PROFILE
The spring, not seasonal at all, the thaw defeated Europe and added headaches to the organizers of the competitions in Hochfilzen . In the load for one stage of the World Cup, they seemed to have snow on their heads another, even longer and more intense. The local highway just right to assign the certificate of the most reliable and durable. Over the past week, she withstood the rays of the alpine sun, a gusty wind and heavy snowfall. According to weather forecasters, the weather will pamper you with surprises again. In this regard, frankly you will not envy the service providers responsible for the selection of lubricants and the structure of the skis.
POSTER
Women's relay. Statistics have already managed to calculate: since 1998, the women's teams of Russia and Germany have won the baton 16 times. This season should indicate an advantage - but whose? The dramatic victory of the Russians in Hochfilzen brought them forward in the historical confrontation, but did not at all convince them that they were stronger than the Germans. The outcome of the relay race will depend on the speed of shooting, the correct arrangement in stages, elementary misses ... In terms of composition, the Germans look preferable: they still have experienced Martina Glagov in their ranks, Katya Wilhelm is gaining form, Andrea Henkel is showing the best results, and Magdalena Neuner will surely gain stability “She just needs time.” The advantage of Russians, stars from the sky, except for Bogaliya, which is not enough, is team spirit and a great desire to prove that they are not worse than the eternal rivals even in experimental composition.
CONFRONTATION
Dmitry Yaroshenko against Michael Grice. In the absence of the biathlon king Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, who reasonably misses the next stage for the sake of starting on the classical track in France, the most stable and cold-blooded will lead the fight for the championship. 30-year-old Dmitry Yaroshenko, with the exception of the individual race in Ostersund and the sprint in Hochfilzen, did not fall below second place. His confident shooting is as good as prudent skiing. It’s hard to even come up with a reason why Yaroshenko cannot win the first stage of the World Cup in his career. Today he is ready as never before. Only three-time Olympic champion Michael Grice is capable of challenging the main Russian sensation, if he starts. Doubts are associated with a cold virus that treacherously hit the German national team. Due to malaise, Grice already missed the baton in the previous step. Then the coaches chose not to risk his health.
INTRIGUE
How long will Maxim Chudov and Magdalena Neuner stay in the shadow? On the eve of the season so much was written about them that it was possible to put together a multi-volume encyclopedia praising their youth, charm and talent. The first races did not raise them to the podium, did not give on-duty compliments. On the contrary, they became a confirmation of the eternal saying about "young-green." Both the German Neuner and the Russian Miracles are surprisingly similar: they quickly run along the track, they don’t know fatigue, but they shoot catastrophically and cannot distribute forces and emotions over distances.
Failures in the first stages of the World Cup should either teach them something or plunge them into a psychological crisis. The 19-year-old beauty Magdalena will probably try to declare herself already in the individual race, where the miss price is incomparably higher than in the short-lived sprint. A miniature Maxim (his height is 168 centimeters) will certainly perk up after the victory relay race. The coaches of our team thought for a long time who to entrust the place in the team - to Nikolai Kruglov, who is not in optimal shape, or Chudov, who is eager for battle. As a result, they chose Ufa and did not lose. The trust of head coach Vladimir Alikin is a real chance for Chudov to gain a foothold in the relay quartet, to dump the burden of responsibility, to finally mature and get rid of youthful infantility.
NUMERAL
Zero Andrea Henkel, the leader of the overall standings of the World Cup, did not make a single mistake at the first session in Hochfilzen, despite the fact that she regularly smeared in Ostersund. Perhaps the shooting qualities of Henkel were positively influenced by the support of the pregnant Ursula Dizl, who came specially to cheer on her friends. Diesel didn’t get to the competition site for long - she had lived for a long time not in her native Germany, but in neighboring Austria.
QUOTE
“When leaving the last line, Valera Shashkin (the national team’s serviceman), who was leaving the stadium, shouted:“ Go on the hills if you can! ”I couldn’t get away from Wilhelm, although I tried very hard. But on the slopes and in a straight line, I rolled on it. I understood: if I step forward, she will not catch up with me on the straight line. And so I reached the victory, ” Natalia Guseva in an interview with“ Soviet Sport ”revealed the secrets of her victory in the relay in the second stage of the World Cup.