zob79

I don't wanna argue with you or any Italian user; in fact, I admire your culture/heritage on multiple layers. Having said that, I've never seen an Italian complaining about the fencing refereeing in the 90's and early 00's, when you had to hit your athletes 10 times to score a point. Laura Badea told me she lost count of how many times she was robbed when competing against Vezzali or Trillini 

I feel like only real swim nerds actually care about the times.
 
Ordinary viewers are just happy to see a good race 

China are having an absolute stinker and i am here for it

Again no win for Ch*na 

Ch*na denied again 

Desteapte Romani

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/15791536/censors-declare-war-allo-allo-over-gags-foreign-accents/
 
Believe it or not. 
Little Brittain was also canceled,probably some other British classic show.
Even Mind your Language wouldnt be showed today.
Woke and cancel 

Popovici gold!
 
Congrats! @zob79

Popovici He close is slam and won Ech, Wch and OG.
Frist Olympic gold EVER for Romania in men's swimming.

2nd.
 
2 bronzes, both in Judo. -66 & -73

I did 

I did 

Nigeria shakes up Group B  takes down Australia 75-62 !  Breaks a 20 year drought for Nigeria

China will take gold. I think that some scores they achieved were higher than deserved. 

What a roller coaster this day has been.
 
First and foremost, I'm in shock after France failed to qualify for any final at all, including team. I would never ever think this could be possible, but here we are. They did not deserve such fate and I'm sure they're trying to find answers, but sometimes things just don't go our way. Still, a heartbreaking outcome.
 
 qualifying for the all-around final is also a big shock, and  with a number of potential medal chances is great to witness again. The team final will be a huge battle, and the fact that it's almost impossible to predict which countries will take silver and bronze will make the final super exciting.
 
I'm very pleased with the results of the Brazilian girls and I sincerely hope that we are able to get a team medal. This will not be easy at all, but we have a chance!

Team Romania 
Marius Țic Francesco Iudean Matei Luțescu Tudor Fulea Andrei Neamțu Andrei Prioteasa Andrei Țepeluș Nicolae Oanță Silvian Colodrovschi Vlad Georgescu Sebastian Oltean Levente Vancsik Mihai Drăgușin   A young team (average 24 yo) that will enjoy every second of this adventure. The objective set by our wp federation is a place in the QF; it's gonna be very difficult to achieve, personally I think we can get max 1 win out of a group with Greece, Italy, USA, Croatia and Montenegro.

They fight with swords, their lives are in danger. The tension is very high. 

Boxing needs to change its scoring system to something  like Taekwondo or Judo to survive. 

Boxing Olympic predictions part two (W50kg,W57kg)
 
 
Part one (W54,W60,M63.5,M80) are on the previous page. Seedings in the table at the top of each weightclass. My rankings in brackets.
 
W50kg
 
Gold- Buse Cakiroglu (1) , Silver- Nikhat Zareen (2) , Bronze- Wassila Lkhadiri (9) , Bronze- Ingrit Valencia (8) .
 
  Seedings
    1
Wu Yu (CHN)
8
Chuthamat Raksat (THA)
2
Roumaysa Boualam (ALG)
7
Wassila Lkhadiri (FRA)
3
Buse Cakiroglu (TUR)
6
Jennifer Lozano (USA)
4
Caroline de Almeida (BRA)
5
Monique Suraci (AUS)
 
Bracket 1
 
My pick- Nikhat Zareen (2) .
 
Probably the highest quality bracket of any division at these games. This one is ludicrously stacked and had you told me these two last 16 fights were the semi finals and I would have believed you. Anyway poor Maxi Kloetzer (17) , who could not have got a worse draw from her perspective. Twice world champion Nikhat should beat her comfortably. Then we get to the interesting fights Asian champion and 52kg world champion Wu Yu (3)  meets Nikhat (2) who has not quite been in the form that won her world titles in 2022 and 2023. This one is impossible to call but to my eyes Nikhat is marginally the better boxer. The other last 16 sees Asian bronze medallist Chuthamat Raksat (5)  meet recent Strandja champion Sabina Bobokulova (4)  (where she beat Wu and Nikhat). Bobokulova is a bit scrappy and wild for my liking but her recent form is better than the rapid Raksat and I would pick her to win here. To illustrate how close this bracket is both Bobokulova and Raksat have won their most recent fight against Nikhat and lost their most recent matchup with Wu. Having said all that, I personally do think Nikhat is the oh so marginally best boxer of the group and I’m not going to overthink this and will back her despite those recent defeats.
 
