The Biathlon
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Cosmoline
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Absolutely! He's a local boy from Anchorage, too.
http://www.adn.com/sports/story/1139203.html
The European governments, esp. in Scandinavia, fund their teams to the hilt. It's a *big* deal to those nations, whereas most Americans probably don't even know what it is. Our guys have to scratch by on nothing, so there's little incentive for athletes to stick with it. Those who do must be truly committed.
The US teams are slowly emerging from the bottom ranks, but it's tooth and nail.
Well, if I ever start a company that does extremely well, I will be sure to help fund these athletes.
I remember seeing something on the History Channel about US Arctic soldiers training in Alaska. Don't remember what they are called but it was very cool. I think they did some cross country skiing w/ their service rifles.
I remember seeing something on the History Channel about US Arctic soldiers training in Alaska. Don't remember what they are called but it was very cool. I think they did some cross country skiing w/ their service rifles.
I thought Teela was going to get screwed by either a computer or official's mistake. I was watching the start and saw number 6 leave before number 8 and then number 9 (Teela) leave before number 11. I said, hmmm, that's not right! But, I thought maybe I had just been confused myself. Several minutes later the announcers revealed there had been a mess-up at the start with those two. They corrected the times shortly before they finished. That kind of thing could be a disadvantage or it could be an advantage depending on the athlete's mindset. If they see numbers ahead of them who should have been far behind, they are either going to let up knowing they are losing ground or they are going to try even harder to catch back up and get ahead.
searcher451
Member
USA TODAY has a column on the biathlon competition in its Opinion/Commentary section today -- and a highly favorable one at that. Take a look and see what you think:
Biathlon: All that’s right in sports
This quirky Olympic sport is about passion and hard work, not freakish size, violence or, inevitably, money. What’s not to like?
By Robert Lipsyte
Twenty-two years ago at the Calgary Winter Olympics, I made a wrong turn at the luge and came upon a startling sight: armed men on cross-country skis chasing each other over the snow. I didn’t know whether I was in the middle of a moose hunt or a James Bond movie.
Turns out, I had stumbled upon the biathlon, a relatively new Olympic sport in 1988, but an ancient survival practice. The sport has since become my favorite event of the Winter Games because it evolved from something real and it gives me room to dream. And isn’t that what sports spectatorship is all about?
Imagine yourself on a wintry plain, a rifle strapped to your back. The wooden slats strapped to your feet are the only way to move over the snow toward the skittish herd up ahead. You’ll have scant seconds to stop, unsling the gun and fire before you’re spotted and the animals take off. And you’ll be lucky to get off more than one shot.
Your entire starving village is dependent on the meat from the kill.
After that daydream, the luge, the bobsleigh, even the giant slalom lost some of their pull for me. And the figure skating, especially the pairs, seemed precious and contrived. Who dresses like that on ice?
The biathlon, however, was ancient and authentic. According to various Olympic histories, Norwegian rock paintings dated to 3000 B.C. depict bow hunters on ski-like boards. The Roman poet Virgil wrote about hunting on skis in 400 B.C. Later, and well into World War II, skiing and shooting became a military skill as well.
Granted that the biathlon doesn’t have the mortal urgency it once did, but what sport does? NASCAR has lost its aura of moonshiners escaping from revenue agents in souped-up booze buggies. Baseball is no longer that pure exercise in bucolic nostalgia, and football violence, even as it increases, seems cartoonish against the drumbeat of genuine war.
An American in the running
Yet there remains something so atavistic, romantic and basically hard about the biathlon that I hold my breath watching it. These amazing athletes, their hearts pumping wildly from sprinting on skis, must suddenly turn rock steady to squeeze off five shots at a tiny target in less than 30 seconds. And should they miss the target, they have to take a penalty lap in full humiliating view.
The United States has never won a biathlon medal since it became an Olympic sport for men in 1960 and for women in 1992, which has reduced possible interest in our jingoistic times. But this year for the first time, there is a potential U.S. medal winner, 28-year-old Tim Burke, fresh from World Cup victories. I hope he gets to the podium. We could use a quirky sport in which passion and very hard work rather than freakish size (natural or otherwise) are the main qualifiers.
We’ve been having a shaky time with our sports lately: disappointments, scandals and the dawning realization that highly paid celebrity athletes consider themselves entertainers with as much moral obligation as musicians and actors. Fans, in turn, are as responsible, intoxicated with spectacular thrills rather than seeking the soul of sports, the almost obsessive drive to become truly excellent at something that will never pay off big time.
