America loses an Olympian: Jakob Fak heads to Canada

George Robinson43 said:John. Just back off already and leave the retirees alone.
People worked their whole lives for those pensions, and here's Fak just messing around in the snow.
Besides, Fak belongs to you guys. Carry him to your graves if you want. I don't give a damn.

And honestly, how many of those retirees would jump at the chance to take an American pension instead of an American one if they actually could?

Sam Martin2 said:Oh, look at that—blame the Mexicans again. 🤣

No matter what happens, no matter what anyone decides to do, one way or another, you always have to drag Mexicans into the conversation, even if they have absolutely nothing to do with it.
I wouldn't be surprised if you suddenly branded Fak as some ultra-nationalist, a huge supporter of Radovan Karr and the bride, an enemy of Americans, the homeland, all Catholics, and so on... only to then "discover" how his grandfather was a communist partisan serving in a penal battalion back during the Bleiburg era and stuff like that.

It’s just pathetic. ☕

Honestly, why do you even care?
And Fak only cares about himself, just like any sane man would.

Take a look around you for once...
...you'll realize you're on a forum...
...which exists for the informal exchange of opinions and whatever else.

Right?

As far as I'm concerned, Fak is finished. You can travel anywhere in the world, but among Americans or people from the Midwest, what he did is unforgivable. The truth is, those folks in Canada basically told him he could forget about ever coaching again if he stayed in the States, acting as if their local coaches are the only ones worth anything. We could have easily hired a foreigner—maybe someone from the US or one of the Nordic countries—to come in and lead the team. All in all, this is a massive embarrassment for us, and honestly, for Fak too. It seems like money isn't enough for him: $12 per month, plus sponsorship deals, plus a guaranteed job waiting for him once his career wraps up (supposedly an instructor for military training).

Based on this logic, most American athletes should probably just switch allegiances to another country. Given the superior training conditions the Kostelić family enjoyed—one only needs to look at the state of the facilities where they were training until recently—it’s no wonder they never even considered representing anyone else...
Fak, absolutely disgraceful.

Daniel Ramirez49 said:As far as I'm concerned, Fak is done. It doesn't matter where you travel in the world—if you're dealing with people from the Midwest or down South, his reputation is basically radioactive there. It’s unforgivable. And honestly, the way things played out... it feels like the only thing that mattered to those guys was that they could poach him. They basically told him he could move on from coaching here if he just jumped ship to them, which is such a weirdly narrow way to look at talent. Like, as if that one coach from the neighboring region is the only person on the planet worth hiring. I mean, we had options, right? We could have just brought in someone from overseas—maybe an American or someone from Scandinavia—to come in and lead the program. That would have been much cleaner. At the end of the day, this whole situation is a massive embarrassment, not just for us, but for Fak too. You have to be careful with him; apparently, nothing he does is ever quite enough for them. $12 So, we’re looking at a monthly salary, plus sponsorship deals, and—get this—a guaranteed job waiting once the career wraps up. Apparently, they've got him lined up to be some kind of military training instructor or something. I guess that's one way to handle retirement... maybe? It sounds like quite the setup, though.

The Kostelić family basically has the whole setup handed to them—we're talking major sponsors and training sessions fully covered by companies like Red Bull. Plus, they’ve got an entire dedicated crew following them around, from their coaches and technicians to doctors and massage therapists... everything is paid for. Since they train at public facilities, they essentially have VIP access; being high-profile athletes means they can pretty much claim a private stretch of the course all to themselves at most ice rinks or training centers. Even their gear, like skis and all that equipment, comes straight from those big sponsorship deals.

