dcro

Ugh, if there is one thing I despise, it is that rule of defending champions getting an extra starting place in individual sports. Nobody would be missing the fifth Norwegian.

Clean first run makes all the difference. Needs more of those.

For a start, yes. Let's say they keep their time differences to a minimum and score something like 140, 141, 142. Once they lower their average to such values, next race (between the same five skiers) would award 112 ((140+141+142) / 3.75) points to the winner. Another cycle and the winner gets 91 pts. Another and it is 73, followed by 59, 48, 39 and so on before coming to 0.00, easily in a space of one Olympic cycle. The 3.75 divider makes all the magic.

FIS can be tricked so easily. You just need the same five skiers contesting interval races again and again, while trying to keep time differences between themselves to a minimum. Eventually their FIS points could come as close to 0.00 as you'd like...

Technically yes... But, there is always a but. For one thing, it is certainly weird how some of the borderline nations simply choose to skip events. Are they ignorant or what? Other thing, it is bizarre how simply entering multiple athletes, or sending them to World Cups, can give you so, so much more points irregardless of the skier's level of competitiveness. Why didn't Brazil spam points like Thailand or Serbia? So, there is always a possibility that FIS is not really sure about it themselves... And in that case, nobody can tell what happens. There are manyer examples of IFs interpretating their own rules in curious ways...

Not to rain on the parade here, but based on the individual sprint results, Croatian team beats BRA/LTU by a mile. But then again, Malec was scheduled to start today, but did no such thing. Though, I guess if they don't care for Olympic qualification, I should not either...

Funny how Lara Gut became unstoppable now that nobody really roots for her.

This is some bestmen-esque speed of sending in entries.

Nicolas Wagner takes a nice victory in Doha, only to have the TV director display the Dutch flag for the victory ceremony. Well, at least they got the anthem right.

January wins the globe. That's how Ivica Kostelić won it (also coming from a one man team). Very average Nov/Dec were followed by a massive peak with 999 points in January. Vlhova meanwhile was clearly out of her usual form in SL/GS by the early January.

Croatian national jury expreses with pleasure their intent of taking part. Our song will be revealed in due course. As ever, we are getting cold feet about the early selection frontrunner.

When shotgun competitions start having more team than individual events.

So the European Games are getting their combat sports inflation once again. https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1104726/muaythai-archery-2023-european-games

I don't think there will be a lot of announcements before the Olympics get a definite green light (if that happens).

Yap, makes it look as if women need their male mentors to handle a team event.

Georgia (country) is hosting a World Cup with zero (0) home skiers. Just another proof of just how irrelevant this discipline is.

Longest boxing tournament in the history of boxing tournaments. Going at the pace of African women's football qualifiers...

Apparently they didn't care much as it is. Just sending Kočergina to Oberstdorf for a training run would have been quite enough to earn qualification (which would then be transferrable to one of the youngsters).

Again a respectable field of 12 nations. Why on earth did IOC add mixed team event instead of this is beyond me.

So Wikipedia is wrong, to the shock of no one. Anyway, this means no cheap quota for Lithuanian women this time. Today was their last chance @Werloc

Lithuania qualified via Junior Worlds.

Not bad. Lithuanian 15-year olds are sitting ducks, while the likes of Armenia, Greece or even Thailand are beatable.

Seriously, whoever the provider is, how many flops can FIS live timing survive?? It happens again, and again, and again.

25°C in Rijeka today, smashing the previous February record of 21 (from 1948)...

After today, NOCs qualified for men's events - 56 NOCs qualified for women's events - 33