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Does anyone know of some locations/races where there is likely to be really good FIS points in cross-country? (I’ve been talking to the Nepalese athlete). I know next to nothing about how FIS points are calculated unfortunately.

Neutral athletes maybe.

I mean to be honest Germans have words for everything

I’m not too sure what to think of him. But I know the Russians were quite desperate to win in that season. So I wouldn’t necessarily put it past them. Surely some of the proof can be established 100%?

Do you think the IOC will take his word?

Absolutely despicable. Knowing this, it’s far more likely they’ll be banned, I think.

What a legend! We need to get in contact and invite him to Totallympics.

That has to be one of the weirdest races ever. I love it!

Is it still possible for him? Jordan wasn’t on the accredited countries list?

I always love how Czech/Slovak names sound so silly in English Kateřina Smutná...

Haha. I would like to see Zvaricova back though. She was such a talent but got hit by a car, and has been trying to get into the A team since..

Why not at the World Cup? Oh... right. Brazil! Hopefully some big names will make it. The Czech coaches do tend to make strange decisions.

Vitkova fantastic skiing as always, Puskarcikova outstanding shooting. Jessica OK. I really think Charvatova should go to the IBU Cup for a few races, she does not cope with pressure well, and her shooting won't improve unless she has some less intense races. Johanidesova.. shooting clear, but 5 minutes behind, I really can't endorse selecting her for the sprint at all. Unless there was an unforseen problem or something that she had to stop for. I say bring in Davidova and Zvaricova for the sprint. Both did fantastic in IBU Cup. Hopefully we still have 6 quotas, right?

Damn. Was hoping the Czech women could squeeze in somehow. Always so close... Then again I'm hoping Russia doesn't get banned. Just because the hockey tournament would lose all of its flare. The Czechs for one would lose arguably their most heated rival.

..Yeah I don't even want to talk about that one

Though in this case it might be possible if the Russian team gets banned. They've already suspended over half of their active athletes.

Totally agree. In the Summer Games there is a free pass for no level athletes... The athlete from Iraq who barely failed to qualify for 2006 in men's skeleton also comes to mind. With only 20 quotas it's ridiculously difficult. In biathlon, it's worse- any rejected quotas don't even get reallocated. The only sports that actually encourage less able athletes from exotic nations are alpine and cross country skiing. I mean I do think there should be limits in that people can actually ski, but other than a demonstrated ability to do so (maybe successfully completing x number of races) I don't think there should be many more requirements. If you let absolute anyone in, this happens. Apparently some athletes only learned the basics of skiing once arriving in Albertville

Just clarifying I have nothing against the Nigerian athlete at all! I wish she could qualify too. I’m just friends with the Virgin Island athlete and am really moved by her story. Her entire community was destroyed by the hurricane...

Oh ok that means he’s a shoe-in. I just wasn’t sure so I did this worst-case scenario. The bad news is there’s now no hope for the Virgin Islands since Nigeria will get a continental quota in Skeleton also..

Those five sports are apparently in Tokyo 2020 only (non-core sports) and will have to reapply for Paris.

Fair enough. I mean the only new Olympic sports I really think deserve to be in the Olympics now are Squash and possibly Cricket.

Maybe, but exposure could mean more viewership later = even more $$$ As for Karate, well, the French are going to want medals one way or another. So it's either going to be that or Boules. (Maybe both...) Boules is interesting because it's the only sport at the Paralympics not in any resemblance in the Olympics (kind of) though for good reason. Would you rather have to have Boules or Karate?

Well a World Championship has been done. But yeah it would look quite different. I think as long as the well-known big names and professionals participate, though, it won't be so bad. Kinda like now with boxing, where it's alongside amateurs, except maybe a higher proportion of professionals to keep interest up. It's definitely, for me at least, one of the most entertaining martial arts around, and it has a huge base in the US. What I said about expanding was getting more federations involved, the IMMAF has fewer than 50 at the moment.

Karate will be in 2024 for sure... guess which country won the second highest number of medals at the 2017 World Championships... The only way it won't if it is bombs in 2020 but being held in Japan I doubt it will.

Keeping in mind if a sport is high on the list does not mean I would prefer it, it means I think it's more/less likely to make it. As for preference I think Lacrosse could grow a ton in the future (fastest-growing sport in the US, for one). Sport Climbing is pretty fun, so I like that idea, too, and I bet Bowling would be a hit because it's just so accessible. I just don't think there's any doubt around Baseball, Surfing or Skateboarding being there. Love Baseball (and Czechs are quite decent at it), not particularly a fan of the other two. Skateboarding is too much like snowboarding, surfing is just meh. Reason I put American Football/MMA there is on the chance that the IOC goes the full consumerism route for TV audiences in the US. Both sports do need to grow globally some more, of course, but it can happen.