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Pretty bad championships for Kotryna Teterevkova, I guess she completely peaked at the junior championships and it's only going to be downhill for this season, cause she's already spent. Also, this morning was the first individual start for our biggest gold medal hope - Danas Rapšys and he looked pretty decent, although he'll need to bring his A-game, cause it will definitely not be an easy swim. Lastly, Meilutytė and Šidlauskas are performing better than expected, so good on them.

In two years we should pre-qualify 800 and 1500 metres as well, because nobody wants to see big names not qualifying to semi-finals in the heats only because of poor tactics chosen at that moment.

Yup, it was common knowledge for a long while, although they estimated that there would be 8 pre-qualified spots in races, but I guess that was adjusted to fit a fancy format after they got the actual final entrant lists. This explains why it's a different amount of pre-qualified athletes for every race, so the top 8 knew they were pre-qualified and for some 9-13 ranked athletes this was a surprise as they were expected to run in heats.

It's not like Perkovic is not a pre-qualified medalist

This is probably one of the reasons why I started missing out on most of the contests, only picking those where I at least have a bit of relative knowledge so it doesn't feel like a scam at the end

I remember when I somehow won an Olympic prediction contest medal in field hockey. I felt as if I robbed the four hardcore fans of the sport that were battling over the title, whilst I just guesstimated everything looking at the rankings.

I'm in a bit of a pickle now. Lithuania has had some amazing history in women's road races and we were once one of the best cycling nations (Olympic, world, European medals and such). It was like a little bit of history back today with the 5th place for Rasa, buuuuuuuuuuuut she was caught with doping three years ago, so it's not something that someone should necessarily be proud of

