Grassmarket

Women’s records continue to tumble in the NCAA as brave transgender superhero Lia Thomas breaks new boundaries. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10282301/Transgender-UPenn-swimmer-Lia-Thomas-smashes-records-weekend-meets-14-SECONDS-ahead-rival.html

have conjured up an exemption, according to British ES last night.

There were rumours just last week that was going to take the long-overdue step of ending that remnant of Victorian sexism: hence the joke.

Well, she lost about 20 secs on the shooting, but up to third.

Can Elvira catch up 1:48? I think she probably can, with decent shooting.

Crikey, all on the penalty loop together!

Illness in the team, according to the Brits.

Goggia takes the lead from 5th - not the huge margin of yesterday so theoretically can still be beaten….….but I think she can get the warm clothes on, put her feet up & open a box of chocolates because she’s going to be in the comfy chair for the next 90 minutes. And Breezy goes into second again so we’re living in a time loop, because I am also sitting in an arm chair with a glass of wine, just like yesterday.

Chief Russian ski technician going to be transferred to the Novaya Zemlya Ski Club soon, very bad day for them. And in front of all their fans as well.

Great day for Thomas Larsen - Norwegian club skier, not in the national squad. Qualified 30th earlier this morning, finishes 2nd to Klaebo in the overall.

There’s a double bill from London tonight & tomorrow. Sadly these will be the end of the series for this year - Tel Aviv, scheduled for next week has been cancelled because even , the country with the world’s highest vaccination rate, is still vulnerable to COVID.

And of course there is by now tons of snow in Lillehammer - and more by the minute - but too late, we are in the biathlon stadium.

Also for the draft.

Both share the common root in the French Revolutionary belief that humanity can be improved by the actions of the wise. /spoiler It can’t. /spoiler.

Figure Skating Grand Prix Final in Osaka, Japan next weekend is off. https://www.isu.org/isu-news/news/145-news/13833-isu-grand-prix-of-figure-skating-final-2021-osaka-japan-cancellation?templateParam=15

Back in 1945 we in & promised our other allies that if we were given the right to occupy Germany & Austria we’d be able to turn them into normal democratic states. Looks like we failed. Sorry. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10267391/Germany-set-approve-lockdown-unvaccinated-today.html

Up until about 10:00 GMT this morning, the idea that vaccinations were causing heart attacks & strokes was a conspiracy theory. It’s now officially Science. However, every other Bad Thing about vaccines remains a conspiracy theory, and cannot be discussed, or you'll be punished. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10266585/AstraZeneca-uncovers-trigger-blood-clots-jab.html

Not quite. Elvira must have put in a storming lap 3, she’s still holding up. Hauser the first to get past Oeberg. Eckhoff starts off. Misses 1 & ski speed is pretty ordinary, so it looks like results are set.

Will be first versus last (almost). Not quite. Elvira goes 1 1, so win will be unlikely. Top 5 maybe.

And the winners announced - Karsten Warholm & Elaine Thompson-Herah. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/59496103

Caught breaking curfew in training camp, eh?

Britain sending a small, but high quality squad. Freya Anderson - England, Bath National Centre Tom Dean - England, Bath National Centre Lucy Hope - Scotland, University of Stirling Daniel Jervis - Wales, Swansea University Cameron Kurle - England, University of Stirling Max Litchfield - England, Loughborough National Centre Edward Mildred - England, Bath National Centre Ben Proud - England, University of Bath Molly Renshaw - England, Loughborough National Centre Matthew Richards - Wales, Bath National Centre Duncan Scott - Scotland, University of Stirling Katie Shanahan - Scotland, City of Glasgow Swim Team Abbie Wood - England, Loughborough National Centre https://www.britishswimming.org/news/latest-swimming-news/four-olympic-champions-lead-world-short-course-team/

https://swimswam.com/penns-lia-thomas-breaks-200-500-free-records-in-meet-with-princeton-cornell/

Take away the first & last 10 minutes & it wasn’t that bad.

Another swimmer, Hannah Miley of Team . Won a lot of medals, swam a lot of meets, but was often an eternal second behind Katinka Hosszu. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/swimming/59488423