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NOVE MESTO. There’s a World Cup in mud wrestling going on … f’ song … biathlon in the middle of nowhere in the Czech countryside.
Nove Mesto, this den is called.
Rather hell on earth.
We’re half way into the 59th Biathlon World Cup and here’s a progress report from Nove Mesto:
The food: Shit.
The weather: Shit.
Swedish success: No.
The audience: .
Yes, in severe lack of other joys, the crowd deserves to be hailed as the MVP of the entire championship.
It goes beyond my understanding
Over 200,000 tickets have been sold and every day tens of thousands of Czech biathlete fanatics brave the rain, debris and slush to buff their way into the stadium and take their seats in the huge grandstand that surrounds the finish area.
All credit to them!
That people come here voluntarily is beyond me, but I suppose the alcoholic beverages help.
Last Saturday, an over-refreshed man stood outside the arena and vomited straight out, and it seemed somehow reasonable, because that’s about how you yourself feel about this whole World Cup arrangement, which so far has been lousy in every way.
There is spring warmth in the air, it rains all the time and there is hardly any snow, which feels a bit like a and o when it comes to a winter sport.
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fullscreen chevron-rightnextA poor official receives the public in the parking lot.
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Does Sweden have worse material?
The weather has been the big talking point and the organizers really struggle to be able to give the riders reasonably fair conditions.
They get an A for effort, but the feeling is that the bad snow – in combination with the new fluoride ban – makes the material far too decisive.
France and Norway have obviously got the skis right.
The Swedish riders have not yet complained, but the feeling is that they have worse things under their feet.
It says something that Sebastian Samuelsson was not even close to the podium in the sprint despite “one of the best races of his career” and full shooting.
Of course he had three Norwegians in great form in front of him, but he won’t be beaten by the Frenchman Eric Perrot when he doesn’t even shoot fully.
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full screenSebastian Samuelsson. Photo: Petter Arvidson / Bildbyrån
Starting to smell like a fiasco
At the WC last year, Sweden won eleven medals.
This year they have one (bronze in the mixed relay) in five attempts.
Seven races to go and it’s too early to call this a fiasco, but it’s undeniably starting to lean that way.
Of course, it can turn around, but the gut feeling is not good.
Sebastian Samuelsson impresses but is still without a chance against the Norwegians, Martin Ponsiluoma can’t get to the shot, Linn Persson’s shoulder is sprained and Elvira Öberg seems to have gone on a spree after the mixed relay.
The feeling here and now is that we have to put our hope in Hanna Öberg. Her form curve points straight up and next awaits the distance race where she is the reigning world champion.
It’s time to step up now.
Otherwise, we will have to give the same rating to the Swedish WC effort as to the WC arrangement in general – namely .
2024-02-12 15:12:56
#Käck #lousy #hell #earth