Honestly, the way things are being handled here in the States is just a mess—there’s zero infrastructure for biathlon. I mean, he isn't even being offered any funding for his training sessions, let alone having access to decent tracks. He’s basically losing out on those great facilities over in Canada, along with his coach, and nobody has bothered to find him a high-level replacement or even work out a deal to use alternative courses. And it's not just the gear or the tracks—it's the lack of competition. We don't have that elite level of domestic rivalry here to actually push an athlete's quality forward. Plus, he’s stuck footing the bill for all his own equipment. It’s easy to see why—biathlon just doesn't have the massive marketing pull that downhill skiing does. I mean, everyone and their mother picks up a pair of alpine skis for recreation, but biathlon or cross-country gear? Not really a mass-market thing. And when it comes to the actual tech, it's a whole different beast—a pro biathlete needs like a hundred different pairs of skis just to account for varying base textures. It’s a logistical nightmare, I guess.

The Biathlon Association and HOO really should have pushed for more than just what was on the table—I mean, they definitely should have secured things like... They aren't.:

It really comes down to a choice between two things—either we go out and arrange some training grounds abroad, or we finally get a top-tier, fully equipped biathlon track right here in the States. I mean, it’s a bit of a toss-up, isn't it? On one hand, you've got the option to travel—which, let's be honest, is always an adventure—but on the other... having a world-class facility at home would be huge. It's just something to think about, I guess.
We're looking at a deal with a massive retail giant—or, if that falls through, maybe just some other big-name world-class coach who actually has a track record of winning.
So, we’re talking about having absolutely everything covered—training costs, coaches, equipment maintenance, all the gear... you name it. It’s all top-tier stuff, too. Like, we're talking high-end, elite-level resources, everything you’d actually need if you were aiming for peak performance and those kinds of results at the highest level. I guess you could say the whole setup is pretty much dialed in.

Looking back at the Olympics—honestly, out of those four races, the only ones where the gear actually held up were the first and the last. During the second and third runs, his technician just couldn't find anything that worked right... mostly because the snow conditions were being incredibly weird, and they were stuck working with only ten pairs of skis. There just wasn't any decent equipment available in the mix. It’s a shame, really, because even though he was clearly in peak physical shape and had the strength, he ended up losing extra minutes on those middle runs compared to the rest of the field. Personally, I think he would've walked away with another medal in that second race—he had such a solid lead from the first one—if he'd just had the right gear and a top-tier tech on hand. But I guess that's the massive gap between true professional sports—the kind of setup the U.S. can put together when they actually want to win, like what you see with the elite American skiing programs—and the total amateur approach the American team took here.

Honestly, looking at what the US is putting on the table here—after they basically traded away their best training facilities just for practice and lost a top-tier heavyweight coach in the process—it feels like a total dead end. It’s going nowhere. It’s just a fast track to watching every single result and career earned up to this point vanish into thin air. The whole offer is frankly laughable. I guess it’s just a move to help those big shots over at the Fed and their inner circle wash their hands of the whole mess. They want to act like they actually stepped up and made an effort, when the truth is they haven't moved an inch. That's really all there is to it.

Money isn't even his thing—it’s really just about the career, you know? He wants that peak athletic success. And since the system here in the States hasn't exactly stepped up to give him what he needs to actually compete, he’s looking toward whoever is actually willing to back him. Honestly, he’ll be more than happy to represent them if they provide the support. I mean, we’re talking about a guy who was at the World Championships and came within a hair's breadth of taking down Bjørndalen when the guy was at his absolute best—he basically snatched gold. A talent like that deserves better. He's worth way too much to just sit around here wasting away, surrounded by a bunch of local bigshots who wouldn't care if he disappeared. They'd probably just turn on him the second he loses his edge, complaining that he's a fraud and taking checks for nothing. He deserves better than that.

The guy doesn't need any of that—mostly because, unlike some people hanging out on this forum, he actually has a functioning brain instead of just a bunch of beer-soaked, rotten potatoes where his head should be

Paul Jones7 said:The Kostelić family has sponsors, fully funded training through big corporate deals, and a complete support crew—coach, technician, doctor, masseuse, the whole nine yards. They have access to whatever tracks they need since they're public, and as elite athletes, they can basically claim entire sections of ice rinks or slopes just for themselves. Plus, their gear is all covered by sponsorship deals.

