Martin Ponsiluoma of Sweden won the first race of the 2022-23 biathlon season.
Biathlon season has arrived. The first series of races is underway in Finland. Martin Ponsiluoma of Sweden took the opening Kontiolahti Men’s 20 km individual with a single miss.
Captain Rick Schwertfeger reported this morning that he saw part of the first race:
I saw the 2nd half of it. Beautiful snow/track conditions. Looked quite cold. Highest Americans: Sean Doherty in 61st, Cervenka 73.
Rick alerted me that races are being streamed live by Eurovision TV. Time differences pose a challenge, but it’s cool that it’s available. You can also get all the news through Biathlon World.
USA biathlon is far from catching up to the Nordic countries, but we’ve got some good athletes. Read about Doherty here and about Vaclav Cervenka here.
Sean Doherty in action.
Clan Cornelius always roots for Dorothea Wierer of Italy — she’s never the fastest skier on the course, but when she’s on, she shoots with stunning accuracy at a blistering pace. Check this out:
That capability made her a world champ, and brought her an unexpected bronze medal in the last Olympics. She’s flirted with retirement, so this likely her last season.
As you know, my “Frontier Partisan Biathlon” consists of kettlebell complexes and shooting. If snow conditions deliver on their promise, I plan to snowshoe out to my range a few times (and maybe ski) and do some shooting. Throw a steel spinner in the pack to serve as a target. Just foolin’ around, but why not?
There is no nobler sport.
Quixotic Mainer says
Ms. Weirer is a gunslinger for sure! I’m really hoping to make the primitive biathlons in Vermont/New Hampshire this year, had to cry off for a promotion competition at work last year. Moving at speed through the field and tagging your mark, it doesn’t get any better!
Of particular interest to the folks here, it seems the origin of the wild horse in North America is now getting a historiographical facelift. The theory that the horse has always been present in North America, and not introduced from feral Spanish stock was considered kind of a conspiracy when I was studying archaeology. Perhaps it’s my callousness toward societal motivations these days, but I’m afraid I smell identity politics. I am sticking with the J Frank Dobie version for now. But it’s certainly interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGki2EwrbkA
JimC says
Thanks for the link. The Primitive Biathlon — what a cool thing. Shades of Langy and Rogers and a century of NE forest raiders.
Rick+Schwertfeger says
A few comments on biathlon – the sport Jim and I love:
* Biathlon is huge in Europe. In some countries it is the most popular winter sport. It’s on TV.
* The top Euro biathletes are big stars, with good contracts and endorsements.
* Biathlon gets many top athletes. Kids ski at early ages, and dream of making national teams.
* Biathlon is a very hard sport. X-c skiing to the max, plus hitting targets at 50m. with a .22.
* US making efforts to grow biathlon. The Army National Guard sponsors some US Team Mmbrs.
* Some colleges stepping up with scholarships; most notably Paul Smith College in upstate NY.
* Now we have biathlon centers with teams in VT, MI, MT, AK, UT, plus I think ME and NY.
* Frontier Partisans fan favorite Dorothea Wierer (IT) will start 1st tomorrow at 5:15 a.m. EST!