“The results are unpredictable”: how Russia reacted to the idea of ​​reducing the number of participants in the biathlon CM

“Viewers get bored of watching biathlon”

Skiing sports are traditionally considered not the most dynamic and attractive for viewers. For example, it is extremely difficult for ordinary fans to watch ordinary ski races, because in addition to the actual movement of athletes along the track, there is nothing to pay attention to.

But biathlon, it seemed, this problem does not concern, because there are firing lines that make the race completely unpredictable and extremely emotional. Nevertheless, in this form there are races that clearly lack dynamics, for example, an individual and a sprint, in which more than 100 people sometimes start at the stages of the World Cup.

It was at this point that the famous Norwegian expert Ola Lunde drew attention. Speaking about women's races, he noted that too many biathletes took part in them, and this makes the competition difficult to watch.

“The problem is that the best start early. Athletes who walk in the middle are obviously weaker, so viewers get bored of watching biathlon. When someone on the first shooting already loses 30 seconds, then there is no chance. The whole race falls within 40-45 minutes, and then other participants who cannot keep up with this pace reach the next 20 minutes, ”NRK quotes Lunde.

Compatriots with the expert basically agreed. So, Tiril Eckhoff, the leader in the overall World Cup standings, said that she sees no reason to allow athletes who lose six minutes to the leaders before the start. And the eight-time Olympic champion Ole Einar Bjoerndalen did note that such biathletes can be dangerous for the rest.

“Sprint racing is a test, because the broadcast on TV goes on for a long time, and this is a negative moment. But from a sporting point of view, this is an advantage, since a large number of participants can compare their strengths with the best in the world and make progress. At the same time, weaker athletes can hurt the best. There are people who are not able to ski well and can be dangerous for the rest, ”said the Norwegian.

“It will destroy biathlon”

However, not everyone shares this point of view, even in Norway. For example, four-time world champion Marte Olsbu-Royselann expressed concern that the decision to reduce the number of participants in biathlon will “kill” this sport.

“We are talking about the fact that winter sports are not practiced in such a large number of countries, however, representatives of many states start at the biathlon championship. If we reduce the number of participants and allow only the best to start, this will destroy biathlon. In this I do not agree with Lund. I think he should like that our sport is so widely represented all over the world, ”said Olsbu-Reuselann.

As for the fans, they responded to this proposal in different ways. Some suggested increasing the dynamism of the same sprint races, sending strong biathletes to late starting numbers using the example of bobsled and tobogganing. Others noted that too many athletes simply “kill” the track. But many still do not agree with the initiative of the Norwegian.

"There is an expression:" Do not want - do not look. " Many teams "run in" their athletes. I don’t really want to watch the championship of three countries, but I do it. Some countries can exhibit only one athlete, so it turns out that he will be kicked out altogether if he comes in hundredth? Although, maybe more than a hundred people at the start are really overkill, ”one of the users wrote.

However, there were those who called the sprint race “tyagomotina”, and admitted that he had not watched them for a long time, preferring to graze, mass starts and relay races.

They reacted to the proposal of Lund and the International Biathlon Union. They noted that in recent years they have been working on reducing the number of participants in interval races (sprint and individual).

“As far as I can remember, we are discussing these issues with television people. The last 20 minutes of the sprint may really not be so exciting. However, it also happened that athletes with late starting numbers defeated representatives of the top 10, if they were lucky with the conditions. Ten years ago, sometimes more than 150 athletes started, but now we are sure that we have found the right balance between the best and the following athletes, ”said Borut Nunar, IBU Flight Director.

“If biathlon is gaining popularity, is that bad?”

In the Russian biathlon, the Lund statement also met with mixed reactions. In particular, the former head of the RBU, Alexander Kravtsov, noted that the dominance of the Norwegians plays an equally negative role in today's biathlon.

“Here it probably reduces interest, because the audience wants to see a change of leaders, and the Norwegians on the podium are already almost constant,” the functionary emphasized in an interview with RT.

At the same time, Kravtsov agreed that modern biathlon is largely working to create a television picture that "provides this type of ticket sales and sponsors." At the same time, the ex-head of the SBR refused to call the individual and sprint races boring.

“Often the results are unpredictable. In particular, practice shows that the last numbers of the starting protocol may end up in the top 3, if weather conditions allow us to maintain the track, ”the expert summed up.

In turn, the Olympic champion and former coach of the Russian biathlon team Vladimir Alikin noted that if the number of participants is reduced, the number of countries participating in the CM will also decrease sharply.

“As a result, some will simply tie up with biathlon, and spectator interest will decrease. I think this is wrong. It is necessary to give a chance to different countries. I do not think that sprint and individual races will disappear in the next ten years. Although once there were team races, but they did not take root. But in general, now there are more and more disciplines, and geography is expanding, ”said the specialist.

At the same time, he, like Kravtsov, emphasized that he did not consider interval racing in biathlon boring.

“They’re not running in the gym and not on a closed ice rink, like skaters. Here a lot depends on the coaches, on which group the athlete is declared to, on the weather conditions, so the dynamics and entertainment remain until the end, ”Alikin added.

Finally, two-time Olympic champion Anna Bogaliy recalled that recently IBU had already reduced the number of biathletes starting in the KM races.

“If biathlon is gaining popularity, is that bad? Yes, new countries are joining, competition is growing, everyone is fighting for the maximum quota, and in those countries that have achieved it, biathlon is developing especially dynamically. In addition, if we do not allow young athletes to join the competition, there will be no rejuvenation of the squad, ”said the two-time Olympic champion in an interview with RT.

And she called sprint and individual races “classics”.

“Now there are new disciplines, but, in my opinion, the classics should be preserved. Perhaps these species are interesting to a fairly narrow circle of specialists, but these races were, in fact, fundamental to biathlon as a sport. In addition, to win the individual race with four zeros is still very prestigious, ”added Bogaliy.