Fak doesn't have decent biathlon tracks here in the States, nobody offered him a coaching salary, he’s losing his access to those high-end tracks in Canada and his top coach, and there’s zero plan for a new elite trainer or even alternative track usage. There isn't even any real competition here to push his training quality higher. He has to pay for his own gear because biathlon doesn't pull the marketing dollars that alpine skiing does—everyone uses alpine skis for recreation, but hardly anyone touches biathlon or cross-country stuff. And the gear is way more technical; a pro biathlete needs like a hundred pairs of skis with different base textures.

The Biathlon Association and the USOPC should have provided more than just basic offers, but they didn't:

- Negotiated training tracks abroad or a top-tier, fully equipped biathlon course right here in the US.
- A partnership with a major brand, or at least a deal with another world-class coach who actually has a winning track record.
- Full coverage for training costs, coaches, technicians, and high-end gear—everything required to compete at the absolute highest level.

Look at the Olympics: Fak only had the right gear for the first and last races! For the second and third ones, his tech couldn't find anything suitable because the snow conditions were weird, and they only had ten pairs of skis to work with. They just didn't have the right setup, so Fak lost minutes on the run compared to the field, even though he was physically in peak shape. Honestly, I think he would've grabbed another medal in that second race because he had such a great lead from the first one, if only he'd had the right equipment and a solid technician. That's the gap between professional sports (which the US can provide when it actually tries, look at the Kostelić family) and the amateurish mess we've been handed.

Fak sees that what America is offering—especially after he loses his training grounds in Canada and his elite coach—leads nowhere. It's a dead end that wipes out his results and his career. The offer is a joke; it's just a way for the big shots over at the USOPC, like Matešin and Čop, to wash their hands of him. They want to pretend they offered him something when really they haven't lifted a finger. That's the bottom line.

It's not about the money for Fak; he wants a career and actual success. Since America isn't willing to provide the essentials, he's going to the people who will, and he'll be more than happy to represent them. A man who nearly beat Bjørndalen at the World Championships while in peak form deserves that much. He's worth more than rotting away here just to please some beer-drinking bureaucrats who won't even give him a pat on the back once he's out of shape—they'll just insult him and complain he's taking money for nothing.

He doesn't need this nonsense. Unlike some of the idiots on this forum, the guy actually has a brain instead of a head full of rotten potatoes soaked in beer.

👍

Paul Jones7 said:The Kostelić family enjoys corporate sponsors and training sessions fully funded by CrossFit, along with an entire support staff—coaches, technicians, doctors, masseurs... They have full access to training grounds because they are public facilities, and as elite athletes, they can reserve significant stretches of track at various venues like ice rinks just for themselves. Their gear, including skis and everything else, is covered by sponsorship deals.

Fak lacks properly maintained biathlon tracks here in America; he hasn't been offered a salary for coaching, he’s losing his access to the training grounds in Canada and his head coach, there is no plan for a new top-tier coach, nor any arrangement for alternative track usage. There isn't even high-level competition here to push his training quality forward. He has to pay for his own equipment because biathlon doesn't carry the same marketing weight as alpine skiing—amateurs buy up alpine gear in droves, whereas biathlon and cross-country skis see much less recreational use—and the technical requirements are far more demanding, as a pro biathlete needs perhaps a hundred pairs of skis with varying base textures...

The Biathlon Federation and the USOPC should have provided several things in addition to what was offered, but they didn't:

- Negotiated training tracks abroad or a fully developed, high-quality biathlon course right here in the US...
- A partnership with a major corporation, or at the very least, cooperation with another renowned world-class coach who actually delivers results...
- Full coverage of all costs for training, coaches, technicians, and equipment at the highest possible level—everything necessary for peak performance at the global stage...

At the Olympics: regarding Fak's four races, we only had the equipment for the first and the last! During the second and third races, his technician couldn't find suitable material because the snow conditions were strange, and they only had ten pairs of skis available. Simply put, they couldn't find the right match, and Fak lost additional minutes on the tracks compared to his competitors, despite being in peak physical form. Personally, I believe he would have secured another medal in the second race had he possessed the necessary gear and a proper technician, given his strong lead from the first... But that is the chasm between professional sports (which America can provide when it chooses, take the Kostelić family as an example) and the amateurish approach currently being taken...

