Dragon

Fighters lose weight to get down to the lowest possible weight division. It's OK if you drop a couple of kilos but if you need to lose more it gets very dangerous https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/sports/olympics/09boxing.html

Totally disagree on your first point. If anything, to be a fairer and safer tournament you need more weight divisions. Maybe 12-14 would be best (but not realistic) for each sex. 8 is the absolute minimum for safety reasons. The difference is, unlike other combat sports, you're primarily using your bulk to generate power rather than speed. You put a guy who naturally weighs 60kg against someone who weighs 48kg and, if you're lucky you get a quick and painful knockout. If you're unlucky you get a sustained beating that seriously harms the loser's health. Agree with the other points you make although pro boxing would have to be cleaned up a lot before they can let them fight at the Olympics. For 2020 it would be unfair to rob boxers who have trained for many years to throw the sport out of the Olympics - but all the people at the top of the AIBA have to go quickly. 2020 would be their final chance. Any problems and they are automatically banned from Paris and LA

Very generous of the bookmakers considering she's only ranked 12th in Europe this year. I think she might reach the final of the 200m.

Journalist from South Africa

Reuters News Italy’s Olympic committee (CONI) voted on Wednesday to submit a joint bid formed by Milan, Turin and the Alpine resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo to host the 2026 Winter Olympics

Highlight the blank line below the line "This post reserved for..."..

Anybody know of a live stream for the championships?

Where I am - if it's not 14 degrees centigrade and lightly raining then there's something wrong with the world

Yesterday.

Should be very close between Poland, Great Britain and Germany on the medal table. The feeling here is that Britain could win 7 gold medals in the shorter races but not a lot in other events.

Case #414 (South Africa #5) Athlete: Burger Lambrechts Sport: Athletics Duration: 48 Months Expiration: March 16th, 2022 Substance: Testosterone Source: http://www.drugfreesport.org.za/cases Case #415 (South Africa #6) Athlete: Daniel Watkinz Sport: Rowing Duration: 4 Months Expiration: August 29th, 2018 Substance: Cannabis Source: http://www.drugfreesport.org.za/cases Case #416 (South Africa #7) Athlete: Gordon Gilbert Sport: Cycling - Road Duration: 48 Months Expiration: May 13th, 2020 Substance: Testosterone Source: http://www.drugfreesport.org.za/cases Case #417 (South Africa #8) Athlete: Jandre Maree Sport: Non-Olympic (Rugby Union) Duration: 48 Months Expiration: September 15th, 2021 Substance: Methasterone, Stanozolol Source: http://www.drugfreesport.org.za/cases Case #418 (South Africa #9) Athlete: Onke Mangxola Sport: Non-Olympic (Bodybuilding) Duration: 24 Months Expiration: September 30th, 2019 Substance: Furosemide Source: http://www.drugfreesport.org.za/cases Case #419 (South Africa #10) Athlete: Ricardo Fitzpatrick Sport: Non-Olympic (Para-Powerlifting) Duration: 48 Months Expiration: February 24th, 2022 Substance: Testosterone Source: http://www.drugfreesport.org.za/cases Case #420 (South Africa #11) Athlete: Wessel Mostert Sport: Non-Olympic (MMA) Duration: 6 Months Expiration: July 15th, 2018 Substance: Methylphenidate Source: http://www.drugfreesport.org.za/cases Case #421 (South Africa #12) Athlete: Willem Parker Sport: Non-Olympic (Rugby Union) Duration: 48 Months Expiration: September 15th, 2021 Substance: Testosterone, Stanozolol Source: http://www.drugfreesport.org.za/cases Case #422 (Austria #3) Athlete: Carmen Buchacher Sport: Cycling - Road Duration: 48 Months Expiration: March 8th, 2022 Substance: EPO Source: http://www.drugfreesport.org.za/cases But since there no new cases from Algeria this is only to make Bestmen angry, :-)

Case #413 (Slovenia #1) Athlete: Amedej Vetrih Sport: Football Duration: 6 Months Expiration: November 25th, 2018 Substance: Higemenine Source: http://www.sloado.si/kategorija/sportniki-sankcije

Case #408 (Serbia #4) Athlete: Nikola Vasic Sport: Non-Olympic (Rugby League) Duration: 24 Months Expiration: November 29th, 2019 Substance: Cocaine Source: http://www.adas.org.rs/vesti/2018/01/09/ragbi-13-federacija-srbije-kaznila-nikolu-vasica/ Case #409 (Serbia #5) Athlete: Aleksandar Komazec Sport: Non-Olympic (Bodybuilding) Duration: 48 Months Expiration: October 28th, 2017 Substance: Furosemide Source: http://www.adas.org.rs/vesti/2018/01/29/savez-srbije-bodibilding-fitnes-bodifitnes-aerobik-kaznio-dvojicu-sportista/ Case #410 (Serbia #6) Athlete: Nikola Simonovic Sport: Non-Olympic (Bodybuilding) Duration: 48 Months Expiration: October 28th, 2017 Substance: Anastrozole, Norandrosterone, Stanozolol Source: http://www.adas.org.rs/vesti/2018/01/29/savez-srbije-bodibilding-fitnes-bodifitnes-aerobik-kaznio-dvojicu-sportista/ Case #411 (Serbia #7) Athlete: Milica Janicijevic Sport: Taekwondo Duration: 8 Months Expiration: May 30th, 2018 Substance: Furosemide Source: http://www.adas.org.rs/vesti/2018/02/07/tekvondo-asocijacija-srbije-kaznila-milicu-janicijevic/ Case #412 (Serbia #8) Athlete: Sašo Polugić Sport: Boxing Duration: 8 Months Expiration: August 23rd, 2019 Substance: Ephedrine Source: http://www.adas.org.rs/vesti/2018/07/10/bokserski-savez-srbije-kaznio-sasu-polugica/

And one of the world's leading experts on African athletics...

