Biathlon: The Formula 1 of the winter

We are constantly looking for them. At every race, at every appearance. And we always expect and hope for a clear answer to the question that is always in the air: Who is the best? Was Michael Schumacher the fastest in Formula 1 to chase the cars around the various tracks? Was he really the best man or was he just in the fastest car? For fans of the motorsport industry, the answer is probably clear, as Schumacher eventually won world championship titles with various cars, even Ferrari.

He not only proved to be an excellent driver of his cars, but also a shrewd observer in the cockpit who was able to pass on his experience with his vehicle to the technicians so that they could make improvements. As always, it is difficult to judge whether his successors have similar talents. But it will be interesting to see whether Lewis Hamilton, like “Schumi”, manages to steer the red speedsters from Maranello to similar top performances, because previously it was an unwritten rule that the Brit was the best in his industry.

Formula 1 icon Michael Schumacher. © AFP / FRED DUFOUR

The fast Max Verstappen then quickly took away his reputation because he was perhaps also in the best and fastest racer. Who knows. As I said, it is difficult to compare in a world in which athletes cannot rely solely on their talents. Wherever sports equipment is required, the assessment of performance always includes the equipment that is needed to practice the sport. Even if it's just a shoe for walking. Here too, development has progressed rapidly recently.

Anyone who uses the previously commercially available treads now has no chance. The running tools, if I may call it that, now have built-in carbon plates that allow for a little trampoline effect with each step. This also enables marathon times for men to be just over two hours, even below this magical mark, as the Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge achieved five years ago in Vienna under optimal conditions.

Monster trucks in front of the ski slope At the moment the material topic is again the focus at the Biathlon World Championships in Nove Mesto na Moravje, Czech Republic. It's not so much or actually not at all about the guns or faster or slower ammunition, which can also be an issue depending on the wind strength. These are the skis that you inevitably need in order to be able to practice biathlon. The importance of preparing the narrow slats becomes clear when you examine the trucks parked in the parking lot.

Johannes Thingnes Boe, Norway's superstar. © ANSA / MARTIN DIVISEK

They are huge monsters. Many of them can also be enlarged to the left and right with “unloaders”. For cross-country skiing, for example, the Norwegians even use a truck, which also provides an additional work surface at height. Hard-working people work inside, grinding and waxing skis, which they then test on specially prepared sections of the route. The athletes usually rely on the skills of the so-called “technicians” according to the motto: They will sort it out.

And then it comes, the famous question. Does the athlete who skied and was well prepared for the respective snow conditions win? Or could he or she also have won on a competitor's product? Provocatively asked: Could Johannes Thingnes Boe have achieved his fast running times on Johannes Kühn's skis? Both have the same brand of skis. But Boe's product came from the Norwegian team's truck, Kühn's from the German team's truck. The result is known. Norway before Norway and Norway and Norway.

In the gold rush: Julia Simon. © APA/afp / JOE KLAMAR

And for the women, only the Marseillaise, the French national anthem, has been played at the World Cup so far. This automatically leads to the conclusion that the technical department of the German Ski Association (DSV), which even has two trucks at its disposal (one just to give the cross-country skis the best possible polish) has so far made one mistake after another. Or maybe the active players weren't in top shape for a world championship? As always in such a situation, it is probably a fatal mix of several problem areas, which means that Germany's ski hunters have so far only been able to claim two sixth places thanks to Franziska Preuss.

New binding system at Lagreid There are also innovations such as sprint world champion Sturla Holm Lagreid, who uses a new binding system that Ole Einar Björndalen also worked on. Who knows, maybe that's why he has won two medals so far. On the other hand, he is also one of the best athletes at the shooting range. An aspect that is currently not being given enough attention in the discussion about skis. Nevertheless, it would of course be appealing if one were to say: Stop. All skis are prepared by a team made up of technicians from all nations.

This all happens under the supervision of the International Biathlon Union (IBU). The ski brand may continue to be retained in accordance with the athletes' contracts. It would undoubtedly be a step towards greater comparability, but of course it would in no way correspond to the ambition and drive of all people active in sport to always want to be better than the competition. In every respect (So it's just a daydream). The fight will always go on. On the road, wherever, but also and perhaps even more so in the wax booths, the workshops and research institutes.

Every effort is made to always create the best possible conditions for the athletes. Of course, these are also subject to shape fluctuations or influences that no amount of technology can compensate for. And they can make mistakes, just like those who are responsible for the material. Nobody is immune to this. No matter where.

About the author: Sigi Heinrich The award-winning sports journalist (including winner of the German Television Prize and the Bavarian Sports Prize), book author and Eurosport commentator from the very beginning (since 1989) dedicates his column “Sigi's Spitze” to the entire diversity of sport and also enjoys poaching in foreign realms. Sometimes with a smile and a wink, sometimes serious and thoughtful or deliberately provocative. There should be something for everyone.

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Biathlon: The Formula 1 of the winter

The ever-advancing technology that supports all athletes makes comparison increasingly difficult. Our columnist Sigi Heinrich therefore also has to take material support into account when asking about the best athletes. An almost impossible task.

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