How do you want gold?

The men's relay is the main chance for Russian biathlon. Now or never

Russia definitely does not fail this biathlon tournament. The team already has more medals at the Olympics than at the last World Championships. At the same time, the performance cannot yet be called super-successful. And this is not even in comparison with skiers – against their background, everything is generally in the shade. Biathletes do not get their way.

Rescheduled race

The men's relay race in this sense can be a turning point. By and large, this is the main view for our team. With ideal hands, we can get four Olympic champions in one fell swoop. Yes, even if the winners are already bread. Everyone needs this medal unimaginably.

Everyone has something to prove.

Khalili – that it was not in vain that he was put in place of Serokhvostov.

Loginov and Tsvetkov are already 30 years old, and it’s not a fact that one of them will run to the next Olympics. At the same time, Alexander has at least bronze for the mixed doubles, and after two nightmarish fourth places, I really want to see Maxim on the podium.

Latypov is the only one in this team who has a personal Olympic medal, but if he drags everyone in the relay race, he will leave Beijing in a different status. savior status. As once Shipulin.

The relay will be tough. Frightening frosts have returned to the mountain cluster. In the region of minus 30. Because of this, even Tuesday starts were postponed to 14.30 local time. Because at this time at least there is sun. At 17.00, which was originally planned to start, there will be a wild dubak.

It takes courage and a little luck

With such extreme sports, the most persistent and hungry for victories will be in the top. Under ideal conditions, it would be difficult for the same Norwegians to oppose something. The Be brothers, Lagrede and Christiansen are the Fantastic Four. However, abnormal temperatures for biathlon play into our hands. The worse the conditions, the better for the Russians. This is a well-known axiom. And remember the frosts at the start of the Ski World Cup. All the Norwegians took off one after another from the start, but not one of ours.

Alexander Bolshunov, by the way, before his relay was ready to gather everyone and carry out the installation. As he himself explained: because this is a real chance and there may not be a second such. We must not play, but take our own here and now. But when I saw the eyes and the mood of the others, I realized: there is no point. Everyone understood everything.

It is important that the biathletes are just as clearly aware of everything. It is obvious that the men's team is ready well. If everyone copes with their stage (as, again, skiers and skiers did), everything will definitely be fine. This team deserves an award. As well as the fans who, despite years of failure, did not turn away from biathlon.

The team needs courage and a bit of luck. And by the way, the flag with which Sergei Ustyugov finished is still with the biathletes.The skiers gave him to good luck – and Eduard Latypov immediately hooked the bronze.

Maybe in the relay everything will turn out even more interesting?

The composition of some teams on the baton
Russia: Karim Khalili, Alexander Loginov, Maxim Tsvetkov, Eduard Latypov.
Norway: Sturla Holm Lelreid, Taria Be, Johannes Be, Vetla Shostad Christiansen.
France: Fabyen Claude, Emilienne Jacqueline, Simon Destier, Kenten Fiion Maya.
Germany: Eric Lesser, Roman Reser, Benedict Dolle, Philip Navrat.
Sweden: Peppe Femling, Jesper Nelin, Martin Ponsiluom, Sebastian Samuelsson.