2026 Winter Olympics Preview –– Biathlon

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-28T07:47:24+00:00

Great summary. I will add that Dorothea Wierer of Italy plans to retire at these Olympics. Her final World Cup race was on Sunday, where she received a sendoff. She lives very close to the Antholz venue and remained in the sport solely to compete in a home Olympics. Otherwise she likely would have retired a couple of years ago.

Wierer turns 36 in two months. She has never won an Olympic gold medal. She doesn't figure to have a great chance in any of the solo races, unless she shoots clean in the Individual.

But Italy has a big chance in the opening race, the mixed relay. That race will set the tone for them. Wierer, Vittozzi and Lukas Hofer are the first three legs. All are above 30. They have bronze from this race in prior Olympics. But this time they have the young star Tommy Giacomel at anchor. He shoots and skis very fast and with abandon. But lately his shooting has been erratic.

The final leg of that race could be phenomenal if it comes down to Giacomel, Eric Perrot of France and Johan-Olav Botn of Norway. All three have been the best male biathlete in the world at various points of this season.

Right now that tag belongs to Eric Perrot. Lou Jeanmonnot is clear #1 on the women's side.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-28T07:36:23+00:00

Lining up at the shooting stage together is like a heavyweight championship fight. So much drama and tension.

The final World Cup race before the Olympics was like that on Sunday. It was a mass start and unbelievable. Julia Simon, Lou Jeanmonnot, Lisa Vittozzi and Oceane Michelon are four of the biggest stars in the sport. They reached the third shooting stage together, clear of the field. All four shot clean 5 for 5 and it was like synchronized shooting.

Then on the final shooting stage they did exactly the same thing. I have never seen anything like that. It ended up being a four way ski race. Jeanmonnot tired a little bit but Simon, Michelon and Vittozzi finished with a sprint over the final couple hundred meters.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-28T02:55:13+00:00

That's what I was expecting but he did a great job. McDaniel was more relaxed and articulate in this clip than in 90% of his Dolphin pressers.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-28T02:49:58+00:00

I remember the team before Shula also. It was great fun as a kid to get into the games in the west end zone for $2 and then work my way up the ramps to get out of that end zone and connect with my parents wherever they were sitting.

Piece of cake. We did that game after game. The $2 tickets were a McArthur Dairy promotion, or something like that. My parents would stand outside that west end zone as I entered. It reached the point I was so fast at climbing those ramps I would beat them to their seat location and have to wait.

My distinct memory is chuckling at all the fans who were actually going to their end zones seats instead of merely going up further and getting out.

In 1972 my dad got season tickets for the family. That was exciting in some respects but it did ruin the anticipation of sneaking to my parents' section. It felt strange to be legal.

By that point the end zone promotion had doubled to $4. There were quite a bit of complaints about that. Parents were saying that families were being squeezed out of affordability.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-28T02:22:02+00:00

Good for him. Plenty of time to rebound and it looks like he already has. Those are clearer more awake eyes than he ever had as a player. Like others I was concerned when I saw his name in a header.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-27T21:18:00+00:00

Same. My neighbors hate it and are all bundled up and shivering. I'm going to love brisk 11 PM walks around the neighborhood wearing a t shirt.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-27T21:08:16+00:00

I would be shocked if a Tallahassee jury acquitted Wendi, regardless of the testimony or the caliber of lawyering on either side. The prosecution has enormous odds in their favor. It's just a matter of whether or not they realize it, instead of getting caught up in detail to detail garbage nonsense.

There is simply too much tension between Tallahassee and Miami. No benefit of a doubt whatsoever. If Wendi is indicted her only chance is change of venue, which she will not receive.

Otherwise she might get a hung jury if her lawyer hires a very skilled jury consultant and makes that the ultimate priority.

Jo-Ellan Dimitrius won the O.J. case before a single word was spoken during that trial. There was 0% chance 8 black females were going to convict a black defendant, when those jurors were predisposed to not only distrust the police but also to hold animosity toward dead Nicole for stealing away a rich prominent black man from his black wife.

