Discussion: Even better than Blue Extra
in: Sudden; Sudden > 2009-02-24
Feb 27, 2009 3:47 PM
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Well, at least close to Blue Extra.
You know what else rocks, how about an Awesome result in the Mens Relay at Ski World Champs. 5th Place!
You know what else rocks, how about an Awesome result in the Mens Relay at Ski World Champs. 5th Place!
Feb 27, 2009 5:16 PM
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it's not so much about who is fifth, but who is sixth.
if we ever need to find the backside of a canadian team I guess we know who to ask.
if we ever need to find the backside of a canadian team I guess we know who to ask.
Feb 28, 2009 1:30 AM
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i know. i followed the race pretty much from the beginning. very impressive performance by the canadian men and young harvey has impressed me the whole week. actually the whole season. canada has some future there. if harvey sr can come back from retirement, canada may have a chance to reach the podium in 2010.
Feb 28, 2009 3:54 AM
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George Grey can ski much faster and with Harvey a year older next year, it's going to be really close for the relay podium. It would also help with a spread out schedule because they raced the sprint relay.
Of course, we all know how well the Italians and Russians peak for the Olympics.
Lamest result of World Champs: Canada chose not to select enough women and didn't field a relay team. Brittany Webster and especially Madelaine Williams are both in Europe and would be on that team. I guess we are so well prepared for the Olympics we didn't need to race.
Of course, we all know how well the Italians and Russians peak for the Olympics.
Lamest result of World Champs: Canada chose not to select enough women and didn't field a relay team. Brittany Webster and especially Madelaine Williams are both in Europe and would be on that team. I guess we are so well prepared for the Olympics we didn't need to race.
Feb 28, 2009 2:28 PM
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yeah damn impressive result for both Canada and Sweden.
>Of course, we all know how well the Italians and Russians peak for the Olympics.
well stated
>Of course, we all know how well the Italians and Russians peak for the Olympics.
well stated
Feb 28, 2009 2:39 PM
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Bash:
And don't forget that in the Under 23 World Champs this year, Canada had 3 men in the top ten in one of the events - and Alex wasn't even our top guy. The future of XC skiing looks very bright for Canada!
Feb 28, 2009 6:36 PM
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some nations didn't send their top skiers to U23, but true enough, xc skiing in canada has certainly got an injection, at least on the men's side. i can't see any new beckie on the horizon and crawford will have a hard time defending her olympic gold since sprint will be classic.
Feb 28, 2009 6:51 PM
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Bash:
Brittany Webster was doing pretty well as a new potential Beckie until she broke two bones in her leg in the fall of 2007 and needed 15 months to return to competition readiness in November 2008. Earlier in 2007, she'd placed 6th and 9th at the World Junior Champs, and she'd won both races at the Canadian senior team trials, including a victory over Crawford - but everyone agreed that she should focus on the Junior Champs since she was only 20. Beckie even suggested to her sponsor that they should go with Brittany after her retirement. Britt is still returning to form, but she's one of the toughest competitors I've ever met, and I'm convinced that she'll get great results for Canada over the next few years.
Feb 28, 2009 9:13 PM
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>got an injection
hmmm, possibly true but I sure hope that it is just money.
What I would hate to see is what happened in Oz following Sydney. The government will pull the money out and performance will go down.
What Canada needs is Canadian amateur sports content requirement on all sports radio and TV. Just like Can content helped cdn musicians on radio we should be seeing TSN2 showing the World Nordics and the Raid the Hammer on TV and not Play Station 3 competitions or god damn poker. That isn't sport.
hmmm, possibly true but I sure hope that it is just money.
What I would hate to see is what happened in Oz following Sydney. The government will pull the money out and performance will go down.
What Canada needs is Canadian amateur sports content requirement on all sports radio and TV. Just like Can content helped cdn musicians on radio we should be seeing TSN2 showing the World Nordics and the Raid the Hammer on TV and not Play Station 3 competitions or god damn poker. That isn't sport.
Feb 28, 2009 11:30 PM
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I'm afraid more people are interested in watching poker than Nordic skiing. Except for some sprint results and a few 15K classic low prioritized world cup races, Canadian men still have a bit to go, but at least it is now happening and I am hoping that young Nordic skiing Canadians now will see that the gap to the absolute elite isn't that big anymore.
