OlympicsFan

Same as in basketball and football.

Not sure I would call the UK highly developed … More likely politicians like to use sports to masquerade all the other (real) problems (NHS, education system, housing problem, stagnating wages).

Obviously that is nonsense. Everyone at the top dopes (at least in somewhat relevant sports), Eastern Europeans just doped more ruthlessly. Whenever there is money involved, there is cheating. Makes no sense to assume that someone who isn’t doping can win gold, when the huge majority of people live in countries where doping pays off most of the time. Why should someone in Africa/Russia/China/India not dope, when they can become „rich“ by doing it and don’t really face much consequences even if they get caught? In order to outperform the most talented, doped athletes from those nations, you have to dope as well. There is nothing to suggest that people from rich nations are genetically superior and therefore don’t have to dope to beat the doped athletes from all those other nations (that represent at least 80 % of the global population/talent pool). Anyone who disagrees has to defend one of the following two lines of reasoning and in my opinion both don’t really make sense: a) People in rich nations are somehow special and therefore don’t have to dope to dominate the most talented, doped up athletes from the rest of the world (that makes up at least 80 % of the talent pool) b) There is no widespread doping in poorer nations (despite the evidence from countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Russia or China saying otherwise)

Did she say that she will swim it at trials? Absolutely don’t see her swimming it at the Olympics.

1) What starting date did you use? Do you only look at 2024 results or all results since the beginning of the qualifying period? 2) Many nations haven’t had their trials yet, so we will probably see some changes. I would be shocked if Australia would have less athletes with the A standard than Japan.

It is the same when you look at the results of the International Mathematical Olympiad. Based on the names you wouldn’t be able to tell whether a team is from the U.S., Canada or China.

Don’t see how Hungary wouldn’t be huge underdogs against Sweden. Croatia, Spain and Germany should also be clearly favored over them. Early predictions for quarterfinals: Sweden - Egypt Croatia - Norway Spain - Denmark Germany - France

I said that Australia and the U.S. are a lock for gold and silver (not in that order). USA is the favorite for gold. 1) Australia is clearly faster than Canada (combined almost 2 seconds) on backstroke and freestyle, about equal on butterfly and at most a second behind on breaststroke. 2) Please look up the Chinese breaststroke leg … China is about equal on butterfly, clearly faster on breaststroke, about equal on freestyle and maybe (half) a second slower on backstroke. Right now there is absolutely no basis to say that the breaststroke leg is close. At the moment it looks like a coin toss. Canada is definitely much closer to China than to Australia.

How does that make it any better? Why not throw from the top of the Himalaya or in a wind canal?

Realistically you have to subtract 5 or 6 meters. He is still one of the favorites for the Olympics, but nothing more.

It is much easier to qualify in handball, but I feel that concentrating on qualifying in basketball would be a much more „natural“ choice for GB. Basketball should be a much better match.

Germany has to hope to get Hungary and Slovenia. If everything works out perfectly, Germany might be able to finish 4th.

10 medals in swimming? Masse: She isn’t a medal favorite (behind Smith, McKeown and the 2nd American), but we will see. Women‘s 400 free relay: They aren’t a medal favorite (behind Australia, USA and China), but we will see. Kharun: I see at least Milak, Marchand and Honda ahead of him, but he might end up on the podium. Liendo: He could win gold or end up without a medal. Dressel, Milak, Ponti, Grousset and Temple are all at least as likely as him to win a medal. Women‘s medley relay: Australia and the U.S. are pretty much a lock for gold and silver. Canada should battle with China for bronze. 4 medals (Women‘s 400 free, women’s 100/200 fly and women’s 400 IM) should be the minimum. 7 or 8 medals seem like a realistic goal.

1) Depends on how you sort the medal table. 2) Depends on what you mean with „close“.

2 medals for Corbeau seems borderline insane. I think 2 medals in the 4 breaststroke events seems realistic. The only medal favorite is Schouten in the 200 breast and even she could very well end up without a medal (Chikunova (if she competes after all), Schoenmaker, Douglass).