OlympicsFan

Yes

1) It is Čeh 2) I don't think that Čeh broke the CR

1 & 2) That is capitalism. Please tell me why Orban wants those companies in Hungary if he himself/Hungary doesn't profit from it? 3) No clue what you mean. 4) No clue what you mean. 5) There are other forms of energy & there are other landlocked countries that don't rely on russian gas & there are other countries that export gas through pipelines (for example Azerbaijan).

Doesn't have to be one or the other, but without doping all of this is irrelevant. China also claimed that their secret in the 90s was turtle soup. Of course you always have to try to give an explanation that gullible people can believe/plausible deniability, but the answer is always doping. People claiming that it is possible to dominate without doping are extremely disrespectful/insulting.

Banned for doping before ... no results in the 400 m hurdles between 2018 and 2023 ...

For now ... Alekna can take over ...

It isn't impossible, unless you use the number of medals to define good/bad. The actual performances matter as well. In the end every country always will have some athletes overperforming and some athletes underperforming and it depends how you weigh those two groups.

Tokyo was probably the biggest overperformance any country ever had in athletics (you can look at past olympics and tell me how often any european country won 5 golds). How much more do you expect? At this point everyone knows that you can't judge anything related to italian sports objectively.

Difficult to lead a discussion when you can't even quote (i don't get a message that you quoted me and therefore might not reply, which surely wasn't your goal). Track events were never really "a thing" in western/unified Germany. I think the last global champions were Baumann (caught doping) and Schumann (some rumors as well). If Germany would have continued to use the GDR doping knowledge, they would now be much more competitive. Instead german coaches went to countries like GB or China to continue their dop... training. Actually Germany hasn't been as good in the 400 m hurdles as they are today (although 2 of their 3 best guys are injured right now), but you are right about the other events. Italy also had a big downturn (same as Spain) after they were pretty good in running in the 1990s/2000s. Then those countries had some doping trouble (in running/cycling), which lead to them "laying low" for a while (and some of their officials going to african countries for example), but now they seem to be back. I think the situation in finish cross-country skiing is comparable. The Netherlands and GB didn't have that "burden", so they had less reservations using performance enhancing drugs. GB used to be insanely bad in sports until 2000 or so, but then they completely exploded and even all the stories around team Sky, Dwain Chambers Paula Radcliffe didn't really hurt them.

Difficult to lead a discussion when you can't even quote (i don't get a message that you quoted me and therefore might not reply, which surely wasn't your goal). Track events were never really "a thing" in western/unified Germany. I think the last global champions were Baumann (caught doping) and Schumann (some rumors as well). If Germany would have continued to use the GDR doping knowledge, they would now be much more competitive. Instead german coaches went to countries like GB or China to continue their dop... training. Actually Germany hasn't been as good in the 400 m hurdles as they are today (although 2 of their 3 best guys are injured right now), but you are right about the other events. Italy also had a big downturn (same as Spain) after they were pretty good in running in the 1990s/2000s. Then those countries had some doping trouble (in running/cycling), which lead to them "laying low" for a while (and some of their officials going to african countries for example), but now they seem to be back. I think the situation in finish cross-country skiing is comparable. The Netherlands and GB didn't have that "burden", so they had less reservations using performance enhancing drugs. GB used to be insanely bad in sports until 2000 or so, but then they completely exploded and even all the stories around team Sky, Dwain Chambers Paula Radcliffe didn't really hurt them.

1 & 2) Not sure what point you are trying to make. Are you saying that Rheinmetall creating jobs in Hungary is a loss for Hungary (or for Germany)? Rheinmetall is profiting (better margin) and Hungary as well (more jobs), the german public not so much (less jobs). 3) Not sure about the point you are trying to make. I am perfectly fine with Hungary not taking in any migrants. While you are at it you should just stop them from traveling through your country to other EU countries. I guess Putin wouldn't be happy about that, so not sure how realistic that is. 4) https://www.statista.com/chart/18794/net-contributors-to-eu-budget/ 5) I guess you could do what basically all other countries that used to be dependant on russian gas did ... I don't blame Hungary for doing this (Germany for example made the same "mistake"), but obviously Hungary remaining dependant on russian gas (and therefore making it easy for Puting to "blackmail" them) isn't in the best interest of other EU countries. Maybe they raised the transit fee to force you to go away from russian gas, who knows ...

Sadly the truth, i wish it wasn't. After what happened with GDR anyone who is remotely connected to anything doping-related gets bullied by the public. German coaches went to countries like China or GB to avoid this nonsense. Please name the countries that have a more strict anti-doping law and a better funded NADA. I am sure an expert like you, who felt confident laughing about my statement, can easily provide the information. I am sure that this isn't just another case where you are hyper biased (Alex Schwazer/anything related with italian sports).

I don't understand the outrage. Do we know that the player didn't want it/have a problem with it? Why do people feel the need to feel insulted on behalf of others? If she has a problem with it, she should express it/speak out herself.

