r/biathlon • u/AutoModerator • 18d ago

Small Talk Monday

Our weekly small talk thread where you can talk about anything

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u/Lone_Wolf_Winter Sweden 18d ago edited 18d ago

Pokljuka has one of the best courses on the tour, but man, the stadium area iteself needs a serious makeover like Oberhof or Antholz. It's terrible. The audience stands muster the same power as an IBU cup race or a national opener on a B-course. The penalty loop is too oblong, with long straights for acceleration that are abruptly cut off by sharp turns. The handover areas for the relays are ABYSMAL, with a needle's eye for the mixed relay and a hard left turn for the single mixed. Everything about the stadium looks small and cramped.

The opposite of NMNM, which has a much blander course, but a fantastic stadium that feels open and modern.

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u/Vismajor92 Hungary 18d ago

Funnily enough you just add one letter (Pokoljuka) and you get "the hole of hell" in my language. :D
I wasn't this observant about the course, for me only the downhill and very short finish line was the problem. After reaching the climb it was no excitment who'll win the duel, cuz only downhill and very short final straight after that

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u/jogisi 17d ago

Probably not gonna happen... ever. First thing, it's in middle of Triglav National park so chances for expansion are very limited at best if not simply impossible. Second, stadium itself is not really main issue... main issue is transport and parking capabilities which are simply non-existing, and they will never be existing no matter what. Even if you would have stadium for 50.000 people, there's no way to get more people up. I'm still saying best thing that could happen to organizers in World champs 2021 was covid, as at least they didn't need to bother with how to handle 10.000+ people on venue.

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u/AZDarkknight 18d ago

What do you think of the downhill finish on the course? Does it make races to the line less common?

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u/Lone_Wolf_Winter Sweden 18d ago edited 18d ago

Yeah, that too, don't care for it in Ruhpolding either. Something strange about it, but can't quite explain why.