Monzanator

Hell yes, we are accepting! The male lucky choice will be Mateusz Haratyk - World Cup PB of 56th place!

https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/athlete-biography.html?sectorcode=CC&seasoncode=&competitorid=197914&type=result&categorycode=WC&sort=&place=&disciplinecode=&position=&limit=100

I told ya, Poland will accept anything, anywhere, anyhoo... no matter if this brings 57th place with 6 minutes gap to the winner. We will take it

2 minutes ago, heywoodu said:

And honestly, rightfully so. Go Poland.

We do it because government funding is reliant on having any presence in these events. To get individual scholarship an athlete has to finish Top 8 in continental champs but it's all about money for the federations so these. Hence we send as many athletes as possible - sometimes even when they don't qualify on merit as evident by the swimming fiasco in Tokyo when five athletes only found out in Japan they can't start. We'll explore every loophole for a wild card entry if possible too  

Everyone whose federation declines a quota should think about getting citizenship. We always send anyone who qualifies

Raducanu has Kovinic in R2 so that should be a win but then finally the real derby vs Halep in R3 looming

Hmm... maybe they shut that door down then after introducing mixed event?

and have declined a quota so another + get a spot.

This means could potentially field a team instead of but they would have to draft someone from nordic combined.

Yes, but it's uncertain whether that exception will be made for to bring the total to 12. With suddenly able to field a team that only raised the number to 10 but can always field someone from nordic combined and we have 11.

was given the pass in 2018 since they actually entered ski jumpers in World Cup for over 20 years but China hasn't really done anything on the men's side.

With Weirather retired this might be the last time can actually decline anything?

Elena Rybakina saved MP vs Zarina Diyas but won in three sets.

Petra Kvitova looks to be done as a serious threat after winning only four games vs Sorana Cirstea. This could be her last year on tour.

8 hours ago, dcro said:

I think they were just really surprised with that 16th place, so they decided to have a figure skater for the first time since Innsbruck 1976.

 

Netherlands has a couple of figure skating medals, including a gold from 1964.

Yes, it was a popular trivia when they won snowboard gold in 2010 since not many people realized all their WOG medals don't come from speed skating

I wonder if declines a quota like they did in 2018 (which meant they didn't start in team event).

Wasn't there some minor drama whether van Zundert actually makes WOG even after that breakthrough result at the Worlds? I remember someone saying Dutch NOC doesn't care about figure skating and such

Yeah, Putin is involved in war in Donbass & Syria and Swedes buy into anything that happens on the Baltic Sea? The diversion must be working alright.

Australia has approved the Sputnik vaccine - four weeks after refusing a visa to Natalia Vikhlyantseva who was vaccinated with it and obviously had to miss AO. Australian politics is a complete joke and the hits keep on coming.

https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/russian-vaccine-recognised-by-australia-c-5338790

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/russian-tennis-player-to-skip-australian-open-over-sputnik-vaccine-20211221-p59j7j.html

Ons Jabeur pulled out of AO due to injury suffered in Sydney last week. That's actually good news for the Greek tennis fans since she was in Sakkari's section IIRC.

Camila Giorgi won her R1 match vs Potapova 64 60 in surprisingly straight-forward fashion for a change.

Buccaneers blew out Eagles, 49ers profited from some crazy mistakes by the Cowboys and Chiefs expectedly beat Steelers.

Divisional Round games next weekend will be Titans vs Bengals, Chiefs vs Bills, Packers vs 49ers and Buccaneers vs winner of tomorrow's Rams vs Cardinals.

4 minutes ago, rafalgorka said:

If I could have one wish for Beijing olympics, it would be a medal for Maryna in GS. 

I know, she has never got a podium in the world cup but anything can happen... 😉 

Brignone & Bassino would have to DNF for starters which isn't impossible. Getting by Hector, Shiffrin, Vlhova and Worley if they all finish seems improbable but you never know.

26 minutes ago, hckošice said:

So Stoch injury was a tactical maneuver ? or just a fake news ?

Actually some fans here thought it was fake to cover for the Four Hills disaster and general lack of form. Apparently the injury was real unless it's someone else's ankle

men's team has been announced. Easily the oldest bunch out there. Stefan Hula beat out Jakub Wolny and Andrzej Stekala for the last spot (purely tourism) despite competing in Continental Cup all season save for the Wisla & Zakopane WC events

Apparently will somehow compete in the Team Event since we are 15th in Nations Cup or something   All thanks to basically one woman doing results in one event. We are sending FIVE skiers to Beijing which is absurd given we have zero operational slopes for pro skiers here (the Nosal slalom course has last been renovated around 1986 IIRC).

Unlike other countries we don't care if we don't have a shot at Top 8 or Top 16. Just squeeze in as many athletes as possible

Marius Lindvik wins in Zakopane. It looks like he will be Norway's main man at the Olympics since Granerud keeps blowing hot & cold this season.

44-year old Janne Ahonen (who basically retired three times over the years) finished 3rd in Finnish National Championships. Another example how far has fallen off the cliff in this sport.

7 minutes ago, thepharoah said:

what's the tournament held in Serbia that Australian athletes will participate in next month as Serbian president mentioned ? 

World Athletics Indoor Championships will be held in March (in Belgrade)

Old man Razzoli on the podium