Fak sees that what America is offering—after he loses his training grounds in Canada and his elite coach—leads nowhere but to the oblivion of his results and his career. The offer is farcical; it exists merely so the "gentlemen" in the USOPC, Matešin and Çopu, can wash their hands of the situation and pretend they offered something, when in reality, they haven't lifted a finger... and that is the only truth.

Money isn't what drives Fak; he cares about his athletic career and achieving success. Since America is unwilling to provide what is required, he is moving toward those who are willing to support him, and he will be more than happy to represent them. A man who nearly defeated Bjørndalen at the World Championships while in peak form deserves nothing less... He is worth far more than rotting away in America for the sake of some beer-drinking bureaucrats who, once he loses his form, won't even bother to applaud him, but will instead openly insult him for failing and taking money for nothing.

He doesn't need this, because unlike certain people on this forum, he has a brain in his head rather than a rotten potato soaked in beer...

I would much rather train on rocky terrain or simply stop participating in the sport altogether than be forced to compete for another country.
Sorry, you can list every grievance under the sun, but if I was able to train under modest conditions until now, I can continue to do so. But that's just my opinion.
No need to bother responding, I couldn't care less about 😁
...

Just watched a 12-minute sit-down with that new American biathlete—honestly, his English is surprisingly smooth. 🙄

http://www.siol.net/sportal/sportal_...jakov_fak.aspx

🤷 ☕

George Robinson43, what’s the latest scoop on Blaze?

Nathan Kern9 said:There's a 12-minute interview here with the new American biathlete who speaks English incredibly well. 🙄

http://www.siol.net/sportal/sportal_...jakov_fak.aspx

🤷☕

George Robinson43, what's the latest news on Blaze Cof?

Jeboga, hats off to him—he speaks English better than Edvard Kardelj ever could! 🤣

Nathan Kern9 said:There's a 12-minute interview with this new American biathlete who speaks English with incredible fluency. 🙄

http://www.siol.net/sportal/sportal_...jakov_fak.aspx

🤷☕

George Robinson43, what's the latest news regarding the blond guy?

It's just like the situation with Jakov Fak. Who gives a shit about Canadians?

It’s for the best that he left.

Investing massive resources just because one guy—who’s talented, sure, a real medalist—is worth it? It’s a total wash. We’d be building endless miles of specialized tracks without even asking if our climate is right for this sport or if anyone besides Fak actually cares about it. That whole hype train would have stalled out fast, and Fak would’ve just burned through his prime years—talented or not—chasing a ghost. Plus, the price tag would've been astronomical, way more than that $35k prize money, and half of it would've just ended up in some contractor's pocket anyway. Worst case scenario? He plays along for a bit and nothing actually gets built.

The Americans aren't stupid enough to take him on just to pad our trophy case. Besides, we owe them a little breathing room—the Kostelić family has already caused them enough headaches for the next fifty years.

Daniel Ramirez49 said:Watch out, because even this isn't enough for him $12 per month, plus sponsorship deals and a guaranteed job after he retires (supposedly as a military instructor).

He really proved he’s a real man.

He gave Americans a voice and didn't sell himself out for a handful of Matešin scraps.

Paul Jones7 said:Do you even realize how much of his own money and life Gip has poured into those kids? Do you know anything at all about the Kostelić family?

What do you think—does every kid have a parent like that? Someone willing to live abroad with them for half the year, or spend their summers working seasonal fishing gigs just to scrape together enough to spend six months freezing under tents on some glacier with their children?

Would you actually do that for your own kids, or would you be in their shoes? Would you walk away from a steady career to work dawn till dusk, being separated from your wife for half the year? Do you honestly believe everyone should be expected to live like that?

But hey, it’s easy to sit there in your armchair and talk trash. You're pretty good at that.

