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#41
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One thing I failed to mention in my original post is that perhaps the coaches told Steira to slow down, but the question is did they ask her to go behind Bjoergen? More likely they told her to "slow down and don't do any work for Beckie" - the implication being that she would have more energy at the finish and then could possibly beat her in a sprint. Knowing how things go in the media, it seems likely that they misinterpreted the whole thing and assumed that coaches told Steira outright to lose the race. But, I haven't read the article or seen the race, so I am completely speculating. That is what the internet is about, isn't it? I'll speculate you probably nail it there. Coaches at that level can be expected to understand point scoring. There best bet in 2 ways was to have Steira win, and urging her to not do all the work, set too high a pace, is just a way of giving her the best change to do just that. |
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#42
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Nathan's analysis sounds logical. Steira would not have been the
first, nor the last, XC skier to draft on her closest competitor and, if a coach reminded Steira to do that during the race, I doubt that he would have been the first coach to give that kind of tactical advice during a race. I've been under the impression that coaches were on the course to do more than just say "Go faster!", but maybe I'm wrong. BTW, if memory serves, I believe Steira already has one World Cup win, defeating Katerina Neumanova in the '04-'05 season. Taxing my memory further, I think she dogged Neumanova until they reached a steep climb and then, sensing she had the stronger legs, took the lead and the win. I'm pretty new to this site - is it common for a race to elicit such a remarkably long train of speculation? Russ |
#43
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wrote: BTW, if memory serves, I believe Steira already has one World Cup win, defeating Katerina Neumanova in the '04-'05 season. Taxing my memory further, I think she dogged Neumanova until they reached a steep climb and then, sensing she had the stronger legs, took the lead and the win. Your memory is at least 50% right she won the pursuit in Pragelato last year, but - if *my* memory is right on the remaining half, it was a sprint finish on the straight. Alas: http://www.fasterskier.com/racing1815.html (Anyway, she obviously struck many observers then as the one to watch. The FIS site tells us that there is another Steira, a four years younger Nina, whose results so far aren't all that remarkable, but who knows...) I'm pretty new to this site - is it common for a race to elicit such a remarkably long train of speculation? Absolutely no! And it is especially becuse it is so very rare that almost everyone who ever engages in such speculation in his mind wanted to grab the occasion:-) Anders |
#44
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Terje Mathisen wrote:
ellis wrote: I finally saw the race on tape, twice. You are assuming that had Steira not slowed down right after the ski exchange, she could have dropped Scott. I don't think so. Scott and Steira were both neck and neck, both looking strong, and sharing the breakaway move. It was a better tactical move to ski second behind Scott. They exchanged lead several times. There was never a moment when I thought Steira could have pulled away from Scott enough to matter had the coach not interfered. Scott looked very strong and determined to win, and would have chased Steira down. We'll never know. I do agree with you that a coach playing chess games with his athletes is wrong, treating them like means to an end; I just didn't see that in this race, is all. Maybe Steira's hometown newspaper was looking for a bit of scapegoat. That's the crux of the matter, Terje H (and Finnmarken newspaper) must have (quite naturally) watched the race with somewhat tinted glasses. :-) Not at all; even the TV commentators heard that Steira at the end of the race were told to go for a victory. -- Terje Henriksen Kirkenes |
#45
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ellis wrote:
I finally saw the race on tape, twice. You are assuming that had Steira not slowed down right after the ski exchange, she could have dropped Scott. I don't think so. Scott and Steira were both neck and neck, both looking strong, and sharing the breakaway move. It does't matter what you think; Steira was never given a chance to win in her own way. It was a better tactical move to ski second behind Scott. They exchanged lead several times. There was never a moment when I thought Steira could have pulled away from Scott enough to matter had the coach not interfered. You don't know what went on. The point was Steira and Scott pulling away from Bjørgen, and an angry trainer told Steira to stop that. Scott looked very strong and determined to win, and would have chased Steira down. We'll never know. No, we don't, because the trainer interfered. I do agree with you that a coach playing chess games with his athletes is wrong, treating them like means to an end; I just didn't see that in this race, is all. Maybe Steira's hometown newspaper was looking for a bit of scapegoat. I don't know what you are used to, but here we are used to lying reporters. So we don't think that the newspaper lied, observing the race. Steira will be a force to be reckoned with next season. Yes, but a chance to win a world cup race was taken away from her. -- Terje Henriksen Kirkenes |
#46
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#47
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"Anders" wrote in message oups.com... wrote: BTW, if memory serves, I believe Steira already has one World Cup win, defeating Katerina Neumanova in the '04-'05 season. Taxing my memory further, I think she dogged Neumanova until they reached a steep climb and then, sensing she had the stronger legs, took the lead and the win. Your memory is at least 50% right she won the pursuit in Pragelato last year, but - if *my* memory is right on the remaining half, it was a sprint finish on the straight. Alas: http://www.fasterskier.com/racing1815.html (Anyway, she obviously struck many observers then as the one to watch. The FIS site tells us that there is another Steira, a four years younger Nina, whose results so far aren't all that remarkable, but who knows...) I'm pretty new to this site - is it common for a race to elicit such a remarkably long train of speculation? Absolutely no! And it is especially becuse it is so very rare that almost everyone who ever engages in such speculation in his mind wanted to grab the occasion:-) Anders The race that impressed me more was a team relay in Val DiFiemme before the Olympics. For Norwegians, it was Skofterud - Bjorgen - Stemland - Steira. Skofterud was the weak link and after the first exchange, Norway was down to seventh. Bjorgen actually lost 10-20 secs on the second leg, but Norway was still at 7th. Stemland moved it up to 6th by the third and final exchange. Steira, as their anchor leg, hauled ass to pass Claudia Kunzel (GER), Brita Nodgren (SWE), (Vina?) FRA and Steira came in at third for Norway. Impressive. |
#48
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"Terje Henriksen" wrote in message ... Terje Henriksen wrote: I don't know what you are used to, but here we are used to lying reporters. So we don't think that the newspaper lied, observing the race. It should of course read: "but here we are not used to lying reporters." -- Terje Henriksen Kirkenes It's not about lying, but a reporter giving a subjective interpretation of an event. I also read that Norwegian papers were pretty harsh on their nordic skiers after the Olympics, so they are not above subjective and personal jabbing or two. But I'll take your word for it that the trainer told Steira to slow down. Steira is an elite skier in her own right, so I am just surprised that she was treated like this. I suppose after the disappointing Torino Olympics, Norwegian national team really wanted an overall Worldcup victory. The problem is Bjorgen would have won it without any help from either the trainer or Steira. |
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