It's Christmas! The Biathlon World Cup takes a well-deserved rest but not before host Lizzie Boyle reviews the weekend's racing in Annecy Le Grand Bornand (which was fantastic!!) and takes you through the first ever Great Big Ski Shoot Repeat Biathlon Quiz! Time to show what you know! 33 questions to sort out the nerds from the newbies... Quiz starts at around 9 mins 30, and the answers at around 19 mins, but please do listen to the rest too! And no cheating but you can find a transcript, with all the questions and answers at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XukzEGKyKGoB_-DFT0LMz7BVEPc_0g92/view?usp=sharing 

From Egyptian friezes to Roman stadia to Medieval jousting to a very determined man named George: the history of sport is all about the crowd. As we prepare for the amazing Biathlon World Cup atmosphere of Annecy Le Grand Bornand this week, host Lizzie Boyle takes you on a historical tour of the sporting audience. We'll also have biathlon updates and news, and a favourite Ski Shoot Repeat recipe!! You can find a transcript of this episode at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y0VNJA8GGILq-sTN2BtAjZNM4X_cRmbC/view?usp=sharing 

Join your host Lizzie Boyle for a look back at a week of biathlon surprises in Ostersund, a deep dive into the fine art of succession planning, a journey into the brutal history of Danish royalty and a trip to the Estonian Fun Party House... Buckle up, there's a LOT this week! As always, you can find a transcript of this episode at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FE05SJ5kplprNKbZaynmNNDh--rnt3ar/view?usp=sharing  

The first weekend of the Biathlon World Cup season has happened!! It's time to overreact to what we saw! In this episode, we review the racing from Ostersund and take a look at the maths and pyschology of why we overreact - espeically at the start of a season. You'll also meet a very special octopus. You can find a transcript to this episode with links and music credits at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zg2_Ru1f4Twm8pZ9fi93QfDkq8MNuKhJ/view?usp=sharing 

Welcome back! It's time to join host Lizzie Boyle to preview the Biathlon World Cup season. This episode includes an introduction to this amazing sport, the wise words of a mountain-climbing philosopher and an incredible psychologist, a journey into the the 'flow state' and a trip to a nation you never knew existed...  You can find a transcript of this episode at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YsdmtJaVwQLd5BJ_mjFqarySVCW1Hl24/view?usp=sharing 

A look back at the life of Laura Dalhmeier, who passed away last week at the age of just 31. Biathlete, mountaineer, adventurer, broadcaster, author, daughter, sister, friend - she meant so much to so many people. This is just a small tribute from one podcast to our lost champion. You can find a transcript with links and further info at https://drive.google.com/file/d/10ds3l9xLx6wUlAh0Llw-_ptn6s_sekSR/view?usp=sharing

Home from Oslo, and here is the first episode recapping what we saw. We start with the duel between Franziska Preuss and Lou Jeanmonnot, featuring Germanic tribes, members of the French National Assembly, petticoats, a small child, yacht rock and your host, Lizzie Boyle, crying. Twice. It's a journey... You can find a transcript at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ULCyaJvNpyTy6JX1GPskjuh9bA8G5rZO/view?usp=sharing

In this episode, host Lizzie Boyle explores what gives us that feeling of satisfaction when we get to the end of a good story - what makes us feel that the story has turned out just the way it should? We'll also hear some wonderful, surprising and satisfying stories from Nove Mesto and Pokljuka and look ahead to the conclusion of this year's World Cup season in Oslo. You can find a transcript of this episode at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X9RA8HYlTAy85LF025NQcTJ2hwBib-wb/view?usp=sharing

In this episode, Lizzie Boyle addresses the meaning of life, the universe and everything by way of a recap of the second week of World Championship biathlon from Lenzerheide, and some surprisingly thoughtful sports stars... You can find a transcript of this episode at https://drive.google.com/file/d/12WmK_zx1Y6v453_DdKegzdhLun7dkgxn/view?usp=sharing

Midway through the Biathlon World Championships from Lenzerheide, host Lizzie Boyle takes a breath and reflects on five amazing races, celebrating the Greatest of All Time and the New Kids on the Block. We also have detours into a couple of other sports, all connected to one very special, very southern nation... You can find a transcript of this episode at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fYgs9UhuqH3IVH-kuz2EbM9GL3KzbmrW/view?usp=sharing

