France was represented at the last WC (and even win some matches). AFAIK, we have one active club in the whole country.    It's crazy how every minimum global standard for olympic inclusion have been throw out of the window under Bach regime and its additional sports program...

Absolutely not    Not only do I hate it, but so do the athletes. Shot putter Chase Jackson in particular has been very vocal on the matter. 

The “fundamental principle” is not only a principle on paper it's what make the winter games fundamentally distinctive and what it makes that the event works.   If you cut it, you'll end up with a selection of random sports that are simply not good enough for the summer olympics. In other words, it's called the World Games. Everyone is included, but no one care.    

But if you add one, where does it end. In 50 years we will just have a 'summer' olympics every 2 years.   Although, by then, there probably won't even be any snow left and they'll have no choice.

Justyna Burska, former open water swimmer, national champion, who competed in World 2019 in 5km and 10km race has died in motorcycle accident, according reports a car hit her motorcycle and she died immediatly after it, she was aged just 29 yo  

This is my point about gatekeeping. The vast, vast, vast majority of the world doesn’t have ice or snow for winter. So while you think it’s a “fundamental principle”, it was only applicable to the 16 countries at the first games and their neighbours.    So instead of opening up new sports to get them included in the games, you and others want to keep them out.    That’s fine. That’s your choice. I’d prefer if others were included. And again, I don’t feel strongly on it (as in I’m not going to fall out with anybody over it) but I’d include cross country running and cyclo cross. 

(BLR) Sabalenka defeats  Pegula 6-3 7-5 to win the Cincinnati Open title!   Sabalenka’s serve was unstoppable today for the most part, nothing Pegula could do about it. Quite glad that Sabalenka was able to close out the match in straight sets, even when she choked while serving for the match at 5-4 (perhaps a bit of nerves started to set in), because the match was on her racket. The match didn’t deserve a 3rd set. 

Yes but i meant that everything is reallly underlined that way here. That if you want to achieve sth you have to leave Poland asap. Don't ask me why but we started to fall in some kind of negative serpentine. Only bitter words from her coach, relatives etc. Not only in her case. 

General public interest is one thing and country depth of participants is another. All of the traditional sports you mentioned, with the exception of synchro swimming and maybe diving have a much wider pool of competing nations. Sport interest isn't only about how many primetime viewers it gets.

Sabalenka choking again like yesterday