Federer91

Let's hope Romania can win more than 15 points per set, so it's not a full blown-out.

The Euro opens tonight with Italia against Romania under the night sky. Has someone checked the weather forecast for any potential rain?

These are some crazy penalties

Good to see, that FIBA have made a proper logistical desicion in choosing hosts, which are close neighbouring countries like Finland, Latvia, Poland and of course............. Cyprus

Why aren't these people in jail yet? Happened at Crucible, Wimbledon, F1.. This is not a normal protest, it's deliberate attack on a sporting event (and cultural ones too). Throw them for 2 years in jail, then will see if they wont prefer protesting in front of town hall like everyone else.

I can swap for 10 days the 35+ we have been getting here in the last month.

Well, the line-up was more of a Continental Cup, but it was good to see him have consistent jumps. If he somehow manages top 10s in the winter, that would be the real success.

Throwing out sports shouldn't be easy, but the talking points and agendas are always politicized. I can do that too, because i'm bored You hear all the time - cost of the Games, cost of the Games, COST of the Games, but somehow that is never factored in, when they talk about the sports programme. Track Cycling - highly expensive Canoe Slalom - highly expensive Sailing and Equestrian - probably expensive to organise and definitely expensive to practice. Rowing / Sprint canoeing - could be expensive, if you don't have a built in canal.. I like these sports and don't want them to leave, but you have to wonder why they never come up in discussions. Is it maybe because those are sports dominated by Western countries. (Yes i know, the old West vs. East propaganda, a tale old as time). Of course those sport have never had any problems, they are clear as the sky. While the topic is always on weightlifting, boxing, wrestling, rhythmic gymnastics, you know sports which are more popular in other parts of the world (Again, i know, doping, corruption, shady organisations.. it never happens in other sports). Sports, which require 2 mats /rings/ podiums, that could be organised on the street and can be practiced in the smallest village in Zambia. We are saving money by throwing out the cheapest sports out there. And i can add the diversity participation card in there. Boxing, wrestling, even weightlifting, if they'd allow them, have more country diversity at one Olympics, than Sailing, Equestrian and Track Cycling could have in 5 Olympics combined.

I said it years ago. USA, the country with the biggest history and lineage of all time would never throw out Boxing. They have more traditions in it, than practically any other sport, with the exception of athletics, swimming and basketball. If this was a country with no traditions like Australia, sure, there could a possibility of excluding boxing. But USA, come on. It's absurd that people even think it, no matter what their opinion on the sport is currently.

Don't have enough time to follow this closely, as it is a packed summer already. I had a glance at the first results today and is the whole thing going to unfold as a mini-Asian games Don't know, if this being in China is a factor and what kind of teams the other Continents are sending. In general, it appears that the Universiades have lost their importance in the big sporting calendar compared to the 10 years ago, let alone 20-30 years ago.

Sjöström is one of the most sweet and enjoyable swimmers out there, but to be fair Phelps competed at only 6 WC (and practically 5, since he did only 1 discipline in 2001 at 15), while this is Sarah's 8th WC. Doesn't take the fact, that she is one of the greatest female swimmers ever.

And of course we are going to lose with the most minimum difference to Japan. They were leading us with 8-10 points before Ilieva completely destroying Emura at the end... Atanasova should have competed earlier too as she gained a lot as well...

Doesn't matter, rules are rules, no matter how stupid they nay be. If Kharlan beats Ilieva, then be it. The IOC already set the rules, that Russians will be allowed under neutral flag, so FIE were following that. If they were stupid enough not to anticipate such things, then it's on their hand, but don't bend the rules afterwards to save face.. I don't like when people get preferable treatment, doesn't matter if your name is Kharlan, Richardson, Chalmers, Zhang, or some guy from Cambodia.. Everyone follows the rules, until someone gets a bye. Plus it was not like this was Kharlan's one and only chance. What about the team event, where Ukraine is in a top position? What about the individual tournament, isn't Kharlan a multiple time World Champion? There are still 4 World Cup events for the rankings as well, though i'm not sure what's the value there. This is 100% a PR stint from Bach, since the DQ hit the newsfeed worldwide. I doubt if this was someone from Albania or Singapore he would be giving out WC's.

So Bach is like the Pope now. He is giving his blessings and apperently quotas on his desire. I want a volleyball quota too mister President.

Levski are playing Shkupi in the legendary, greatest, most advanced country of MAcEdOnIa. Who would have thought, that fans would get ambushed and attacked in Skopie... One Levski fan has been stabbed and has been in operation, while their mighty police are arresting random Levski fans without reasons. The match will be played at their National Stadium, but you should see what the pitch looks like.

This is a great example. It's absurd, that the individual events are 60% dependent on the team event, with another 30% being geo-locked.. The whole qualification system is geared to the same few powerhouse countries. Italy, Russia, France, United States, Japan, Korea or China always have 50% of the quotas. Yeah, it's most likely because of the IOC's policy of "fewer" athletes, but this way it just kills the flame in smaller nations to actively try to break through in this sport. And the team events having only 8 teams is a different story.. Ski-jumping and Nordic Combined are chastised for their team events, but fencing even gets encouraged by the IOC, even though they are with same... 8 teams

Does anyone else find it stupid, that for a 2.5+ hour broadcast, Eurosport shows only 6 matches?! I may be old-fashioned, but don't know why they don't organise the schedule in a way to show the 1/4, if not the 1/8, as well.

I knew USA were going to underperform on their usual performance, but damn things are looking bleak. Their chances of winning the medal table have been heavily reduced. They have very, very good swimmers, but for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, there is always some other superstar that wins the race. Usually the USofA were the ones with the big superstars.

Pity that Kharlan got DQ-ed, Yoana Ilieva is strong enough to beat her on the field.

How bummed can one be, that the best WR's, those of Phelps and Pellegrini, were the ones, that had to be broken...

Phelps was WR holder in the 400 IM for 21 years, which is the longest consecutive time for a person to hold a WR in any singular discipline (long course) in history.

Damn you Chalmers... Italy winning would have been amazing

It appears we are back in the days, when breaking WR's in swimming is an afternoon chore.

I don't know how Marchand can make 3 seconds on the breaststroke on Phelps of all people. Michael Phelps not having an individual WR seems very wrong.

Yeah, Kamminga is coming for the inevitable second place