Slovenia Next World Cup Stop

Biathlon World Cup: Pokljuka

Thu, Dec  17, 2009 - By Viktoria Franke

To host a World Cup is a task that calls for big amounts of cash and work flow but to decide to host it two months prior to the event is a task that just the best organizing committees can solve. One of them is the OC of Pokljuka, Slovenia that took over the World Cup from Osrblie, Slovakia on October 13^th. Since then the people in charge basically stopped sleeping since everything has to be perfect when the World Cup starts tomorrow with the individual races.

"I think their preparation is really good. I like the new stadium a lot and the track seems to be just perfect", US-coach Per Nilsson stated during the first training sessions up at the national park plateau. Two years ago the World Cup stopped in Pokljuka for the last time. Since then a lot of things have changed in the rebuilt stadium. A big hotel and functional building replaced the old container building, the stadium underwent a re-conception and even the track was re-planned.

"I really have to get used to the new conditions here", explains Jeremy Teela. "I am used to the old conception of the track and the whole area so it takes some time to get used to all the new things. It's almost like being at a new venue!"

Two training sessions were scheduled before tomorrow's individual competition. The question if that is enough to adapt to the track and the height here will be answered tomorrow. For Tim Burke those days here weren't the best ones possible but although he is starting to feel the tiredness after two weeks of racing he is anxious to start again. "Unfortunately, I have not been feeling 100% the past few days and I had to skip my training session yesterday.  I will train this afternoon and hopefully I will feel good enough to start tomorrows Individual.  I feel like my form was getting better and better with each race but I am really not sure where I am at now", Burke states before training on Wednesday.

Right now it is continuing to snow - a fact that will probably make the track a bit slower and harder to ski. A task that will require a lot of energy from the athletes tomorrow since the Individual is the longest discipline there is with 15k for the women and 20k for the men to ski.