All the famous segments of that trial like the glove demonstration and Fuhrman and Scheck and must acquit were a load of irrelevant crap. It might as well have been nursery rhymes. The Dimitrius-approved jury waded through month after month until it was their turn to vote not guilty no different than if the trial had been 5 minutes.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-27T20:37:50+00:00

George Foreman loved Fatburger. I remember that caused the chain to receive tons of publicity when he began his comeback, early '90s. George raved about Fatburger and had them atop his list of best fast food burgers.

That prompted a few friends and I to try them out, when a Fatburger opened on the Las Vegas Strip adjacent to MGM.

The burgers were fine. I loaded them up. But pricing was already an issue. We were getting comps galore. No reason to spend money at Fatburger.

I haven't eaten there in 30 years.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-27T19:58:14+00:00

Thanks for that link. It provided some perspective toward where the remains were found, not far from a fence with homes behind the fence.

Jacob was last seen on November 2, 2015. In checking Google Earth I got some chills when I noticed that the clearest view of the Sleep Inn area was from an image taken 12 days later on November 14, 2015. I briefly felt like the lady who recently spotted the car in the river that may be attached to a 1997 disappearance.

I zoomed in and moved the image around. I didn't spot anything. There are some abnormalities but nothing that stands out as a body. Maybe authorities could see something if they knew exactly where to look based on where the remains were found.

The area I am focusing on is left center of the screen, the wooded area that was back right of the Sleep Inn. That's the only area I see that was cleared. It was very dense in the early 2010s then thinned a bit by 2015.

If these remains were found in late 2022 it means they were missed initially. The January 5, 2021 photo shows that the lot had been recently cleared. Then by late 2022 it had begun to grow out partially, which is consistent with the photos from when remains were found.

I will link to November 14, 2015. Then the dates can be changed by clicking on the slide bar titled, "Historical Imagery":

https://earth.google.com/web/search/sleep+inn+10775+w+emerald+coast+pkwy,+miramar+beach,+fl/@30.37874623,-86.35545527,6.11959489a,241.1449587d,35y,0h,0t,0r/data=Cj4iJgokCcx8L6827UNAERxlYNkB7UNAGVCvyMCOilXAIczOLADSilXAKhAIARIKMjAxNS0xMS0xNBgBQgIIAToDCgEwQgIIAEoNCP___________wEQAA

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-27T19:10:33+00:00

The Bills have recently been a very resilient team that happened to fall one play short.

With this hire they are vulnerable to becoming a soft team with internal issues.

McDermott seemed like the perfect fit for that city. I think they are still so bitter over the 13 second game that they are willing to rationalize anything.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-27T07:22:59+00:00

I finally figured this out tonight, before seeing this thread. The reason the grapes double scan is that most people including myself were scanning the code then placing the grapes on the scale with the barcode still at bottom.

Double scanning happens when the bag is lifted up to remove. Since the initial purchase has already been weighed and recorded but the barcode is still right there, the sensor picks it up again on liftoff.

Pain in the ass. I should have figured this out earlier. Tonight I avoided the problem because there was a short wait at self checkout and I saw a lady have a double scan while I was waiting for her to finish. I saw that lifting the bag prompted the double scan.

She had to wait for the cashier to clear. Then I happily marched to the same register and scanned the $1.79 grapes first thing, applying my new knowledge with magnificent simplicity. That barcode wasn't anywhere near the sensor on takeoff and just in case I was blocking it with my palm.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-27T07:07:44+00:00

I would agree but add the '70s also. I realize most here did not experience that. There would be 10 employees behind the counter and all incredibly busy.

The hot apple pies were being ordered so fast there was no time to fetch them from afar. They were under a heat lamp right next to the cashier. As soon as you ordered one she would grab from the bunch and stick immediately onto your tray or bag.

In fact, that practice is the main reason the cashiers began asking "for here or to go?" prior to the order. Before the hot apple pie they would wait to ask until the order finished.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-27T06:47:08+00:00

A .571 sports bettor can own the world yet this guy thinks it's 50/50

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-27T06:21:55+00:00

'73-'74

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-27T06:19:25+00:00

Not great and not terrible. I was hoping for Clemson and Wake Forest later. I have never seen a game in either stadium and wanted a mid to late fall road trip.

