Biathlon World Championships in Antholz: mass starts (23-02-2020)

Clicca qui per la versione italiana There are far fewer people at the station than yesterday: only a group of Germans with Stuttgart scarves take the train with me. In Olang they let us go immediately to the square (instead they channel those who come from the opposite direction) and we take the shuttle in 15 minutes. At the shuttle change I think I will take advantage of the advance to visit the village (called "Biathlon World"), but it is still closed. I arrive at the stadium more than an hour early, exhausted after the climb, and I take the opportunity to explore the surroundings. Going to the stands, you will meet the mascot of the 2021 Cortina World Championships. Next to that of Cortina, there are the stands of Pokljuka (Slovenia), home of the next Biathlon World Championships, and of Ruhpolding (Bavaria), home of the next "Summer World Championships" (I didn't even know they existed).

I arrive on the grandstand shortly after 12, and there aren't many places any longer. A concert by a German-speaking singer is underway, which must be quite well known, since many sing the chorus in one of his songs. At 10 minutes from the start, the participants are announced, the first 10 in football style: the speaker says the name and the attendance the surname. To make it more difficult, the list that appears on the screen will never be on the sama page as the announced athlete. They give the three and a half minutes to the start and the athletes have yet to enter the starting area and put on their skis: I would be taken by anxiety, they are calm.

They start: all in group until the first shooting range. There in 16 make no errors, Wierer is not among them, but at the second shooting range she makes an excellent series and rallies. I see that there is one who made 5 mistakes, I think "poor her", then I find out that it is Vittozzi. At the third shooting she will arrive very far behind, then she will come back a bit, but she will still arrive last. Wierer instead arrives in the leading group at both the third and fourth shooting: she makes a mistake in each, but most of the opponents do worse, so much so that after the fourth polygon she seems to go away: she has 14 seconds on Roeiseland of Norway. The speaker already seems to be commenting on her third gold, but at the checkpoint of the first kilometer of the last lap we all realize that we have spoken too early: Roeiseland is 6 " behind. When they come back into sight in the final downhill (which I have done many times too) the Italian still seems to have a good margin, but in a small climb she is reached, then passed in the entrance tunnel of the stadium and shortly afterwards she will give up, closing closer to the third than to the first.

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This time, being the last day, they are making the victory ceremony directly. Original formula: the winners start next to the stage and when they are announced they climb first on the stage, then on the podium. The Norwegian anthem is heard singing loud enough, although certainly not at French levels. It was 1.30 pm: it is not long before we take a seat again. I think I will eat in the nearest kiosk, but the queue discourages me: I will find one almost with no queue.

I'll be back in the grandstand around 2.20pm. I see a lot of people in the aisles and I get scared, but in reality there are still almost empty rows. Compared to other races, more French flags are seen. In front of me there are Russians, behind some Swedes. Before the last race they present the staff and the volunteers, the host also sings some songs. The race ends up in a duel between the French and the Norwegians, with the former placing 4 in the top 7, but the latter winning with J.T. Boe, the only one without errors at the shooting range. Windisch seems to be able to enter the fight for first places up to the third shooting, where he will make 2 mistakes.

After the race, I don't consider stopping at the victory ceremony, much less at the closing ceremony, which they advertise: I'm tired and I want to be among the first to leave the stadium hoping to find less queue, but then I can't resist Kaiserschmarrn (sweet omelettes in pieces, typical Austrian) and I linger. The queue to get to the shuttle is still about 50 minutes: I have time to hear both the victory ceremony and the closing ceremony. They also set off fireworks, although it is still daytime.

At the shuttle change, I enter Biathlon World, but it is being dismantled. However, a kiosk is still full of people drinking. I then try to buy merchandising, but I have to give up because they only accept cash and I am left without. It's not over: problems with the trains will bring me back a couple of hours later than expected. At the station I also see yesterday's man with a hat

It's over: on the one hand I am sorry to have seen only two days, but on the other I don't know how long I would have resisted, communting has exhausted me. After all, I'm getting older...

