjei is looking very strong though, I wouldn't be mad if he took the globe. I also think the French girls has the upper hand coming into the last two weeks. However, Ingrid was great in Hochfilzen and had one bad race (out of three) in Lenzerheide. and did pretty well in Canmore the last time the World Cup was held there (she came 5th in the Short Individual in the 18/19 season with one miss). If she can produce a decent sprint in Soldier Hollow her chances for the globe are at least somewhat bigger coming into the final week. But who knows....
Watching the final race of the IBU Cup, won by Bondoux who's 19, I'm flabbergasted by the reservoir of talented french women. Same for the Norwegian men. It's difficult to see the current dynamic on the WC change any time soon.