The Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast

June 2026 Biathlon Catch Up - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 178

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 06:43:13 -0500

Well, almost immediately after recording our May round up, the Italian and USA teams made their roster announcements. This was supposed to just be a little recording inserted into the prior episode but...you know us. We ended up discussing:

- Italian roster and coach announcements

- Brief Czechia discussion

- USA roster and coach announcements

- World Cup discussions

- Art projects

- Moving to Canada

May 2026 Biathlon Catch Up - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 177

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 06:40:44 -0500

It has simply been too long. We got together for a little chat about what's new in our lives and in the biathlon world including:

- Coaching carousel

- Roster announcements

- The Canadian exodus

- RJ thinks somebody isn't completely retired yet

- And honestly, quite a lot of just chatting

2025-2026 Biathlon Season Recap - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 176

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 06:47:40 -0500

After a short break we are back to take one last look back at a very fun 2025-2026 Biathlon Season

- We go week by week sharing our memories and surprises. But it was such an amazing season we barely scratched the surface!

- Looking ahead to next season and dreaming about a wild Overall race

- Quick thoughts on a handful of athletes

- Jordan gets prematurely upset about the makeup of the 2026-2027 schedule

And more!

2026 Oslo Memories Pt 2 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 175

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:13:13 -0500

It's part 2 of our memories from our weekend at the Oslo-Holmenkollen races and festivities. In part 2 we have:

- Julia Simon with a thoughtful discussion of the Pursuit sprint with Hanna Oeberg as well as her place in biathlon history

- We try to cheer up Suvi Minkkinen after another remarkably successful season

- Check ins with our friends Nik Hartweg, Anna Gandler, and Campbell Wright

- Chats with North Americans Deedra Irwin, Margie Freed, Pascale Paradis, and Adam Runnalls

- A Polish check in with Kamila Zuk and Tobias Torgersen

- Johanna Taliharm recaps a trying but successful season

And more!

2026 Oslo Memories Pt 1 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 174

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:11:27 -0500

It's hard to believe that the glorious weekend in Oslo was already 1 week ago. But the memories are still fresh. Today we chatted mostly about the memories and a little about the racing. Included are:

- An amazing moment discussing Sturla's success with Tiril Eckhoff

- Saying goodbye to the Austrian powers Lisa Hauser and Simon Eder

- A fun moment with Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold

- Nice long chat with Denmark's rising star Anne de Besche

- Sibling laughter (a true highlight!!) with Hanna and Elvira Oeberg

- The memory of a lifetime with Lou Jeanmonnot

And more

Mentioned in the show, what Jordan wrote about Lou Jeanmonnot: https://penaltyloop.com/2026/03/24/our-beloved-champion/

Part 2 will come shortly!

Otepaa 2025-2026 Recap - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 173

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 19:49:40 -0500

Well we made it happen! RJ mid transit to Norway and Jordan still in Florida so we apologize for any poor audio quality! We tried to keep it brief because of RJ's time constraints so we weren't able to cover everything or go as deep as we would like but we did cover:

- Otepaa's weather challenges

- Sterling Sturla who continues his torrid streak

- Lou and Eric cruising to the Overall titles

- The wild and exciting Mixed Relays with some amazing results!

- Brief look at some globe races

- Jacquelin has the ultimate Jacquelin weekend

- Shout outs

- Sandra Flunger is on the move...where to?

And more!

Kontiolahti 2025-2026 Recap - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 172

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 22:45:54 -0500

It was the busiest week of the biathlon season with the World Cup in Kontiolahti, the IBU Cup concluding in Lake Placid, and the Youth/Junior World Championships finishing up in Arber. We had a lot to discuss tonight including:

- Sturla Holm Laegreid is competing like Sturla Holm Laegreid again

- Eric Perrot is no slouch though!

- Lou Jeanmonnot looks exhausted physically and mentally

- Long discussion on the state of Swedish biathlon and the extension of Johannes Lukas

- Fun relay finishes including Czechia, Poland and USA

- Emilien Jacquelin is, as always, Emilien Jacquelin. This week the good and the bad

- Interesting Mass Starts and important moments in them

- Just a tiny bit on the IBU Cup and Youth/Junior World Cup

And so much more!

Olympics, News, and Junior Worlds Oh My! - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 171

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 07:26:31 -0500

Jordan and RJ reconvened multiple times over several days to catch up on all of the latest in the biathlon world including:

- Opening with recent news including: Tommaso Giacomel health updates, Retirements, Coaching changes

- One more look back at the 2026 Olympic Games. What surprised us in our reassessment?

- Preview of the Third Trimester and what we think might happen including looking at a few Globe races

- Checking in on the Junior Worlds

- Gro Randby's interesting season

2026 Olympic Women's Mass Start - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 170

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 13:34:33 -0500

The final race at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games is yet another thrilling one.

- We say goodbye to two absolute legends: Dorothea Wierer and Franziska Preuss

- Oceane Michelon wins another medal and many more hearts with a brilliant gold

- Julia Simon digs deep to find the strength to chase down silver

- Tereza Vobornikova wins a beautiful bronze medal

- Anna Magnusson comes up just short once again for Sweden

- We celebrate some other high achievers including Anna Andexer and Anne de Besche

And More!

2026 Olympic Men's Mass Start - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 168

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:33:41 -0500

Last race of the men for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics and it was another special (and history making!) one

- Johannes Dale-Skjevdal gives us all the feels with his first career 20/20 and the gold

- Quentin Fillon Maillet another fantastic skiing day brings him his 1st career bronze and moves him to 2nd in career Olympic medals

- Sturla Holm Laegreid ties for the most medals in a single Olympic Games with another silver

- Hard luck for Philipp Horn who came so close!

- Very tough scenes for Tommaso Giacomel

- The Swedish men end their Games quietly

- Jacquelin is once again Jacquelin

- Campbell Wright has some fun at the end

And more!

2026 Olympics Women's Relay - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 168

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:30:24 -0500

The French women are inevitable, and so is another post-race recap from Jordan and RJ. This was one for the underdogs and we had a lot to celebrate including:

- The Polish women with a magnificent 6th place the best ever for the Polish women at the Olympics

- Celebrating Baiba Bendika, the Belgian women, and the Bulgarian relay

- The French with another early penalty loop come back for the gold sparking an emotional celebration

- The Swedes continue their strong second week with a silver medal

- Norway's Juni Arneklevi substitution pays off with the bronze medal

- Another tough race for the Germans

- Czechia a very strong 5th

- RJ shares his hard work on the Antholz "athletes perspective animation" (link below)

And more!

You can find RJ's animation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN1nwOXN70k

2026 Olympic Men's Relay - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 167

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:25:34 -0500

This was the type of Olympic relay you dream of. The drama wasn't decided until the very end with plenty of fun stories along the way!

- The French men finally have their Relay gold medal. Presented by none other than national hero Martin Fourcade

- The Norwegians have a solid day in silver position. But what happened to Johan-Olav Botn?

- The Swedish men pleased with their bronze medal

- Germany finishes a solid 4th

- United States sets their best ever Olympic Men's Relay mark in 5th. Is Campbell ready for his Olympic moment in the Mass Start?

