phelps

Team Italy Goaltenders: Andreas Bernard (HC Bolzano Foxes, ICEHL) Davide Fadani (HC Lugano, ) Justin Fazio (HC Bolzano Foxes, ICEHL) Defencers: Lorenzo Casetti (HC Asiago) Dylan Di Perna (Rittner Buam) Cameron Ginnetti (HC Asiago) Gregorio Gios (HC Asiago) Daniel Glira (HC Val Pusteria Lupi, ICEHL) Enrico Miglioranzi (HC Asiago) Phil Pietroniro (Mulhouse Scorpions, ) Peter Spornberger (Schwenningen Wild Wings, ) Alex Trivellato (HC Bolzano Foxes, ICEHL) Forwards: Simon Berger (HC Valpusteria Lupi, ICEHL) Ivan Deluca (HC Val Pusteria Lupi, ICEHL) Leonardo Felicetti (Fassa Falcons) Daniel Frank (HC Bolzano Foxes, ICEHL) Luca Frigo (HC Bolzano Foxes, ICEHL) Dante Hannoun (HC Val Pusteria Lupi, ICEHL) Marco Insam (HC Bolzano Foxes, ICEHL) Simon Kostner (Rittner Buam) Marco Magnabosco (HC Asiago) Daniel Mantenuto (HC Asiago) Matthias Mantinger (HC Valpusteria Lupi, ICEHL) Brandon McNally (Cardiff Devils, ) Alex Petan (Fehervar, - ICEHL) Marco Sanna (SG Cortina) Tommaso Traversa (Sheffield Steelers, ) Diego Kostner (Ambrì Piotta, )

Modern Pentathlon, men's individual event...I opted for Andras Balczo, the most successful pentathlete at the Olympics (team events included), even if it was a difficult choice (surely Andrey Moiseev deserves a mention of honor, being the only athlete capable of winning twice the individual gold medal in recent times, for instance)... Swimming, men's 200m Freestyle...just 2 words: "the race"...and I said it all... it's one of the most classic events of the swimming program, with basically all the best swimmers of all times trying to get this gold, but I have no doubt and I pick Pieter Van Den Hoogenband beating Ian Thorpe in one of the most amazing head to head duels between 2 great champions in the history of the sport... Fencing, men's Individual Epee...once again, difficult choice with many great specialists... despite maybe Pavel Kolobkov deserves to be named, I'm heavily biased and therefore my actual pick is Edoardo Mangiarotti, one of the true greats of the Italian sports history... Equestrian, Individual Show Jumping...not following that much, here I go by personal sympathy: Rodrigo Pessoa on Baloubet du Rouet... Shooting, women's Air Pistol...despite Jasna Sekaric being one of the greatest shooters of all times, she was more a Sport Pistol specialist throughout her career, therefore here I pick the only woman to win twice the gold medal in this specific event: Guo Wenjun

if she can train constantly together with the 2 more skilled and experienced girls, she's surely going to raise her level in the next months/years... maybe she's not going to be as good as the other 2, but you normally only need a solid 3rd fencer to be good in the team events... there are very few teams with 3 true top class specialists (actually, only Russia and France, tbh)...

we have a game-7 thriller in the SHL Finals... last night, in fact, Färjestad BK took advantage of the home ice and defeated Luleå HF in game #6 by a score of 3-1, tying the final series at 3 games apiece. 2 goals in quick succession (the 1st one in power play) about halfway through the first period gave the home team a comfortable lead in the sixth game of the SHL final clash, but with less than 5 mins still to be played, the guests suddenly shortened the distance. Unfortunately, a stupid penalty just after they re-opened the match cost Luleå another goal against, which basically was the end of the game. Almost 3 mins played with the empty net didn't lead to anything and the hosts could enjoy the success in game #6. Game #7 is scheduled for next Thursday, May 12th in Luleå (puck drop @ 7.30 p.m. local/CET) Game ##6 highlights https://www.shl.se/play/video/168959?provider=staylive&autoplay=1

yeah, at least we can make a clear masterplan for the next 4 seasons... what's making me think, instead, is the fact that we didn't hire anybody "new" to replace Curtaz and Zingerle, but we're just going on we the same coaches of these last few seasons (who proved themselves not that efficient), we did even call back Alex Inderst, who was sent off a few years ago... the only new face in the staff is the former Finnish shooting coach, who will be the new discipline's coach for the women's team and a sort of personal trainer for Vittozzi (and God knows how much she needs a new start from scratch in this discipline after the last couple of seasons)... we'll see...but I'm not so optimist... so far, the only winter sport showing that they really want to improve is Skeleton (we just hired the great Willy Schneider and his faithful assistent Thomas Platzer as the new coaches of our team)...

my 2 cents... Peter Statsny...by far... then, Marian Hossa and Zdeno Chara... personally, I used to be also a big fan of Ziggy Palffy (I saw him play here in Milan in the European Champions Cup semifinal round in 1992, when he was still playing for Dukla Trencin -he was a kid but he was already the star of that team together with Branislav Janos)...

