It has been raining for the past few days at the Biathlon World Cup venue in Oberhof, and the tracks have been shot full of cannon snow.
The fourth round of the Biathlon World Cup season will be contested in Oberhof, Germany this week. Keli, however, has had the worst class at the race venue.
There are both stones and sawdust on the racetracks. After the rain stopped, the wind and fog have intensified.
Among other things, the men’s sprint had to be moved forward during the day. Today, the women’s and men’s speed races would take place on the race tracks in Oberhof.
However, the settings when going to the Games are bad. Sports expert Kaisa Mäkäräinen according to the water has been pouring from the receivers in the last few days.
– About a week ago, there were still wintry conditions. All the natural snow has now melted away. The track has a base of cannon snow, so it has lasted a little better. However, there is not much left of that either. There is no snow anywhere in the area, says Mäkäräinen.
– The snow is really dirty on the slopes and there is a risk that the skis will be completely ruined.
After the real snow has closed, all the slopes are now really just artificial snow, i.e. cannon snow. Artificial snow is icier. It is therefore faster and more dangerous for competitors.
– However, the conditions are slippery compared to how dirty the tracks are. When fluoride creams are not in use, the ski slows down when dirt sticks to the bottom of the ski. The equipment will play a big role in Oberhof.
Below you can watch Finland’s ski guardian Risto Uusivirtan footage from Oberhof. Uusivirta humorously tells that the traditional Finnish midsummer weather is going on in Oberhof.
TV pictures distort the situation
It is currently about four degrees warm in Oberhof and most of the snow is artificial snow. Mäkäräinen says that the track has been improved as far as what the TV cameras are filming.
– However, that is not the whole truth about that track. Of course, the race organizers try to do their best so that the tracks are in the best condition possible under these conditions. The organizers have collected stones from the track. It’s a shame from the point of view of the ski equipment.
Mäkäräinen wonders how it has not been possible to make the cannon snow base cleanly in Oberhof.
– I’ve seen really rough pictures of the track, where there are stones and sawdust.
Mäkäräinen ends his speech by saying that “rain is never a good condition in winter sports”.
The production of the artificial snow used on Oberhof slopes consumes a lot of energy and water. In addition to that, it can also poison the environment.
To facilitate the formation of snow, chemicals are added to it, such as insecticides. The substances are absorbed into the soil and possibly migrate into the groundwater. In addition, artificial snow melts more slowly than natural snow, which may also damage vegetation.
A French biathlete who ended his career in the spring of 2020 Martin Fourcade takes a stand on the use of artificial intelligence in message service X. (formerly Twitter) as follows.
– How many years does the International Biathlon Union (IBU) need to spread artificial snow on wet ground before it starts to comply with environmental commitments?
In the Biathlon World Cup, the men’s 10 km sprint is currently underway, which can be followed live on TV2 and Areena.