Such as biathlon? Why not? Here’s a sport both the ski industry and the National Rifle Association could get behind (in warmer climes, you could substitute roller skis — similar to roller blades — as they do in training; in the more liberal states, you could use video shooters instead of real bullets ). What a way to get kids fit and disciplined in a new and interesting way.
I’m no fan of the Games — I think they have been over commercialized and nationalized — but among the Olympic sports are some of the more enticing possibilities for everyday people willing to dedicate themselves. Curling looks like fun. I can handle a broom. And the Jamaicans certainly proved you don’t need to be born near snow to slide down it.
Another ‘historical daydream’
Then there is my favorite summer Olympics sport, the modern pentathlon, in which competitors run, fence, swim, shoot and jump horses over barriers. First held at the 1912 Olympics, the event imitated the experience of a 19th century cavalry officer fighting his way through enemy lines to deliver a critical message. Another historical daydream coupled with a lot of hard practice.
I can imagine the complaints, across the board. No money in these sports. Not enough violence. Too much like reading — you have to supply your own imagination. All true.
But from Feb. 13 through Feb. 26, I’m watching as much biathlon as I can, cheering those amazingly dedicated and fit athletes, and in my daydreams concentrating on getting my heartbeat down for that one rifle shot that will save my village.
Robert Lipsyte, a member of USA TODAY’s board of contributors, is author of the forthcoming memoir An Accidental Sportswriter.
Biathlon: All that’s right in sports
This quirky Olympic sport is about passion and hard work, not freakish size, violence or, inevitably, money. What’s not to like?
By Robert Lipsyte
Twenty-two years ago at the Calgary Winter Olympics, I made a wrong turn at the luge and came upon a startling sight: armed men on cross-country skis chasing each other over the snow. I didn’t know whether I was in the middle of a moose hunt or a James Bond movie.
Turns out, I had stumbled upon the biathlon, a relatively new Olympic sport in 1988, but an ancient survival practice. The sport has since become my favorite event of the Winter Games because it evolved from something real and it gives me room to dream. And isn’t that what sports spectatorship is all about?
Imagine yourself on a wintry plain, a rifle strapped to your back. The wooden slats strapped to your feet are the only way to move over the snow toward the skittish herd up ahead. You’ll have scant seconds to stop, unsling the gun and fire before you’re spotted and the animals take off. And you’ll be lucky to get off more than one shot.
Your entire starving village is dependent on the meat from the kill.
After that daydream, the luge, the bobsleigh, even the giant slalom lost some of their pull for me. And the figure skating, especially the pairs, seemed precious and contrived. Who dresses like that on ice?
The biathlon, however, was ancient and authentic. According to various Olympic histories, Norwegian rock paintings dated to 3000 B.C. depict bow hunters on ski-like boards. The Roman poet Virgil wrote about hunting on skis in 400 B.C. Later, and well into World War II, skiing and shooting became a military skill as well.
Granted that the biathlon doesn’t have the mortal urgency it once did, but what sport does? NASCAR has lost its aura of moonshiners escaping from revenue agents in souped-up booze buggies. Baseball is no longer that pure exercise in bucolic nostalgia, and football violence, even as it increases, seems cartoonish against the drumbeat of genuine war.
An American in the running
Yet there remains something so atavistic, romantic and basically hard about the biathlon that I hold my breath watching it. These amazing athletes, their hearts pumping wildly from sprinting on skis, must suddenly turn rock steady to squeeze off five shots at a tiny target in less than 30 seconds. And should they miss the target, they have to take a penalty lap in full humiliating view.
The United States has never won a biathlon medal since it became an Olympic sport for men in 1960 and for women in 1992, which has reduced possible interest in our jingoistic times. But this year for the first time, there is a potential U.S. medal winner, 28-year-old Tim Burke, fresh from World Cup victories. I hope he gets to the podium. We could use a quirky sport in which passion and very hard work rather than freakish size (natural or otherwise) are the main qualifiers.
We’ve been having a shaky time with our sports lately: disappointments, scandals and the dawning realization that highly paid celebrity athletes consider themselves entertainers with as much moral obligation as musicians and actors. Fans, in turn, are as responsible, intoxicated with spectacular thrills rather than seeking the soul of sports, the almost obsessive drive to become truly excellent at something that will never pay off big time.
Such as biathlon? Why not? Here’s a sport both the ski industry and the National Rifle Association could get behind (in warmer climes, you could substitute roller skis — similar to roller blades — as they do in training; in the more liberal states, you could use video shooters instead of real bullets ). What a way to get kids fit and disciplined in a new and interesting way.
