Grassmarket

Just noticed that on the results/schedule page, you have an option to toggle to your local time!

Shee, we’re going to be here all day with the snowboard cross - they are using, would you believe, the scoring system from Motorcycle Speedway, so everyone gets five runs before the knock-out semis!

Snowboard Cross just started on FISU 3

What’s funny is that the Norwegian teams here seems just to be made up of random everyday people who happen to be studying Accountancy or Engineering or whatever in the USA, not trained athletes at all.

Impressed that are NOT the pair you’d expect -

First medal event up - Cross Country Mixed Team Sprint on FISU 2 Channel. Lots of snow, and 36!!! Nations entered, way way more than we get even in the World Champs. (A few nations double-teaming)

Having a no drama day 15/15 so far.

Something went wrong with the letter S during the Ceremony. was the order. Probably the organisers wanted to stop the brawling & swearing there always is when & come out together.

They did have a WR & Gold Medal at the 1974 Commonwealth Games - Filbert Bayi in the 1500m. But sadly there was an African boycott in Montreal 76, so Bayi missed out a big chance then. After that, they just never developed as neighbours Kenya & Uganda did.

Hmmph, just happened again!

Catching up with the Opening Ceremony. Obviously a bit cheap & cheerful, but always love an opening parade. Seems strange to have the countries coming out in English alphabetical order, no weird surprises this time. Just showing off with huge numbers At what point do we say that masks have become national dress? Huge team also from , great that in a small town obviously all the events turn out, so if you have two hockey teams, you get a lot of numbers. OK, hockey teams didn’t do great, but with them & curling we have way more than . No argument over who is to be the flag bearer. let down all of us who have been calling it Qazaqstan put to shame on numbers. & send the same number if athletes. Not bothering. Only a handful of athletes. Even send more. Means more than one nation will win speed skating medals Somebody messes up as come out after , but crush in the battle of the Slovs. After the Qazaqstan disappointment, Türkiye insist! And finish off. Right FF for the speeches.

Mixed Team on Thursday is going to be a thriller. What the IOC need to do is to replace, boring hackneyed sports like NC with dynamic hip sports that appeal to the kidz like snowboard slopestyle (5 entries)

The World Cup biathlon is back live on British ES. Literally just today - it wasn’t on yesterday.

Probably NR also. Both &

Tandrevold & Simon both miss shot 20! Simon fastest though. Vittozzi 20/20, that’s the win!

Wierer first to flinch 19/20 Jislova 20/20

Plenty at 10/10… We’re heading for some 19/19s….

Hoping for a good race today - we’ve got good starters down to about #40.

There’s now scheduling information added to some of the TV channels - so FISU 1 has opening ceremony tonight then SuperG tomorrow, FISU2 has cross country & figure skating etc.

It’s raining biathlon this weekend - Ruhpolding WC, Pokljuka IBU, Lake Placid FISU & also….the Russian Cup from Rybinsk. Sprint, Pursuit, Mass Start. https://www.youtube.com/@russianbiathlon

There’s now a text added - livestreams are geo-blocked for , but replays ain’t.

Ferociously cold. World Cup in Chaux-Neuve 20-22 Jan cancelled - trying to rearrange. https://www.fis-ski.com/en/nordic-combined/nordic-combined-news-multimedia/news-multimedia/news/2022-23/snow-control-chaux-neuve-world-cup-cancelled

Not strictly ineligible, but will most likely be held back by their pro teams for age-level Leagues etc.

There are 4 Channels that don't start till the Opening Ceremony tomorrow, and three basic channels just for the hockey prelims, but only one is working now, labelled Cheel Arena. LIVE: Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games - FISU.tv

Different countries do different things. The old Communist countries usually take FISU very seriously & send strong teams. Here in we have one recognised Sports University, and others which have specific programmes which produce lots of international athletes, like obviously Oxford & Cambridge in Rowing or Stirling in Swimming. Otherwise our young Olympic-track athletes are kept on the circuit where they are earning international points for FIS, ISU etc. Probably the only athletes here who really have serious ambitions for the future will be the two Curling teams, because there aren't that many serious international Curling competitions out there. But it's still fun, because all sport is good when it is between athletes on the same level. Doesn't have to involve Messi & Benzema to be exciting.