Originally Posted by grassmarket:
“Maybe so, but he deserves the credit for transforming the sport from what was still, back in the late 90s when I started watching, basically a part-time soldiers sport (OK, who were obviously extremely fit people) into a full time professional sport with the subsequent rise in standards and pay for the athletes. All the rest of the athletes had to raise their standards to compete with him, which is why Rafael Poiree and the French team did so much to raise the speed of shooting.
Unfortunately one of the consequences of that is that we in GB have been left way behind...”
“Maybe so, but he deserves the credit for transforming the sport from what was still, back in the late 90s when I started watching, basically a part-time soldiers sport (OK, who were obviously extremely fit people) into a full time professional sport with the subsequent rise in standards and pay for the athletes. All the rest of the athletes had to raise their standards to compete with him, which is why Rafael Poiree and the French team did so much to raise the speed of shooting.
Unfortunately one of the consequences of that is that we in GB have been left way behind...”
Yes, as I said, I really think it was modesty as much as anything else that drove his comments - he was / is a fantastic athlete and really would like to see him extend his career towards the next olympics - if Noriaki Kasai can, then surely there's room for another fit, talented old geezer on the plane to Korea.
On a separate note, I feel another thing holding back UK biathlon is our restrictive gun laws, especially since the shootings at Dunblane which make life hard for gun clubs and sports to store weapons and train. I can't believe that we can't manage to have roller ski facilities in UK, outside of Huntley, and attendant shooting ranges so that younger people could have a go, not just at biathlon, but also cross country skiing. Surely if firearms were an issue, then laser rifles are a possibility these days.
Then all we need is sponsorship. UK companies seem very hard to convince to sponsor sport, unless it's football, rugby or cricket - apart from snooker and darts which are darlings of the online betting industry.




Just a few things to be cleared up. Here are the midweek races