mpjmcevoy

I fear this boil will not be lanced until either 1) he dies or 2) he wins. Hear me out. The man is, in a very real, practical, mentally unbalanced sense shameless. He literally cannot feel shame like other people, He resents mockery, sure, but he's never of the belief its deserved. And without shame, he can't stop running to win. He's lost the popular vote twice - that would normally be enough alone to send a politician back to the farm - and yet, with completely graceless shamelessness, here he is again. And If alive, he will be again in 2028. Only death and term limits can stop him - and he'd certainly challenge term limits.

Go away. It's tedious now.

or Sophie Coldwell or Jessica Fullager Meanwhile an impressive win in the European Triathlon Cup event for Hugo Milner

Suspect it's connected to the World Boxing/IBA issue

Laugher and Harding win World Cup gold in Men's 3m synchro. GBR 2 from 2. Chinese did not compete, obviously. As Toulson has not travelled, the run for GBR will come to a halt in the Women's 10m synchro in about an hour.

Unfortunately, I agree. We'll miss them when they're gone. But I think they're gone.

Noah was on for a 530 until that last dive, which would have been a handy score....

It's important for a couple of reasons 1) it showcases matchplay, which has been lacking, despite it arguably being the more watchable format for virgin viewers 2) it gets more use out of the venue My proposal? 12 Teams of 4 - 2 men, 2 women. in three groups of 4 - Highest ranked nations are offered 4 spots automatically, before kicking into single rankings If more than 12 teams are possible, the strokeplay aggregate is used to rank top 12 teams. Max 1 team per NOC in final 12. Matches over 9 holes in group stage, with nearest the pin tie breaker if all square after 9 Matches scored on the 2pts per hole won, 1 per hole tied basis - first to 10 therefore wins. Match halts at that point Each 'rubber' consists of three matches - men's singles, women's singles, and mixed foursome. 2 matches wins the rubber, match scores 10-x used like goal difference if required. Top 2 per group plus next best 2 to QF, again over 9 holes Group matches could easily be done in a day, 2 at most Then semis and medal matches done over 18 holes over next two days, or next day Total holes for medalists (9+9+9) Group + 9 QF + 18 semi + 18 medal = 72 holes.over three days - (27) Groups (27) Quarter and semi (18) Medal

Instant wave of dread. The overbearing and controlling parent trope. Never. Ends. Well.

I forsee a squad with an unusually high number of 'medal punts', but relatively few 'gold chances'. you're basically hoping one or two come right through the middle, and Caudrey must be a shout for that role. Hodgkinson is a fantastic talent, but it's a brutally tough era in that event. KJT will be watching the Euros - if Nafi stumbles, things get interesting, although Anna Hall seems to have the edge. And of course, it will be interesting to see if Jake and Josh and A.N. Other (the GBR number 3, given GB depth, will be no patsy - instinct says George Mill) can tagteam Jakob. Laura's not gonna beat Faith Kipyegon, and truth be told, I think the decline has probably begun - she simply doesn't look the athlete she did 2 years ago. Likewise, Dina, who I just don't see reaching those heights again though she remains a key relay member - I think all the relays could be competitive, although the Men's 4 x 4 are probably the weakest. There are 'punchers chances' in a number of events, especially the sprints with Zharnel, but you can't simply ignore 16 events in the field, plus anything longer than 5000, as UKA have done, and expect anything.

I must admit, I'm quite excited to see the interaction over the next few years of Megan Keith and Innes Fitzgerald. You get a certain chemistry when two big talents come through at once (Jackson-Jarrett/Coe-Ovett/Sanderson-Whitbread/McColgan-Murray)

They both have time for another Olympics, and I'd imagine they'd be hungry for it. Without them, of course, GB loses any realistic chance of a team medal, and loses its floor and AA threat. Wonder if this plays into Beckie's hands as a plausible - if no longer likely - UB outside medal chance? And penny for the thoughts perhaps, of her retired sister?

Whisper it quietly....possible Olympic Hoy-trick?

Men's quota always seemed unlikely tbh. Frankly, just getting a male in to be sure of a mixed pair will be a relief.

They'll be begging Fragapane to suit up again....

Finucane, straight sets, not even all that close. BC must be laughing themselves silly to have cottoned onto the increasingly uncontestible 'best female sprinter in the world' just in time for Paris, after years of Post Becky James torpour. (Becky was obviously meant, in BC terms, to lead this team for a decade, and her retirement left a vast hole...which has just suddenly filled up quite nicely!). Really did NOT see this coming a few years back...

All things being equal, the team with the leading individual sprinter tends to be favourite in these circumstances - not always, but usually. At the moment it seems incontrovertible that for the men that's Harri Levreyson and for the women it's Emma Finucane. Finucane, however, is relatively new in this position, so it is more difficult to assume she wiill carry it through. The keinin is a bit more of a toss up, and while a single supremely fit athlete can take a lot of the chance out of it - think Hoy in his pomp, there is room for ingenuity and downright sneakiness (think Kenny in Tokyo taking advantage of Glaeser's nervousness, throwing fake over the shoulders to get Glaetzer to miss him taking off - that's speed, but it also a careers worth of clever)

They've made a point of talking up the fact - perfectly legitimate - that Laura is still young enough to have LA and even Brisbane in front of her, if she so chose (I'm not sure she will, but having Jason as a coach in the Manchester system doesn't hurt). I'm guessing she'll miss Paris, come back for Worlds, and work back towards LA. Choices about brisbane will wait till after that.

Is Innes Fitzgerald set to become this era's Jonathan Edwards/Eric Liddle?

Given the first few days carnage, I'd have to say 2 + Ngamba has to be considered a decent return, and several decent shots live to fight another day. Seems to me central Asia, and Brazil, are in an ascendency at the moment. I think Ireland's return of just 1 rather more alarming.

they've started already, shameless https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/68539539

My Irish side cannot throw stones - the way we leaned into Wayne McCullough back in the day, letting/making the poor fella carry the tricolour, or the way we're going to hero worship rhasidat adeleke....

The opportunity to get an extra 'quasi-British' athlete to follow, while virtue signalling on both LGB AND refugee issues, will clearly be far, far too much for BBC to resist. You know it, I know it - and I sympathise with both causes!

As for Brunei DS, they are fans there of archery and shooting; sports relatively cheap to host but allowing them to make a contribution, and keeping our Indian friends happy.

It's clear from Malaysia OlCom website that they are all in for this - it's up to Malaysian government now, but if it's slightly scaled back, and designed to suit Malaysia in terms of sport, the chances are probably high its been rescued rfom the jaws of death, for now. The offer from CFG of 100 million to Malaysia (which they seem to like as a umber) also leaves 100m in the kitty, I would suggest, for off site Commonwealth Championships in any sports keen to have one that Malaysia can't host either itself or with Singapore - thus squaring the circle of a scaled back Games. Malaysia has athletics, aquatics, gymnastics and track cycling venues already - most of the rest doesn't require huge infrasctructure, but can always be offered elsewhere (singapore would be happy enough to take on sevens, Malayia will be happy to do Netball - bowls in Darwin, prghaps?