Nickyc707

And yet oddly you don't mention the Brazilian vaulter who touched the mat with his backside and scored 13+

Given that every team produced some poor routines, e.g. the average score on PH was 12 point something, presumably you think that no one should have won a medal. 😎

Frankly everyone performed awfully on the PH. China managed to score 41 but no one else managed to get more than 38 which is why GB's 35 didn't cost them in the end. Add to that that everyone had at least one bad piece of apparatus and some more. Going into the last round I thought that the US had the advantage but then they produced the worst performance of any team on that apparatus. Pity about the sour grapes.

Some of the Americans and Canadians were interviewed about the water on the beam afterwards.

Let's face it competitions marred by gymnasts struggling on the beam is nothing new. Personally I think it's the toughest of the eight pieces of apparatus, not that I'd want to do any of them. I feel the pain when the gymnasts drop down and straddle the beam in one of the moves. It's no wonder men don't perform on this apparatus! As others have mentioned it is the equivalent of the PH in the men's event but much more impactful as it accounts for a quarter of the gymnasts score rather than the sixth of the PH. So far as this competition was concerned I was actually much more surprised by the high number of errors on the floor and asymmetric bars. I think my memory is topped and tailed by the desperate struggles of an Italian and a Japanese gymnast on the latter apparatus, particularly a very painful looking belly flop which I don't think I've ever seen before.

Which means that is they not the voting system that needs reform.

Hall and Regini-Moran both had falls on the HB and unusually I think Joe Fraser did on the PH as well, although it hasn't prevented him from leading in the AA. China and the the US also made mistakes so they all have scope for improvement. It will be interesting to see how Japan do later on.

Don't forget Duterte of the Phillipines who left office in June.

As Minas Gerais goes, so goes the nation to paraphrase someone.

Yes, and he was duly brought to justice showing the system works.

On paper ballots I agree with you but on postal voting I do not. Athough there have been a very small handful of minor cases of postal ballot fraud there is no evidence that there is a problem with postal voting. That's the problem with those politicians who seek to undermine democracy they never produce any evidence to back up their claims.

Two words. Balance beam. 🤞🤞🤞 I hope you're right. I fancy the men's team to do it but I must admit I thought (still suspect) the women would (will) have to do it at next year's WC.

Because in those countries more densely populated urban areas, which tend to be more pro left, take longer to count than more sparsely populated rural areas which lean right. The reverse tends to be true in the UK where we both vote. Other than in very one-sided elections either way the left often builds up a lead in seats as the urban votes are counted more quickly. This is because these constituencies tend to have slightly lower turnout and be geographically smaller and therefore votes arrive at the counting centres more quickly. And then as the night goes on 'magically' the right begins to catch up and often overtake the left as votes counts are completed in more rural areas. Even within individual constituencies (especially marginals) this phenoma occurs - I speak as someone who has attended many counts in different capacities - but most people aren't aware of it because they only see the final results for each seat. I'm not sure how serious you are but similar comments from politicians in many long established democracies frighten me as they are well aware of these factors but try to manipulate them to undermine the credibility of what are almost always free and fair elections. I don't normally comment on politics on this site but I've never feared for democracy more than I do at the moment as a result of the behaviour of populist politicians in attacking democratic institutions in their countries and their refusal to accept the result of elections that do not go their way.

The USA definitely but after that 4-5 countries could be in contention for the podium and quotas. We now move from best three scores from four to all three counting so mistakes are far more costly. Italy have scope for improvement on the BB so they may be the strongest of the challengers. Fingers crossed on the third team.

It was an argument made in response to your strawman argument that only Commonwealth countries would win Olympic medals in the next 100 years, and ignoring the possibility of further expansion, beyond the 30 or so NOCs where cricket is a significant sport, as a result of becoming an Olympic sport. I referred to handball because it bears similarities in being a very Eurocentric sport which did not have the benefit of universality when it came into the Olympics and only significantly spread beyond Europe after becoming an Olympic sport. Even now it remains weak in most other parts of the world and apart from South Korea, China with a bronze is the only non-European country to win an Olympic medal in 86 years of trying. Incidentally you've referred to rugby as being a Commonwealth sport which is not true in the sense you mean it. It has historically had strongholds in places way beyond the Commonwealth such as France, Italy, Romania, Argentina and Japan.

Yep, but the overall programme remains heavily biased towards Europe and North America. Even if you add the big three from the Far East it leaves vast swathes of the planet under represented.

Good point. (always wanted to use this one 😊) would likely do the same as cricket continues to spread from the subcontinent. too.

In the 86 years since handball was first introduced to the Olympics only two countries from outside Europe have ever won a medal. Do you think that sport should be excluded? Afterall Europe consists of fewer countries and far fewer people than the Commonwealth. The introduction of cricket would mean that a lot of countries and parts of the world that never have the opportunity to compete in team sports at the Olympics would have a chance to do so. I'm thinking in particular of South Asia, Southern Africa and the Caribbean. The Olympics needs to stop being so Eurocentric.

So by extension handball is only an Olympic sport when it's held in Europe, presumably.

And manage to completely blow a winning position against . India needed 13 runs off the last 3 balls which while not impossible is incredibly tough. Pakistan then bowl a waist high no ball which Kohli hits for six to concede 7 runs and from there India scrape home off the last ball of the game. Epic match. Huge boost to India and massive downer for Pakistan. Match highlights. https://www.t20worldcup.com/video/2869705

In today's two games have comfortably beaten . Meanwhile, and are facing each other in front of a raucous crowd of over 90,000 at the MCG. https://www.t20worldcup.com/video

And a better view here. https://www.t20worldcup.com/video/2866725

Stunning catch by Phillips as complete an 89 run drubbing of . The Aussies NRR already a horrible looking -4.450.

That was bad luck but these things can happen when you try a sweep or hoick against the bowler. The truth is the Aussies have been comprehensively outplayed by NZ. Finn Allen gave the Kiwis an excellent start with 42 off 16 balls and they didn't look back. They've also had much greater variety in both their spin and pace attacks. Looking like real challengers, I think.

The second stage begins today with two matches in Group A. play in Perth later, while the first big clash of this WC is between and in front of a sell out crowd at the SCG. The Kiwis batted first and put up what looks like a decent score of 200/3 in what is one of the key matches in this group.