2010 Twenty Ten –

Live Blog - Biathlon and Cross Country Live Blog

Paul Murray on Course

18.02.10 / 05:49:52 AM

Paul Murray is racing now. The racers down this end of the field are not offering any real challenge to the front runners and are posting times in around 50th place.

Paul has crossed the line in 55th and will probably stay in about that position so he won't advance to the next round.

Russians announce cash for medals offer to athletes

18.02.10 / 05:45:58 AM

Russia has 1.5m competitive cross country skiers, it is little wonder their team is a big threat. They are not racing tactically, rather just going hard from the beginning.
Like the womens race, it will be the athletes who can manage the icy downhill turns that will do well here today, it is unseating so many of them - cross country skiers by nature prefer to drive themselves uphill, without bothering much with downhill technique, but it will be crucial today.

Mens qualifications

18.02.10 / 05:40:12 AM

We move straight into the mens qualification event. Australian Paul Murray is bib number 57 - but as the athletes start only 15 seconds apart he will be on course quite quickly.

This is a technical course with several downhill corners. As the commentators are reiterating, these skis have no edges and the icy snow is really undoing some of the best racers, who simply can not hold the corners and are sliding out of the track.

The American Andrew Newell, a medal possibility slid off the track momentarily and has lost 9.4 seconds from the leader Alexander Panzhinsky of Russia - bib number 3.

Esther out

18.02.10 / 05:38:50 AM

Australian Esther Bottomley has finished 50th in the qualification and will not advance to the finals. This is her only event at this Games.

Qualification standings

18.02.10 / 05:31:48 AM

Downhill technique seems to allude many of the girls, on the small slopes - which can hardly be called 'downhill' but are indeed tricky on cross country skies without edges or much support.

Fabjan has crossed the finish line and seems to be in terrible pain, she is lying on the ground moaning. It seems to be her right side and it looks terribly painful. She has a qualifying time though and if she is not too badly injured should be able to race in the finals.

Marit Bjoergan has qualified first, which will be a relief for her. She was a favourite in Torino four years ago and failed to deliver, much to Norawy's dissapointment. Cross country is such a huge sport in that country and the athletes carry the expectations of the nation in a big way.

Falls

18.02.10 / 05:28:07 AM

Some of the girls are really struggling with the hard packed snow on the downhill sections and are spinning off the edge of the course. Including Maiken Caspersen Falla from Norway, another favourite.

Vesna Fabjan is on course now, looking uncomfortable after her practice run fall. The officials allowed her to start later but she is looking to be in pain. Coming around the corder where she fell she puts on a sharp snowplough - looking nervous and tentative.

Esther

18.02.10 / 05:24:00 AM

Australian Esther Bottomley is starting with bib number 44. She'll be hoping to be one of the 30 top racers in this timed individual start round so she can advance on to the quaterfinals. Just like in ski and snowboard cross, the racers will then race side by side in groups with the two fastest advancing to the next round.

At the moment the Norwegian Marit Bjoergen is leading the times - the Norwegian favourite has raced a fast time in qualifying, not her usual tactic but in Olympic competition you don't want to give yourself any chance to be left out of the top 30.

sprints - womens qualifying

18.02.10 / 05:20:21 AM

This sprint is in the classic style, which means the racers have to propel themselves by lifting their heels and gliding their skis straight forward (not out to the side). It's a slower style and they have to keep their skis inside pre-prepared tracks on the course - Except when going around corners, and this is when they look awkward. Because their skis have no edges there is nothing to grip as they corner, cornering while coming downhill looks particularly hard, especially as this snow seems to be hard packed - the girls are struggling not to loose control.

Photo finishes

17.02.10 / 08:22:59 AM

Photo finishes - Biathlon is not a sport one equates with high speed and nail biting excitement but in races like this, where all the competitors are close together, the finishes can be thrilling.
Today there are several photo finishes and watching two or more athletes come down the last straight neck and neck is nail biting, they are so exhausted after 12.5km but none give up and they push each other all the way to the line.

Top Three

17.02.10 / 08:18:45 AM

Bjorn Ferry crosses the line first, with a huge lead, his elation overrides exhaustion and he gives a small salute.

The second place Christoph Sumann from Austria smiles but staggers as he crosses second before collapsing.

The rest of the front pack are forced to push each other to the line, five of them coming in together, the strain shows on each of them and at least one collapses on the finish.

The top three are:
Bjorn Ferry
Christoph Sumann
Vincent Jay

shooting penalties

17.02.10 / 08:14:07 AM

The top athletes are all being penalised for missing shots, the leader, from Sweden, has the advantage because he has only missed one shot. the silver and bronze medal positions have multiple penalties.