- Finland continues to perform well

- Shout out to the Canadians

- A LONG preview of the Women's Relay tomorrow

And more!

2026 Olympics Pursuit Day - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 166

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 13:15:40 -0500

WHAT A DAY! It's the middle weekend of the Olympics which means Pursuit day! The Men's and Women's Pursuits delivered us an emotional day including:

- Lisa Vittozzi's gorgeous gold medal

- Suvi's emotional run to the bronze

- Emilien Jacquelin racing to bronze in his own unique fashion

- Martin Ponsiluoma changes the Swedish narrative

- Maren Kirkeeide and Sturla Holm Laegreid have a double silver day for Norway

- Polish women and Finnish men with big days

- Dorothea Wierer doesn't give in

And more!

2026 Milan Olympics Women's Sprint - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 165

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 13:58:34 -0500

A little later (because someone...RJ...overslept) we chatted about an action packed Women's Sprint including:

- Maren Kirkeeide's amazing closing ability

- Oceane Michelon's smile filled silver medal

- Lou Jeanmonnot keeps piling up medals

- Bulgaria is a biathlon nation now

- Great day for Latvia and Denmark!!!

- Top biathlon cheerleader Ingrid Tandrevold with a solid day!

- Rough day and Olympics for Sweden

- Looking ahead to the Pursuit races tomorrow!

And more!

2026 Olympics Men's Sprint - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 164

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:43:23 -0500

Another day and another thrilling race at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics! As has become our custom we got on right after the end of the podium ceremony to discuss:

- Emilien Jacquelin's heartbreaking 4th place

- Quentin Fillon Maillet inscribing himself in biathlon history with his 7th Olympic medal

- Vetle Christiansen's silver medal

- Sturla Holm Laegreid takes home his 2nd bronze of these Games

- Zachary Connelly and the Canadians with an excellent race

- Finnish biathlon continues to show out

- Swedish men continues to struggle

- A solid day for the Swiss

- Rihards Lozbers makes everybody take notice

- A look ahead for the Women's Sprint tomorrow!

And more!

2026 Olympics Women's Individual - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 163

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:13:56 -0500

The Women's Individual at the 2026 Milan Cortino Winter Olympics was absolute joyful chaos. We got together immediately after the conclusion of the podium ceremony to recap all of the action including:

- A brief detour to Sturla Holm Laegreid's bizarre interview

- Julia Simon's greatness

- Lou Jeanmonnot's beautiful biathlon

- Lora Hristova's unbelievable surprise podium

- Heartbreak for several including Vanessa Voigt, Camille Bened, and Lotte Lie

- Many great races from some surprising candidates including Lea Meier, Tereza Vinklarkova

- Great day for North American biathlon with Pascale Paradis and Margie Freed

And more!

2026 Olympics Men's Individual - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 162

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:41:50 -0500

What an absolutely emotional day. There were tears from many athletes today for...a lot of reasons. We had a ton to chat about including:

- Johan-Olav Botn's sports movie moment

- Eric Perrot continues to display magnificent maturity

- Sturla Holm Laegreid wins his non-relay medal during what has proven to be an unexpectedly emotional week

- The Finnish men with a major day

- Philipp Nawrath with a great start to the Games

- Swedes missing something

- Quentin Fillon Maillet with amazing speed

- Italy with a solid day

- Many great performances

- A look ahead to the Men's Sprint and Women's Individual

And more!

2026 Olympic Mixed Relay - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 161

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 14:18:06 -0500

One race in and already the action from Antholz has been absolutely sensational! A little later than normal (the rest of our Olympic recaps should be up within 1-2 hours) we got together to discuss:

- French biathlon dominance

- Italians get it done with silver

- Germans hit their checkmarks for bronze

- Maren Kirkeeide with a growth moment...but the rest of the team looked good?

- Poor Sebastian Samuelsson

- Kudos to Canada

- We also discussed really good performances that didn't quite land on the podium!

Andmore

Nove Mesto 2025-2026 Recap - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 160

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:09:48 -0500

Somehow the 2nd trimester of the 2025-2026 season has already come to a close. There were some athletes missing from Nove Mesto but that didn't take anything away from the action! We had a bunch to discuss including:

- The absolutely pristine weekend for the French team specifically the maturity of Eric Perrot

- Swiss women coming on strong

- American biathlon continues it's terrific season

- Who is this Ingrid Tandrevold?!?

- The Lukas Hofer renaissance

- Even more adoration for the French team this weekend and trying to select their Olympic starters

- Preuss saying goodbye?

- Leo Pfund introduces himself to the World Cup stage

- The magnificent crowd in Nove Mesto

And more!

Ruhpolding 2025-2026 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 159

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 08:41:54 -0500

Ruhpolding started with an amazing Women's Relay on Wednesday and then gave us one amazing race after another. Frankly it was so amazing that it completely exhausted poor RJ so you'll unfortunately have to listen to a LOT of Jordan today. We soldiered on though and we covered almost everything including:

- That amazing Women's Relay

- Trying to figure out the remaining Olympic questions including the Norwegian and Swedish women

- A fun battle of attrition in the Men's Relay and the Estonian men break through!

- Great week for the Canadian women

- The Swedes and their amazing second trimester continues

- Dale-Skjevdal's emotional Pursuit win

- Tommaso Giacomel's big boy Sprint

- Sad Suvi but she goes to Nove Mesto still in second

- Queen Lou in total control

And of course much more!

Oberhof 2025-2026 Recap - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 158

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 08:46:12 -0500

The biathlon family reconvened in Oberhof after a difficult holiday break. There was something cathartic about the racing starting again. After sharing our thoughts and condolences for Sivert Bakken's passing and his family/friends we dove into the racing including:

- Tommaso Giacomel's emotional week and the outstanding showing he put forward this week

- The absolutely bonkers men's relay

- The women's relay crushed by the French women

- Elvira Öberg new strategy leading to immediate success

- A very successful weekend for the Swedish squad

- Overview of the status of the Overall races and making looking ahead

- Looking at some great individual performances from several athletes including Martin Uldal, Regina Ermits, Lukas Hofer, Vanessa Voigt etc

And more!

Deedra Irwin Interview - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 157

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 21:37:17 -0500

US Biathlon, and Wisconsin's own, Deedra Irwin joins us from Oberhof to talk about her classically American journey into biathlon all the way up to her greatest successes. This was so much fun and I hope you enjoy it too, especially:

- Discussing small town Wisconsin and how important and great it is!

- Finding biathlon later in her career than her European counterparts

- Early success and memories of her American biathlon best finish at the 2022 Winter Olympics

- Her best buddy Joanne Reid and their special relationship

- The great vibes, and more importantly great racing, coming out of US Biathlon right now

- Support and evolution of US Biathlon

- Her relationship with her rifle

- Breakdown of the upcoming Packers-Bears showdown!

And more!

Annecy-le Grand Bornand Recap - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 156

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 08:02:22 -0500

RJ may be in Mexico but we won't let a little tropical vacation get in the way of a great week of biathlon! After a raucous week in le Grand Bornand we had a lot to chat about including:

- This was Lou's weekend from start to finish

- Justus' heartbreak but encouraging signs for Germany

- Maren's incredible power

- Good 1st trimester performances from USA and Canada especially Campbell Wright and Deedra Irwin

- An endlessly entertaining Norwegian men's team and how their Olympic roster is shaping up

- Can Botn continue this high level? And can Perrot and Giacomel challenge?