Insane performance by Germany ... Either they miss the final by one place or they make the final and finish last ... Only exception is Vennekamp. In 2016 german shooters were super clutch, but since then they have been the complete opposite.

Good to hear ... Overall very poor/ideologically-driven "analysis". 1) People like Orban or Putin can pour insane amounts of money into sports (or military) because they aren't held as accountable as western politicians. Of course we all know that for example every american war (Vietnam, Afghanistan) since 1945 has been for financial reasons as well, so western politicians aren't much better. Would be interesting to know who earned money with building all the venues in Hungary ... In the end Orban can claim that he did spend all the money for his people (bringing all those sporting events to Hungary), while in reality he transfered european tax payer money to his friends/family who built the venues. Hungarian people are happy and probably don't ask if the money wouldn't have been better spent on education or healthcare. 2) Obviously it helps that western companies invest in Hungary (because production there is cheaper). 3) Personally i think that western european tax payers have every right to be pissed about Orban using their money to enrich himself. Of course Orban isn't the only one, the same happens with development aid in countries like Ethiopia. 4) Hungary gets more than twice as much money as Bulgaria from the EU. 5) I think it also helps Hungary that they still get gas from Russia. Some people might ask why the EU accepts that Hungary constantly acts against its interests and why Hungary is still part of the EU, but of course kicking Hungary out would hurt western european companies that produce there, so this probably won't happen. 6) It is interesting to look at the role Orban played in connection with the planned Nabucco pipeline.

1) Drechsler was infinitely better than Spanovic. Her PB was infinitely better than Spanovic's PB, so obviously she had much more room for error (age) and it doesn't make sense to compare them. Also doesn't matter what Spanovic "has on her mind". Robert-Michon also has Paris on her mind, doesn't mean that she is a medal contender or can stop ageing. 2) Germany won 1 medal at the 2008 olympics and then, 7 years later, 8 medals at the 2015 world championships. Not a single one of the athletes who won medals in 2015 was in any way relevant in the 90s. Germany could instantly be infinitely better if they would find a way to avoid 80 % of their athletes constantly being injured (Farken, Petros, Vetter, Ansah, Ansah-Peprah, Agyekum, Preis, Lita Baehre, Heß, Röhler, Hofmann, Mayer, Trost, Klein, Klosterhalfen, Meyer, Krause, Mihambo, Eckhardt, Hussong, Schäfer). Mihambo obviously could have sleepwalked to a medal if she would have been healthy and Vetter/Hussong also would have won a medal even at 80 %. Farken, Lita Baehre, Heß, Röhler, Klosterhalfen, Meyer, Krause, Mihambo, Eckhardt, Hussong, Schäfer all could/would have made the top 8 if healthy. Germany also just recently won 23 medals at the U20 european championships, as many as GB, France and Italy combined. The main problems for german athletics are injuries, the transition from junior to senior level and the aversion to using performance enhancing drugs due to ideological reasons. The Netherlands and Norway have far less talent and far less elite athletes, but still normally win more medals because their main athletes (Ingebrigtsen, Warholm, Bol, Hassan) are basically always performing (no injuries). Germany might be the most doping-averse country in the world (maybe next to Japan), thanks to the GDR past. Countries like the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, GB and obviously USA/Russia/China/Kenya/Ethiopia have zero problems with using performance enhancing drugs and of course this means more medals for them. German officials got brainwashed into hurting themselves by categorically refusing to use performance enhacing drugs. Just sad that the taxpayer still has to pay for their "morally"-guided suicide mission. Either you fund elite athletes with tax payer money and try everything to maximize their performance or you accept that it is impossible to win medals without performance enhacing drugs and stop financing a hopeless fight (for medals). Sadly this kind of "magical thinking" (believing in winning medals without performance enhacing drugs) is very prevalent in Germany across all sorts of topics (immigration, climate change). Pretty much all other countries are more pragmatic and more focused on their own interest instead of only caring about what they could do to feel morally superior.

This discussion has been held a billion times in the past decades. I think Japan also claimed that they wouldn't spend insane amounts of money on the olympics, but in the end they still did. Personally i think that the IOC would rather give the olympics to Saudi-Arabia or Qatar than to lower their demands so much that hosting the olympics wouldn't be a huge waste of money for the host country. Also not sure why you act as if it is Hungary on the one hand and dictatorships on the other hand ... what is the reason for Hungary hosting half of the big competitions nowadays if not propaganda for Orban?

Germany's biggest weakness is that they have no good backup for Schröder. Lo is infinitely worse than he was just last one year ago. At least one out of Schröder and F. Wagner always needs to be on the floor for Germany. Germany with Reaves would have been the favorite.