Mondiali di biathlon ad Anterselva - mass start (23-02-2020)

Alla stazione c'è molta meno gente di ieri: sale con me solo un gruppo di tedeschi con sciarpe dello Stoccarda. A Valdaora ci fanno andare subito sul piazzale (incanalano invece quelli che vengono dalla direzione opposta) e prendiamo la navetta in un quarto d'ora. Al cambio di navetta penso di approfittare dell'anticipo per visitare il villaggio (detto "Biathlon World"), ma è ancora chiuso. Arrivo allo stadio con più di un'ora d'anticipo, sulle ginocchia dopo la salita, e approfitto per esplorare i dintorni. Andando verso le tribune, si incontra la mascotte dei Mondiali di Cortina 2021. Accanto a quello di Cortina, ci sono gli stand di Pokljuka (Slovenia), sede dei prossimi Mondiali di biathlon, e di Ruhpolding (Baviera) sede dei prossimi "mondiali estivi" (non sapevo neanche esistessero).

Arrivo sulla tribuna poco dopo le 12, e non c'è più tantissimo posto. E' in corso un concerto di un cantante di lingua tedesca, che dev'essere piuttosto conosciuto, visto che in tanti fanno il coro in una sua canzone. A 10 minuti dalla partenza si annunciano le partecipanti, le prime 10 in stile calcistico: lo speaker dice il nome e il pubblico il cognome. Per farla più difficile, l'elenco che compare sullo schermo non sarà mai sulla pagina dell'atleta annunciata.. Danno i tre minuti e mezzo al via e le atlete devono ancora entrare nella zona di partenza e mettersi gli sci: io sarei preso dall'ansia, loro vanno tranquille.

Si parte: tutte in gruppo fino al primo poligono. Lì in 16 non sbagliano, la Wierer non è tra queste, ma al secondo poligono fa un'ottima serie e recupera. Vedo che c'è una che ha fatto 5 errori, penso "poverina", poi scopro che si tratta della Vittozzi. Al terzo poligono arriverà staccatissima, poi si riprenderà abbastanza, ma arriverà ancora ultima. La Wierer invece arriva nel gruppo di testa sia al terzo che al quarto poligono: fa un errore in ciascuno, ma la maggior parte delle avversarie fa peggio, tanto che dopo il quarto poligono sembra andar via: ha 14 secondi sulla norvegese Roeiseland. Lo speaker sembra già commentare il suo terzo oro, ma al passaggio del primo chilometro dell'ultimo giro ci accorgiamo tutti di aver parlato troppo presto: la Roeiseland è a 6". Quando tornano in vista nella discesa finale (che ho fatto tante volte anch'io) l'italiana sembra avere ancora un buon margine, ma in una salitella viene raggiunta, poi superata nel tunne d'ingresso allo stadio e poco dopo si arrenderà, chiudendo più vicina alla terza che alla prima.

Stavolta, essendo l'ultima giornata, fanno direttamente la premiazione. Formula originale: le premiate partono accanto al palco e quando vengono annunciate salgono prima sul palco, poi sul podio. Si sente cantare l'inno norvegese abbastanza forte, anche se non certo ai livelli francesi. Si sono fatte le 13,30: 'è poco tempo prima di riprendere posto. Penso di mangiare nel chiosco più vicino, ma la coda mi scoraggia: ne troverò poi uno quasi senza coda.

Torno in tribuna verso le 14,20. Vedo tanta gente nei corridoi e mi spavento, ma in realtà ci sono ancora delle file quasi vuote. Rispetto alle altre gare, si vedono più bandiere francesi. Davanti a me ci sono dei russi, dietro degli svedesi.Prima dell'ultima gara presentano lo staff e i volontari, il presentatore canta anche qualche canzone. La gara si risolve in un duello tra francesi e norvegesi, coi primi che ne piazzano 4 nei primi 7, ma i secondi che vincono con J.T. Boe, l'unico senza errori al poligono. Windisch sembra potersi inserire nella lotta per primi posti fino al terzo poligono, dove farà 2 errori.

Finita la gara, non prendo in considerazione di fermarmi alla premiazione, né tanto meno alla cerimonia di chiusura, che pubblicizzano: sono stanco e voglio essere tra i primi a lasciare lo stadio sperando di trovare meno coda, ma poi non so resistere alle Kaiserschmarrn (frittate dolci a pezzi, tipiche austriache) e mi attardo. La coda per arrivare alla navetta è ancora di circa 50 minuti: ho il tempo per sentire sia la premiazione, sia la cerimonia di chiusura. Sparano anche dei fuochi d'artificio, nonostante sia ancora giorno.

Al cambio navetta, entro nel Biathlon World, ma è in fase di smantellamento. Un chiosco è comunque ancora pieno di gente che beve. Provo poi a comprare del merchandising, ma devo rinunciare perché accettano solo contante e son rimasto senza. Non è finita: problemi coi treni mi faranno rientrare un paio d'ore dopo il previsto. Alla stazione rivedo anche l'umo col cappello di ieri.