- Celebrating Camille Bened and pondering the French women's team and their Olympic roster

- A week of strong finishes from Eder, Burkhalter, Passler, and Ermits

And more!

Hochfilzen 2025-2026 Recap - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 155

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 08:16:12 -0500

Another fun weekend of biathlon racing is completed and RJ and Jordan are back to discuss it all! On today's recap:

- Starting with our complicated feelings seeing Julia Simon racing again

- Nice weekends for our home federations of Canada and the USA!

- Celebrating Anna Magnusson with her biggest fan

- The cream of the crop rising on the men's side with Perrot and Giacomel trading wins

- Lisa Vittozzi and her incredible shooting display in the Pursuit

- A little Norway discussion including Maren Kirkeeide, Karoline Knotten, Sturla Holm Laegreid and Vetle Christiansen

- The tricky corner in Hochfilzen claims several more athletes

- Camille Bened keeps on rolling with 2 more finishes in the Flowers and a great relay leg

- Anticipating French women lineup changes

- Shout outs to a diverse weekend of good finishes including Estonia, Slovakia, Finland etc

- IBU Cup corner

- Looking ahead to Annecy

And a ton more athletes discussed in there as well!

Östersund 25-26 Week 2 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 154

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 08:40:32 -0500

After a fun week in Östersund full of fan favorite performances we already have so much to talk about! In this episode we discuss:

- The incredible women's Pursuit contested with our some of our personal favorite athletes

- Suvi Minkkinen with a career weekend takes Yellow

- Lisa Hauser looks better than she has in several years

- Dorothea Wierer is ready for an Olympic capstone to her career

- What to make of the preseason favorites easing their way into the season and a few athletes quietly flying under the radar

- Norwegian men are still dominant even without the Boe brothers

- Swedish women...how do they balance their talent?

And more!

Östersund Week 1 - Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 153

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 20:11:06 -0500

World Cup Biathlon is back and so are the weekly recaps! In this case we saw so much fun in the first two days of the season that we couldn't wait to start this next week. We had to start right away! It was a fantastic couple of days so we had a lot to discuss including:

- Our favorite things including great races from our offseason guests!

- Campbell Wright and the spunky Americans

- Nice opening for the Canadians

- Lou is Lou which is scary for everybody

- Tandrevold and the shooting scaries

- Relay change over excitement

- Gandler, Davidova, and Suvi all showing good things

- Czechia with a phenomenal opening weekend

- Sebbe and Ponsi making their traditional late relay charge

- Italian excitement and Germany up and down

- Analyzing Norway's premier

And more!

Tobias Torgersen Interview November 2025 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 151

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 09:15:09 -0500

A week later than intended (solely due to Jordan's very slow editing) our interview with Polish Women's Head Coach Tobias Torgersen is up! This was recorded the week before the season began so it does not cover anything that happened in the first two days of racing in Östersund. But there is still tons of good stuff in this conversation including:

- Review of Geilo races and assessment of team form

- The process of picking rosters

- Leadership within the team

- Summer camps including Blink and Antholz

- International Cooperation

- Coaching from the bike

- A lengthy discussion on coaching shooting/practice

- Moments of pride and moments of fun

- And more!

2025-2026 Biathlon Season Preview! - Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 152 (151 coming soon!)

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 08:02:10 -0500

We did it! The 2025-2026 biathlon season starts this week! We got together for our first regular weekly episode of the season to get ourselves ready for all of the excitement. We covered:

- Discussing how an Olympic season differs from a regular season

- Discussed the events of the selection races in Idre Fjall, Geilo, Bessans, and Ruhpolding and how they affected team selections for the major squads

- How key athletes looked in these races including: Hanna Oeberg's resurgence, the Swedish boys, Eric Perrot, Dorothea Wierer, Ingrid Tandrevold, Isak Frey, Vetle Christiansen, Camille Bened, Simon Eder, Franziska Preuss and many many more

- Sorting out our thoughts on the chaos inside the French team

- Brief looks at rosters and our thoughts including the USA, Canada, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and Latvia

- As always you can be assured that there is a ton more in there too!

Karoline Knotten November 2025 Interview - Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 150

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 09:09:10 -0500

Karoline Knotten graciously joined us last week from her training in Livigno before the races took place in Geilo. It was a very friendly visit and we can't wait to have her on again soon! For now we covered:

- Charting her own course outside the national training roster this summer

- Updates on her personal fitness

- Goals for 2025-2026

- Finding joy and training with new friends

- Learning from competitors and personal role models

- Loop One experience

And a ton more!

Niklas Hartweg November 2025 Interview - Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 149

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 14:43:39 -0500

Nik Hartweg joins the podcast once again for his first recorded episode with us in two seasons. There has been a LOT that has happened with Nik and biathlon in that period so we had a lot to discuss including:

- Prep, current form, and plans for the 2025-2026 seasons

- Goals and checkpoints for this season leading to the 2026 Olympics

- Memories of the Lenzerheide Worlds and 2022 Olympics

- Avoiding illness

- Surfing

- How he uses data during training

- Loop One as a spectator on site and the new targets that were used

- Swiss team success and explosion

- And a TON more!

Campbell Wright November 2025 Interview - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 148

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 08:19:42 -0500

The most entertaining man in biathlon - Campbell Wright - returns for another preseason chat! As always he was an absolute blast as we covered a lot in a relatively short period including:

- Loop One - his thoughts on the event and would he do it again?

- Updates on summer training and how he's feeling with now less than 1 month until the 2025-2026 season

- Racing tactics in Pursuits and Mass Starts

- His dream chase pack in a big race

- How high can the US men's team reach this season?

- What it's like being one of the most recognized and cheered biathletes

- And more!

Justus Strelow October 2025 Interview - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 147

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 06:56:44 -0500

Justus Strelow joins us again for another wonderful interview! He was coming to us from the team's Martello altitude camp and graciously gave us plenty of time to discuss a bunch of fun topics including:

- Being a dad!

- The new coaching staff and what the feeling in the team is as the 2025-2026 season nears

- Team dynamics and fun with the German men

- The narrow gap between top 20's and top 5's

- Preparations for Antholz and favorite venues/ranges

- And more!

Lotte Lie Interview - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 146

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 07:34:49 -0500

2025 City Biathlon Champion Lotte Lie comes back for another interview! It's her 3rd interview with us and we had a LOT to catch up on including:

- Her City Biathlon experience and the winning moment!

- Beating her buddy Karoline Knotten

- Summer training schedule and updates. Do the upcoming Olympics change the training plans?

- Belgium's continued biathlon growth and success

- And more!

IBU Cup Champ Camille Bened!!! - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 145

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 07:57:07 -0500

We are honored to be joined by reigning IBU Cup champion Camille Bened for a wonderful interview. Our graceful guest was kind enough to chat with us about anything and everything including:

- Her IBU Cup winning 2024-2025 season and experiences on the World Cup

- Overcoming injuries from fall 2 seasons ago

- Goals for 2025-2026 season and what she needs to do to accomplish them

- Her home life and her tiny hometown in France

- So much more!

