Federer91

Was there some strong wind or something. This is so unexpected.

Lol, a black norwegian woman won a gold medal. Total failure for Koblova-Zholobova.

Who would have thought that beach soccer would be so easy to predict. So many perfect predictions in this contest.

[hide] Knockout Round May 4th - May 7th, 2017 8 Nations, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Bronze Medal Match, Gold Medal Match Semifinals Eastern Time Zone (GMT -4) Date and Venue Team 1 T1 T2 Team 2 May 6th 2017, h. 15:00, Nassau Stadium, Nassau Iran 2 Tahiti May 6th 2017, h. 16:30, Nassau Stadium, Nassau Italy 1 Brazil [/hide]

Probably Greipel ahead of Gaviria. Don't think Ewan would be that good today. Also i'm going out on a limb and saying that Sbaragli would be the best italian today.

[hide] Preliminary Round May 5th - May 16th, 2017 16 Nations, 2 Groups, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th from each Group qualify to Quarterfinals. Group A Date and Venue Team 1 T1 T2 Team 2 May 5th 2017, h. 16:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Sweden 1 Russia May 5th 2017, h. 20:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne United States 2 Germany May 6th 2017, h. 12:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Latvia 2 Denmark May 6th 2017, h. 16:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Slovakia 3 Italy May 6th 2017, h. 20:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Germany 3 Sweden May 7th 2017, h. 12:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Italy 6 Russia May 7th 2017, h. 16:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne United States 5 Denmark May 7th 2017, h. 20:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Latvia 2 Slovakia May 8th 2017, h. 16:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Germany 3 Russia May 8th 2017, h. 20:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne United States 1 Sweden May 9th 2017, h. 16:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Italy 3 Latvia May 9th 2017, h. 20:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Slovakia 2 Denmark May 10th 2017, h. 16:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne United States 4 Italy May 10th 2017, h. 20:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Slovakia 1 Germany May 11th 2017, h. 16:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Russia 3 Denmark May 11th 2017, h. 20:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Sweden 3 Latvia May 12th 2017, h. 16:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Sweden 6 Italy May 12th 2017, h. 20:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Denmark 2 Germany May 13th 2017, h. 12:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Latvia 2 United States May 13th 2017, h. 16:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Russia 2 Slovakia May 13th 2017, h. 20:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Italy 4 Germany May 14th 2017, h. 16:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Slovakia 1 United States May 14th 2017, h. 20:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Denmark 4 Sweden May 15th 2017, h. 16:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Denmark 1 Italy May 15th 2017, h. 20:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Russia 4 Latvia May 16th 2017, h. 12:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Sweden 1 Slovakia May 16th 2017, h. 16:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Russia 2 United States May 16th 2017, h. 20:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Germany 2 Latvia Group B Date and Venue Team 1 T1 T2 Team 2 May 5th 2017, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Finland 6 Belarus May 5th 2017, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Czech Republic 2 Canada May 6th 2017, h. 12:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Switzerland 3 Slovenia May 6th 2017, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Belarus 3 Czech Republic May 6th 2017, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Norway 2 France May 7th 2017, h. 12:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Slovenia 8 Canada May 7th 2017, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Finland 5 France May 7th 2017, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Norway 1 Switzerland May 8th 2017, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Belarus 4 Canada May 8th 2017, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Finland 1 Czech Republic May 9th 2017, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Slovenia 3 Norway May 9th 2017, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Switzerland 2 France May 10th 2017, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Switzerland 2 Belarus May 10th 2017, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Finland 4 Slovenia May 11th 2017, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Czech Republic 3 Norway May 11th 2017, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Canada 7 France May 12th 2017, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Czech Republic 5 Slovenia May 12th 2017, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris France 2 Belarus May 13th 2017, h. 12:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Norway 2 Finland May 13th 2017, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Slovenia 3 Belarus May 13th 2017, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Canada 5 Switzerland May 14th 2017, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris France 4 Czech Republic May 14th 2017, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Switzerland 1 Finland May 15th 2017, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Canada 3 Norway May 15th 2017, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris France 1 Slovenia May 16th 2017, h. 12:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Belarus 1 Norway May 16th 2017, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Czech Republic 2 Switzerland May 16th 2017, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Canada 2 Finland [/hide]

Ahh, the dreaded ice hockey contest, how i enjoy scratching my head while filling it.