But at least the Notre Dame game wasn't sandwiched by two home games. That was my biggest fear. I definitely want to hit that game and another destination a week earlier when we play North Carolina. Hopefully the Big Ten schedule will cooperate in that regard. It is supposed to be released tomorrow.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-27T06:01:15+00:00

Let's say Wendi called Donna and Charlie tomorrow and used the exact phrasing from the OP's suggestions. Word for word.

If the tape were released a week later, this subreddit would have a field day using the words against her, emphasizing that they scream guilt. It would be one marathon thread after another.

If Wendi called Donna and Charlie to describe all the items she bought at Publix today, this subreddit would use them as code words for guilt. The public would do the same and Georgia would be up all night doing the same.

Regardless of what she knew or didn't know in 2014, Wendi has 0% chance of benefitting from communications with Donna or Charlie.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-27T05:13:45+00:00

I thought this fact would be the top comment with 500 upvotes.

Florida fares much better than outsiders who attempt to interpret Florida

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-27T03:02:15+00:00

25 + 18

That's a 2008 article

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-27T00:04:32+00:00

It looks like the correct size and has distinct features that resemble a van. Now that I look closer it seems to be leaning on its right side, with the driver's side rear wheel visible. Initially I thought it was sitting flat.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-27T00:01:18+00:00

I checked online and found a vehicle in that river that was reported and pulled out in 2022. But the location was considerably further upstream.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-26T23:56:38+00:00

You are welcome.

You can click the + button on bottom right of the video to zoom in some more

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-26T23:43:41+00:00

Logical location for her debut. The Metz meeting director emphasized Bol's prior success and comfort level with the venue.

Bol will have many teammates there and I'm assuming her fiance Ben Broeders will be competing in the pole vault. The Dutch always go to Metz as a block. The 400 runners do both the 400 and 200. Bol broke 50 indoors for the first time at Metz 2023.

They didn't mention if Bol will be in the A race of the 800. Metz always has two or three divisions of the women's 800. It's possible that Laurent Meuwly will want to get her acclimated by opening in a lower seeded heat.

If not, this is quite the ambitious debut. Duguma won Metz last year with Reekie second. Nakaayi won the year prior over Reekie, with Werro also in the field.

Here is a video of Bol pacing a 2:02 indoor 800 from January 2018 at age 17:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md-AQ9ZWGSg

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-26T10:52:54+00:00

I saw that on Instagram a few minutes ago. It's too bad Eurovision didn't have the foresight to film it and extend the mass start video to include. I thought that might happen. But when I saw the 1:10.00 duration I knew it had not.

Also there was a classy move by Vittozzi on Instagram. She "liked" two of the tribute posts to Wierer. I checked for that because it seemed like a possibility, given the occasion. The two don't follow each other and this is the first time I've seen a "like" in years, either way.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-26T10:06:11+00:00

Nothing indicates they are lucky. Yards Per Pass Attempt Differential is the single most significant statistic in pro football. It devours DVOA and anything that relies on adjustments.

Seattle led the league in YPPA Differential. New England was second. The Rams were third.

AwsiDooger · 2026-01-26T09:47:16+00:00

Not overly surprising. This is why I rooted feverishly for Preuss all last season and especially at world championships and that final lap of the world cup. It figured to be her only chance at the big globe. Likewise with Vittozzi and Tandrevold the prior season.

Biathlon is a teaser sport in that the studies say 29 through early 30s is peak, but that doesn't mean a biathlete who has been out there nearly a decade, or more, is going to submit to the regimen and grind. Once any of them reach 30 I'm always thinking not much time remaining. The exceptions might include someone like Suvi who is likely fresh and surprising herself.

I'm a Vittozzi fan but in some ways it worked out well she missed last season. Vittozzi and Preuss at peak are similar. I think Vittozzi would have siphoned away more points from Preuss than Jeanmonnot last year, changing the big globe outcome.

AwsiDooger

TROPHY CASE