thiago_simoes

I think it was because of the corruption scandals in Brazilian Aquatics Federation, and the very questionable process which led to the election of the new president of the federation. But trying to ban athletes from competing because there are problems not related to their performances is a low blow. It's nice to finish in the top 10 among the medal winning nations after this.

What the hell? France got six gold medals! Sure, they were far from great in the pool, but the championships was nearly perfect for them otherwise: first ever medal in diving (and a gold one), four gold medals in open water swimming, they advanced to the finals in 4 of their 5 attempted routines in synchronized swimming, and the women's team advanced to playoffs in water polo. Not bad at all.

Brazilian TV has just informed that 17 countries sent a letter to FINA (it is unclear if it was a joint letter or if each country sent a letter of their own) demanding Brazil to be banned from the World Championships before the competition started. I found nothing about it online. Does anybody know if this is really true?

This made me laugh so hard!

Why do the dancers have such ridiculous, shiny, Playmobil-like hair?

Japan... I was rooting for Ikee to finally get a medal, but no luck today...

Dressel is fantastic. Wow. But Schooling deserves kudos for getting a medal. I thought he was totally out of contention after the first half, but he still managed to get a bronze medal somehow.

Sure. Not the smartest people, lol. Was that woman who asked this question to Fratus the same person who extended her hand for a handshake with a blind person on live TV?

When he performs badly, what else can you ask besides "How do you feel?" He can be angry at himself all he wants, but being a jerk with other people because he is frustrated with his own performance is unacceptable. He's not always kind in Brazilian TV. He was nice today, but this is not always the case.

Wow, Fratus came so close to winning! I'm surprised. Not a fan of this guy, though. He's cocky and rude in interviews.

Second medal ever for Egypt, first one in the pool and first one won by a woman. In fact, I believe this is the first medal for a woman from a muslim country in official FINA World Championships of any kind.

You mean in swimming? In gymnastics things are getting quite interesting year after year. I remember Cyprus got three gold medals in 2010 while Canada got none. In 2014 Canada did great, but then Australia was the country which had it really bad, with Scotland and Wales getting gold medals, while Australia got none.

Efimova... King finished fourth. Maybe in some years she will be promoted to bronze medal position.

Nice! Are there any good gymnasts in Slovakia other than Bunce and Barbora Mokošová? I wonder if Slovakia can put together a full team for the 2018 World Championships.

People pointing fingers and What a shock. No one would ever believe she has choosen swimming, of all sports, to help her in dealing with asthma. Huge, huge surprise. In all honesty, though, it's funny that we have supporters here for convicted cheater Efimova, while Medeiros is getting the side eye.

Yes, I can understand why Qatar will not host the Olympics anytime soon. But it's time for the IOC to promote big changes, or we will see Qatar rising as a potential host if no other place wants to host the Games. I believe Azerbaijan would go crazy if they had a real shot of hosting the Olympics (they have the money, for sure), and I guess the members of the IOC probably see Azerbaijan as a less awkward host, but you never know.

I remember that some country from the Middle East wanted to host the Olympics. Maybe it was Qatar. I cannot really remember now. I can only imagine how upsetting it is for a country which wants to host the Olympics to be sidelined by the IOC, while LA and Paris both get the green light in suspicious circumstances. It's like the IOC is sending a clear message to the Middle East (and probably Africa as well): you guys are not hosting the Olympics anytime soon.

This sucks, but with all due respect, it's not like many people in the world care about this sport, in all honesty. I mean, I know it is important in Slovakia, but it is mostly ignored around the globe. Still sucks, though, that they can't get it right. If the main problem is the cost for the venue, then get this sport out of the YOG and stop embarrassing athletes and viewers. Just my two cents. Now, I believe that if they can nail a great atmosphere in Athletics, Swimming, Gymnastics and fix team sports (most notably Football and Basketball), then the YOG might succeed and attract more public and viewers. They are certainly trying new ideas, but I'm still not sure these sports are the best they could be on this level.

Awwww. Speedy recovery for her.

Thank you. I confirmed it later... She placed fourth. Great achievement for India. I wonder if she can earn enough support to take part at World and Challenge Cup events. It will be amazing if she eventually snatches a medal at the World Cup circuit. Any news about Dipa Karmakar? Last thing I heard about her is that she is training a new vault, and I really want her to nail it and win a medal at the World Championships this year.

My reply is somewhat late, but you are right. Women's scores had a 0.5 decrease on Balance Beam, Uneven Bars and Floor. Vault scores had, roughly, a 0.4 decrease compared to last year.

So, the Asian Championships are underway and we got to see some nice surprises so far. First, Pranati Nayak from India earned a bronze medal on vault. As of now, there are no official results, but a Twitter account mentions she earned a medal. This is very surprising, and this makes me happy. I really hope someone has recorded her vaults. We also have medalists from Iran, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei. It's always nice when different countries make it to the podium. Finally, the Chinese girls are on fire with HUGE scores on beam. I'm speechless at their qualification scores and I'm looking forward to a great performance tomorrow as well. EDIT: It looks like India did not get a medal after all. Still no official results. Asian Gymnastics Union sucks.

Edit: Originally I thought Pranati Nayak had won a bronze medalist on vault according to a tweet, at the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships. But I cannot confirm this information. Do you guys have any reliable sources?

This link shows some news (in Portuguese) about Brazil's participation at the 2017 Jesolo Trophy. What surprised me is that Roger Medina, coach of newcomer Thais Fidelis, believes she will win a medal at the World Championships. Now, this is totally uncommon in Brazil. In every interview they say they will aim for solid routines, never for a medal. I'm surprised they are so confident right now.

Amazing! Prokopenko really deserved an Olympic medal, and I'm so glad she's on her way to get one, now!