[15hide] Group Stage - First Round August 25th - August 30th, 2023 32 Nations, The 1st and 2nd-Placed Nations from each Group will qualify for the Second Round. Group A Date & Time (GMT +8) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 August 25th 2023, h. 10:00 Angola 15 Italy August 25th 2023, h. 14:00 Dominican Republic 15 Philippines August 27th 2023, h. 10:00 Italy 5 Dominican Republic August 27th 2023, h. 14:00 Philippines 5 Angola August 29th 2023, h. 10:00 Angola 10 Dominican Republic August 29th 2023, h. 14:00 Philippines 20 Italy Group B Date & Time (GMT +8) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 August 26th 2023, h. 10:00 South Sudan 15 Puerto Rico August 26th 2023, h. 14:00 Serbia 25 China August 28th 2023, h. 10:00 China 5 South Sudan August 28th 2023, h. 14:00 Puerto Rico 10 Serbia August 30th 2023, h. 10:00 South Sudan 25 Serbia August 30th 2023, h. 14:00 China 15 Puerto Rico Group C Date & Time (GMT +8) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 August 26th 2023, h. 10:45 Jordan 15 Greece August 26th 2023, h. 14:40 United States 30 New Zealand August 28th 2023, h. 10:45 New Zealand 5 Jordan August 28th 2023, h. 14:40 Greece 20 United States August 30th 2023, h. 10:40 United States 35 Jordan August 30th 2023, h. 14:40 Greece 15 New Zealand Group D Date & Time (GMT +8) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 August 25th 2023, h. 10:45 Mexico 15 Montenegro August 25th 2023, h. 14:30 Egypt 25 Lithuania August 27th 2023, h. 10:45 Montenegro 20 Egypt August 27th 2023, h. 14:30 Lithuania 20 Mexico August 29th 2023, h. 10:45 Egypt 5 Mexico August 29th 2023, h. 14:30 Montenegro 5 Lithuania Group E Date & Time (GMT +9) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 August 25th 2023, h. 10:00 Finland 10 Australia August 25th 2023, h. 14:10 Germany 15 Japan August 27th 2023, h. 10:30 Australia 5 Germany August 27th 2023, h. 14:10 Japan 15 Finland August 29th 2023, h. 09:30 Germany 10 Finland August 29th 2023, h. 13:10 Australia 20 Japan Group F Date & Time (GMT +9) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 August 26th 2023, h. 10:00 Cape Verde 15 Georgia August 26th 2023, h. 13:30 Slovenia 20 Venezuela August 28th 2023, h. 10:00 Venezuela 10 Cape Verde August 28th 2023, h. 13:30 Georgia 15 Slovenia August 30th 2023, h. 10:00 Georgia 10 Venezuela August 30th 2023, h. 13:30 Slovenia 25 Cape Verde Group G Date & Time (GMT +7) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 August 26th 2023, h. 11:45 Iran 15 Brazil August 26th 2023, h. 15:30 Spain 30 Cote d'Ivoire August 28th 2023, h. 11:45 Cote d'Ivoire 10 Iran August 28th 2023, h. 15:30 Brazil 10 Spain August 30th 2023, h. 11:45 Cote d'Ivoire 15 Brazil August 30th 2023, h. 15:30 Iran 15 Spain Group H Date & Time (GMT +7) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 August 25th 2023, h. 11:15 Latvia 20 Lebanon August 25th 2023, h. 15:30 Canada 5 France August 27th 2023, h. 11:45 Lebanon 25 Canada August 27th 2023, h. 15:30 France 10 Latvia August 29th 2023, h. 11:45 Lebanon 30 France August 29th 2023, h. 15:30 Canada 10 Latvia Top 3 Place 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place Nation USA Canada France [/hide]

Not sure if it would be in the best financial interest of a small country like Hungary to host such a big event? The last time such a small country hosted summer olympics was in 2004. I think most greek people would say that it wasn't a positive thing for them. Hungary would probably have to build multiple big arenas (for football) or maybe find a co-host (Austria). European games or YOG might be a better fit for Hungary, at least for a start. I think even a country like the Netherlands might be too small for summer olympics.

Women's long jump: Pretty weak behind Spanovic. Insane that she peaks at such an old age. Mihambo shouldn't lose too much sleep over this. Iapichino was a massive letdown. Luzolo for sure had the chance to finish top 6, but sadly she couldn't even replicate her performance from prelims. Women's heptathlon: Pretty low level for bronze. Right now Thiam, KJT and Hall look like the clear favorites for the medals next year, but maybe someone else can step up and get to 6700-6800 points. Weißenberg would have won bronze with 6.40 m in the long jump. Men's hammer throw: Insane that Katzenberg improved by 12 m in 2 years ... i wish Germany would some day find an athlete with such a rate of improvement.

Heptathlon should be: Hall KJT Vetter Oosterwegel Weißenberg/Vidts

Lil Wayne now calls himself Brittany Brown and competes in women's 100 m?

Does Ingvaldsen also have asthma ... ? Maybe Norway should share some of their secrets with Denmark/Sweden/Finland. For some reason Norway is the only nordic country that is able to produce world class runners ...

Would be great if Germany could replace their 4th runner for the mixed relay final with Krafzik (if they don't get disqualified). The 4th german runner was atrocious.