19th February, Whistler Olympic Village
After long, long thinking I decided to be brave enough to write something about these sad days here in Whistler. Almoust all thoughts about Olympic Games what I had before I came here have totally different now.
Here are some thoughts what I have been thinking lately.. Hopefully sharing all this helps me a little, and give you some answers for all this.
Finnish Olympic Committee did not give me chance four years ago to get some experience from big Games. In 2006 I did my first year in World Cup and I think I did quite well! I finised three times in top 30 but finally I was too bad biathlete to go to Games. (Finland had only one man in Torino, even though women’s relay team was twice in top 10 in World Cups in that year. But it was not enough for country who wants only medals.) Now, it’s easy to say that I would have needed that experience to do even a little bit better here.. So, I was very happy for Mari, that Finnish Olympic Committee let her come here to get that experience.
Weather. When we came from sunny Canmore to Whistler the weather changed a lot. In the first week, it was raining almoust all the time. Here in the village (which is 30minutes from stadium) there is no snow at all. In the stadium, there’s a lot of snow but anyway raining makes it wet and it makes more challenges for skies and wax men. I don’t have good skies for wet snow. I had so much pressure already many days before first race because of skies. I hoped for best and I hoped for colder conditions but I guess there was nobody listening to me. I lost so much time with my skies in the first two races that I don’t want to remember that. And this has been a big problem for meny years now… Like last year in Trondheim. I shot my first 0000 in pursuit, but lost so much time with bad skies.. I have not had any promlems with skies in the whole winter, actually those have been great, thanks to Atomic and our service. But it’s really, really sad that right then when everything sould be perfect, there is the only weather where I can not compete in the same level as most of the others.
And I feel sorry for those men who had to ski in the wet snow storm during sprint. They lost so much time no matter which ski or wax they used. Would be nice if the weather is the same for everyone. Last year there was wind in Korea, now rain. Here the result lists have been quite weird in every races, I think.
Shooting. I did my best training results during past two weeks in Canmore and here. I hardly shot any penalties in trainings. But… It does not mean good racing results. Shaking legs in sprint standing, I was lucky that I hit two out of five. And why my legs were shaking – always only then when the pressure is too high. In pursuit I did my best shooting in this winter and in individual too much trying again. I wanted to do good result too much I think. But 4 penalties is quite normal for me in four shootings race, my shooting has not been so good this year. 4 penalties is not what you need here to be succesful and I knew before the race that I had to be much better than I have been in whole winter if I want top result.
And skiing… In christmas break -20c or more whole time, only few bad shooting trainings and mostly classic skiing slowly. Surprisingly, in Oberhof and Ruhpolding I was in quite good shape. Then awful stomach flu in Antholz (7 days without energy) then a week at home, training only very little and easily after illness (plus very cold, -20 degrees). Then short camp in semi-altitude + jet lag. Then very slow, wet snow in here where we did last trainings.. Not that kind of programme which quarantee top results.
Nothing more to say. Life is hard, biathlon even harder. Next chance in Russia 2014.
/Kappa, Vancouver-turist.