The 100th GIRO starts tomorrow and you can say it is open and interesting like every year. Quintana of course is infront for the win, but you never know if he abandons at some point. I have a strange feeling that the talk of a double isn't going to be a primal factor. One fall or bad day and i won't be surprised if he stepped and concentrated for the Tour. Hope i'm wrong. After him there is a wide range of people for the podium. I'm sure the dutch armada will have at least one of Dumoulin, Mollema or Kruijswijk on the podium. Sky this time have learned off all their mishaps the past years and are sending 2 guys for the GC, but still i think it won't be enough and they underperform. The Giro is not for you. Adam Yates is a hidden player for the podium, the Giro is often the plays where riders have their break-through and if things go his way, he can do some damage. Pinot is probably going to be a disappointment again, but let's see without the home pressure, how he does. And then there is one mister Vincenzo Nibali, who i'm not sure if he is going to be making an appearence. Once in a blue moon is not going to be enough. Especially now that he is not with the Astana train to pull him up. His team isn't competitive and if he really needs to be in top shape, if he want's to do something big. After all he is the only italian with a chance in the 100th edition. The whole nation is looking at him again (sorry Pozzo ) I hope the tragedy with Scarpa (RIP) puts some fire in his legs.

Not surprised about Pirazzi, always thought if there was any, he would be a leading candidate. Ruffoni is surprising and sad, because he had potential to be a good sprinter for the future.

Thank you, wouldn't know with the blackout for Bulgaria. Finally a gold medal, i wanted a title, so mission accomplished! If only i had watched the bout. I'll go back and watch when possible.

UWW site crashes for every finals session. We have one final today and it will be over, before they get their connection going. Such amateurs, i can't....

So, the second rehearsals were today for almost everyone in the first 1/2. I reckon i'd give my humble opinion on the staging and qualifiers at this point. Things are really closer and there seem to be more borderline qualifiers than usual, because of the weak year. Also it doesn't help that some countries with popular studio songs messed up the staging (Belgium, Azerbaijan) , while others made the opposite (Finland, Latvia, Moldova). The juries would play a big factor like always (yawn), but i'm not counting there part as much in my ranking. Certain qualifiers: Sweden - A perfect Sweden ESC 1.0 song, slick, polished, probably is going to win this 1/2, even from the opening position; Finland - Great staging and in an awesome position in the running order. After the trainwrecks and unmemorable songs before it, it will easily stand out; Greece - An upbeat song with a popular artist (it seems?) around many ballads. A classic Greece entry, like we have seen in the past, and because of that it would get a lot of voted, even if the juries vote it lower. Can't see Greece failing for a second year in-a-row; Poland - Great song & performance, with a nice staging. Certanly better than the other ballads. Plus big diaspora, it will go through. Borderline qualifiers (from most to least likely): Azerbaijan - A weird staging, that isn't coming so good on TV for now. Don't know if it will resonate so good with the audience, as the song should have prior to the contest. It was one of the most liked from a studio version. Portugal - This song, i don't know what to say about it. It is so unique and nothing we see hardly at all. The comments are in the two opposites all the time when it comes to it. If it resonates with the audience it could do miracles (certanly the bookies think this way), but it could just as much be ignored and not understanded. The juries would likely push it through, because it will be in their top almost certanly. Moldova - Memorable and fun staging, for a fun song, surrounded by ballads. It will stand-out for the good and i hope it qualifies, no matter how much the juries dish on it. The final needs epic Sax guy. Australia - This shouldn't qualify, because it is the blandness of the blandness stuff. I hope the novelty of voting for Australia goes away and it being in the beginning tips things for it to stay in the 1/2. Again juries would be decider probably, because EBU need big country Australia in the final; Albania - I wouldn't actually mind if this qualified. The song has grown on me and the staging looks intersting. I hope it stand-outs coming after Georgia and Australia and before Belgium and Montenegro. Definately deserves more to qualify than Australia. Likely no chance: Belgium - How? Why? Has everyone been high when coming up with the staging. Everything is a trainwreck. It will be a miracle if this qualifies and only if enough people liked the studio version and closed their eyes on the live performance. Cyprus - So bland and unmemorable, plus it is almost a copycat staging like Belgium 2015, with a worse song. It will get lost. Iceland - If they didn't qualify last year, with a far more better song, then this has no chance.. Georgia - Good singer, but the song is boring, the staging is boring, being second in the order is a curse and it will be scraping for viewer votes. Even if the juries actually throw a few votes towards Georgia it would hardly be enough. Montenegro - No, just no.. Though i'd give it that i at least smile for the lolz Czechia - Even with Montenegro in here, there is another song heading for that last place. It's just 3 dull and empty minutes. I'm sorry for the singer, because she is not bad and tries her best, but everything is bad, everything... The last three countries that didn't rehearse today and didn't watch the TV version of their performance. Armenia - Seems like a popular song, with just enough staging to go through. Seems there is enthusiasm for it and being in the end of the order will definately help it. Likely qualifier. Latvia - For me, a very fun song, with a memorable staging, that will help it a lot in this sea of blandness. Closing the 1/2 is a huge advantage, like with Armenia. Likely qualifier. Slovenia - Maybe the song that was least expected from this year, but the first rehearsal seemed good. Omar is a great singer, unlike many others and this could be a surpise if things go it's way. Again being in the end, could give it a nice chance. Borderline.