[hide] Event & Date Athletes Gold Silver Bronze Men's 50km Race Walk Day 1 August 7th, 2018 Veli-Matti Partanen Mate Helebrandt X Brendan Boyce Havard Haukenes Rafal Sikora Rafal Augustyn Matej Toth X Perseus Karlstrom X Ivan Banzeruk Marian Zakalnytskyy Any Other Athlete Women's 50km Race Walk Day 1 August 7th, 2018 Nadzeya Darazhuk Nastassia Yatsevich X Ines Henriques X Maria Czakova Mar Juarez Julia Takacs X Ainhoa Pinedo Khrystyna Yudkina Vasylyna Vitovshchyk Alina Tsviliy Any Other Athlete Men's Hammer Throw Day 1 August 7th, 2018 Hleb Dudarau Quentin Bigot Nick Miller X Bence Halasz Serghei Margiev Pawel Fajdek X Wojciech Nowicki X Marcel Lomnicky Esref Apak Denis Lukyanov Any Other Athlete Men's 10000m Day 1 August 7th, 2018 Soufiane Bouchikhi Bashir Abdi Morad Amdouni Chris Thompson X Andy Vernon Richard Ringer X Yemaneberhan Crippa Polat Kemboi Arikan Kaan Kigen Ozbilen X Adel Mechaal Any Other Athlete Men's Shot Put Day 1 August 7th, 2018 Mesud Pezer Filip Mihaljevic Stipe Zunic X Tomas Stanek David Storl Konrad Bukowiecki Michal Haratyk X Tsanko Arnaudov Asmir Kolasinac Maxim Afonin Aleksandr Lesnoy X Any Other Athlete Women's 100m Day 1 August 7th, 2018 Krystsina Tsimanouskaya Ivet Lalova-Collio Orlann Ombissa Carolle Zahi Dina Asher-Smith X Any Other Athlete from Great Britain Gina Luckenkemper Any Other Athlete from Germany Daphne Schippers X Mujinga Kambundji X Any Other Athlete Men's 100m Day 1 August 7th, 2018 Amaury Golitin Jimmy Vicaut X Ojie Edoburun Ujach Chijindu Reese Prescod Zharnel Hughes Any Athlete from Germany Filippo Tortu X Lamont Marcelli Jacobs Churandy Martina Jak Ali Harvey X Ramil Guliyev Any Other Athlete Men's Long Jump Day 2 August 8th, 2018 Radek Juska X Kafetien Gomis Dan Bramble Feron Sayers Julian Howard Fabian Heinle Stephan Hartmann X Miltiadis Tentoglou Tomasz Jaszczuk Thobias Nilsson Montler Vladyslav Mazur Serhii Nykyforov Any Other Athlete X Women's Shot Put Day 2 August 8th, 2018 Aliona Dubitskaya X Alena Abramchuk Radoslava Mavrodieva Alina Kenzel Christina Schwanitz X Dimitriana Surdu Melissa Boekelman Paulina Guba X Klaudia Kardasz Fanny Roos Any Other Athlete Men's Discus Throw Day 2 August 8th, 2018 Lukas Weisshaidinger Gerd Kanter Christoph Harting X Robert Harting Daniel Jasinski Andrius Gudzius X Piotr Malachowski Robert Urbanek Daniel Stahl X Any Other Athlete Women's 10000m Day 2 August 8th, 2018 Sophie Duarte Charlotte Arter Alice Wright Alina Reh Anna Gehring Lonah Chemtai Salpeter Susan Krummins X Sara Catarina Ribeiro Sara Moreira Ines Monteiro Ancuta Bobocel Yasemin Can X Any Other Athlete X Men's Decathlon Day 2 August 8th, 2018 Thomas van der Plaetsen Maicel Uibo Kevin Mayer X Arthur Abele X Matthias Brugger Niklas Kaul Tim Duckworth Eelco Sintnicolaas X Pieter Braun Ilya Shkurenyov Any Other Athlete Women's Pole Vault Day 3 August 9th, 2018 Iryna Zhuk Ninon Guillon-Romarin Holly Bradshaw X Ekaterini Stefanidi X Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou Angelica Bengtsson Maryna Kylypko Olga Mullina Anzhelika Sidorova X Any Other Athlete Men's 400m Hurdles Day 3 August 9th, 2018 Rasmus Magi Ludvy Vaillant Dai Greene Jack Green Luke Campbell Thomas Barr X Karsten Warholm X Sergio Fernandez Yasmani Copello X Timofey Chalyy Any Other Athlete Men's Javelin Throw Day 3 August 9th, 2018 Jakub Vadlejch Vitezslav Vesely Magnus Kirt X Oliver Helander Andreas Hofmann Thomas Roehler X Johannes Vetter X Rolands Strobinders Alexandru Novac Any Other Athlete Men's 200m Day 3 August 9th, 2018 Adam Gemili Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake Aleixo Platini Menga Likourgos-Stefanos Tsakonas Churandy