Join host Lizzie Boyle on an epic journey through three hundred million years of history, all bringing us to the small town of Lenzerheide in the Swiss Alps for this year's Biathlon World Championships. We've got a preview of the Championships, a look back at the racing from Antholz and a peek behind the curtain at a very unusual bar... You can find a transcript of this episode at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T6QBuZIGRElwQSSgPPA6eh5aErJKOEBI/view?usp=sharing

In this episode, we look back on an exciting week's biathlon from Ruhpolding - with some surprise results all round - and reflect on the art of knowing when to quit. We'll hear about a farewell tour that took 23 years, a swimming career that lasted even longer and the news that Johannes Thingnes Boe is hanging up his skis and rifle at the end of this season. You can find a transcript of this episde at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e35v1BCF_VSE9LLk4zByeCCozHdOiPuM/view?usp=sharing

In this episode, host Lizzie Boyle explores what turns sporting competition into a true rivalry, with stories from baseball and chariot racing (of course!) and a little psychology thrown in. There's also a look back at a great weekend in Oberhof and a look ahead to racing from Ruhpolding. You can find a transcript of this episode at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1888_TiwNRoe9CSSijKYoews2APTS9ncd/view?usp=sharing

There's some sensible stuff in this episode - a review of Annecy, a look ahead to Oberhof - but it's mostly a bunch of people drinking cocktails and making up new rules for biathlon. Happy New Year, everyone! In case you'd like to know more, there's a transcript at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RWB6iX5aOjRvoLJf7wpgQYsdfNap17ug/view?usp=sharing

In this episode, host Lizzie Boyle takes a deep-dive into one of those little things that form part of the sportig landscape but which we often forget are there. Yep, it's the concise history of the sporting bib... Why are they the way they are? What do they tell us? And how did a sporting bib lead to a mysterious disappearance at the New York Marathon? Plus a review of everything that happened in Hochfilzen, including a celebration of Bibs 11 and 18 in the Relays! You can find a transcript at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vnjJmmEjLb29juzkTXElTSeT9Bdz2LMg/view?usp=sharing

In this episode, host Lizzie Boyle takes you on a journey through 2500 years of the history of snow - from Chinese scholars, to European philosophers and the latest in snow science research. There's also a review of the racing from Kontiolahti, shoutouts for Tadej Pogacar and Taylor Swift, and a very, very bad attempt to speak Finnish... You can download a transcript of this episode from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F5KoMvrxt4B7wKTqCTFNS0uBxj9NFjQB/view?usp=sharing

The World Cup Biathlon season has begun! In this episode, Lizzie Boyle looks back at a busy weekend of relays and contemplates the culture of sports. This may be the only podcast episode this year that features both the philosopher Jean Baudrillard and the Loch Ness Monster... You can find a transcript of this episode at the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rINmEcABJwkjqQvJNtEV-59_1x0MbeUB/view?usp=sharing There's not as much incidental music this episode, mainly due to time constraints in publishing it before racing resumes tomorrow :-)

The 2024/25 Biathlon World Cup season starts in a few days' time! In this episode, host Lizzie Boyle gets ready for the upcoming season and dives into the geography of sport: how landscapes, borders, climate, nations and people shape the world of sport and how sport in turn shapes the world around it. There's also a touch of Karelian folklore and an unexpected shoutout to the Finnish tango scene...   You can find a transcript of this episode at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mGrKXXs0_RDt2OaITClkPsxVsn90qVcM/view?usp=drive_link

As we gear up for Paris 2024, host Lizzie Boyle takes you back in time to tell the story of biathlon at the Olympics, from Military Patrol in 1924, through the debuts of men's, para and women's events, before a watch-along commentary on the incredible Men's Mass Start from Sochi 2014. The video for this episode is at https://tinyurl.com/massstart2014 (links to Olympics.com, login required, free). You can find a transcript of this episode at https://drive.google.com/file/d/14WBvEhqi56jFrSnnQNmwVlEP7dim7-I5/view?usp=sharing

Why do we remember some things and forget others? In this episode, Lizzie Boyle wanders through the halls of the mind, exploring how we form, store and retrieve memories and visiting philosophy, pyschology and literature. All to set the scene for a review of Germany's World Cup Biathlon season because, basically, she forgot to mention them last time... You can find a transcript at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zz_KLHoEqkTMVYdl2vlQSLUo6F5vyxK5/view?usp=sharing