Grassmarket

All over now, don’t think the timings were accurate. AMvV only a minute down 13k to go. 30 secs!

Spanish girl is going to get hearbreakingly caught by AMvV 10m from the line, calling it now!

Leah Thomas

Here in Coronaland we didn’t get any of those fancy-schmanzy Spanish races you got.

Got people riding bikes live on my TV now!

Getting a nice medley of Baltic National Anthems here at the champs. Was easier back in the olden days, there was only one.

OTOH, a good advert for the bikes.

Back to bottom, we love it there.

Arrgh! Disastrous start again for the Mellows!

Here we go with the countdown clock....

Just watched the Final of the European Speedway Championships from Wednesday night on Eurosport. Great night of racing, will recommend if you haven’t seen it & don’t know the result. And have Eurosport Player.

Do know for sure that the first time the Downhill was run in Garmisch 1936 they had to climb. Or perhaps a car half-way up, or something but definitely some climbing. The other thing I do know was that the tuck position was only introduced in the early 60s, so they were never going all out before that. As you can see in the film, they are still racing in powder, so way slower.

Very definitely a different sport here in Europe, much rougher, steeper tracks for hill running. Really a hardcore sport for amateurs or part-timers.

Well, good luck. Unusual for someone so fit to get it bad enough to be hospitalised.

Am I right in saying they didn’t even have ski lifts in those days? You had to climb most of the hill yourself to start. Ski Jumps only came in with Squaw Valley 1960. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Maybe a track built within the Eventing Course (without the jumps obvs) - a MTB track would be very hard. Hill running is a sport in itself, really. Or the golf course perhaps.

Easy to say if you start as a Baron.

Well, we got almost a respectable weekend’s sport here. Rugby League - NRL continues & Super League restarts on Sunday. Sadly Toronto have had to withdraw for the year owing to the impossibility of the whole thing under CV MLB - Yankees v Red Sox series! Cycling - 2 Strade Bianchis tomorrow, Tour de l’Ain starts. Athletics - Quality meet from Trieste. Plus Football including English & Portuguese Cup Finals, snooker, cricket, marbles....

Like I said, some are more-or-less Dutchified French military terms - banderol, echelon, complotteren, piket, razzia. Some words that must have gone from British India >- English >- Dutch - jamboree, koelie (coolie in English) Jerrycan is English - a German (Jerry) fuel tank. ampeer is surely just ampère!

British interest will be on Mo Farah in the 100000m.....I don’t see it happening. His marathon career never worked, so he comes back to track. Too many new young athletes won’t give him any respect & I don’t think the last-lap kick is there anymore.

Ironic that about half these Dutch words look to be military terms used in the Indonesian Army.....but that they themselves were originally French words imposed on the Dutch Army in Napoleon’s time.

Looks like a very good meet coming up on Saturday from Trieste. Lots of big names in action, some for the first time this year. International events start 17:30 Euro 16:30 UK https://www.triestecafe.it/it/news/il-comune-di-trieste-informa/sabato-al-grezar-il-xiii-triveneto-international-meeting-memorial-jack-benvenuti-30-luglio-2020.html Live on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/user/atleticaitaliana

But the coaches have their reputations to defend, that is their entire career. To be accused of abusing their athletes is professional suicide. They will have no choice but to lawyer up: in fact, it would be grotesquely unfair not to allow them to defend themselves.

No way. All coaches concerned are going to need legal representation for a start. There will be depositions, cross-examination, witnesses, appeals, arbitration......it will take years.,