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Classic biathlon



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 19th 03, 03:00 PM
Brian Olsen
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Default Classic biathlon

The International Biathlon Union (IBU), which is the international
governing body for the sport of biathlon, has moved away from classic
skiing entirely. For the better part of a decade, biathlon has been
ahead of cross-country skiing in keeping its competitions as close to
what spectators demand as possible. This meant creating an environment
that is fast-paced and exciting. Classic skiing did not meet the cut.

You will notice that over the past five years, the individual race
(20-kilometer with one-minute penalties added on post-finish) has
nearly disappeared. This race, which takes around 50 minutes for an
elite biathlon to complete, was the main spectacle of biathlon for
some twenty years. Now it has all but disappeared, due to both athlete
and spectator feedback.

I doubt that you will ever see the classic technique return to
biathlon. First, there is the deal with the rifle barrel hitting the
athletes in the back of the head. Second, in the standing position,
the kick wax or klister sticks to the shooting mats. If you take away
the shooting mats, then the skis are on snow for some thirty seconds,
and could easily ice-up.

While many biathletes continue to train in the classic techinque,
mostly for recovery work, there are few elite biathletes that really
race outside of skating.

I have not heard of any talk to return the classic technique to the
sport. There have been discussions about creating a new format that
includes co-ed relays, but otherwise I think that the biathlon world
in general is satisifed with the formats as they stand. Remember that
the mass start race will make its debut at the 2006 Winter Olympic
Games...

Brian Olsen
Editor, www.frozenbullet.com
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  #2  
Old November 19th 03, 05:21 PM
Jim Farrell
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Default Classic biathlon

Brian Olsen wrote:


While many biathletes continue to train in the classic techinque,
mostly for recovery work, there are few elite biathletes that really
race outside of skating.


Brian Olsen
Editor, www.frozenbullet.com



Just an anectdote:

Arriving at only my second classic race (Maplelag --- March) after a
long morning drive, I saw some members of the MN Biathlon team prepping
their skis. Being ignorant about the lack of classic in Biathlon at the
time, I asked and faithfully used what they had recommended for klister
wax. After testing, I saw they were also rubbing hard wax on top of the
klister (icy tracks in places), so I followed that plan as well. Before
leaving town, I had prepped the Atomics with toko base (for hard wax)
and Madshus with Klister base. I liked the kick I was getting from the
atomics (they were simply fit better --- nothing against the madshus per
se, they glide like skate skis).

Anyway, I had wonderful kick for the first half and I owe it all to the
help the biathletes gave me. These guys knew what they were doing! The
skis were great in the woods, on the lake and on the glide. More than
half way into the race, the icy tracks eventually did a number on my
kick zone, so that I could no longer climb hills, those who had bad
starts were passing me in ones and twos, but a fun race all the same.

  #3  
Old November 20th 03, 03:02 AM
Scott Elliot
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Default Classic biathlon

I competed in biathlon at the time skating was first used. I do not
remember any problem with the rifle barrel hitting me in the back of the
head in classic technique, and yes, it was carried barrel up. Biathlon
rifles have a flip down flap that covers the end of the barrel and front
sight to keep snow out. I can't imagine skiing with the barrel hanging
down.

Biathletes adopted skating immediately when it first came out because it was
faster and the idea of a race is to go as fast as possible. Within a couple
of years tracks were no longer set because no one was using them.

Cross country skiing had more traditionalists who did everything possible to
block the new skating technique. They constructed obstacles on the course
to block skating and they passed all kinds of rules to "ban the skate".
Eventually they had to accept that skating was here to stay, so they created
two race categories.

The reason there is no classic technique in biathlon is probably that it
never occurred to anyone that skiers should not be able to ski whatever way
they could get around the course the fastest. As much as I like classic
skiing, it is an artificial creation of cross country skiing designed to
preserve things "the way they used to be."

Scott Elliot
http://www3.telus.net/selliot/

"Brian Olsen" wrote in message
m...
The International Biathlon Union (IBU), which is the international
governing body for the sport of biathlon, has moved away from classic
skiing entirely. For the better part of a decade, biathlon has been
ahead of cross-country skiing in keeping its competitions as close to
what spectators demand as possible. This meant creating an environment
that is fast-paced and exciting. Classic skiing did not meet the cut.