Pascale Paradis Interview - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 144

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 07:53:48 -0500

We continue checking in with Team Canada with our first interview with up and coming talent Pascale Paradis! This was a true joy as we discussed:

- Her journey in biathlon including her first big success at the 2018 Youth Worlds

- Choosing her college career at University of Alaska vs IBU Cup

- Her first season on the World Cup and what Emma Lunder meant to her and the team

- Prep for the Olympic season

- And a TON more!

Logan Pletz Interview + Ziggy Mazet and Blink talk - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 143

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 07:34:24 -0500

Logan Pletz is back for more rifle talk! But before that we have a lot more to discuss:

- In the intro: Ziggy Mazet announces his departure from Norwegian team after this season + Blink Festival action and Lisa Vittozzi's return!

- Logan talks about his 2024-2025 season and what he learned from it

- His summer training and dodging cows

- Olympic hopes and what his aims for this season

- Update on the rifle project including the launch of Project LP rifle biathlon rifle manufacturing, updates on rifle design, and everything he's learned about rifles in the last year!

Find Logan's rifle company website here: https://projectlp.ca/

Jordan's piece on Laura's Dahlemier: https://penaltyloop.com/2025/07/30/the-comet/

Team Greenland Interview! - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 142

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 06:09:00 -0500

Ukaleq and Sondre Slettemark joined us for a delightful conversation about Team Greenland! We discussed A LOT but maybe the most enjoyable aspect of the time we spent together was seeing them interact as brother and sister. In this interview we discussed:

- Reflections on the Lenzerheide Worlds and looking ahead to Antholz 2026

- Their unique skills

- What it takes to be a great shooter like Ukaleq

- Sibling dynamics and racing together

- Common waxing and the impact of waxxing

- Sustainability, global warming, and summer biathlon growth

- And more!

Emma Lunder June 2025 Interview - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 141

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 08:04:44 -0500

We were delighted to be rejoined by recently retired Biathlon Canada star Emma Lunder to catch up on her life since retirement and much more. We covered quite a bit in this friendly conversation including:

- How she came to her decision to retire and enjoying her last weeks on the World Cup

- Her reflections on her years with the Canadian National Team

- Looking ahead to the future of Canadian biathlon

- How she's enjoyed her retirement

- Being a role model for young athletes

Canadian Coach Andrew Chisholm Interview Pt 2 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 140

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0500

In part 2 of our excellent discussion with Canadian national team head coach Andrew Chisholm we touch on:

- Changes he and Co-Head Coach Helene Jorgensen are making to the management of the team

- Their coaching and training philosophies

- Covering more race day responsibilities

- What does success look like for Biathlon Canada in the 2025-2026 season?

Canadian Coach Andrew Chisholm Interview Pt 1 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 139

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 07:55:05 -0500

Finally! We are interviewing one of the head coaches of the Canadian National Team. It should have happened long ago but we are happy to be joined by Andrew Chisholm for a 2 part interview. In part 1 we discuss:

- Andrew's journey to this position

- The daily responsibilities of a head coach

- Olympic prep and team logistics

- Deeeeeeeeeeeep dive into waxing

German Youth/Juniors Coach Matthias Ahrens Pt 2 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 138

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 06:30:00 -0500

Part 2 of our interview with Matthias Ahrens. In this section we discuss:

- Climate Change

- What his athletes can learn from the current World Cup athletes

- Changes in shooting techniques

- The challenge and opportunities with the German women's depth

- The best venue on the World Cup

German Youth/Juniors Coach Matthias Ahrens Pt 1 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 137

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:18:32 -0500

Our dear friend Matthias Ahrens rejoins us for a wide ranging conversation! We discuss his move from Canada and the Biathlon Alberta Training Center back to his home in Germany where he now works training members of the German Youth/Junior teams. In part 1 we focus extensively on the differences between the two systems (North America vs. Europe primarily) and his adjustments back home.

Early May 2025 Biathlon Round Up - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 136

Mon, 12 May 2025 08:11:37 -0500

Just a quick round up of the latest news from the world of biathlon including:

- Coaching change for the Czech women and Austrian teams

- Laegreid changing ski brands

- Roster announcements from many teams including Norway, France, Sweden, and Germany

- General chit chat

- Trivia time for RJ

*Apologies for Jordan's audio. He sounds like he's recording with a tin can. It was a last minute decision to record and he was at work without his mic!*

April 2025 Biathlon Round Up - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 135

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 06:22:37 -0500

It's been one month since the thrilling conclusion to the 2024-2025 biathlon season in Oslo so it's the perfect time to catch up on all of the biathlon news of April 2025. We also discuss a couple of projects that we are working on right now and preview a few others. Let's have some fun!

2024-2025 World Cup Wrap Up - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 134

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 07:25:28 -0500

It's our final look back at the 2024-2025 season. We take a look at the big stories, our favorite stories, some athletes that had magnificent seasons, some athletes that had relatively disappointing seasons. 24-25 was one of my favorite full seasons in awhile. Take one last look back with us!

Oslo Recap with Interviews! - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 133

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 10:42:12 -0500

We return to the hallowed grounds of Holmenkollen for one last visit before the offseason. We return once again to our brightest memories as well as things that we failed to mention in our first recap. This time we included our interviews:

- Lou Jeanmonnot after the Mass Start

- Franziska Preuss after the Mass Start

- JT Boe after the Sprint

- Isak Frey after the Pursuit

- Sturla Holm Laegreid after both Sprint and the Pursuit

- Sebbe Samuelsson after the Pursuit

- Suvi Minkkinen after the Mass Start

Oslo Memories! - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 132

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 12:04:19 -0500

We are back, the jet lag has worn off, and we're ready to chat....and chat...and chat! In this episode we ended up just sharing our memories from the weekend. Very little actual race or biathlon discussion. This is so much about just our time on the ground and how much fun we had. Included:

- Our memories from the Women's Mass Start

- Remembering the times we spent with athletes during the races

- HUGE thank you to Tobias Torgersen

- So many more memories!

Pokljuka 2024-2025 Recap - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 131

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 13:31:51 -0500

Pokljuka was one heck of a ride. We had surprise performances galore and amazing Slovenian performances. This week we discussed:

- Jakov Fak and Anamarija Lampic

- Johannes Thingnes Boe's weekend and the state of the Men's Overall

- Lou Jeanmonnot and Franziska Preuss separated by just 20 pts

- The amazing young athletes in biathlon

- A few athletes closing strong including Julia Simon, QFM, Hanna Oeberg, and Martin Ponsiluoma

- A few predictions on the discipline globes

And More

Nove Mesto 2024-2025 Recap - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 130

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 07:58:47 -0500

The final trimester of the 2024-2025 season kicked off in Nove Mesto this week. It was a warm but exciting week of racing!