E' finista: da un lato mi dispiace di aver visto solo due giornate, ma dall'altro non so quanto avrei resistito, gli spostamenti mi hanno messo in ginocchio. D'altronde, l'età avanza...

Biathlon World Championships in Antholz: relays (22-02-2020)

Clicca qui per la versione italiana At the Innichen station you can mainly see German fans (and this is no news), but also Norwegian and Swedish ones. The train is not so full, you can also choose the seat, it will fill up a bit in the following stations. I arrive at the Olang station at 9.44 am: the first race is at 11.45 am, so I think I will get to the Biathlon Centre well in advance. I am wrong.

The queue for the shuttle begins: we are lined up between the tracks and the station, with no way out. I wonder what would happen if someone felt bad. The German next to me fears for coronavirus (I don't know how seriously). After about an hour we turn the corner and arrive on the square, with the buses in sight. Here the lines break and a wild assault, which you wouldn't expect at these latitudes, takes place. After 3-4 attempts I can step in and even sit down. But it's not over here, the shuttle takes you to Antholz-Mitte, and there you have to make 400 meters and get to the car park, where you take another shuttle. In 2007 (previous World Cup in Antholz) it was much simpler: you parked in Olang and only took one shuttle. This time at least the queue is short and ordered.

The shuttle arrives at 11.35, but at a point from which you cannot even see the entrance to the center. The climb to get there seems to never end: I hear from the speaker that the race is starting when I am entering through the gates (at least there is no queue). My grandstand is also the last one at the end, it is difficult to get to the top of the staircase, but there you really have to stop. How long have I not seen any race in such an uncomfortable position? I believe for at least 40 years. Every now and then someone makes his way and tries to go up, it is not clear to go where: I always fear of falling.

Meanwhile, we have reached the first shooting range: Vittozzi arrives in the lead and starts again even more in the lead. Here, however, we must always remember that if you hear a roar from the public, it does not mean that Italy has hit the target, but that Germany has: the Germans present may be 10 times the Italians. The advantage of the Italians, first with Vittozzi, then with Wierer continues to increase: it reaches even a minute, Doro has already left the stadium when the others arrive at the shooting range. With the third fraction, we knewthat the difficult would begin, but Sanfilippo manages to maintain a good advantage until before he fourth shooting. There the disaster occurs: 4 errors + 1 in the reloads and 2 penalty rounds. She closes fifth, then also in fourth leg Michela Carrara will have a penalty lap and we will close tenth. The public heats up for Germany, which after 19th place after the first leg, at some point seems able to win: it will come second, behind Norway.

At the end, I see that many remain in their places, but I can't, I need to sit down. I try to enter the indoor area, where there is music: there are many places that seem free, but are kept occupied. I understand that a single person, with no one to occupy his seat, has very little chance of sitting down. I go outside, where there is another block of tables and there I find a free place. The queue to get food seems long, but it takes about ten minutes.

I get back to the stands: this time in the upper ones there are a few free places, I feared worse. The only problem is the presence, before me, of a spectator, presumably Bavarian, with a somewhat bulky hat (see below). Fortunately there are other places besides. We start, and already from the second leg France and Germany make a gap: they arrive at the shootings together and have very similar results. At the first shooting of the fourth leg, the German arrives with a good advantage, but blows it with 3 errors. At the second shooting range he makes the disaster: penalty lap and Norway also passes him. Disappointment of the majority of the public and joy of my neighbours, German-speaking South Tyroleans girls, but who do not seem to love the Germans. Italy starts third, then drops to 11th place because of the third leg runner, very slow on skis, and closes seventh. 27 start and 17 arrive, as the lapped are stopped, one (the Chinese) just after the last shooting.

After the arrival there is the "flower ceremony", because the medal ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. in the Medal Plaza. By now everyone must have a Medal Plaza: I am tempted to curse the Turin 2006 organizerswho invented it. I think it is a good idea for events taking place in different places, such as an Olympiad, not in those with a single venue, like this one.

On the way back, queue for the shuttle, whose end we will not for a long time. There is the path to do it on foot (4 km) and for a moment I am tempted: I will see that many do it. The queue lasts about 50 minutes, luckily the one for the other shuttle is short.

Tomorrow the races start at 12.30, and this time we hope that it is enough to arrive at 9.44 in Olang ...