dcro

This is also about sanctions. If Russian businesses are sanctioned, then on what grounds should the athletes get away with it? Professional sports are a business anyway, not some humanitarian mission.

Not to get overly technical, but Nagorno-Karabakh was internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, even if under Armenian control. So that makes it positively different in comparison to the current invasion...

This looks as residential as it gets. This is no collateral damage, this is the target. Insanity.

202 refugees have entered Croatia so far.

Putin has gone insane. Nothing is off the table I'm afraid. The fact that Putin has sent 400 agents to try to assassinate a democratically elected president of another nation should be enough for everyone to abandon him. That equals Red Wedding at negotiations tbh.

Jung would be second imo. The vintage Jung from 2010-2016, that is, not his imposter with mediocre results since 2017. As for the third, Pahud de Mortanges is with Todd and Jung the only other rider who have won consecutive Olympics on the same horse. Hugely impressive since the wins came in Amsterdam and Los Angeles, and getting to LA back then was a bit of a challenge to say the least. Or maybe Julia Krajewski? The first woman to win the title (several came really close before her though, most notably Karen Stives in 1984, Bettina Hoy in 2004 and Sara Algotsson in 2012) Then there is David O'Connor, the last champion of the long format. Richard Meade is a name everyone is familiar with too. Guyon and Coffin won events in 1968/1976, which were perhaps the toughest ever.

Mark Todd and Charisma have grown a cult status during their career together so I have to go with them. From the surprise win in Los Angeles, to a repeat in Seoul by which time they became invincible, essentially. Charisma was a tiny horse, which helped their cult status to grow.

To be fair, I do remember some scientists (certainly including the covid-profiteers) claiming that omicron was definitely not a less dangerous variant coming as a gift for Christmas. Utter nonsense to say with such lack of information at the time (and the available info was already suggesting something less dangerous).

Greek championships are being held this weekend. No results to speak of, presumably because the races are still being held late into night. Events included: Sprint 1200 km for M/W Interval 5000 km W and 10000 km M https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/event-details.html?sectorcode=CC&eventid=49583&seasoncode=2022

I just scrolled through media, and it took me a while to find the numbers for today. I guess COVID really is over?

Victory for Schopf in the Grand Prix was impressive. She posted 69% to win, while her usual scoring range was 65-67%. Yesterday however she also won the Grand Prix Special. With 71%. That is huge. Massive congratulations to Schopf and Armenia. She is humble about it. Getting interviewed is a new territory.

Smells like he is putting it out there because his army is struggling (according to the increasing number of reports). In the end he may use it with zero NATO intervention...

Okay Rodeš is finally back. Still, the main discovery this season is Samuel. Very solid.

Neither have the Ukrainian civilians. Or just the whole Ukraine, for that matter.

Not a bad result for Finland at all... They should have accepted their quota for Beijing.

I am starting to wonder if the team sprint will perhaps replace the relay at the Olympics. I don't want to see it happen, but if the women's event is getting added at the expense of the men's quota, then sadly I can't imagine the relay staying, unless it's mixed gender.

Would be nice, but given the current depth of the German seniors it would be surprising if she fails to make German teams.

And the Russians are so much different? Quite the contrary. This story goes way back, however my grandma came from the region which saw several armies moving through during the WW2. And out of all of them, the Red army was the scariest to the local population, and that's in spite of their "liberator" status in the area. Interestingly, she reminiscened that the German army was the "kindest", in a sense that they avoided conflict with the local population, made sure to pay for any local products they were getting, etc.

This is sickening. Now they are threatening one of the most peaceful nations out there.

Right. Galicia and Bukovina were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for a while. We shared many maps with them.

Kazakhstan has their resources, and at the same time they are hosting the Russian spaceport among other things ever since their independence. It's the cards they have been dealt with and they are playing it right. Mongolia, well, has nothing but China and Russia to choose from. Ukraine though is in Europe. They have strong links with the likes of Poland, Romania, Hungary, who are all EU+NATO members with economy benefits which Ukraine does not have. Heck, the Western Ukraine was basically Poland before the WWII. For me it's understandable why their chosen representatives have decided to follow that path, one way or another.

Finland has their own thing going. They survived the 20th century without getting absorbed by the CCCP, so I assume that's the main reason why they do not even consider playing with fire (joining NATO). Odds are that Ukraine's only way out was turning into a puppet-state like Belarus, but that's not really a way out, is it?

Pretty much out of nowhere, Carrie Schopf set a massive PB and won a competitive class in Florida yesterday. Unsurprisingly, it is the first ever CDI victory for Armenia.

You are ruining the legacy of this amazing exit.

Btw the Russian stock market went down 40% today, reportedly