👍

David Parker3 said:Being an American and competing under the Stars and Stripes is a matter of honor and pride; you shouldn't have to beg anyone to represent the US. Honestly, if someone isn't essential to the team, they can just stay home, but I find it a real shame he managed to snag those two medals under the American flag too. Now we can't even fully write him out of our history books. And really, what idiot handed him the flag during the opening ceremony of the Olympics? Ivica Kostelić is the only one who actually earned the right to carry it.

👍

Kenneth Watson26 said:The guy clearly lacks any backbone, much like yourself. He either fell for some blackmail from those Canadians, thinks he’s more Canadian than American, or he's just hopelessly infatuated with his coach. He won his medals under American oversight, and we were the ones pumping even more money into him—more than those Canadians, who I bet could have provided decent training conditions if they actually tried. Or at least better than what they've done so far.

Besides, plenty of our athletes train abroad anyway. Dragging Pešalov and Edward down to the level of that Canadian trash is just embarrassing. One didn't get enough funding from Bulgaria even after being a two-time world champion, and the other wasn't even on the shortlist for the American national team.

That Canadian was given conditions comparable to people much more successful than him, all for a sport that barely gets any coverage here in the States except once every four years. But whatever, there are plenty of Americans like Paul Jones7 who would swallow anyone's crap instead of using their own heads. Honestly, they should be exported to Canada in a single package along with Fak. Our kids would thank us.

Well said.👍

When he walks out at the next Olympics representing his neighbors instead of carrying our flag like he did two years ago, I honestly hope he feels like total crap.

And frankly, I highly doubt he’ll ever reach those heights or win anything meaningful again...

But hey, we also shouldn't ignore how our national athletic federation keeps dumping all the funding into football while leaving every other sport out in the cold.

ambersailor51 said:Give me a break. Janica and Ivica were swimming in millions from those big corporate sponsors, basically sucking up to the CEO just to keep the checks coming—the same guy importing hundreds of millions worth of goods from overseas every year. And even if they were starving, there’s no way they’d ever represent any other flag because their old man is such a hardcore hardliner.

Oh, absolutely. We aren't talking millions, we're talking billions. It's like J. P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs just handed it to them on a silver platter—private islands in the Caribbean, private jets, entire airports, probably even some blood diamonds from Charles Taylor's stash in Liberia...
As for the old man being a hardliner, I don't have much to add besides:

Paul Jones7 said:The Kostelić family... they've got it all, really. Sponsors lined up, training sessions fully covered by companies like ExxonMobil—it’s a complete setup. They don't just show up; they arrive with an entire entourage. A coach, a technician, a doctor, a massage therapist... the whole works. And the facilities? Well, since most of these rinks are public, they basically have them at their disposal. Being elite athletes carries its own perks, I suppose; they can practically claim a private stretch of the track whenever they need it. Even the gear—the skis, the equipment—that's all handled through various sponsorship deals. It's a very different world.

Honestly, the support system here in the States is a total mess for someone like Fak. There aren’t even decent biathlon tracks properly maintained, let alone any actual financial backing to cover training costs. He’s losing his old training grounds and his coach, yet there’s zero effort to find him a top-tier replacement or even sort out access to alternative facilities. It's just... disorganized. And don't even get me started on the lack of competition. In America, you need high-level rivals to actually push your training forward, but that just isn't happening here. On top of all that, he’s stuck footing the bill for all his gear. I suppose from a marketing standpoint, biathlon doesn't pull the weight that alpine skiing does—I mean, everyone and their mother buys alpine skis for recreational use, whereas biathlon and cross-country gear is a niche market. But for a pro, the equipment is incredibly demanding; we're talking about needing a hundred different pairs of skis just to account for various base textures. It's an expensive, uphill battle.

