lunedì 27 marzo 2017

Nordic Skiing World Championships in Lahti - 2nd day 03/03/2017




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Departure at 10.35: I keep some margin to visit the stadium area and the kiosks on the road, but I still have a lot to explore. The Lahti station has a peculiarity: it is the only one I've ever seen with platforms numbered in reverse order : platform 1 is the farthest from the building.This time there are personal searches at the entrance. Despite my best intentions, I get to the cross-country stands with the same advance as yesterday (about 20 minutes), but this time there are some more seats available. In cross-country, as in all sports where you cannot see the whole race live, there is always the problem of figuring out when to take your eyes out of the monitor and start watching live. In classic technique legs it is easy because they come in front (compared to my place), in free technique ones it's more difficult because they come from behind and pass just under the grandstand, so that if they are on the right edge of the track you don't see them. There is an inflatable arch at the entrance of the stadium which helps: when you see them pass under it, it's time to watch live. The outcome is less obvious than the men's one: disappointment for the Finnish public with the home athlete that in the sprint for third place stumbles and falls like a beginner, leaving the field to Sweden and getting up just in time to get fifth. Italy keeps the pace with the first positions only for 5 km., Then it ends up fighting over eighth place (winning it) with the US, Czech Rep. and Kazakhstan. Since lapped teams are eliminated and laps are just 2.5 km., it'ss also an elimination race, Ukraine, does not reach even half the race and at the end 5 of 16 teams are eliminated. For a moment at the beginning of the fourth leg, I feared that Italy would not make it to the end too.At first it was hot, but at the end of the race some cold was felt. There is no time to go indoors: I must immediately reach the jumping sector for the Nordic combined sprint team event. This time the race is simply a race, no music or anything. Italy is not as bad as I feared. After a while it begins to snow, and in the end it snows really hard, so, like most of those present, I run to the sports hall and slump  for at least 40 minutes.For the cross-country of the Nordic combined you do not have to take place in advance: the attendance may be be less than half than in the cross-country race. A tight race, with usual victory for Germany and Italy 6th: 15-20 years ago, who would have thought that one day we would do better in the relay of the combined than in the cross-county one? At first it was snowing lightly, but at the end of the race it was snowing as before.On the way back I meet two Norwegians who recognize my nationality because of the painted cheeks: one greets me with "Pellegrino" and one with "Marcialonga"


Tomorrow 30 km. mass start, which I find boring, but at least I can see it sitting comfortably: I have a ticket for the main grandstand.

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