2018 Winter Olympics: Biathlon Results

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The biathlon events have concluded at the 2018 Winter Olympics, so I'll post a quick summary.  There will be much less detail here than in my Summer Olympics thread, because I've no experience in biathlon, but hey, it's a rifle event!    Ok, it also includes a bit of XC skiing...

Your US Biathlon Team Members are here:  US Biathlon Team

The official Olympics Biathlon page is here, with a good bit more detail about the events:  Biathlon events

There are 11 biathlon events in the Olympics, including Men's and Women's Individual, Relay, Sprint, Pursuit, and Mass Start events plus a mixed Mens/Women's relay.   The distances skied range from 7.5 to 20 kilometers.   Shooting is done with highly modified .22 bolt action rifles (iron sights only), fired at 50 meters from the prone position at targets slightly under 2" in diameter, or from the standing position, at targets that are about 4.5" in diameter.  Targets are simply scored as hit/miss, and depending on the event, a miss either adds a 1 minute penalty to the skiers time, or requires them to ski a 150 meter penalty loop before continuing.   Most events only allow 5 rounds for the 5 target string, but the relay events allow the competitors to single-load up to 3 additional rounds if they exhaust their 5 round magazines before all targets are hit.  

As you might imagine, it's enormously challenging to ski at your maximum speed for several kilometers, then stop, quickly slow your breathing and heart rate enough to permit accurate shooting, then immediately transition back to ski racing until arriving at the next shooting station.

When it was all over, Germany lead the medal count with 7, three of which were individual medals (two gold, one bronze) won by Laura Dahlmeier.    Norway was just behind, with 6 medals, France won 5, Sweden 4.

The US was shut out of medals; in fact, the US has never won an Olympic medal in biathlon.    In the 2016 Summer Olympics, the US won just 3 of 45 medals.   Perhaps the gun culture in the US isn't quite so strong as the media would have us believe.

On a positive note, there were no reports of North and South Korean biathletes lining up on opposite ends of the firing ranges and shooting at each other.   

 

[JimB1 554]

Actually, I think it’s probably the opposite. Because we have such a huge variety of options in gun sports and guns to choose from, we are less specialized. In other countries they are so restricted they become very good at the two or three gun sports open to them and everyone who wants to shoot pretty much has to do the same thing as everyone else so they have large communities for a small amount of sports. 

In fact you have to belong to a registered club in some places to even be considered for a long gun. 

Look at the UK and Italy with Trap and Skeet, what other gun sports do they really have there? They do have some world champ trap and skeet shooters though. I think that’s why archery is so big in those places with limited gun sports as well. Korea, Japan, Italy, Australia, they all have excellent archery teams. Very little expertise in most shooting sports though. 

Just my opinion on it.

-Jim

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I think you're largely correct, Jim.   It's long been lamented that a lot of talented shooters that could be competing in international events are getting siphoned off into other forms of competition that might be better known and certainly are easier to find in the US.   The US is big enough that it evolved a lot of forms of competition that aren't done in the rest of the world.  Even I rarely shoot the international events anymore; it's just a lot easier to find other forms of competition.  

Of course, the biggest problem we have in biathlon is that other countries have a history of developing better cross country skiers, and there is a lot more skiing than shooting in a biathlon event.  Yes, Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins just won gold in the the women’s team sprint freestyle race, but that is the first Olympic gold medal ever for the US in cross country skiing, and the first US medal of any kind in XC skiing since 1976.

That said, the top level competitors in the US do face a number of challenges.   States that shut down internet sales and/or require background checks for ammo effectively shut down competitor's supply lines, because the specialized, high end ammo and other gear either isn't available in retail channels at all, or might be carried by only two or three stores in the entire US.  The patchwork of transport, storage, and possession laws across the country are pretty daunting to someone who may be competing in a dozen or more states a year.  The mere prospect of being arrested flying in or out of JFK or Laguardia, despite being in full compliance with both state and federal law, is chilling.   And competitive shooters don't get much in the way of positive publicity in the US anymore; they are much more likely be vilified by the press.  I don't think that happens in other countries; my impression is that top competitors still have strong support in their home nations, and their accomplishments are celebrated.

[CAL. .30 M1 2,101]

Who cares - I will never watch a biathalon event again - ever

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/us-biathletes-shoot-guns-to-compete-they-want-gun-control-for-america/2018/02/20/6f7911ee-1603-11e8-b681-2d4d462a1921_story.html?utm_term=.72a27fba263a

 

Eff em.  Asshats

 

 

“I support an assault weapons ban,” Bailey said. “I really do. Our county needs to wake up. Our country needs to change. There’s just no excuse. I compete against all of these other World Cup nations — Germany, Norway. How good are they on the range? They’re great at rifle marksmanship. Do you know how strict their gun controls law are? It’s a travesty America hasn’t changed and continues to go down this path. It just makes me want to cry.”

 

Efftards - someone should strip them of *their* rifles

 

[CAL. .30 M1 2,101]

My wife just texted me that she was recording the mens biathalon for me - I told her the above and what they are saying - I said don't bother - bless her heart response - " Asshats "

Gotta love a good law abiding constitution freedom loving woman.... 

 

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6 minutes ago, USRifle30Cal said:

My wife just texted me that she was recording the mens biathalon for me - I told her the above and what they are saying - I said don't bother - bless her heart response - " Asshats "

Gotta love a good law abiding constitution freedom loving woman.... 

 

Bailey's comments to the press are misguided, but I seriously doubt they are shared by the rest of the team.   I'll bet the official response he got from the USA Biathlon organization was along the lines of 'shut the hell up.'

Enjoy the recording if you are able--biathlon coverage portrays the shooting sports in a positive light.   And Bailey didn't medal--let him fade into obscurity.