You will notice that over the past five years, the individual race
(20-kilometer with one-minute penalties added on post-finish) has
nearly disappeared. This race, which takes around 50 minutes for an
elite biathlon to complete, was the main spectacle of biathlon for
some twenty years. Now it has all but disappeared, due to both athlete
and spectator feedback.

I doubt that you will ever see the classic technique return to
biathlon. First, there is the deal with the rifle barrel hitting the
athletes in the back of the head. Second, in the standing position,
the kick wax or klister sticks to the shooting mats. If you take away
the shooting mats, then the skis are on snow for some thirty seconds,
and could easily ice-up.

While many biathletes continue to train in the classic techinque,
mostly for recovery work, there are few elite biathletes that really
race outside of skating.

I have not heard of any talk to return the classic technique to the
sport. There have been discussions about creating a new format that
includes co-ed relays, but otherwise I think that the biathlon world
in general is satisifed with the formats as they stand. Remember that
the mass start race will make its debut at the 2006 Winter Olympic
Games...

Brian Olsen
Editor, www.frozenbullet.com



  #4  
Old November 20th 03, 07:51 AM
Terje Mathisen
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Posts: n/a
Default Classic biathlon

Scott Elliot wrote:
The reason there is no classic technique in biathlon is probably that it
never occurred to anyone that skiers should not be able to ski whatever way
they could get around the course the fastest. As much as I like classic
skiing, it is an artificial creation of cross country skiing designed to
preserve things "the way they used to be."


Ouch!

'Artificial creation' indeed!

Classic skiing is the only possible way of skiing, when you're simply
skiing to get from point A to point B in the backcountry, i.e. when
breaking trail.

Skating OTOH (except on crust/ice), is clearly artificial, it came about
because we started to use Pistenbully's and similar heavy/wide gear to
set the xc tracks.

As a side-effect, this left a track that was wide enough as to make
skating possible.

Terje

PS. I'm not advocating that biathlon should revert to classic, far from
it, but please remember how/where/when skiing started: As the only
efficient way to move about in deep snow.

--
-
"almost all programming can be viewed as an exercise in caching"

  #5  
Old November 20th 03, 09:02 AM
Anders Lustig
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Posts: n/a
Default Classic biathlon

"Scott Elliot" wrote in message news:o9Wub.62698$1K.62215@edtnps84...

Cross country skiing had more traditionalists who did everything possible to
block the new skating technique. They constructed obstacles on the course
to block skating and they passed all kinds of rules to "ban the skate".
Eventually they had to accept that skating was here to stay, so they created
two race categories.


It may just a memory block, but I cannot remember anything
about any obstacles on the courses - unless you consider the
parallel tracks obstacles in themselves:-( - and the only
rule that I can recall was_ "No skating allowed on the finish
straight" - and, yes, after Gunde showed up with that monster
pole of his: "Skiers must have two poles":-)

There *was* a strong body of opinion which wanted skating
to be banned, but it only resulted in the creation of the
"classic" category - but until then, once skiers had begun
to skate, there were no limits, IIRC (and please correct
me, if I´m wrong...).


The reason there is no classic technique in biathlon is probably that it
never occurred to anyone that skiers should not be able to ski whatever way
they could get around the course the fastest. As much as I like classic
skiing, it is an artificial creation of cross country skiing designed to
preserve things "the way they used to be."


Just like Greco-Roman wrestling is an artificial creation,
and freestyle is more of the real thing:-)

BTW the same rationale - with which I wholly agree - applies
also to the burning question why the combined guys no longer
do classic.


Anders
  #6  
Old November 20th 03, 03:50 PM
Scott Elliot
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Posts: n/a
Default Classic biathlon

"Terje Mathisen" wrote in message
...
Ouch!

'Artificial creation' indeed!


If we want to get into a creation vs. evolution argument, skating is a
natural evolution of technique adapting to the unnatural evolution of course
grooming equipment and techniques. The "Gods" of FIS then created "Classic"
as a separate technique to preserve the skills that were necessary to ski
the old trails.

Of course these skills are still necessary to ski where modern grooming is
not used. Many of us prefer the classic techniques, even where skating is
possible.

As for obstacles to encourage classic technique, ridges were built along the
course to make the trail too narrow for skating. We are still playing that
game. At a recent FIS TD seminar we were encouraged to put V boards along
the inside of curves to make the space between the set tracks and the edge
of the course too narrow for skating.

