Biathletes lament the elements - again (News Feature)

By John Bagratuni Feb 14, 2010, 23:50 GMT

Whistler, Canada - Sunday's sleet onslaught on the Olympic biathlon sprint race left the winners hardly believing their luck and the losers cursing everything from the elements to officials.

Some may have felt reminded of the 1998 Games in Nagano when the very same event was abandoned after 40 minutes due to snowfall and fog and held the next day.

Alexandr Popov of Belarus was leading at the time and his country's president Aleksandr Lukashenko spoke of a 'mafia-style injustice' from the established biathlon powers, according to Olympic historian David Wallechinsky.

Another angry man on the day was Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, far ahead of Popov after the second shooting but forced to stop.

The Norwegian was fit enough to win the first of now five career golds the next day, but on Sunday he had only himself to blame for not making more of his early bib.

Bjoerndalen was not fully affected by the 20-minute downpour of wet snow. But he had already missed three targets by then, and did lose over 30 seconds on the French winner Vincent Jay between the second shooting and the finish line.

'It was my own fault,' said the 36-year-old Bjoerndalen.

All three medallists, and six of the top 10 had bibs between one and 10, with silver medallist Emil Hegle Svendsen readily admitting that 'I was extremely lucky and knew it would be hopeless for the other guys.

'That's the way it goes, it is an outdoor sport,' said Svendsen.

But German coach Frank Ullrich spoke of 'borderline conditions' while the camp of the strong Austrians was responsible for the all-out fury after Simon Eder trailed by almost two minutes despite clean shooting.

His father Alfred Eder, the team coach, lashed out at the different allocation of bibs at Olympics than at World Cup races which cost his athletes one place among the early starters.

'The IBU stole a medal from us,' he was quoted as fuming in the direction of the ruling body. 'It is outrageous that Simon had to start so late even though he is eighth in the World Cup.'

Eder was especially furious because the sprint results also determine the start order and gaps for Tuesday's pursuit.

'Two races have been ruined. The deficit is like four penalty loops. How are you supposed to make that up?' Eder said.

Simon Eder was a little more moderate in his disappointment.

'Unfortunately it was a lottery, it is a shame that this happens at the Olympics. The second lap destroyed my race, I was left standing like fixed with superglue,' Simon Eder said.