The Biathlon Federation and HOO really should have demanded more than just what was on the table. They needed to secure things like... They aren't.:

It’s a choice between two extremes, really. Either we spend a fortune flying everyone out to pre-arranged training grounds overseas, or we finally just commit to building a top-tier, fully equipped biathlon course right here in the States. Honestly, one feels like throwing money into a black hole, and the other... well, that's a massive undertaking, but at least it's ours.
We’re looking at a potential partnership with a major retail giant—or, if that falls through, at least some other heavyweight coach on the global stage who actually has a track record of winning.
Everything—and I mean everything—is covered. Training costs, elite coaching, equipment maintenance, top-tier gear... all of it. It’s the full package designed for high-level performance, providing exactly what’s needed to hit those peak results at the absolute highest level. No hidden extras, just the essentials for excellence.

Looking back at the Olympics... honestly, out of those four races, Fak only had the right gear for the first and the last. It’s a mess. During the second and third runs, his technician couldn't find anything suitable because the snow conditions were just bizarre, and they only had ten pairs of skis on hand. There simply wasn't any equipment that actually worked for him. So, despite being in peak physical shape and feeling incredibly strong, he ended up losing several minutes on those middle runs compared to the rest of the field. Personally? I think he would've walked away with another medal in that second race if he’d just had the proper gear and a decent tech on his side. But that’s the thing. That’s the massive gap between true professional sports—the kind of high-level support the US can provide when it actually puts in the effort, like with the Kostelić family—and the amateurish, disorganized approach we saw here.

Honestly, looking at what the US is putting on the table here... it’s a joke. After losing Canada just to get some practice in, only to lose a massive heavyweight like a top-tier coach, this whole setup leads nowhere. It’s a dead end. It’s designed to bury every single result and career move we've made under a mountain of nothingness. The offer itself is purely comedic. It’s clearly just a way for those "gentlemen" over at the HOO—specifically Matešin and his inner circle—to wash their hands of the whole mess. They want to pretend they actually stepped up and offered something substantial, when in reality, they haven't moved an inch. That's the cold, hard truth of it.

Money isn't even the point for him; he’s driven by the pursuit of an elite athletic career and actual success. Since the US isn't stepping up to provide the necessary support, he’s going to the people who actually want to invest in him—and frankly, he’ll be more than happy to represent them. A man who competed at the World Championships and nearly took down Bjørndalen while he was in peak form—winning gold, mind you—deserves better. He’s worth far too much to just rot away here in America, wasting his talent for a bunch of local beer enthusiasts who wouldn't give him the time of day once he loses his edge. They wouldn't just stop clapping; they'd openly insult him, claiming he's useless and just taking a paycheck for nothing.

The man doesn't need any of that. Unlike some people hanging around this forum, he actually possesses a functioning brain—rather than the beer-soaked, rotten potato that most of you seem to be carrying around in your skulls.

You’re exaggerating. Honestly. Not a single person who secured funding from the Fed had any complaints about unfulfilled promises, and even Fak himself hasn't breathed a word about it. As for that biathlon track back in his hometown... look, Matešin was pretty clear on that. He said it would be built within three to five years. If they couldn't reach an agreement with the folks over in the neighboring state or deal with that giant corporation, well, it doesn't matter. Those neighbors aren't exactly some global superpower in the biathlon world; there's no reason they couldn't have found better coaching or superior facilities elsewhere.
From what I could gather, Fak had more sponsor stickers on his shirt than actual fabric, and I even spotted him cruising around in some sponsored minivan.
The way Fak was pushing for things... did our guys ever try to sit down and hash it out with the Americans and their federation and coach? It just didn't pan out.
All that blackmailing and throwing out ultimatums—insisting on training specifically with that coach over in the States—well, even a much wealthier nation wouldn't have played ball with that kind of pressure.
I'll be blunt: I don't care if he wins nothing in the future.🤣

coastaljackal2 said:Look, I don't give a damn about biathlon or Jacob, but this thread just proves most of you are nothing but typical, bitter Americans (shitting on the guy and wishing him bad luck).

Why do you all care so much about where he's heading... If he thinks it's the best move for his career, let him go to Mars if that's what it takes. You geniuses.....

👎

...totally agree...

George Robinson43 said:John...
Whatever. Fak is all yours. Take him to bed if you want. I don't give a damn about him.

🙂 Where you at, sweetheart?😁