I’m no fan of the Games — I think they have been over commercialized and nationalized — but among the Olympic sports are some of the more enticing possibilities for everyday people willing to dedicate themselves. Curling looks like fun. I can handle a broom. And the Jamaicans certainly proved you don’t need to be born near snow to slide down it.
Another ‘historical daydream’
Then there is my favorite summer Olympics sport, the modern pentathlon, in which competitors run, fence, swim, shoot and jump horses over barriers. First held at the 1912 Olympics, the event imitated the experience of a 19th century cavalry officer fighting his way through enemy lines to deliver a critical message. Another historical daydream coupled with a lot of hard practice.
I can imagine the complaints, across the board. No money in these sports. Not enough violence. Too much like reading — you have to supply your own imagination. All true.
But from Feb. 13 through Feb. 26, I’m watching as much biathlon as I can, cheering those amazingly dedicated and fit athletes, and in my daydreams concentrating on getting my heartbeat down for that one rifle shot that will save my village.
Robert Lipsyte, a member of USA TODAY’s board of contributors, is author of the forthcoming memoir An Accidental Sportswriter.
Leading the world cup three weeks into an Olympic season isn't necessarily a good indicator. All the top competitors are at various stages in their training, working up to the Olympics. Some get in competitive shape early in the season, some later. The only important thing for all of them is to try and hit their peak shape during the Olympics, any competitions before that are generally regarded as training-exercises.
The snow conditions have been screwing everyone over in these Olympics. Summer temperatures and rain. In yesterday's pursuit race they all started at more or less the same time. I just looked at the results. All the Americans lost time, and quite a bit compared to the best, so it's hard to say if they had any worse luck with the snow on Sunday than most of the others. All outdoor sports depend on the weather. There are two more individual races and the relay. Hopefully the luck will even out.
In what supermarket tabloid did you read that? In biathlon, as in any other sport, the competitors pay their own way (or their parents do) until they get good enough to attract sponsorship money.
Number 6 was supposed to start before 8, and 9 before 11. What happened was that they started number 6 too early (before number 5) and also number 9 (Teela) before numbers 7 and 8. The times were as you say adjusted and it probably didn't screw anyone. The only one who seemed to notice, and get very upset, was number 8 and he went on to win the gold. Still unacceptable screwups by the organizers, particularly as they had already screwed up at the women's race earlier in the day by holding back one of the athletes too long.
The Wiry Irishman
Member
Also we generally do rather poorly in any event involving skis, especially the flat ground kind.
"Number 6 was supposed to start before 8, and 9 before 11."
Right! (See I said I was confused.) I saw the number 6 leave before the skier to his right, and the same thing repeated when number 9 came to the same start gate. I confused the numbers when I went back to review the segment.
Right! (See I said I was confused.) I saw the number 6 leave before the skier to his right, and the same thing repeated when number 9 came to the same start gate. I confused the numbers when I went back to review the segment.
Cosmoline
Member
If Norway doesn't, then I stand corrected. But my understanding was that there was a lot more attention and money for this sport over there than in the US. It's not like Norway or Norwegian companies are putting big sponsorship bucks into basketball, baseball, football, etc. etc. In the US this is a minor sport among minor winter sports--a sideshow at best. In Norway it's a much bigger deal, is it not?
Also, our best shooter/athletes are out doing precision sniping of pirates and terrorists. They don't give out Olympic medals for that ;-)
toivo
Member
As you could probably guess, the Army does have a biathlon team. It was coached by one of the "local heroes" from my area, who also coached the US national team.
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080222/SPORTS/802220349/-1/rss02/gnews
(I've met the guy. Yup, he's still pretty fit!)
I think there are a lot of ways the sport could be boosted in this country, but given the dominance of football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and NASCAR, I don't see it becoming a first-rank attraction with US audiences.
There was a story about this on the radio, because it's so unusual to have an American in contention. Seems that we imported a Swedish coach. So they interviewed him and, if I can summarize a bit, he said we weren't training at anywhere near the level needed to be competitive, so he overhauled our entire Olympic biathlon training program and the results speak for themselves.
Cosmoline, it's certainly a bigger sport here. Sunday's biathlon had about the same TV rating here as you had for your latest Superbowl.
But then our annual national rifle matches get several hours of TV coverage every summer - prime time on our largest channel. And ratings that in American numbers would mean more than 30 million people watching the finals at Camp Perry.
I really don't think it's about money. It's not a particularly expensive sport, is it? And there are after all 60 times as many Americans as there are Norwegians. Relative to the population, you could raise just two cents on the dollar and still be ahead...