Martina X Alex Wilson Jan Volko Bruno Hortelano X Ramil Guliyev X Any Other Athlete Men's 3000m Steeplechase Day 3 August 9th, 2018 Mitko Tsenov Yoann Kowal X Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad X Zak Seddon Martin Grau Any Athlete from Italy Fernando Carro X Sebastian Martos Napoleon Solomon Any Other Athlete Women's 100m Hurdles Day 3 August 9th, 2018 Eline Berings Alina Talay X Elvira Herman Nooralotta Neziri Pamela Dutkiewicz Cindy Roleder X Any Other Athlete from Germany Any Athlete from Hungary Eefje Boons Nadine Visser X Isabelle Pedersen Any Other Athlete Women's High Jump Day 4 August 10th, 2018 Mirela Demireva X Ana Šimić Morgan Lake Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch Elena Vallortigara X Airine Palsyte Erika Kinsey Yuliya Levchenko Kateryna Tabashnyk Mariya Lasitskene X Any Other Athlete Women's Triple Jump Day 4 August 10th, 2018 Gabriela Petrova X Jeanine Assani Issouf Kristin Gierisch Paraskevi Papahristou X Hanna Minenko Patricia Mamona X Lecabela Quaresma Elena-Andrea Panturiou Ana Peleteiro Olha Saladukha Any Other Athlete Women's Heptathlon Day 4 August 10th, 2018 Ivona Dadic Verena Preiner Nafissatou Thiam X Katerina Cachova Katarina Johnson-Thompson X Carolin Schaefer Xenia Krizsan Anouk Vetter X Any Other Athlete Women's Javelin Throw Day 4 August 10th, 2018 Tatsiana Khaladovich X Nikola Ogrodnikova Christin Hussong X Katharina Molitor Asdis Hjalmsdottir Any Athlete from Latvia Sigrid Borge Martina Ratej X Eda Tugsuz Any Other Athlete Women's 400m Hurdles Day 4 August 10th, 2018 Hanne Claes Zuzana Hejnova X Sara Slott Petersen X Eilidh Doyle Ayomide Folorunso Yadisleidy Pedroso Amalie Hammild Iuel Joana Linkiewicz Lea Sprunger X Ana Ryzhykova Vera Rudakova Any Other Athlete Men's 400m Day 4 August 10th, 2018 Jonathan Borlee X Kevin Borlee X Pavel Maslak Matthew Hudson-Smith Martyn Rooney Rabah Yousif Liemarvin Bonevacia Karsten Warholm X Karol Zalewski Luka Janežič Oscar Husillos Any Other Athlete from Spain Any Other Athlete Women's 800m Day 4 August 10th, 2018 Renelle Lamote X Shelayna Oskan-Clarke Linsey Sharp X Alexandra Bell Christina Hering Anita Hinriksdottir Yusneysi Santiusti Sanne Wolters-Verstegen Angelika Cichocka X Selina Buchel Lovisa Lindh Nataliya Pryshchepa Any Other Athlete Men's 110m Hurdles Day 4 August 10th, 2018 Milan Trajkovic Aurel Manga Pascal Martinot-Lagarde Garfield Darien Gregor Traber Andy Pozzi Balazs Baji X Orlando Ortega X Jason Joseph Sergey Shubenkov X Any Other Athlete Men's 1500m Day 4 August 10th, 2018 Ismael Debjani Jakub Holuša Homiyu Tesfaye Chris O'Hare Jake Wightman Jakob Ingebrigtsen X Henrik Ingebrigtsen X Filip Ingebrigtsen X Any Other Athlete Women's 20km Race Walk Day 5 August 11th, 2018 Anezka Drahotova Laura Garcia-Caro Maria Perez Julia Takacs Eleonora Giorgi Antonella Palmisano X Brigita Virbalyte-Dimsiene X Ana Cabecinha Ines Henriques X Nadiya Borovska Ina Kashyna Any Other Athlete Men's 20km Race Walk Day 5 August 11th, 2018 Tom Bosworth X Christopher Linke X Hagen Pohle Giorgio Rubino Alavro Martin Diego Garcia Carrera Miguel Angel Lopez Perseus Karlstrom Vasiliy Mizinov X Any Other Athlete Men's High Jump Day 5 August 11th, 2018 Maksim Nedasekau Allan Smith Mateusz Przybylko Konstadinos Baniotis Gianmarco Tamberi X Sylwester Bednarek Matus Bubenik Alperen Acet Dmytro Demyanyuk Andrii Protsenko X Danil Lysenko Ilya Ivanyuk Any Other Athlete X Women's Long Jump Day 5 August 11th, 2018 Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova Eloyse Lesueur-Aymonin Lorraine Ugen Shara Proctor Malaika Mihambo X Sosthene Moguenara X Ivana Španović X Juliet Itoya Khaddi