Monzanator

What smaller countries ever hosted the Olympics though? Sarajevo 1984 is probably the last I can imagine and they would never host one in XXI century. The "grandiose" switch definitely happened in Winter Games, I'd never predict China hosting WOG even in early 00s. But the costs have driven many Summer OG candidates away, the bidding process is dead and IOC basically has to beg anyone to even come forward or else we'd have every Summer OG in the Middle East for a very long time.

Stop the press! Newcastle have won something! Last time they won anything Anthony Eden was prime minister? @Grassmarket

Finally an alpine skiing podium for @heywoodu@vinipereira@hoversaBR

Isabella Whittaker run 49.24 indoors which is second fastest in history behind Femke Bol. Typical NCAA curveball

I've heard about a Slavic goddess of winter but not about this one

Jeanmonnot wins ahead of Todorova & Lampic. Preuss in 5th and her overall lead is down to 20 pts

Lampic easily passes Richard on course and should get a podium

Jeanmonnot goes 19/20 and should win. Todorova 20/20 and Lampic 19/20. Preuss will lose more ground in the overall after 18/20.

Pokljuka MS, Jeanmonnot leads from Richard after three shoots but Todorova & Lampic of all people with 15/15 and sniffing a podium (so here comes the meltdown?).

So decided to stay with IBA?

Probably the least known Russian athlete who acquired Polish citizenship tbh

Fabian Suchodolski with a career best 23rd in Poklujka short individual race (19/20).

Soviet Union & China were at odds since Stalin refused to give nuclear weapons to Mao and worsened after Khruschev denounced Stalin alltogether. Yes, these countries have the same goal but chose a different path to reach it. And currently China's methods are proving more successful. There's no real 5D chess with Trump, he usually means what he says. It's just most politicians actually don't say what they mean and now everyone is trying to uncover layers to his words when in fact there's nothing to uncover. If Trump says China is #1 'enemy' then - from purely business perspective - this is how he views his priorities.

Trump probably wants to swing Russia to help USA with the trade war against China. Nothing else makes much sense. It's all down to business. China is basically the world's second biggest economy and still on the way up. There were some economical forecasts when and if China can actually become the biggest economy in the world. Outside of Japan there probably isn't another single country that could have joined forces with USA in this plan and I'm rather convinced Japan doesn't want to alienate China in such open fashion so it only leaves Russia as a viable player.

Yes, I noticed how names starting with "O'" suggest Irish ancestry. I don't really know any Irish musicians except U2 and The Cranberries. Gary Moore was from Belfast so there is that too.

women's 4x400 was briefly DQ for obstruction on the Peeters changeover but quickly reinstated after appeal

Swoboda in 4th but I can live with bronze for van der Weken

Another steal from as O'Connor wins 800 and takes bronze by 30 pts. Vanninen with gold and Dokter with silver.

gets one over in the end.

Bad fall for Maureen Koster in 3000 final and looks like she lost consciousness.

Anna Wielgosz wins 800 gold from the front. That's a major surprise!

Dosso 7.03 in SF2 but Kambundji looked like she held back more. 7.10 only good enough for LL2 spot right now.

Frida Karlsson finally wins individual WCh gold medal

Ebba Andersson falls while trying to pass Karlsson... Yikes.

4 woman sprint for 50 km medals so probably Johaug will be the odd one out...