Ha, ha! I'm so happy for Kikkan and Jessie.
What a brilliant race from both. Both are just such great tactical skiers, something that I forgot to mention when I was saying that Kikkan was going to start. What a great end to Kikkan's career.
On my first ski of this season, just skiing through town, Kikkan was the first person I saw on skis, just going by her old high school. I thought that was a good omen... and it worked out!
zzzz do you sleep at all? Or have you been up all night?
I'll probably have to watch it on the pirated Eurosport feed later today. Wow though, Norwegians and Swedes and Russians have been so strong this week I thought it would be hard and lucky for them to podium. But GOLD! ?
I'm a night owl. Though it doesn't fit perfectly, that's why my user name is zzzz.
zzzz wrote:
Gold F-ing medal for Kikkan and Jessie!
Great news to wake up to.
zzzz wrote:
Ha, ha! I'm so happy for Kikkan and Jessie.
What a brilliant race from both. Both are just such great tactical skiers, something that I forgot to mention when I was saying that Kikkan was going to start. What a great end to Kikkan's career.
On my first ski of this season, just skiing through town, Kikkan was the first person I saw on skis, just going by her old high school. I thought that was a good omen... and it worked out!
No one deserves the honor of that gold more than Kikkan Randall -- she was awesome. She stuck with Kalla & Bjoergen like glue -- even when Bjoergen attacked the big hill on her third leg, Randall didn't break. And Diggins was masterful, throwing down the fastest leg of the day on her second turn and breaking the pack. Her sprint at the end, fighting to get to clear snow, closing Nilsson down -- stuff of legends. Amazing.
And Hamilton/Bjornsen did very respectably, earning 6th place. No one was going to beat Sundby/Klaebo today.
A great day.
Very cool call of the finish on NBC...reminded me a bit of the Billy Mills 10000 call. #epic
What a day to be a US nordic fan! Jessie and Kikkan back on top in Kikkan's last Olympics! Now let's hope Harvey can find some magic for the 50K.
Scott Patterson, Noah Hoffman, and Tyler Kornfield are skiing the 50K for the US. Looks like they didn't have a 4th person that wanted to do it. Paddy Caldwell must still be sick. Patterson should do well.
Too bad David Norris didn't make the Olympic team due to some bad luck. He was sick at nationals, skipping an important race there. The distance race he did do wasn't selective enough due to course changes and kick wax stripping snow, and the sprinters took the top places, while the strongest distance skiers in the race took 6th (Norris), 7th (Hoffman), and 8th (Patterson). 50K mass start classic would have been right up his alley as someone good at classic, a top US distance skier since a junior, and winner of the American Birkie. He has been cleaning up at domestic races during the Olympics.
The biathlon men's relay was fun to watch, and the US got a best ever result 6th...
zzzz wrote:
Scott Patterson, Noah Hoffman, and Tyler Kornfield are skiing the 50K for the US. Looks like they didn't have a 4th person that wanted to do it. Paddy Caldwell must still be sick. Patterson should do well.
Too bad David Norris didn't make the Olympic team due to some bad luck. He was sick at nationals, skipping an important race there. The distance race he did do wasn't selective enough due to course changes and kick wax stripping snow, and the sprinters took the top places, while the strongest distance skiers in the race took 6th (Norris), 7th (Hoffman), and 8th (Patterson). 50K mass start classic would have been right up his alley as someone good at classic, a top US distance skier since a junior, and winner of the American Birkie. He has been cleaning up at domestic races during the Olympics.
The biathlon men's relay was fun to watch, and the US got a best ever result 6th...
Yup, I bet David would be a strong 2nd American, at least, in this 50k. I feel for those smaller and fitter domestic skiers that have to prove themselves on usually flatter courses just to get to the courses in their wheelhouse.
Nice to see a shoutout to David Norris. Entered to defend his 2016 Birke title (race cancelled last year).
http://cdn.birkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018-American-Birkebeiner-elite-start-MEN.pdf
Anyone have the scoop for the 50k, 30k?
Marathon coming up wrote:
Anyone have the scoop for the 50k, 30k?
Not sure if it's showing anywhere yet. Eurosport1 is showing dual slalom snowboard. Not on Eurosport 2, BBC1, BBC2, or NBCSN. Maybe Eurosport1 will go to it after the snowboarding, as it has been the channel so far. Live timing shows Patterson in the pack in 17th +3.8 secs at 12.5K.
At 17.5K, Niskanan pushing pace with Sundby, top pack reduced to about 14 including Harvey. Patterson 20th, +27.1.
They're showing bobsled on NBCSN. Dual slalom snorefest on prime time NBC.
At 23.3K, Niskanan has skied everyone off his tail except Poltoranin. Patterson up to 15th, +1:18.1. Will be on viewable soon.
Same up front at 25K. Patterson up to 13th.
Iivo Niskanen has taken the "all-or-nothing" - strategy, he has some 15 second lead on Bolshunov and Poltoranin and the fastest Norwegian is roughly one minute behind. The Russian Bolshunov seems to try to catch Niskanen little-by-little.
Even if the Russian catches him, Niskanen could still outrun him at the last kilometers, because he has has a huge muscular and specifically upper body strength and he was the 2014 Olympic gold medallist at the interval type team sprint.
But still some close to twenty kilometers to go...
Niskanen looks tired.
At 35.58K, Patterson is in 16th, in a pack of seven dudes from 13th to 19th about 3:40 back.
Passed wrote:
Niskanen looks tired.
His facial expression is always very suffering-looking, because he looks always always that in my opinion (or he developed the the weirdest poker face ever) .
I am not sure whether Bolshunov changes his skis, but Niskanen didn't and as is running out of his glide wax little-by-little which could explain some minor problems, but he does get fresh skis for the last kilometers.