Bracket 2
 
My pick- Ingrit Valencia (8) .
 
This second bracket is also very tricky to predict although nowhere near as high quality as the first bracket. Multi time European medallist Giordana Sorrentino (6)  has a tricky enough opener against 2022 Asian medallist Nazym Kyzaibay (14) .  The other last 32 fight sees two of the bigger flyweights multi time world medallist Ingrit Valencia face Yesugen Oyuntsetseg (13) . The winner would then face the smaller but powerful Monique Suraci (12) . Another world medallist and Panam champion Caroline de Almeida (11)  awaits for Sorrentino. De Almeida is solid but her punches are a bit one dimensional. Valencia should really beat Suraci but who she then faces could be crucial. She has had the better of the matchup with Sorrentino over the last couple of years but lost to De Almeida at last year’s Panam games. Both Sorrentino and Valencia have cases to be the pick here and De Almeida shouldn’t be discounted but I am going to pick the veteran Colombian.
 
Bracket 3
 
My pick- Buse Cakiroglu (1) .
 
On paper this should be a cakewalk for 2022 world champion Buse Cakiroglu. Laura Fuertes (15)  is not guaranteed to beat the largely unknown quantity Fatima Herrera (21) . Meanwhile, Pihla Kaivo Oja (18)  should easily beat universality qualifier Margret Tembo (22)  although Tembo is not the easiest of opponents. Jennifer Lozano (20)  is the Panam silver medallist but is very inaccurate and Lozano vs Kaivo oja will not be a high quality fight. None of these boxers will get close to challenging Cakiroglu.
 
Bracket 4
 
My pick- Wassila Lkahdiri (9) .
 
The last bracket is an interesting one. Aira Villegas (10)  should beat Yasmina Mouttaki (19)  first up before what should be a closer fight with African champion Roumaysa Boualam (16) . Boualam will test Villegas but Villegas should win. The big fight here is the other last 16 fight with a rematch of a European games quarter final between Daina Moorehouse (7)  and world bronze medallist Wassila Lkhadiri. Lkhadiri narrowly took that fight on the narrowest of split decisions but Moorehouse is young and still improving. For me Moorehouse is now the better boxer but I just can’t see this fight not being close and if its close the benefit of the doubt will likely go to the home boxer. Villegas will await the winner in what should also be a really close fight. Any of those 3 boxers could medal from this bracket.
 
Medal Fights
 
Nikhat Zareen (2)  vs Ingrit Valencia (8) , Buse Cakiroglu (1)  vs Wassila Lkahdiri (9) .
Regardless of who comes out of brackets 1,2 and 4 these semi-finals should be fairly predictable with Buse Cakiroglu winning and Nikhat/Wu/Bobokulova beating Ingrit Valencia. In this case we end up with a final between Buse Cakiroglu and Nikhat and while Nikhat did win this fight when they met in Strandja in 2022, Cakiroglu is the much safer pick here.
 
Gold- Buse Cakiroglu , Silver- Nikhat Zareen , Bronze- Wassila Lkhadiri , Bronze- Ingrit Valencia .
 
 
W57kg
 
Gold- Lin Yu-ting (1) , Silver- Nesthy Petecio (2) , Bronze- Jucielen Romeu (6) , Bronze- Karina Ibragimova (5) .
 
  Seedings
    1
Lin Yu-ting (TPE)
8
Svetlana Staneva (BUL)
2
Tina Rahimi (AUS)
7
Karina Ibragimova (KAZ)
3
Amina Zidani (FRA)
6
Valeria Arboleda (COL)
4
Jucielen Romeu (BRA)
5
Khouloud Hlimi (TUN)
 
 
Bracket 1
 
My pick- Lin Yu-ting (1) .
 
