Nickyc707

Sorry. Didn't mean to bring back bad memories. 🙊

In Tokyo they had a shoot off for the bronze in the mixed team event so I would imagine the same will apply in Paris.

Wrong flag for Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)

We think alike. Every European quota won here reduces the competition at the next continental championships.

At least it was safe from the Italian trap shooters! 😊

First two quotas in the Men's Trap go to and . Really pleased that Nathan Hales got the quota after missing out by one place at the European Championships. It means the fourth quota will come down to the best third place finisher if Aaron Heading gets through in the second semi-final.

They were foolish to prevent the Dutch candidate from standing on spurious grounds and even more foolish not to hold a vote after CAS found against them. It seems clear Kremlev would have won easily and simply gives the IOC ammunition if they are intent on removing boxing from the Olympics.

Which is precisely why perspective rather than hysteria is needed.

And in the Paralympic events 2 / 0 / 2 1 / 1 / 2 1 / 0 / 1 1 / 0 / 0 0 / 1 / 0 0 / 1 / 0 0 / 1 / 0 0 / 1 / 0

We need a bit of perspective here. At the "disastrous Tokyo regatta" GB had nine top four finishes in the fourteen Olympic classes compared with eight top three finishes this year. The truth is there is often only a small gap between what is regarded as success and failure. GB's performance was disappointing last year but not the disaster it has been painted in some quarters and congratulations to them for turning things around so quickly. Congratulations too to the Netherlands on a series of great performances across a range of boats. Also pleased to see a resurgence in Romanian rowing with the promise of more to come after they topped the medal table at this month's European U23 championships. Great performances too from Ireland who are improving and growing and Ukraine given the circumstances in which they have had to prepare and perform. Disappointing from Australia - no golds, when did that last happen - New Zealand, the US and Canada. How much of this is down to lost competition after Covid? And finally Germany with an outstanding men's sculler and then pretty much nothing. No German men's eight in the A final 🙄. What has happened to German rowing? Overall an interesting regatta with some great racing. The next two years are going to be fascinating.

Ireland definitely beginning to build up a little bit strength in depth now. Maybe the New Zealand of the 2020s.

They finally developed a lycra cassock then?

Tahiti? They do know its bicycles and not surfboards don't they? 🏄‍♂️

It might be some consolation that there may be hope for the future. At the U23 European Championships earlier this month Poland finished in second place in the medal table with seven medals including three golds.

Which begs the question why target the eights if you have a shortage of suitable athletes? I always think of two and four-man boats as being Italy's speciality.

Very good results from the Netherlands so far. Romania confirming they are on the way back while Germany seem to be going in the opposite direction. Not sure where NZ are at the moment but not as good results as we've come to expect. Retirements after Tokyo a factor I guess. Disappointing from Italy and I can't help wondering why they are putting so much effort into the non-Olympic classes where they won five golds today albeit against limited opposition with one exception. Funding perhaps?

So he was after some athletic tips then. 😊

Why on earth were you watching Baywatch? 😎

crews rowing well again this morning. Unlike their gymnastics programme they really seem to have begun to turn things around over the last year or two.

The lightweight fours in particular, often provided great races because the crews have such similar physiques.

Laurie Mains and other senior AB officials claimed the players had been poisoned by Suzie the waitress prior to their defeat in the RWC final. Turns out Suzie never existed. https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-10128478.html

You've clearly never tried rowing through sand! 😊 Apparently its about 500m plus the running to and from the boat. https://www.rowingnews.com/2021/06/22/rowings-expanding-frontier-beach-sprints/

At the moment Rowing is offering up a mixed double sculls event as one of the replacements for the two lightweight events but what you're suggesting may have a horrible logic to it. I suppose it would be better than no eights at all. 🙄

I'm more sanguine about the lightweights. I think the IOC wants them out and Paris will likely be their last hurrah. Rowing is looking at beach sprint rowing/coastal rowing as alternatives. https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1113562/coastal-rowing-la2028-rolland-olympics And see the proposed programme including a mixed event at the end of this article. https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1128099/ioc-satisfied-rowing-la28

Good point. I'm not sure which is the more vulnerable the lightweight double sculls or the eights, probably both. I guess another problem is that if you have 6-8 really good rowers it makes more sense to put them in a pair and a four to optimise your medal chances rather than gamble on one boat given that doubling up is often not a realistic option given the schedule.