Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Biathletes Meet Strict Gun Control in Sochi
The Wall Steet Journal ^ | February 10, 2014 | Brian Costa

Posted on 02/11/2014 11:16:39 AM PST by 1rudeboy

SOCHI, Russia—The most carefully guarded sporting equipment in the Winter Olympics lies behind the door of a sealed-off corridor in a stadium near the upper reaches of the Caucasus Mountains. It is monitored at all hours by security guards who open the door only for its owners. And even then, they need personalized keys to retrieve it from their lockers. For biathletes, the security measures are just one more reminder: It isn't easy getting your equipment around the Olympics when your equipment includes a .22-caliber rifle.

Only the biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing with target shooting, requires athletes to carry firearms on their backs. And while many countries allow biathletes to take their rifles back to their hotel rooms, Russia has stricter rules.

When biathletes arrived in Sochi, their rifles were taken off their planes and delivered directly to the biathlon venue, which is the only place they can access them. Biathletes must sign out their rifles when they arrive and sign them back in before they leave. Every box of ammunition must also be signed out and accounted for.

The measures are similar to those used at previous Olympics, and Russia isn't the only country with such tight controls. But it is among the strictest. "There aren't a lot of other countries like that," said U.S. biathlete Sara Studebaker.

For American biathletes in particular, it represents a stark change from what they are accustomed to at home

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-79 last
To: C19fan
I wish they used a real military bolt action rifle instead of those fancy looking ones with such low power round.

What do you think the cost differential would be between a military rifle's cartridge and a .22 considering the tens of thousands of rounds they likely go thru in a year of practice?

It ain't a cheap sport to begin with.......

61 posted on 02/11/2014 2:12:07 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (I think I've lost my mojo.....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Delmarksman
Bi-athalon? Will Michael Sam be there?

No, he shoots at his own team.

62 posted on 02/11/2014 2:24:33 PM PST by Defiant (Let the Tea Party win, and we will declare peace on the American people and go home.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: smoothsailing
That was obvious last night. Maybe that's why he downed a shot of vodka on camera during the late-night portion.

-PJ

63 posted on 02/11/2014 2:26:41 PM PST by Political Junkie Too (If you are the Posterity of We the People, then you are a Natural Born Citizen.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: TYVets
Team Bollinger Qualifies - US National Anvil Shooting competition.
64 posted on 02/11/2014 2:48:22 PM PST by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: NorthMountain

“10mm Thompson” - I like the sound of that!!!

There was an episode of “Sons of Guns” a while back, where a Sheriff brought in a semi-auto Thompson (complete with violin case and all) that he’d received as a gift.

He wanted it turned into something useful, so he had Will Hayden and Co. upgrade it to full auto and modernized it with polymer stock, grips, and Picatinny HELL “all over da place”.

Let me tell you something: It looked positively BADASS when they got done with it. It looked like something just off the assembly at FN or Armalite, and after they worked the bugs out of it, it ran flawlessly.

Love that show. Miss it.


65 posted on 02/11/2014 3:29:44 PM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: OldMissileer

Barretts in the Snow... Dude... You just became one of my FAVORITE Freepers!!! HAHA!!

Can you imagine those kids cross-country skiing with a frigging Barrett on their backs...

Be one Hell of a shooting contest though, wouldn’t it...?

I like it!


66 posted on 02/11/2014 3:39:28 PM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: Hot Tabasco; C19fan

“...It ain’t a cheap sport to begin with.......”

Tabasco, consider that it wasn’t always this expensive, and considering that we didn’t have an asswipe administration intentionally driving up the ammo prices.

I remember days at the range where I’d go through 200 rounds of surplus .30-06 on the Garand, another hundred or so on the M14, and another hundred of 9mm and .45 in the handguns. Scads of Russian 7.62x39 and 7.62x54R as well.

Right now, yeah, it’s not feasible to blow through your stash when there’s a distinct probability of needing it.

.22 is definitely cheaper to practice with. But again, you’re probably a shooter, so you know it wasn’t always this bad.

And even .22 is up there now as well.


67 posted on 02/11/2014 3:46:02 PM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: NFHale
Tabasco, consider that it wasn’t always this expensive,

I'm fully aware of that so you're preaching to the choir.........

68 posted on 02/11/2014 3:57:21 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (I think I've lost my mojo.....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: Hot Tabasco

Didn’t mean to come off that way.


69 posted on 02/11/2014 4:04:24 PM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: NFHale

>>Simho Haya, using an M39 Mosin variant.

Here’s a nice summary of his work against the Soviets in the Winter War. No wonder the Soviets are nervous about Winter bi-athletes being armed.

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/hayha.html


70 posted on 02/11/2014 4:06:00 PM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: FreedomPoster

“...Here’s a nice summary of his work against the Soviets...”

Haha... sounds like a resume and he’s applying for a job!!! Excellent.

He really cleaned house on the commie POSs.


71 posted on 02/11/2014 4:10:58 PM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]

To: MeganC

I watched the women’s biathlon, Sunday afternoon. They covered quite a bit of it and they showed the American, Dunklee. It was pretty exciting for a bunch of people just skiing around and shooting at tiny targets. But the discipline of them controlling their breathing to hit those tiny targets was really impressive.


72 posted on 02/11/2014 4:16:58 PM PST by rabidralph
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: NFHale
Didn’t mean to come off that way.

I know and neither did I......sorry

73 posted on 02/11/2014 4:27:07 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (I think I've lost my mojo.....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 69 | View Replies]

To: Hot Tabasco

03’s On Skis...

It has a nice ring to it, though...


74 posted on 02/11/2014 4:31:24 PM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: NFHale

Lug a Barrett around with 50 rounds or so of 50 BMG. Now that would be an endurance sport! I you finish that you really have a right to brag.


75 posted on 02/11/2014 7:34:36 PM PST by OldMissileer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: OldMissileer

Or how about the old Boys’ Antitank Rifle?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlJD0pZp4eQ
Disney helps the war effort...


76 posted on 02/12/2014 5:49:26 AM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: wku man; Marcella; Windflier; DuncanWaring; Kartographer; bobby.223; Old Sarge; OldPossum; ...

Hey Dawg Pound;

Check out this amazing WWII training video from Disney when you get a chance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlJD0pZp4eQ
Disney Stop That Tank

Demonstrating the PROPER use of the Boys Antitank Rifle (precursor to the Barrett .50 BMG) in cartoon format.

For reference, track back through the thread for the genesis of this excellent discussion... It all started with .22 caliber rifles...

Enjoy!


77 posted on 02/12/2014 6:08:28 AM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: NFHale
It's very sad how far Disney has strayed down the cowardly CommieLib path. This is the kind of stuff they need to be showing on the Disney Channel!

Woof, woof!

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

78 posted on 02/12/2014 11:39:54 AM PST by wku man (We are the 53%! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUXN0GDuLN4)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

To: wku man

Yeah, they got infiltrated and sucked in like almost everything else.

One battle in a longer war, brother. You don’t get VJ Day on the USS Missouri without Pearl Harbor first... nor VE Day without the Ardennes...

Hell with ‘em all.

Woof woof indeed!


79 posted on 02/12/2014 11:43:55 AM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-79 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson