Sunday’s Loop One Super Sprints at Olympiapark will be the perfect appetiser for the upcoming BMW IBU World Cup season. It is going to be 5 hours of fast-paced biathlon with the sport’s biggest stars vying for the podium in this inaugural event.

Keep these five things in mind as 50 of the best male and female biathletes from 25 nations battle for victory.

#1 The Rollerskis

Although the rollerskis are matched equally and selected randomly, some competitors are just naturally fast on wheels. Watch for the speed demons in the first loop of the heats and finals. The fastest men include recent French Champs double winner Emilien Jacquelin, Eric Perrot who claimed Blink and Dresden wins with big finishing sprints, Italian Champs double winner Tommy Giacomel, and Norwegian Sprint Champion Sturla Holm Laegreid. The speediest ladies include Blink champion Lisa Vittozzi, double French Champion Lou Jeanmonnot, teammate Julia Simon and Dresden titlist Lotte Lie.

#2 On the Range

Shooting, always important, will be crucial in the heats, with three automatic qualifiers in each of the four heats, plus the next three fastest overall. The shooting cadence has to be fast, but accurate; each missed target adds a 60-meter penalty loop, roughly an 8-10 second deficit. The fastest skiers may hit the range first, but it’s likely a clean shooter will lead the pack out of prone and standing. 90% shooters like Laegreid, Jeanmonnot, Justus Strelow, Perrot, Vittozzi, Jeanmonnot, Suvi Minkkinen and Jeanne Richard are the ones to watch.

#3 Training Camp Fatigue

Multiple teams including the Norwegians, French, Italian, and Finnish teams will travel directly from extended altitude training camps to Munich. No one will be surprised to see some of the big favourites in less than top form. Few will arrive “100% “race ready” after big workloads in recent weeks.

#4 Getting through the Heats

The heats will be “full gas,” no reason to save energy for the finals; out of the top three makes you a spectator! Watch for risk takers from the outset in the 5.6 km heats. Men’s heat four should be a real battle with fast skiers Jacquelin, Tommy Giacomel, Martin Ponsiluoma against the range expert Strelow. Likewise, women’s heat four pits the very fast Anamarija Lampic and the veteran Karolin Offigstad Knotten against rising stars Richard and Oceane Michelon.

#5 Tactical Finals

Tactics will play a part in the finals as in a mass start. Someone will control the first loop into the first prone stage, keeping the pace moderate. Cleaning the two prone stages is crucial; penalties will dictate a mental reset. The first standing stage will be deliberate, trying to avoid the penalty loop. The last standing stage likely determines the podium; a confident standing shooter like Laegreid and Perrot or Vittozzi and Jeanmonnot might be the ones to watch.

Get ready for some fun, fast fascinating competitions this weekend! The main course arrives on November 29!

Photos: IBU/ Archive, Nordic Focus