Canada has lots of snow, more Canadians have access to snow during the winter months than the Scandinavian countries including Finland combined, and plenty of ski trails, although there should be more trails closer or in urban areas like Toronto and Hamilton, and that's without any government involvement. Canada can't be great in all sports. Few people care about Nordic skiing except for a week every 4th year. Is that enough to justify $?
Finland, Norway, Sweden are not strong ski countries because of $. It is the tradition and the grass roots, the people who go up 2am and turn on the snow machine because the temperature has finally dropped below zero. Just like people are standing for hours in parks to make ice for kids to skate and play hockey on. But then, to get volunteers, exposing the sport via TV may be the way. Anyways,I think I am losing my thread here and the kids are running wild so I better stop.
Canada has lots of snow, more Canadians have access to snow during the winter months than the Scandinavian countries including Finland combined, and plenty of ski trails, although there should be more trails closer or in urban areas like Toronto and Hamilton, and that's without any government involvement. Canada can't be great in all sports. Few people care about Nordic skiing except for a week every 4th year. Is that enough to justify $?
Finland, Norway, Sweden are not strong ski countries because of $. It is the tradition and the grass roots, the people who go up 2am and turn on the snow machine because the temperature has finally dropped below zero. Just like people are standing for hours in parks to make ice for kids to skate and play hockey on. But then, to get volunteers, exposing the sport via TV may be the way. Anyways,I think I am losing my thread here and the kids are running wild so I better stop.
Mar 1, 2009 6:01 AM
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>Of course, we all know how well the Italians and Russians peak for the Olympics.
I remember Wayne Dustin telling me how the Italians used to be back in 50th and 60th place and he would beat them sometimes and then whenever there was a World Champs or Olympics they would be around the medals
>>What I would hate to see is what happened in Oz following Sydney. The government will pull the money out and performance will go down.
This was a topic of discussion at the AthletesCAN Forum. Obviously they want to do well for 2010 but the summer sports have really been pushing for equal funding and they have established Road to Excellence. I think that at least shows some commitment to future funding, even if not necessarily at the same level as 2010
>>What Canada needs is Canadian amateur sports content requirement on all sports radio and TV.
Well not quite the same as mandatory content but...
http://casn-rsac.com/index.php
There is a link where you can send supporting message to the CRTC
I remember Wayne Dustin telling me how the Italians used to be back in 50th and 60th place and he would beat them sometimes and then whenever there was a World Champs or Olympics they would be around the medals
>>What I would hate to see is what happened in Oz following Sydney. The government will pull the money out and performance will go down.
This was a topic of discussion at the AthletesCAN Forum. Obviously they want to do well for 2010 but the summer sports have really been pushing for equal funding and they have established Road to Excellence. I think that at least shows some commitment to future funding, even if not necessarily at the same level as 2010
>>What Canada needs is Canadian amateur sports content requirement on all sports radio and TV.
Well not quite the same as mandatory content but...
http://casn-rsac.com/index.php
There is a link where you can send supporting message to the CRTC
Mar 1, 2009 5:43 PM
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Tne Italian skiers of today are doing good results all year. Back in the days of Albarello, De Zolt, it was a bit different. Agree. On a similar note, not even an Austrian relay team.
Mar 1, 2009 9:27 PM
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How about Northug in the femmil? As much as I cheer for doesn't strike me as fair somehow that someone can win 3 golds without doing an interval start and by just outsprinting the others at the end. The face of skiing has changed.
Mar 2, 2009 12:31 AM
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I totally agree. And especially the 50K has been hurt by the new changes. Of the red group, 30 people, 15 started. Norway had two skiers in the 50K. Two! And changing skis? Come on!
Mar 2, 2009 6:30 AM
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I actually really like Piller Cotter, I like the yellow toque so I won't criticize him. Sylvia Fauner was mega, mega doped up, he basically retired the day they announced what they were going to be testing for. As for the Austrians, just brutal.
Tom McCarthy from XC Ottawa wrote an article (probably still online somewhere) that the creation of Callahan Valley was a poor choice for Canada Nordic, they should have saved the money and beefed up Cypress and then put the money into athlete development. (I believe JMM is also a fan of this). We have so many awesome trail systems across the country, we just don't have enough skiers.
