Today it was the men’s turn — 15x15k skiathlon in the afternoon, followed by a quick run to the biathlon for the 10k biathlon sprint.
The first was ski racing at its best. I think there was a new leader for each of the seven times they skied by my photo position. The eventual winner crashed near the 1k spot and skied through the entire pack for the victory. A British skier almost turned in the biggest upset in ski racing history. A Norwegian medal sweep that didn’t include Klaebo or Petter. It was an afternoon of all-around fantastic ski racing. And if you’re looking an incredible American performance — check out APU/UVM’s Scott Patterson. Eighteenth in his first Olympic race.
On my end, biathlon was a bit of a disappointment. I’m trying not to turn this into a daily weather report (that’s my brother’s job — “Doppler Doug.”), but having shot in a couple of cold places — Rumford, Quebec, Presque Isle, Fort Kent, the Narrow Gauge, Sjusjoen, etc. — last night was the first where my hands simply wouldn’t work. Toss in equipment challenges (I think the two are connected) and I didn’t have much luck. The good news is that the Americans qualified three for tonight’s pursuit, so I’ll get another chance.