The complete entry list for all events for all countries http://www.european-athletics.org/mm/Document/EventsMeetings/General/01/28/47/53/ECH2018-FinalEntriesListforWebsite(1)_English.pdf

Case #402 (Saudi Arabia #1) Athlete: Ali Shrahily Sport: Wrestling Duration: 48 Months Expiration: January 6th, 2022 Substance: Cannabis Source: http://saadc.com/en/?p=543 Case #403 (Saudi Arabia #2) Athlete: Hasan Aljanby Sport: Handball Duration: 2 Months Expiration: June 23rd, 2018 Substance: Tamoxifen Source: http://saadc.com/en/?p=552 Case #404 (Saudi Arabia #3) Athlete: Nasef Albalwi Sport: Football Duration: 24 Months Expiration: April 16th, 2020 Substance: Cannabis Source: http://saadc.com/en/?p=555 Case #405 (Saudi Arabia #4) Athlete: Abdulaziz Masrawi Sport: Weightlifting Duration: 48 Months Expiration: June 29th 2022 Substance: Amphetamine Source: http://saadc.com/en/?p=564 Case #406 (Saudi Arabia #5) Athlete: Abdullatif Alharby Sport: Football Duration: 24 Months Expiration: June 5th, 2020 Substance: Furosemide Source: http://saadc.com/en/?p=567 Case #407 (Saudi Arabia #6) Athlete: Mubark Alqarny Sport: Football Duration: 48 Months Expiration: June 29th, 2022 Substance: Amphetamine Source: http://saadc.com/en/?p=570

Case #391 (New Zealand #1) Athlete: Jacob Nield Sport: Non-Olympic (Rugby Union) Duration: 48 Months Expiration: February 4th, 2021 Substance: Clenbuterol Source: https://drugfreesport.org.nz/athletes-currently-serving-bans-due-to-anti-doping-offences/ Case #392 (New Zealand #2) Athlete: Matt Nohorua Parata Sport: Non-Olympic (Rugby League) Duration: 12 Months Expiration: 29-Nov-2019 Substance: Complicity Source: https://drugfreesport.org.nz/athletes-currently-serving-bans-due-to-anti-doping-offences/ Case #393 (New Zealand #3) Athlete: Kalib Hamiora Whakataka Sport: Non-Olympic (Rugby Union) Duration: 24 Months Expiration: July 16th, 2019 Substance: Clenbuterol Source: https://drugfreesport.org.nz/athletes-currently-serving-bans-due-to-anti-doping-offences/ Case #394 (New Zealand #4) Athlete: Aroha Nuku Sport: Non-Olympic (Rugby Union) Duration: 24 Months Expiration: September 21st, 2019 Substance: Amphetamine Source: https://drugfreesport.org.nz/athletes-currently-serving-bans-due-to-anti-doping-offences/ Case #395 (New Zealand #5) Athlete: Michael Strickland Sport: Non-Olympic (Rugby League) Duration: 24 Months Expiration: May 26th, 2019 Substance: Clenbuterol Source: https://drugfreesport.org.nz/athletes-currently-serving-bans-due-to-anti-doping-offences/ Case #394 (New Zealand #6) Athlete: Name not disclosed (Under 16 years) Sport: Non-Olympic (Rugby Union) Duration: 48 Months Expiration: July 31st, 2021 Substance: Clenbuterol Source: https://drugfreesport.org.nz/athletes-currently-serving-bans-due-to-anti-doping-offences/ Case #395 (New Zealand #7) Athlete: Dylan Turner Sport: Non-Olympic (Powerlifting) Duration: 48 Months Expiration: April 22nd, 2022 Substance: GW1516 Source: https://drugfreesport.org.nz/athletes-currently-serving-bans-due-to-anti-doping-offences/ Case #396 (New Zealand #8) Athlete: Lionel Skipwith Sport: Non-Olympic (Rugby Union) Duration: 24 Months Expiration: September 25th, 2019 Substance: Clenbuterol Source: https://drugfreesport.org.nz/athletes-currently-serving-bans-due-to-anti-doping-offences/ Case #397 (New Zealand #9) Athlete: Brandyn Laursen Sport: Non-Olympic (Rugby Union) Duration: 24 Months Expiration: June 3rd, 2019 Substance: Clenbuterol Source: https://drugfreesport.org.nz/athletes-currently-serving-bans-due-to-anti-doping-offences/ Case #398 (New Zealand #10) Athlete: Tukiterangi Raimona Sport: Rugby Sevens Duration: 24 Months Expiration: May 27th, 2019 Substance: Metandienone Source: https://drugfreesport.org.nz/athletes-currently-serving-bans-due-to-anti-doping-offences/ Case #399 (New Zealand #11) Athlete: Brendon Keenan Sport: Athletics Duration: 48 Months Expiration: September 6th, 2021 Substance: EPO Source: https://drugfreesport.org.nz/athletes-currently-serving-bans-due-to-anti-doping-offences/ Case #400 (New Zealand #12) Athlete: Richard Brougham Sport: Field Hockey Duration: 24 Months Expiration: September 19th, 2019 Substance: Clenbuterol, Nandrolone, Dianabol Source: https://drugfreesport.org.nz/athletes-currently-serving-bans-due-to-anti-doping-offences/ Case #401 (New Zealand #13) Athlete: Karl Murray Sport: Cycling - Road Duration: 96 Months Expiration: May 10th, 2025 Substance: Clenbuterol Source: https://drugfreesport.org.nz/athletes-currently-serving-bans-due-to-anti-doping-offences/