- We started the episode with a discussion of things that happened between Worlds and Nove Mesto including the German coaching change and the Latvian team incident

- There were several fresh winners this week including Jacquelin, Tandrevold, and Samuelsson

- The Overall Globe races tightened significantly and we discussed how we expect them to play out

- We discussed some very good racing from several now regular top 10 finishes including Giacomel, Hartweg, Suvi, and Campbell

- The tight race for the top 10 in the Women's Nations Cup for the 5 starting bibs

And so much more!

2025 Lenzerheide World Championships Week 2 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 129

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 08:18:39 -0500

Whew! The athletes are surely exhausted after a grueling nearly 2 weeks in Lenzerheide and so too are the viewers! What a feast of biathlon we've had! In this episode we discuss:

- Overall take aways from these Worlds and a jump around of thoughts about the Worlds in general

- The specific races from the Individuals through the Mass Starts

- JT Boe's status as champion

- The medal distributions

- The schedule release for the 26-27 through 29-30 seasons

And more!

2025 Lenzerheide World Championships Week 1 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 128

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 08:30:57 -0500

Week 1 of the 2025 World Championships is complete and it was PACKED with excitement. With just a day off before the races return we had to quickly discuss the biggest moments before we get more drama! This includes:

- Campbell Wright!!!

- JT Boe makes history with two individual gold medals

- Franziska Preuss continues to shine

- Justine Braisaz-Bouchet's smile returns

- The love of the biathlon family

- Suvi Minkkinen's run continues

- The ups and downs of the French men and women thus far

And more!

Lenzerheide World Championships Preview - Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 127

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:12:00 -0500

The 2024-2025 World Championships are here!!! We do a full review of the IBU Cup races in Ridnaun-Val Ridanna before we dive into everything we're thinking about as the World Championships approach. This episode we discuss:

- The continued dominance of the Norwegian men and the French women on the IBU Cup

- Paul Schommer!!

- Our 3 magical wishes for the World Championshps

- Does the long gap benefit or help anybody in particular?

- What to expect from JT Boe returning from a break with his family?

- Does anybody have "momentum?"

- Will Sweden surprise?

- Our many hopes for these 2 weeks

And more!

2024-2025 European Championship Review - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 126

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:07:58 -0500

Initially recorded shortly after the European Championship concluded, but released late due to our schedules, it is still important to chat about! In this episode we covered the hot topics coming from Val Martel including:

- Baiba Bendika's glorious Championships!

- Out impressions of the Val Martel venue

- The Norwegian men and the French women

- Anna-Karin Heijdenberg earns her World Championship spot

- The Canadian and American performances

- Italians perform well at home!

And More!

Antholz 2024-2025 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 125

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 23:54:07 -0500

Sadly another trimester of World Cup biathlon has come to an end, but there was just so much to talk about this week both on and off the course!

- We led off with the Norwegian European Cup roster announcement

- This was connected to the surprising yet not surprising Tarjei Boe retirement announcement

- We discussed the incredible Women's Overall Race and who can win!

- The French men win their 4th straight men's relay!

- Sturla Holm Laegreid grabs the Yellow bib...can JT Boe rebound?

- And a TON more

Ruhpolding 2024-2025 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 124

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 08:09:13 -0500

It's been another amazing week of biathlon as we hit the midpoint of the season. From off the course news to some truly amazing racing, Ruhpolding certainly kept us on our toes. This week we discuss:

- JT Boe's surprise retirement announcement

- The top women all racing like champions

- Thoughts on the Swedes: Hanna Oeberg, Martin Ponsiluoma, and Samuelsson...trending up?

- Switzerland on the upswing including Niklas Hartweg looking very very good

- The "under the radar" athletes and nations keep performing!

- Giacomel's incredible Mass Start win

- Doro heading to a peak at Worlds?

And as usual a ton more!

Oberhof 2024-2025 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 123

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 00:46:06 -0500

What a week it was! Oberhof was an absolutely jam packed weekend that showed us all of the emotions. Get ready because this is a LONG episode because we have a lot of thoughts about:

- Weather and it's effects this week

- Suvi Minkkinen and Julia Simon...the highs and the lows of biathlon in 2 days

- Finland's glorious week

- Elvira Oeberg's determination

- Lou Jeanmonnot looking like Lou Jeanmonnot

- Can Laegreid challenge JT Boe for the Overall?

And an so so so much more!

2024-2025 Winter Break - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 122

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 08:39:41 -0500

Let's get ready for the 2nd trimester! We just had a few things to catch up on before the racing starts again including:

- Quick Schalke biathlon review

- Update on RJ's analysis of the new start positions and its effect on racing

- Roster updates including Chloe Chevalier's retirement, Paula Botet, Sophie Chauveau, Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen

- Checking in on state of the Overall Globe race

Annecy-le Grand Bornand 2024 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 121

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:21:41 -0500

After a week of amazing racing in le Grand Bornand there is just one thing left to do...talk about it. A lot! This is looong episode but there is a lot to discuss including:

- Leading off with Tandrevold's health update

- Golden Girl Franziska Preuss

- Grotian and Voigt round out the German weekend

- Martin Uldal and Tarjei Boe "surprise" wins

- JT Boe takes control of the Men's Overall

- More underdogs competing

- What happened to Jeanmonnot?

And more!

Hochfilzen 2024 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 120

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:07:53 -0500

A little later than normal, and a little under the weather, we discussed all of the action from the winter wonderland of Hochfilzen including:

- Franziska Preuss vs. Lou Jeanmonnot all season? Who says no?

- Underdog nations continue being competitive

- JT Boe is back on top

- The Jacquelin Pursuit fall

- Laegreid lurking

And more!

Kontiolahti Recap - Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 119

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 09:59:24 -0500

The first competitions of the biathlon season are in the books! It's time to get together and chat about all of the amazing action from Kontiolahti and a little news/speculation as welli! This includes:

- A week of underdogs, fan favorites, and fun stories!

- A trip to the doctor's office to discuss the Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold heart situation

- The great weeks by the Swedish and French women, and the French men!

- Elvira's rocket legs

- Franziska Preuss reclaiming her place near the top of the sport?

- Suvi Minkkinen!

- More!

2024-2025 Kontiolahti Part 1 - Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 118

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 21:28:14 -0500

We just couldn't wait for a full week of competition to end before we had to start talking biathlon again! We got together, initially on Sunday, but then again on Monday to discuss all of the relay action and the Men's Short Individual including:

- Julia Simon's injury and what we know as of recording time

- The Soerum Mixed Relay sprint and the Fabien Claude/Sturla Holm Laegreid relay battle giving us relay drama

- Initial impressions of the women including rocket ship Elvira, very strong Tandrevold, and surprisingly solid Wierer

- Ella Halvarsson and Jesper Nelin surprising us early

- Short Individual immediate impressions

- IBU Cup brief check in

- And much more!

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 117 - 2024-2025 Season Preview!

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 08:12:03 -0500

Just barely before the season starts we reconvened to discuss the recent racing in Sjusojoen and Idre Fjaell and discuss the upcoming season! A few of the highlights:

- Over view of the selection races

- Discussing the Norwegian depth

- Overview of the rosters and any surprises that we saw

- Discussing the current state of Canadian biathlon

- A few predictions!