So 2022 world and current Asian champion Lin Yu-ting starts off this tournament as a very marginal favourite. She will have an easy enough fight to open up against Sitora Turdibekova (19)  assuming Turdibekova can beat Marcelat Sakobi (20) . Given their respective experience, it is remarkable Michaela Walsh (8)  and Svetlana Staneva (4)  have not met before. Staneva is reigning European champion and on current form should be a comfortable winner but Walsh could upset things if she can refind her form. Lin has beaten Staneva at world championships last year so while I would expect a couple of close fights, this bracket should just go to form and that is Lin.
 
Bracket 2
 
My pick- Jucielen Romeu (6) .
 
Panamerican champion Romeu is the comfortable pick of the bunch here although she has not yet gotten over the line at a global championships. She will face the winner of a close fight between Alyssa Mendoza (15)  and counterpuncher Mijgona Samadova (13) . Mendoza has been very inconsistent but has a higher ceiling than Samadova. On the other side of the bracket Esra Yildiz (9)  should be able to comfortably beat Marine Camara (21)  but the agile back foot Khouloud Hlimi (18)  could provide some resistance. I think Romeu would be a solid favourite against Yildiz.
 
Bracket 3
 
My pick- Nesthy Petecio (2) .
 
Irma Testa (3)  could make me look very silly for not picking her to win gold as she is world champion but Nesthy Petecio took this matchup in the Olympic semi-final in Tokyo and is the more accurate punch picker of the two. Petecio has to navigate a reasonably awkward opener against the taller Jaismine (11)  before a huge fight against European champion Amina Zidani (7) . Zidani is not as good as that title suggests and I trust Petecio to produce when it counts. Irma Testa also doesn’t have the easiest of openers against the solid Xu Zichun (10)  but Valeria Arboleda (17)  is unlikely to trouble her. This should all set up a quarter final between Testa and Petecio and without any conviction whatsoever I am going to back Petecio.
 
Bracket 4
 
My pick- Karina Ibragimova (5) .
 
This bracket is on paper by far the most straightforward with two time world medallist Karina Ibragimova the massive favourite to medal here. There should be quite a close last 32 fight between Omailyn Alcala (12)  and Julia Szeremeta (14) . Either should be too good for Tina Rahimi (22) . Ibragimova has to beat the aggressive Ashleyann Lozada (16)  and either Alcala or Szeremeta but is comfortably the pick here
 
Medal Fights
 
Lin Yu-ting (1)  vs Jucielen Romeu (6) , Nesthy Petecio (2)  vs Karina Ibragimova (5) .
 
Two high quality fights here but Lin has beaten Romeu before and this might be the ceiling for Romeu. Petecio vs Ibragimova is an interesting style mismatch but for me Petecio is just comfortably the better boxer and Ibragimova would struggle against Petecio’s power. Lin and Petecio both have wins and losses against each other but I’m going to cheat slightly and pick Lin as she is the safer pick to get this far.
 
Gold- Lin Yu-ting , Silver- Nesthy Petecio , Bronze- Jucielen Romeu , Bronze- Karina Ibragimova . 

If the lights light up exactly at the correct moment, he was definitely first, since his light went on first. Not sure if those lights are 100% accurate though?

What an eye candy to see traditional powerhouse Netherlands sweeping through.
 
I wrote a letter to our federation asking to replace this Colamonici with a NL one

@Ogreman impressive work, congrats 

So… I haven't read any of your comments guys. This is the recap of a non lefty french personn who had a short and very agitated night. Like the ceremony, it will be a chaotic mess of confusing feelings
 
* I don't enjoy opening cermony. I usually got bored very soon and wish the thing to end up as quickly as possible. Yesterday, I may have wished for the ceremony to end quicky but not because I got bored !
 