The Swede is making his way through the last lap now, through the trees where it is quiet - away from the stadium, but he'll soon make his way into the roar of the crowd.

Behind him a last minute sprint is happening. Number 12, the Austrian is hauling down number 1, the frenchman who won the 10km sprint.

Number 8, the Swede, is too far ahead at this moment to think he will be caught as he comes in sight of the first of the crowd, a huge number of whom a waving the blue and yellow Swedish flags.

Biathlon - Mens 12.5km pursuit

17.02.10 / 07:43:51 AM

The beginning of the pursuit - if this incredibly challenging sport needs to be made any more gruelling, then this event does it.

Based on the results from the 10km sprint, which was held a few days ago, the starters are staggered, with everyone chasing the leader. Over 12.5km the athletes will drive themselves to the edge of collapse, with a few pauses to still their bodies enough to shoot accurately at targets the size of golf balls.

Ben Koons

16.02.10 / 08:45:33 AM

In sad new, New Zealander Ben Koons has failed to start the event. We don't know what has happened there.

The final competitors are coming in now in what has been a surprising race. Another favourite, the Russian Alexander Legkov way down in 15th, tied with Swiss Remo Fischer - identical times are unusual when measuring is to the hundredth of a second.

With a staggered start, if two racers are crossing the line neck and neck, it means one has done very well and/or the other is off the pace - watching these last racers come in, some racing each other to the finish, you can see the pain on their faces. Most collapse as the cross the line.

This has to be one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. over half and hour of constant pushing. There is slight relief on the small downhill sections, but then a good competitor will still skate to get maximum speed from the helping hand of gravity.

So, it looks like we have a medal result - and a superb effort from Aussie Ben Sim.

Final places

16.02.10 / 08:33:27 AM

The end of the field is still coming in but it looks like the medal positions are fairly safe. In the gold, unexpectedly, is Dario Cologna of Switzerland ahead of the Norwegian favourite, with the Czech Republic's Lukas Bauer in third.

The end of the field is coming in now, with the staggered starts, it is possible for someone at the back to unseat the leaders, but with times about 3 minutes slower than the leading time it doesn't look likely.

Australia's Ben Sim has finished and is sitting in 45th, with a time of 35:48.6, 2.12 behind the winning time. With a start place of 50th he has done exceptionally well, hopefully he can hold this spot as the final racers come into the finish.

Aussie on course

16.02.10 / 07:55:29 AM

Ben Sim, Australia's top cross country athlete, is on course now. The first Australian to ever earn FIS points in cross country, Sim has had an excellent season and is feeling comfortable and confident going in to this event, his first at an Olympic Games

Mens cross country 15km Individual Start

16.02.10 / 07:29:34 AM

The racers are starting off in the mens 15km individual start. With 30 seconds between each starter it takes a while to get all 96 competitors on course.

World number 1 Petter Northug is number 36, apparently he had some less then complimentary things to say about the course here at the Whistler Olympic Park, calling it too easy, will he be able to dominate it here as he has been doing all season.

Number 28, Alexander Legkov is currently in the lead, he will be a major threat to the Norwegian world number one.

Biathlon - Mens 10km Sprint

15.02.10 / 06:51:18 AM

Alexei's next event
The young Australian will compete in all the biathlon individual events. His next event is the mens 12.5km pursuit on day 5 - 7:45am Tuesday Sydney time - the starting order in the pursuit, which is a staggered start, depends on the rankings from today.

Alexei's result
Alexei finished in 75th place, with a total of 4 shooting penalties. He was 6 minutes behind the leader.

Penalty Loops
A competitor's undoing is the penalty loop. For each shot missed - they take five each time - they must make penalty loops.

Individual start
In this event, competitors start individually, meaning they have no pack to pace themselves against, they just have to push themselves as hard as possible and hope they're going faster than their opponents.
It also means a long wait before the winner can be declared. The Frenchman has been finished for many minutes but the athletes coming in behind him could, in the end, have faster times. He will be watching the clock anxiously as each new man crosses the finish line.

Olympic champion
The Frenchman V. Jay takes the gold in a 12 second lead over Norway's Svendsen, who was handicaped by one penalty loop.

Towards the finish
As the field comes towards their final lap, the Europeans are dominating the front of the pack. The Frenchman V. Jay has a strong lead.

The foggy conditions have played havoc with the competition, several of the expected favourites missing shots and having to take penalty loops that put them out of contention

Poor Weather
The weather at the Whistler Olympic Park on this, day 3 of the Games, is the same foggy rain that has caused the early alpine events to be postponed, making the shooting component of this event.

19 year old Alexei Almoukov's Olympic debut, the 10km mens sprint, is arguably one of the hardest sporting events one can think of