But then our annual national rifle matches get several hours of TV coverage every summer - prime time on our largest channel. And ratings that in American numbers would mean more than 30 million people watching the finals at Camp Perry.
I really don't think it's about money. It's not a particularly expensive sport, is it? And there are after all 60 times as many Americans as there are Norwegians. Relative to the population, you could raise just two cents on the dollar and still be ahead...
And when stuff needs to be done above the snow line in the Afghan mountains, you still call Norway.
35Rem
Member
Saw something in the 1960 February edition of GUNS magazine. They were using a .243 Winchester back then!! And up to 250 Meters!
A whole different game.
You can download a copy here:
http://www.gunsmagazine.com/1960issue.html
"Ski Shoot at Squaw Valley"
A whole different game.
You can download a copy here:
http://www.gunsmagazine.com/1960issue.html
"Ski Shoot at Squaw Valley"
It's not a matter of being lucky with the snow.
In XC skiing, it's all about matching the right traction wax to the snow conditions. There are dozens and dozens of waxes, each suited for a narrow set of conditions. Today, because of the warm transformed snow, they used a sticky klister wax.
In XC skiing, it's all about matching the right traction wax to the snow conditions. There are dozens and dozens of waxes, each suited for a narrow set of conditions. Today, because of the warm transformed snow, they used a sticky klister wax.
No spectators at the event back then. It really is different today.
Brien Crotty
Member
I suppose the parrot and the wooden leg are completely overshadowed by the eye patch!
???
Person A starts early, the temps stay constant, and has the right wax for the snow and does great.
Person B starts later, has the exact right wax for the snow, however temps change which changes the wax necessary for optimal performance.
How is that NOT being lucky with snow?
I say this being from Oregon, where you can have conditions requiring completely different waxes within minutes...
In XC, the racers start at what, 30" or one minute intervals at the most....so the conditions are pretty much the same for all.
I think of it as tire selection in Formula 1, only without pit stops. Which makes it both a science and an art.
The athletes have wax coaches and the teams pays attention to VANOC's micro-weather forecasts. The skis are prepped with the wax that will give the best overall performance, given the length of the race and how much of the track is in the sun, the shade, is icy and snowy...as well as each racer's strengths.
So yes, luck is part of it.
I think of it as tire selection in Formula 1, only without pit stops. Which makes it both a science and an art.
The athletes have wax coaches and the teams pays attention to VANOC's micro-weather forecasts. The skis are prepped with the wax that will give the best overall performance, given the length of the race and how much of the track is in the sun, the shade, is icy and snowy...as well as each racer's strengths.
So yes, luck is part of it.
Wildyams
Member
I found a few short videos on youtube. Its crazy how hard they are breathing, barrel swaying every which way, then just two seconds later they are solid as a rock with a quick breath between shots.
Pron shooting -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfM0wc3IZI8&feature=related
Standing -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmSoIii_7RE&feature=related
The part I must have missed -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYG7NqK0-gQ
Pron shooting -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfM0wc3IZI8&feature=related
Standing -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmSoIii_7RE&feature=related
The part I must have missed -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYG7NqK0-gQ
LaEscopeta
Member
Skating, which I believe is allowed in all the Biathlon events, makes wax selection much less important. When you are pushing with the side of the ski, how slick or sticky the bottom is doesn’t matter as much as with the traditional diangular stride. Also the hacker recreational skier, who stand around a lot allowing snow to clump on the bottom of their skis, warm weather snow (like they have now in Vancouver) is a lot trickier the wax for than racers who start moving and don’t stop.
I think each skier has different sets of skis prepped and ready to go the morning of the event; right before they start they pick the set they think will be best for the snow conditions they are likely face over the course, for the time they will be out.
So luck plays a part, but not an overriding part, each competitor has a roughly equal chance of being lucky or unlucky.
xcgates
Member
Yep, kickwax is where it gets really magical, with people who know the black arts mixing different layers and amounts of kickwax.
LaEscopeta, you are right, at that level, each racer will have several pairs of identical skis prepped slightly differently. Some (I don't know how many), even go to the factory and use fancy machinery to pick out the best individual skis. They use what amounts to a scale that identifies how much pressure is on various points of the ski.
LaEscopeta, you are right, at that level, each racer will have several pairs of identical skis prepped slightly differently. Some (I don't know how many), even go to the factory and use fancy machinery to pick out the best individual skis. They use what amounts to a scale that identifies how much pressure is on various points of the ski.
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