* I - really - load the organisation to have tried something unique and new. But, it was a mess. The filming was bad and the realisation was so many time completly lost. Probably, because they couldn't have full routines previewed in a closed environment like a stadium, they had to improvise along the way.
 
* We have missed so many things on television ! Like the guys during their sport trick on the platforms. In a stadium, the spectacle spectators and telespectators get is roughly the same, here it was not. Unfortunately, I Don't think it was a success for neither.
 
* The Energy in display was fantastic
 
* Gojira !
 
* People who have done it have zero sense of historicity, history for them is simply a serie of historical anecdotes with no real value.
 
* The quasi absence of Coubertin was expected, but still unforgivable. That's my biggest Fuck Them take
 
* I thought I would felt a bit ashamed by the presence of local artist whose artistic quality seem to me less than obvious. Thanks to the crazy high energy of the show I wasn't
 
* The « Europe » segment was about 20 secondes too long (and yes it was 20 seconds)
 
* The woke stuff was so much in your face and with zero suitability that it was almost comical.
 
* These people don't know how enraged some people will be after seeing their show. Maybe, they know, but they don't care or even they wish to harm them. But I think they don't know, their ideology bubble is so strong.
 
* The Marseillaise singing setup was fantastic but as so many other things it was ruined by a god awful filming)
 
* Love the horse thing and the build up of olympic history
 
* It was all better when the ceremony reached the Trocadéro. I hope other will try their luck with an in the city ceremony, but I think you need some anchor place (a stadium or otherwise)
 
*No one knew the Eiffel Tower could lighten up like that !
 
*The last segment that lead to the mongolfiere was great. I didn't spoil myself, so as far as I was concerned it was a big surprise and I really enjoyed the scenery of the various athletes carying the torch.
 
I think that's it, sport can't start soon enough.
 

Probably not worth it for all-arounders to perform two vaults, since it's very of hard to qualify to final if you don't have two very difficult vaults.

Olympics form guide/ projections
 
  M1X W1X M2- W2- M2X W2X LM2X LW2X M4- W4- M4X W4X M8+ W8+ 1 GER NED GBR NED NED ROU IRL GBR USA GBR NED GBR GBR ROU 2 NED AUS ROU AUS IRL LTU SUI NZL NZL NED POL NED NED USA 3 NZL NZL SUI ROU ROU USA ITA USA GBR ROU ITA CHN USA CAN 4 GRE USA CRO IRL ESP AUS FRA ROU AUS USA GBR USA ROU AUS 5 AIN AIN ESP DEN GER NOR NOR CAN ITA NZL SUI UKR AUS GBR 6 DEN SRB IRL GRE ITA IRL UKR IRL FRA CHN GER GER GER ITA 7 CRO GER RSA USA NZL NZL ESP FRA NED IRL ROU SUI ITA DEN 8 ROU AUT USA LTU FRA FRA GRE GRE ROU AUS NOR ROU     9 USA ESP NZL CZE USA CHN CZE CHN SUI DEN EST AUS     10 JPN SUI ITA ESP SRB CZE BEL POL             11 BUL LTU AUS NZL NOR NED MEX AUT             12 LTU BUL LTU CHI CHN ITA JPN TUN             13 BEL UZB GER GBR CRO GBR UZB JPN             14 BRA AZE         CHI IRI             15 SLO RSA         ARG PER             16 HUN SLO         EGY ARG             17 MON MEX                         18 URU TUR                         19 EGY BRA                         20 TUN PAR                         21 CUB ALG                         22 BER IRI                         23 IND PER                         24 PAR UGA                         25 KAZ PHI                         26 ALG VIE                         27 INA CUB                         28 ZIM TOG                         29 HKG NCA                         30 LBA SGP                         31 THA MAR                         32 SUD KUW                         33 ANG                            
So I have done similar exercises to this before. It is not quite a pure form guide but its not quite predictions either, somewhere in between. Proved quite accurate at worlds last year but then not so hot for FOQR so we will see. I know its quite late as well and would have been more useful earlier this week but anyway, we got there. I didn't spend as much time as I would have liked on these so I don't think they will be as accurate as they were for worlds last year.