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 116 Campbell Wright Interview

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 12:50:02 -0500

While battling illness at the final training camp in Finland, American/New Zealand biathlete Campbell Wright joined us for our final preseason interview! Campbell is a hilarious interview and we had an immensely good time. Of course we discussed his unique journey into biathlon from New Zealand, his transfer to the American team, his successes along the way, and where the journey is headed this season!

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 115 Jakub Stvrtecky Interview

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 08:52:12 -0500

This week on the pod Czechia biathlete Jakub Stvrtecky joins us! He was so gracious to share his time from training camp in Finland to share his story! This week we discussed:

- His story coming up alongside his teammates in Czechia biathlon

- His summer of training and how he feels coming into the 2024-2025 season

- Shooting prone vs. standing

- How already having over 100 World Cup races at his young age impacts his biathlon

- Czechia team nickname lesson and uniform designs

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 113 - Hanna Kebinger Returns!

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 08:40:19 -0500

In our latest interview in the leadup to the 2024-2025 biathlon season, Hanna Kebinger returns! Always a fun interview this episode involves more laughing than we have done in a bit! It includes:

- Discussion on her unfortunate 23-24 season

- Dealing with health struggles, both physical and mental

- Her road to recovery this summer including finding joy again

- Year 2 under Sverre Røiseland's leadership

- The importance of dogs and belly rubs

- Travels in Venice

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast 114 (whoops!) Jacques Jefferies Interview!

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 07:17:49 -0500

Jacques Jefferies graciously and bravely battled through a sinus infection and a bloody nose to join us for an interview! Jacques is a really valuable mind for the biathlon community as he has a very good grasp of the big issues biathlon will be grappling with in the coming years. As Jacques battled through we discussed:

- His young biathlon career and his plans for the 2024-2025 season including an update on his summer training

- The experience of establishing a position on the national team in such a crowded and competitive biathlon federation

- His thoughts on the future of summer biathlon and what the biathlon calendar may look like in the future

- Professional athlete mental health awareness and his program MindsMelt

- And so much more!

Please check out his personal website https://jacquesjeff.substack.com/

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 112 Tobias Torgersen

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 08:05:55 -0500

As the 2024-2025 season rapidly approaches Polish Women's Head Coach Tobias Torgersen joined us from team training camp in Lenzerheide! In this interview we discuss:

- Thoughts on Lenzerheide and particularly the potential trickiness on the range

- Coaching anxiety as the season approaches

- What led to the Polish women having a surge in the 2023-2024 season

- How he coaches his team

- Summer progress and looking ahead towards 2024-2025!

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 111 Justus Strelow Interview

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 08:59:40 -0500

Justus Strelow, coming off of a very exciting City Biathlon race in Dresden, joined us from the German training camp in the French Alps for a wonderful interview. He as an amazing guest and gave us tremendous insight into:

- His intro into biathlon and his journey to the top level of the sport

- His lifelong affinity for shooting and how fast and how accurate can biathletes get?

- The one missed shot that sticks with him from last season

- The current status of his training and goals for the upcoming season

- How he met his the love of his life and the secret to the best mattress for a couple.

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 110 Regina Ermits

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 07:29:57 -0500

The first of our preseason interviews is here and it's Regina Ermits! This was a joy! With Regina we discussed:

- Regina vs. Kalev in the battle of the Ermits

- How is she so good at standing shooting?

- A new training regimen and "finding her voice" leading to 7 of the 9 best finishes of her career in 2023-2024

- Her amazing 2024 Nove Mesto Worlds

- And more!

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 109 - IBU Rule Changes, Fourcade Nordice Festival, and National Championships

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 09:24:13 -0500

The IBU has floated changes to how start bibs are allocated for Sprint and Individual races and it's generating some great conversation. We do our best to lay out what the changes would be as well as the perspectives of various athletes, coaches, and media members. We also share our own thoughts. Then we talk about the phenomenal Czechia summer national championships event and the different directions roller biathlon could go. Thank you go Jacques Jefferies for the social media conversation. We hit a few other news pieces before getting into the Italian, German, Czech, and Finnish national championships.

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 108 - Summer Worlds and Summer Biathlon

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 13:19:31 -0500

It's a touch late but we needed to catch up about the first half of the summer biathlon racing. We primarily focused on the recently completed 2024 Summer Worlds in Otepää but also briefly discussed Blink, as well as the Swedish, Belgian, and US Summer biathlon National Championships. Tune in soon for interviews and discussions on Martin Fourcade Festival and more national championships!

July 2024 Biathlon Round Up

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 20:02:54 -0500

It is truly a quiet time in the world of biathlon but we still found a few things to chat about including:

- It's wedding season!

- RJ's EXTENSIVE breakdown of Emilien Jacquelin's shooting which is now published: https://biathlonanalytics.com/would-changing-high-risk-high-reward-strategy-pay-off-for-emilien-jacquelin/

- A preview of Jordan's Ultimate Biathlon Timeline which will be up very soon.

- Biathlon story time: Have You Ever Heard of Kari Swenson?

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 106 - Logan Pletz

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 10:36:06 -0500

This one is for the rifle nerds out there! We had on Logan Pletz and after a short discussion on his background in biathlon it turned into a deep deep deeeeeeeeep dive on rifle construction, particularly with 3D printing. Logan was so generous sharing his adventures in rifle construction including the not so successful trials. Even if you're not a rifle nerd, any biathlon fan is really going to have fun with this one! Then we close with a short bit about what next season is going to look like for Canadian biathlon. Enjoy!

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 105 - Tara Geraghty-Moats Interview

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 06:31:00 -0500

We were so fortunate to be joined by the author of one of the truly unique stories in biathlon: Tara Geraghty-Moats. Sure, you might know that she was once a Nordic Combiner, but what else do you know about her journey? We discuss her start in Nordic sports at a very young age and the winding path that has brought her here to the IBU Biathlon World Cup.

We also learn about how passionate she is about truly improving the experience of athletes including her work for Nordic Combined. We have a truly enlightening and gratifying discussion about healthcare for athletes and recovery from injury and illness.

We discuss her ability to strategize for her races and how that has impacted her ability to race her best on the biggest stages.

If you love biathlon and the biathlon family you're going to love this.

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 104 - May 2024 Catch Up #2!

Mon, 27 May 2024 06:00:00 -0500

Surprise! We are back after just 1 week! This was actually a surprise for us as well as we didn't know we were recording it until we started. Today we discuss:

- RJ's recent deep dive on if any national wax teams or ski brands were particularly successful in this most recent season

- Coaching carousel including the Ricco Gross update, the Swiss coaching restructure, and a few other changes

- The Italian team set their roster

- Congratulations to Sebbe Samuelsson!

