No llores, mi querida

Tuesday just became a good day to be at work or in class - today's women's biathlon relay will not include my favorite biathlete Magdalena Neuner. She withdrew citing fatigue, raising concerns that this will be her last picture on the blog.
The only other medal contested before 5 PM is speed skating's Men's 10,000, one of the toughest physical tests of the Olympics and also one of the toughest to watch on TV - consisting of two guys skating around a track 25 times.

11 AM PST - Speed Skating
The men's 10,000, the longest skating event at the Olympics, should be dominated by the Netherlands (Ellis Kunka/Cornballers). Sven Kramer, the current world record holder, has won three consecutive World Championships in the 10,000 and is my pick for gold. Kramer's world record is 12 seconds ahead of the best time of any other competitor, but he finished only seventh at Turin. If he falters again, Bob De Jong, my pick for silver, should win gold for the Dutch team anyway. De Jong won gold at Turin in this event and has three career world championships.

Another strong skater is Havard Bokko of Norway (undrafted), who narrowly lost this event at the 2009 World Championships. But my pick for bronze is American Chad Hedrick (Zach Chromiak/Banker's Club), racing in what is probably the penultimate Olympic race of his career. Hedrick won silver at Turin and holds the American record in the 10,000.
11:30 AM PST - Biathlon
Rock and roll went on after the Beatles broke up, and boxing continued after Ali retired. OK, that second part was false. Anyway, the women's biathlon will go on without Magdalena Neuner.

Each of four players on a team must ski six kilometers and shoot twice, once prone and once standing. The top two teams are Germany (Adam Claus/Ice Lugers) and Russia (Joy Sadaly/Olympic Ring Worm Wood Stock Market District Attorney). Germany won the gold at Salt Lake City but settled for bronze at Turin. Russia is the defending gold medalist and current world champion, but Germany won the 2007 and 2008 championships. Also Magdalena Neuner's withdrawal brings both teams down to zero athletes I have heard of.

My pick is Russia for gold and Germany for silver. I just can't see a team winning an event without putting their best four athletes out there. France (Zach Chromiak/Banker's Club) took third at the 2008 and 2009 World Championships and is my pick to finish third again. Sweden is a good bet to take another aluminum medal for Dave Spence's Paragons.