Sagnia Krystyna Hryshutyna Any Other Athlete Women's 400m Day 5 August 11th, 2018 Floria Guel Anyika Onuora Maria Belibasaki Libania Grenot X Agne Šerkšniene X Madiea Ghafoor Lisanne de Witte X Justyna Swiety-Ersetic Malgorzata Holub-Kowalik Kseniya Aksyonova Any Other Athlete Women's Discus Throw Day 5 August 11th, 2018 Sandra Perković X Chanice Craft Claudine Vitta X Nadine Muller X Irina Rodrigues Yuliya Maltseva Any Other Athlete Men's 800m Day 5 August 11th, 2018 Amel Tuka Pierre Ambroise Bosse X Elliot Giles Guy Learmonth Daniel Rowden Adam Kszczot X Marcin Lewandowski X Alvaro de Arriba Saul Ordonez Any Other Athlete Women's 200m Day 5 August 11th, 2018 Ivet Lalova-Collio X Dina Asher-Smith X Beth Dobbin Bianca Williams Any Athlete from Germany Jamile Samuel Dafne Schippers X Mujinga Kambundji Yelizaveta Bryzgina Any Other Athlete Men's 5000m Day 5 August 11th, 2018 Bashir Abdi Soufiane Bouchikhi X Isaac Kimeli Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad Morad Amdouni Richard Ringer X Chris Thompson Yemaneberhan Crippa Henrik Ingebrigtsen X Jakob Ingebrigtsen Any Other Athlete Men's 4x400m Relay Day 5 August 11th, 2018 Belgium X Czech Republic France Germany Great Britain X Italy Netherlands Poland X Spain Turkey Any Other Nation Women's 4x400m Relay Day 5 August 11th, 2018 Belgium France Germany X Great Britain X Italy Poland X Spain Switzerland Ukraine Any Other Nation Women's Marathon Day 6 August 12th, 2018 Nastassia Ivanova Volha Mazuronak X Eva Vrabcova-Nyvltova X Katharina Heinig Lily Partridge Charlotte Purdue X Any Other Athlete from Great Britain Sara Dossena Giovanna Epis Andrea Deelstra Maria Azucena Diaz Olha Kotovska Any Other Athlete Men's Marathon Day 6 August 12th, 2018 Koen Naert Meftah Abdellatif X Hassan Chahdi Any Other Athlete from France Any Athlete from Italy Sondre Nordstad Moen X Abdi Nageeye Henryk Szost Any Other Athlete from Poland Javier Guerra X Tadesse Abraham Oleksandr Sitkovskyy Any Other Athlete Men's Pole Vault Day 6 August 12th, 2018 Jan Kudlička Axel Chapelle Renaud Lavillenie X Raphael Holzdeppe Konstadinos Filippidis Piotr Lisek X Pawel Wojciechowski Armand Duplantis X Timur Morgunov Any Other Athlete Women's Hammer Throw Day 6 August 12th, 2018 Hanna Malyshik Alexandra Tavernier Kathrin Klaas Sophie Hitchon Zalina Petrivskaya Joanna Fiodorow Malwina Kopron X Anita Wlodarczyk X Martina Hrašnova Any Athlete from Ukraine Yelizaveta Tsareva Any Other Athlete X Men's Triple Jump Day 6 August 12th, 2018 Alexis Copello Simo Lipsanen Jean-Marc Pontvianne Harold Correa Max Hess X Fabrizio Donato Karol Hoffmann Nelson Evora X Pablo Torrijos Any Other Athlete X Women's 1500m Day 6 August 12th, 2018 Simona Vrzalova Laura Weightman X Laura Muir X Hanna Klein Ciara Mageean Angelika Cichocka Sofia Ennaoui Marta Pen Marta Perez Any Other Athlete X Women's 5000m Day 6 August 12th, 2018 Melissa Courtney Steph Twell Eilish McColgan Konstanze Klosterhalfen Sifan Hassan X Susan Krumins Maureen Koster Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal Meraf Bahta X Yasemin Can X Any Other Athlete Women's 3000m Steeplechase Day 6 August 12th, 2018 Luiza Gega X Anna Emilie Moeller Ophelie Claude-Boxberger Elena Burkard Gesa-Felicitas Krause X Rosie Clarke Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal X Fabienne Schlumpf Ozlem Kaya Any Other Athlete Women's 4x100m Relay Day 6 August 12th, 2018 France Germany X Great Britain X Italy Netherlands X Poland Spain Switzerland Ukraine Any Other Nation Men's 4x100m Relay Day 6 August 12th, 2018 France X Germany X Great Britain X Italy Netherlands Poland Turkey Any Other Nation [/hide]

