Sam Burling

After winning the overall last year he has looked just average this World Cup season. This probably explains his performance dipped. What an idiot!

Let’s wait and see how the women do before we get too worried. They looked solid in the Mixed Relay.

I am doing the one in Lake Placid next month, so excited for it.

Do you have much on the rifle sabotage that also happened on the French (with completely different women)?

Dig up part 3, where one French woman sabotaged her teammates rifle right before a race last year.

Emotional Botn wins gold two months after team-mate's death - 'I felt like I was with him' An emotional Johan-Olav Botn spoke of his "good friend" Sivert Bakken after winning 20km biathlon gold at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games.

An emotional Johan-Olav Botn spoke of his "good friend" Sivert Bakken after winning 20km biathlon gold at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games.
https://www.tntsports.co.uk/biathlon/olympic-games-milano-cortina-2026/2026/johan-olav-botn-gold-medal-sivert-bakken-death_sto23269123/story.shtml

Most of the American Biathletes barely touch a gun before getting into the sport after college. As compared to Europeans biathletes who are shooting as teenagers.

Great thread on it if you want to learn more. Also if you like podcasts, @skishootrepeat.bsky.social and @penaltyloop.bsky.social do a great job covering the sport.

bsky.app/profile/ebel...

When watching the World Cup races, lots of times the cameras focus on an athlete who just finished, collapses, and is just gasping for breath. They really leave it all out there.

Same. It’s why I love the triathlon as well. Can Athlete A hold off faster running Athlete B after leading through the first two segments?

Is the 1.75 inches the standing target (cd sized) or prone target (golf ball size)?

0, all these athletes are professionals on the World Cup. You can watch them finish their season in March after the Olympics.

I mean, that does not stop it from being the most entertaining sport there is, so….

Is that Randy Moss or Chad? (And no, it’s not THAT Randy Moss, but the other guy who is also named Randy Moss)

3 Finns in the top 15, they had an incredible race.

The standing shoot is my favorite part as it tends to be the real separation of the race.

No shame in that. I like it because it is a track like event (endurance racing) but with a random added element (shooting) that can suddenly upend the race. A marathon will just steadily whittle down the lead pack until one is left but in biathlon it can suddenly change after one shoot or another.

Two cat broadcasters are sitting in a booth watching a Winter Olympics event. One is saying "The biathlon, which combines Zoomies with precision barfing, is extremely difficult and---Ooh, Oscar missed the carpet!" The other broadcaster is saying, "That might cost him the gold." Below them, a cat has just thrown up and it didn't hit the patch of carpet in front of him. There are other cats running in the background.

Cat Biathlon

☕️ Buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/scottmetzger...

The IBU Cup (AAA of biathlon) is in New York (Lake Placid) at the end of February and beginning of March this year.

I would like to hear your outfit commentary.

It’s normal, especially for that race (the individual) which is their longest distance.

No sport is for everyone but I love biathlon because it’s how well can you shoot a rifle at a tiny target over iron sights when you have basically just maxed your heart rate, and do it more than once.

bsky.app/profile/ebel...

They shoot from two separate positions, prone and standing. Their skis are on the whole time. Depending on the race determines if they shoot twice (once in each position) or four times (twice in each position).

OK @michaelastackpole.bsky.social

been a long time since I watched a Biathlon, and.. I gotta say... maybe I never watched one currently, cuz the Modern iteration is a bit... sterile. Didn't they used to shoot standing from their skis?

So anyhow, that forced me to to a Modern & Classic version

It looks a bit like an earring now, but it’ll look good when painted, I reckon. #battletech #mechwarrior #miniatures #tabletop #tabletopgaming #kitbash

Is now retired, so why not. Giacomel is amazing but has 4+ missed races this year. Perrot is incredible but was 10th in Ostersund. Sebbe was just 13th in NM for the MS. “Anything can happen” in biathlon, which is why it’s my favorite sport to watch.

I would argue that given the variability (especially within the shooting) the odds Campbell wins a medal are high enough to be “a reasonable chance” while definitely agreeing he is not the favorite. And I know it does not matter, but the only person to beat him in two races at last year’s Worlds …

Fingers crossed it happens both years (yes, I know I am asking a lot, but really, I am just happy there is a reasonable expectation that a medal will happen and that’s enough).

Which reminds, I keep meaning to ask someone who would know. What does the Swedish team about on the medal podium when they gather as a team after they win a race?