Hans, ladies Team Sprint next year will be Skating. Crawford and Renner probably. Crawford is maybe the smartest racer I've ever seen.
Tom McCarthy from XC Ottawa wrote an article (probably still online somewhere) that the creation of Callahan Valley was a poor choice for Canada Nordic, they should have saved the money and beefed up Cypress and then put the money into athlete development. (I believe JMM is also a fan of this). We have so many awesome trail systems across the country, we just don't have enough skiers.
Hans, ladies Team Sprint next year will be Skating. Crawford and Renner probably. Crawford is maybe the smartest racer I've ever seen.
Mar 2, 2009 7:45 PM
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Litt mer i norsk aviser om fellestarten osv
http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/03/02/sport/ski/ski-v...
I thought it was illegal to change skis. When did that rule change?
Norway only had two skiers because Hofstad got sick and went home. They wanted to get the biathlete Thomas Berger to ski it but FIS wouldn't allow such a late change. Subbing from their current squad was kind of pointless with all their specialists. They had the max number of sprinters. The other distance skiers are classic specialists like Hjelmeset (who actualy had a free spot as defending champ)
http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/03/02/sport/ski/ski-v...
I thought it was illegal to change skis. When did that rule change?
Norway only had two skiers because Hofstad got sick and went home. They wanted to get the biathlete Thomas Berger to ski it but FIS wouldn't allow such a late change. Subbing from their current squad was kind of pointless with all their specialists. They had the max number of sprinters. The other distance skiers are classic specialists like Hjelmeset (who actualy had a free spot as defending champ)
Mar 2, 2009 8:38 PM
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I think the Swede is talking about Skiathlons (start classic, switch to skating) which I actually think is an awesome event. Unless you're a wax tech, then you really hate it.
Hjelmeset is one of my favourite skiers, he always looks in a good mood, awesome relay skier, and he's such a hulking beast of a guy too....
Hjelmeset is one of my favourite skiers, he always looks in a good mood, awesome relay skier, and he's such a hulking beast of a guy too....
Mar 2, 2009 9:15 PM
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I thought you were allowed to change skis twice in the 50k race - and this was the first major event that rule has been in effect for. But my Swedish is a bit off, and I could have totally messed up that translation....
Mar 2, 2009 9:36 PM
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bubo:
Changing skis is a new rule that was introduced for the first time last year (I think) in the World Cup at Holmenkollen 50KM race.
Now it´s been allowed in World Champs in the two distance races (Womens 30KM and Mens 50KM).
I think the women could change skis twice and the men three times during the race - not whenever they wanted though, only at a few specified points in the race.
I also think that in a race like Vasaloppet (and maybe other races?) you´re allowed to change one ski but not both - so that would be mostly if a ski or a binding would break - I can´t see the advantage of getting better wax for only one ski...
Now it´s been allowed in World Champs in the two distance races (Womens 30KM and Mens 50KM).
I think the women could change skis twice and the men three times during the race - not whenever they wanted though, only at a few specified points in the race.
I also think that in a race like Vasaloppet (and maybe other races?) you´re allowed to change one ski but not both - so that would be mostly if a ski or a binding would break - I can´t see the advantage of getting better wax for only one ski...
Mar 3, 2009 12:51 AM
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Nev - nope. i didn't mean skiathlon. bubo has it right. would have been useful in thunder bay though 14 years ago.
my point with norway only having two skiers wasn't to critisize them, but to show that with the current rules, not even norway can put a full team on the start line even if they so wanted to. the reigning world champ svartedal wasn't allowed either to go to wc.
bubo - so J-P Pierrat was simply ahead of his time...;-)
my point with norway only having two skiers wasn't to critisize them, but to show that with the current rules, not even norway can put a full team on the start line even if they so wanted to. the reigning world champ svartedal wasn't allowed either to go to wc.
bubo - so J-P Pierrat was simply ahead of his time...;-)
Mar 4, 2009 12:51 AM
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>>>with the current rules, not even norway can put a full team on the start line
That was kind of my point too. But my English isn't that great so sometimes I have difficulty saying what I mean ;-)
Well, if the rule just changed this year I feel better. I guess i am not THAT out of it
That was kind of my point too. But my English isn't that great so sometimes I have difficulty saying what I mean ;-)
Well, if the rule just changed this year I feel better. I guess i am not THAT out of it
This discussion thread is closed.