Scott


  #7  
Old November 20th 03, 08:05 PM
Gary Jacobson
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Posts: n/a
Default Classic biathlon

The "artificial" issue may deserve a separate thread.
I often think about how artificial cross country ski is. (Cross country
skiing meaning racing.)
The sport has evolved to such a technical level that to me it seems
"created".
Hard to explain what I mean, but maybe it is something like the evolution of
family dinner.
It used to be a quiet time when attention to family and eating was the
purpose.
Now family dinner, I understand, is typified by eating in shifts, maybe
standing, with TV on.
It's dinner, it's family, but it isn't what it used to be.

XC skiing seems to be contingent upon perfect conditions, amazing efforts to
eke out speed from skis, carbon this, and fluoro that.
I'm not a Luddite (well maybe I am), as I do like most everything that came
to the sport since the late '70's, but it seems to have become
"artificial." I still love it, but there's an irony that the sport has
moved from an outdoor pursuit to a pursuit outdoors relying on technical
wizardry.

Another example is rock climbing evolving to sport climbing, where there are
only some references to the original activity.

Gotta go roller ski.
BTW- I've read about electric roller skis. What could they be?

Gary Jacobson
Rosendale, NY



"Scott Elliot" wrote in message
news:1p5vb.66894$1K.31865@edtnps84...
"Terje Mathisen" wrote in message
...
Ouch!

'Artificial creation' indeed!


If we want to get into a creation vs. evolution argument, skating is a
natural evolution of technique adapting to the unnatural evolution of

course
grooming equipment and techniques. The "Gods" of FIS then created

"Classic"
as a separate technique to preserve the skills that were necessary to ski
the old trails.

Of course these skills are still necessary to ski where modern grooming is
not used. Many of us prefer the classic techniques, even where skating is
possible.

As for obstacles to encourage classic technique, ridges were built along

the
course to make the trail too narrow for skating. We are still playing

that
game. At a recent FIS TD seminar we were encouraged to put V boards along
the inside of curves to make the space between the set tracks and the edge
of the course too narrow for skating.

Scott




  #8  
Old November 20th 03, 08:22 PM
sknyski
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Posts: n/a
Default Classic biathlon

As for obstacles to encourage classic technique, ridges were built along the
course to make the trail too narrow for skating. We are still playing that
game. At a recent FIS TD seminar we were encouraged to put V boards along
the inside of curves to make the space between the set tracks and the edge
of the course too narrow for skating.


You mean you can't skate around corners anymore in a classic race?

bt
  #9  
Old November 21st 03, 03:03 AM
Scott Elliot
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Posts: n/a
Default Classic biathlon

"sknyski" wrote in message
om...
As for obstacles to encourage classic technique, ridges were built along

the
course to make the trail too narrow for skating. We are still playing

that
game. At a recent FIS TD seminar we were encouraged to put V boards

along
the inside of curves to make the space between the set tracks and the

edge
of the course too narrow for skating.


You mean you can't skate around corners anymore in a classic race?

bt


Old Rule

"Classical technique includes the diagonal techniques, the double poling
techniques, herringbone techniques without a gliding phase, downhill
techniques and turning techniques. Single or double-skating is not allowed.
Turning techniques comprise steps and pushes in order to change direction."

New Rule

Same as above plus - "Where there is a set track, turning techniques with
pushing are NOT allowed. This will also apply to competitors skiing outside
the set track."

Prior to the rule change you could effectively get out of the track on a
curve and do one sided skate as long as the skating ski moved into a line
that was tangential to the curve with each stride. It was common in races
to see competitors get into the space between the set track and the edge of
the trail and do a series of step turns with push (looks like a one sided
skate to me).

From an officials standpoint this leads to a couple of considerations in
setting the course.

Do not set track on sharp downhill curves where step turn with push would be
the appropriate turning technique. This means raise the tracks just before
the curve starts and do not start them again until far enough past the curve
to allow the skiers to recover and align themselves with the tracks.

On curves where tracks are set it was suggested that an obstacle such as V
boards be placed a short distance to the inside of the set tracks. This
removes the temptation to try to do a step turn with push.

If will be very difficult for officials to determine whether or not there is
a "push" in a step turn. My understanding of physics is that to turn an
object that is moving in a straight line requires the application of a force
from one side. Physically, how could you turn if you did not push at all?
The easiest solution is to avoid situations where you have to make the call.
Another questionable situation would occur where tracks were set but skiers
doing snow plough turns have partially or completely wiped them out. A
skier in the early stages of a race might get called for skating where a
skier in the later part of the competition could get away with it.

Scott


 




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