May Biathlon Catch Up

Mon, 20 May 2024 11:55:09 -0500

It's time to catch up on all of the biathlon news from May 2024 including:

- Dorothea Wierer continues through 2026 Olympics

- Stina Nilsson back to XC skiing

- Discussion of Rico Gross going to the Bulgarian team (this was recorded just hours before it was announced that he's not going to the Bulgarian team)

- Czech team coaching changes

- Early reactions to team announcements from a few nations including Germany, Canada, Austria, and USA

- Summer biathlon schedule for North America announced

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 102 - National Championships and Breakthrough Seasons

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 11:58:41 -0500

It's time to talk more biathlon! Let be honest it's always time to talk more biathlon. We reconvened to discuss:

- French, Swiss, Swedish, and Norwegian national championships

- A little bit of biathlon news

- Was there a connection between ski brand and ski speed this season

- Jordan's connection with Tarjei Boe

- A preview/overview of some breakthroughs this season

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 101 - 2023-2024 Season Recap Pt 2 Women

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 13:24:13 -0500

It's time to recap the 2023-2024 Biathlon World Cup season! Here in part 2 we discuss the women including:

- Lou Jeanmonnot announcing herself as a contender now and in the future

- Lisa Vittozzi finishing off one of the most remarkable career comebacks in biathlon history

- Lena Haecki-Gross in year 10 of her career becomes the best Swiss woman in biathlon history

- Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold just misses out on the Globe

- Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Julia Simon are in it for the long haul

- What happened to Hanna and Elvira this season?

- And much more!

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 100!!!

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 12:06:23 -0500

It's our 100th Episode! We recap our journey of where we started and everything that has happened over the last 100 episodes. A big THANK YOU! To everybody who has listened and joined us along the way!

We also cover 2 pieces of big news:

1) Christian Gow, Biathlon Canada mainstay, announced his retirement

2) Tarjei Boe is back! Please check out my very personal thoughts on this here: https://penaltyloop.com/2024/04/08/tarjei-boe-my-living-memory/

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 99 - 2023-2024 Season Recap Pt 1 Men

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 07:41:43 -0500

It's time to recap the 2023-2024 Biathlon World Cup season! We broke our recap up in 2 parts rather than giving you one massive nearly 3 hour podcast. Here in part 1 we discuss the men including:

- JT Boe's 5th Overall title was better than you may have thought

- Some young men showing off including Eric Perrot, Tommaso Giacomel, and Campbell Wright

- Tarjei Boe completes the 2nd best season of his illustrious career

- Emilien Jacquelin finds himself

- Sturla Holm Laegreid with the year's most "interesting" season

- The German men were...actually good?

- Where is QFM heading

- And much more!

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 98 Canmore Recap with RJ's Interviews

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 10:33:22 -0500

We head back to Canmore for one more episode! This time around we do our normal discussion about the racing but this time we have interviews! We discuss:

- Exhausted athletes

- JT Boe winning the Globe in style

- Anna Gandler continues to shine

- The French and Italians close out the season very strong

- Lisa Vittozzi and Lou Jeanmonnot giving us a preview of next season?

- Late season redemption for Hanna Oeberg and Marketa Davidova

- And More!

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 97 RJ's Stories from Canmore 2023-2024

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 19:30:51 -0500

In part 1 of our recap of the conclusion of the World Cup biathlon season in Canmore we have story time with RJ! He shares the tales of his weekend mixing and mingling with fans, athletes and coaches and gives us the sense of what it was like on the ground as the greatest biathletes in the world converged on Canada. In this episode we hear:

- His day by day and race by race memories

- Hear about some of the athletes that he was able to interview (interviews will be included in part 2).

This episode is far more about the general feel of the weekend and less discussion and analysis of the racing. But it was an absolutely joy to record so I hope you give it a listen!

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 96 Soldier Hollow Recap

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 13:32:36 -0500

Biathlon returns to North America and the racing was absolutely electric. It absolutely left us breathless so we had to wait and record a little later so we can recover! This week we discussed:

- The epic Men's Pursuit race including JT Boe and the Emilien Jacquelin experience

- The Lou Jeanmonnot weekend and what would have to happen for her to win the Overall

- US Biathlon on an upswing

- Justine Braisaz-Bouchet appreciation

- Eric Perrot is the now of French men's biathlon

- Overview of the Women's Overall race especially focused on can Tandrevold hang on by her fingernails?

- And more!

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 95 2023-2024 Oslo Recap

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 08:02:40 -0500

It was a rainy and fairly gross weekend in Oslo, but it was another thrilling weekend of racing! This week on the pod we discussed all of the action including:

- The really exciting state of the Overall races with it being completely undecided with 2 weekends to go

- Did Tandrevold fix her shooting and is she now the prohibitive favorite? If not her who is the top challenger?

- Will Tarjei Boe topple his brother?

- Christiansen's epic chase down of Sebastian Samuelsson

- Finland makes a podium!

- A HUGE thank you to all of the fans braving the weather

- And more!

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 94 Anna Gandler Returns

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 08:45:54 -0500

Anna Gandler was so kind to grace us with her time this week! We covered many fun topics with the up and coming Austrian biathlete including:

- Her spectacular 2024 World Championships in Nove Mesto by every aspect of racing.

- Getting a new rifle this season and learning to adapt to it.

- A delicious discussion on German/Austrian snacks

- Running a successful social media account as an athlete

- Discussing new ski technology

- What movies do she and Emilien watch when they have time off?

- Which woman on the biathlon World Cup is secretly jacked!

- And much more fun!

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 92 Nove Mesto World Championships Part 2

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 15:33:11 -0500

After a thrilling conclusion to the 2023-2024 Biathlon World Championships in Nove Mesto our heads were absolutely spinning. As we covered the first half of the events on part 1, after covering some big picture take aways we tried to focus on the races and stories from the 2nd half starting with the Individual races. Some of the items discussed included:

- JT Boe is still the boss

- Julia Simon's lightning shooting gives her a super power

- The Germans had a much better 2nd half of Worlds

- More diversity with Latvia, USA, Poland, and Estonia showing well

- What happened with Tandrevold and the Norwegian women

- So so so much more!

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 91 Nove Mesto Worlds Pt 1

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 08:21:26 -0500

The Nove Mesto World Championships are here and we couldn't be more excited. There were already so many stories and things to discussed so this is an absolutely jam packed episode including:

- Waxing once again taking center stage

- Julia Simon is absolutely unbeatable right now

- Sturla Holm Laegreid's emotional gold medal

- JT Boe's comeback in the Pursuit

- Baiba Bendika!!!!!

- Franziska Preuss and the German ski situation

- Belgium, Poland, Chauveau, Vittozzi, Christiansen, and so so so much more!

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 90 - Biathlon Around the World...and Other Things

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 15:35:04 -0500

Come take a lap with us on our most unusual (and hopefully fun!) episode to date.

- We start out by discussing the actual racing that occurred this week on the IBU Cup and Junior Cup including Johan-Olav Botn, Simon Kaiser, and the dominant Austrians on the Juniors level.

- We discuss the sad news of the Trevor Kiers retirement

- We do some preview work on the impending World Championships in Nove Mesto with some really intriguing stats and trends.

- In between all of this we do some "interviews" with people from around the world and get their "thoughts" on biathlon!

This is quite a strange journey so we hope you enjoy it!

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 89 European Championships Recap

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 12:57:54 -0500

During what was supposed to be a bit of a quiet time in biathlon there was simply too much news! We dusted off the mics and got together to discuss the really important news of the week including:

- The heartbreaking and infuriating story of Joanne Reid's sexual abuse and harassment by a member of the US Biathlon wax tech team

- The Youth Olympic Games and some great Canadian performances

- A new ski/binding technology from Madshus and how it might change the game

- An exciting European Championships including the introduction of some new exciting talent to a wider audience

- More discussions about Madshus!