So many extreme changes in Lithuanian rowing for the past two years. Donata Vištartaitė (that was a singles rower, prior to switching to doubles) leaving the sport after Rio De Janeiro Olympics and Milda Valčiukaitė is paired with her former junior partner that left to study in USA and that's when Donata was paired up with Milda. Our multi-medalist double of Saulius Ritter and Rolandas Maščinskas were split apart for the Olympics (because one was injured) and Griškonis our singles rower managed to win an Olympic medal in the doubles somehow. Que to this year, we don't even have men's doubles as both Ritter and Maščinskas is now in the fours, Valčiukaitė is only rowing with Ieva Adomavičiūtė for a year and a bit and Griškonis is put back in singles this year and we come out of this with three medals. I'm surprised, proud and confused

Yes, no better outcome than the Russian getting outraced by two Lithuanians instead of one

Happy that Šidlauskas is in the final, a bit disappointed that Titenis is not really prepared to fight for medals this year.

Okay, NR and a very surprising final for Meilutytė is something that no one expected Perhaps there'll be intrigue in the breaststroke after all?

Too bad we only had two strong men

Woah, I'm surprised. Meilutytė swam close to her NR in 50 free and actually made the semi-final. Perhaps she's in these championships with some sort of form after all? In other news, both Šidlauskas and Titenis in the semi of 100 breaststroke, but they'll need to work a bit better if they want to secure the final. Lastly, even Gytis Stankevičius was close to the semi-final, another thing that I did not expect. Now there's the relay left.

Good start for our women's doubles and men's singles. Worrying start for our men's fours that should be considered as a favourite and there is an improvement with one athlete, so it's not a good sign to see them 4th in the heat.

In a world, where I'm expecting a medal from Rapšys, a final from Titenis and thinking that our youngster Teterevkova might perform better in the 100m. breaststroke than Meilutytė

Running away with two golds is pretty good for us, of course, not really a huge surprise, since Seja and Korobov is fighting for medals in senior level for the past few years already. They should be well on their way to Tokyo.

Surprisingly, it's the same five as it was in 2017/2016 and so on

This Friday and Saturday is going to be a big day for our Athletics as the national championships are being held in Palanga. Every single one of our elite athletes is taking part, so we should see some wonderful results. As of now, there are 11 athletes that won't be going to the European Championships as there is one maternity leave, three careers that ended and seven injuries. There is a possibility for 14 athletes to surprise everyone with a qualification mark, so hopefully at least a few of them could get on board to Berlin at the last minute. Honestly, I can't wait. The women's 400m. should be very exciting as it will be a battle for starting positions in the 4x400m. relay.

Just so you'd be in your comfort zone, the IBU agrees to letting you race on roller skis even on the snow.

The steady horse wins the race.

I remember someone put forth a suggestion to fund Lithuanian Swedish/Norwegian immigrants so that they'd take up winter sports there and become super stars. Still waiting for that plan to be set in motion

Or you can build a super relay around yourself and become nr.1 in the world just like Belgium. There are still some Claude brothers to choose from. Then, I would have suggested to borrow something from Germany, but sadly Florian Graf is retiring this season, buuuut you could try Christiansen or Gjesbakk, because Norway's world cup team seems to hate them. Lastly, top it all off with someone washed up or a potential youngster from Austria and Olympics, here you come.

Who are you going to shoot? The IBU officials? The Germans? Or are you going to put The Netherlands on the Biathlon map and represent your country?

Easy. No non top 20/25 nations at all. 20 quotas saved so that Germany can send 12 athletes and start with 8.