Amazing, amazing win by Dudova against the azeri girl in the 1/2 She was losing 2:8 and then 4:10 and managed an infatic comeback for 12:10.

Another silver, oh well.. You can't do anything against the russians.

Well Pulev has earned a mandatory match for the title, whether it would be interesting or not. Belive me, i know that AJ would probably knock the stars out of him, but still he deserves his shot. Especially since there have been some random champions that have benefited from the "insert number here" organizations. For me Parker isn't better than Pulev, certanly his record is worse, but because of good managing was able to snatch one of the lesser belts.

A good day for us again. Novachkov finally showing some of his potential, really great wins so far. The final with the russian would be very hard, but not impossible. I really want a gold. Ganev also did what was needed and reached the bronze medal match from that section. He was never going to beat Boltukayev, that guy is a machine. I'm not confident he can get the medal against either one of the eventual opponents. On the womens side very unfortunate for Hristova, who lost the match against the favourite Mattsson in the last 5 seconds.

[hide] Knockout Round May 4th - May 7th, 2017 8 Nations, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Bronze Medal Match, Gold Medal Match Quarterfinals Eastern Time Zone (GMT -4) Date and Venue Team 1 T1 T2 Team 2 May 4th 2017, h. 15:30, Nassau Stadium, Nassau Paraguay 1 Tahiti May 4th 2017, h. 17:00, Nassau Stadium, Nassau Brazil 2 Portugal May 4th 2017, h. 18:30, Nassau Stadium, Nassau Switzerland 1 Iran May 4th 2017, h. 20:00, Nassau Stadium, Nassau Italy 2 Senegal [/hide]

Day 2, hoping for some more medals, or preferably a title.

Oh come on.. That was so close for Taibe, but yet another mishap in her career. She deserves one gold, now 4 silver and 4 bronze from big championships And she had such a big string of wins here..

Haha Italy won a medal in womens wrestling. First time since 2009 the commentators said. Had big luck with the draw, but still deserved.

Stadnyk such a machine I'm still sad for her, for the loss in the Olympic final.

So the idiots at EA / IAAF are tuning once again the ludicrous idea of erasing all records prior to 2005 or something. I can't with these imbeciles. And it's again with the lame excuse of doping and people don't "believe" in them. Well i don't belive in Bolt's record, why not erase them too.. More so it seems like corporate suits who see their sport in a standstill and who can't market the shit out of OMG WORLD RECORD, WATCH US, WE ARE THE BEST.......... Such desperation. While their at it, why not erase the Olympic results, no World champions etc., burn the footage, like it never hapenned..

The first day begins. Livestreaming for anyone interested. https://unitedworldwrestling.org/event/european-championships-0

Not quite there for the big 3 and 0. Turned 26 last month

I'm going to throw a temper tantrum any moment. Higgins playes great snooker all tournament. Last night was ahead 10:4 and had a chance at 11:4 and since then, bam, he is nowhere. It's 12:15 now, today has been a complete disaster. Come on man, pull it together, jeezzz..