- Minor predictions for Worlds

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 88 Antholz Recap

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 08:30:09 -0500

Shortly following the completion of the racing in Antholz we got together to chat about all of the action from the week including:

- Lena Haecki-Gross getting her first win!

- Julia Simon is coming on really strong

- But don't lose sight of Lou Jeanmonnot!

- Johannes Dale-Skjevdal's insane last lap in the Mass Start

- A bit of Norwegian men's team discussion including JT Boe looking more like JT Boe, Christiansen looking really great, and Laegreid looking...lost?

- The state of the Overall Globe races

- Some special shout outs to some really good weekends including Baiba Bendika, Otto Invenius, Adam Runnalls and more!

**We went on a discussion about who the Norwegians should start in the World Champs races. Turns out we were wrong! Based on new rules from last season they can start all 6 in the Sprint and the Individual and 5 in the Mass Start**

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 87 Ruhpolding Recap

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 07:00:00 -0500

After one of the thrilling complete weekends of biathlon racing in the last several years we of course put together our longest podcast of the season. There was just so much to talk about! Breaking from what has become our normal back and forth we decided to go race by race to make sure we didn't miss any of the big moments incuding:

- Simon vs. Elvira in the Women's Relay

- The chaotic 3rd leg of the Men's Relay and Jordan's rant about it

- Tandrevold's perfect race in the Women's Sprint

- Christiansen getting "sweet revenge" in the Men's Sprint

- Lisa Vittozzi emerging late in the Women's Pursuit

- A 5 man final lap and Johannes Dale-Skjvedal's punishing sprint in the Men's Pursuit

- Plus plenty more including the Canadian women setting personal bests, Campbell Wright soaring to new highs in the Stars and Stripes, Julia Tannheimer's debut, Giacomel's podium, Jacquelin's return, Mona Brorsson, JT Boe and more!

This was without a doubt the most full pod we've down outside of World Championships or the Olympics!

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 86 Oberhof Recap

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 08:26:49 -0500

It's 2024 and Biathlon is back! We reconvene to discuss all the action from Oberhof including:

- The new Eurovision site

- Weather and climate affecting biathlon

- Even more success for the Norwegian men including Stroemsheim's victorious weekend and Laegreid is back

- Doll gets another win!

- The resplendent and dominant French women

- The wild women's Pursuit race

- The toils of Hanna Oeberg

- And more!

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 83 Tobias Torgersen Interview

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 07:00:00 -0500

Recorded the night before racing started in Lenzerheide, Polish Women's Head Coach Tobias Torgersen very generously granted us far more time than we had any right to expect or a fantastic interview. In this discussion we touched on:

- Coach Torgersen's personal history including growing up a fan of cross country and biathlon racing

- We discuss his coaching career as he quickly moved up the ranks including his time with the Chinese biathlon federation.

- We get into the successes he's seen over the last two seasons including Kamila Zuk last season, and Anna Maka, Joanna Jakiela, and Natalia Sidorowicz

- Finally we do a little discussion on biathlon at large in the 2023-2024 season.

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast 2023-2024 First Trimester Recap

Tue, 26 Dec 2023 07:30:00 -0500

Merry Christmas! We got together just before the holiday weekend to share our thoughts on the first trimester and all of the action from Oestersund, Hochfilzen, and Lenzerheide! We discussed many many things including:

- Did wax affect the racing so far this season?

- Our favorite moments of the season (so far!)

- Our thoughts on some of the top men/women of the season

- Athletes who look to have taken a step forward

- Athletes who look to have taken a step back

- Norwegian men and the fight for the World Cup bibs

- How the Simon Fourcade coaching is going for the French men

- RJ's analysis of xc women who have made the switch to biathlon

- My proposal for a new silly event

- And more

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 83 Lenzerheide Week Review

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 08:17:00 -0500

The World Cup makes the first ever visit to Lenzerheide and we are here to break it all down! In this episode we discuss

- The amazing Justine Braisaz-Bouchet weekend

- JT Boe is back on top

- Emilien Jacquelin is Emilien Jacquelin

- Norwegian men had some adventures with the rifle and RJ gives a breakdown of the rules issues at play and exactly what happened

- We finish up with some rapid fire thoughts on some athletes with bright weekends including: Endre Stroemsheim, Deedra Irwin, Marketa Davidova and many many more

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 82 Hochfilzen Week Review

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 08:20:45 -0500

Another week of exciting racing down and another new podcast to recap it! We touch on a number or big things that happened in Hochfilzen including:

- COVID is causing havoc

- Lena Haecki-Gross' HUGE weekend

- Tarjei Boe in yellow?!?

- Is JT Boe all the way back?

- Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold's growing into the Norwegian leader

- Elvira Oeberg looks ready to contend again

- Knotten, Gandler, Perrot, and more!

Penalty Loop Biathlon Podcast Episode 81 Oestersund Recap Pt 2

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:15:08 -0500

The first full week of biathlon is in the books so we reconvene to discuss the latest action! If you missed part 1 which came out late last week it covers the mixed relays, the individuals, and the women's relay.

In this show we talk about:

- The freezing weather, wax, the skis and how it all affected the racing

- The Sturla Holm Laegreid question and the dilemma facing the Norwegian men

- Sebbe Samuelsson's big finish

- Lou Jeanmonnot is here and for real!

- Preuss and Voigt looking strong

- Surprisingly strong Norwegian women

- and more!

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 80 - Oestersund Recap Pt 1

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 12:53:14 -0500

Jordan and RJ get together for a phrenetic recap of the first five events of the IBU World Cup season. This episode was recorded just after the Women's Relay in Oestersund but before the Men's Relay, so we discuss everything from season opening Single Mixed Relay through the Women's Relay on Wednesday. Fair warning, we were REALLY excited about this so we jump from topic to topic very quickly. Just like the athletes, we'll warm into the season!

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 79 - 2023-2024 Season Preview Part 2 with Kristian Wulff

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 22:14:36 -0500

Danish athlete, coach, and Danish TV2 national biathlon commentator Kristian Wulff joins to help us prepare for the upcoming season! We get right into the #1 issue of the upcoming season, waxing and how it will dramatically affect the racing. We also touch on a few of Kristian's other stories to watch, some under the radar athletes, and his predicted top 3.

Jordan and RJ then close out our season previews with some final thoughts and Jordan forces RJ to make 10 predictions for the upcoming season. Enjoy!

Penalty Loop Podcast Episode 74 -2023-2024 Season Preview

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 07:39:10 -0500

The biathlon season is finally here! This is part 1 of our 2 part season preview. We start out with a look back at some of the big stories of last year including JT Boe and QFM as well as the new generation of biathlon on the men's side and Julia Simon, Wierer and Vittozzi coming on strong, and Elvira Oeberg looking not quite like herself. Then we try to think of some major questions/storylines for some of the major teams this season:

- Is the next generation of Norwegian women ready to lead?

- Which of the exciting women's teams will see the most new blood?

Plus plenty more!

And don't miss part 2 in just 2 days!