Photo: Bildbyrån
Although the majority of skiers were against the IBU’s new proposal for a changed starting order, the International Biathlon Union has completely ignored it.
Several of the Swedish riders think it is deplorable.
– I am dissatisfied with the outcome. This is nothing that will benefit me, says Elvira Öberg to Expressen.
The next season could be the toughest ever for the successful biathletes. Not just for our Swedish stars, but for the entire collective elite. The reason is that the International Biathlon Union IBU has made a big change with the starting order in the sprint and distance competitions.
Great dissatisfaction among the riders
Now the top 15 riders in the World Cup (ie the highest ranked) will no longer be allowed to choose which starting group they want to be in. The IBU has decided that instead they must start at the end of each competition. It will mean a long wait and a long warm-up for the best riders.
The biathletes who got involved in the issue also do not feel that the IBU has cared that much to hear their opinions.
– I am dissatisfied with the outcome. This is nothing that will benefit me. I think it’s very sad how the process has gone. Where the IBU, from what I have read about it in retrospect, themselves think that it has been a long and good process. According to them, everything went right. You don’t get too impressed by that, says Sweden’s best skater on the women’s side, Elvira Öberg.
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She believes that there are major risks with the new system. It will be smarter to know how they will keep the heat for such a long time. It will take some time for the elite riders to get used to the new system and to find a sustainable strategy.
Sebastian Samuelsson: “Bad system”
– I can’t do anything about the fact that conditions risk getting worse, but it’s about the heating. The risk is that we are standing in Nove Mesto, there is no warm-up track and I have starting number 75. How should I warm up then? Because there is no snow to warm up on because the track they compete on is what I have to warm up on, says Öberg.
The alternative could then be that the riders can go out and run or cycle alongside the track. Something that is not always so easy to do. It is also based on being completely injury-free and able to run.
Another who is against the IBU’s decision is Sebastian Samuelssonwho is actually the chairman of the active committee. Unfortunately, he quickly got the idea that the union had already made up its mind. There wasn’t much to do.
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– There are many who are happy to express their opinions, many are very angry I would say. It feels very much like they have decided on this. And constantly falls back on the fact that if conditions are bad, you should change the system. I would argue that is about every other competition and a system that works half of the time is a very bad system, but the IBU has not agreed with that, says Samuelsson.
This sounds absolutely crazy. How can the IBU completely go against the riders and ignore their opinions? They may have to eat that up this winter.
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