2021/2022 Fencing World Cup Men's Team Sabre ( Madrid) Gold: South Korea Silver: Hungary Bronze: Italy Semifinals South Korea b. Germany 45-38 Hungary b. Italy 45-38 Bronze Medal Match Italy b. Germany 45-35 Gold Medal Match South Korea b. Hungary 45-32 Full Ranking & Results https://fie.org/competitions/2022/853

2021/2022 Fencing World Cup Women's Team Sabre ( Hammamet) Gold: South Korea Silver: Japan Bronze: France Semifinals South Korea b. Italy 45-31 Japan b. France 45-30 Bronze Medal Match France b. Italy 45-31 Gold Medal Match South Korea b. Japan 45-25 Full Ranking & Results https://fie.org/competitions/2022/760

there were already rumors about that before the season ended, just after the Olympics... I wish him all the best, even if it hurts a lot our team losing him and Dominik Windisch all at once just before the beginning of the home Olympics 4-year cycle...

finally, one of the new Italian pairs is on the podium... it was time, after 2 consecutive stops at the quarterfinal stage...

2021/2022 Fencing World Cup Men's Individual Sabre ( Madrid) Gold: Oh Sanguk Silver: Luca Curatoli Bronze: Kim Jung Hwan & Sandro Bazadze Semifinals Oh b. Kim 15-10 Curatoli b. Bazadze 15-14 Final Oh b. Curatoli 15-11 Full Ranking & Results https://fie.org/competitions/2022/474

2021/2022 Fencing World Cup Women's Individual Sabre ( Hammammet) Gold: Misaki Emura Silver: Despina Georgiadou Bronze: Kanae Kobayashi & Manon Apithy-Brunet Semifinals Georgiadou b. Apithy-Brunet 15-9 Emura b. Kobayashi 15-12 Final Emura b. Georgiadou 15-13 Full Ranking & Results https://fie.org/competitions/2022/471

Luleå HF took advantage of the home ice and after 50 mins of a pure defensive struggle, they scored 3 more goals (final empty netter included) and won game #5 of the SHL Finals against Färjestad BK by a total score of 4-0 (0-0, 1-0, 3-0). Now they lead the series 3 games to 2 and could clinch the title next Monday in game #6 in Karlstad (puck drop @ 7.30 p.m. local/CET). Game #5 Highlights https://www.shl.se/play/video/168690?provider=staylive&autoplay=1

yes, he's in Nairobi... he started to feel bad already on thursday evening, then yesterday the situation got worse and worse and he had to go to the hospital, where he's still recovered and treated by the doctors... so far, the Italian media only reported the symptoms...malaria has never been named, it's just my fear given the place...

finally they will have to split all the 3 disciplines... combined events never did and will never make sense in the climbing sport community... it's been a valuable trojan horse to sneak in into the Olympic program, but now it's time to restore the true nature of the sport...

Nairobi's meet just lost its main event... the 100m Olympic Champion Marcell Jacobs in fact has been recovered to the hospital because of severe gastric problems, with high fever, vomiting and diarrhea... he was set to make his outdoor debut in an intriguing challenge against Fred Kerley and some of the best African specialists... now his whole season is in danger (hope he hasn't got malaria)...

DEL as written in the past few days, the Eisbären Berlin won the 2021/2022 DEL championship, their 9th success overall, second in a row. The club formerly know as SC Dynamo ended up the regular season on top of the standings, the only team to score over 2 points per game. In the playoffs, they got rid of Koelner Haie without any trouble, but they had to fight hard until the decisive game #5 in the semifinals against Mannheim and even in the final series against Red Bull Munich they had to comeback after losing the first match on the home ice. But once they got going, they've just been unstoppable (the one-sided game #4 is there to show their power). LEAGUE SUMMARY Regular Season Final Standings & Playoffs Rounds Recap https://www.penny-del.org/spielplan Final Series Game #1: Eisbären Berlin - Red Bull Munich 3-4 (2-0; 1-3; 0-1) Game Highlights https://www.penny-del.org/event/eisbaeren-berlin-ehc-red-bull-muenchen/9286 Game #2: Red Bull Munich - Eisbären Berlin 2-3 OT2 (1-1; 0-0; 1-1; 0-2; 0-1) Game Highlights https://www.penny-del.org/event/ehc-red-bull-muenchen-eisbaeren-berlin/9350 Game #3: Eisbären Berlin - Red Bull Munich 2-1 (1-1; 1-0; 0-0) Game Highlights https://www.penny-del.org/event/eisbaeren-berlin-ehc-red-bull-muenchen/9351 Game #4: Red Bull Munich - Eisbären Berlin 0-5 (0-1; 0-3; 0-1) Game Highlights https://www.penny-del.org/event/ehc-red-bull-muenchen-eisbaeren-berlin/9354

Yesterday night Färjestad BK won game #4 of the SHL Finals on the home ice against Luleå HF by a score of 3-2 after OT (2-0, 0-1, 0-1, 1-0) thanks to a goal scored by Jesse Virtanen @ 64.05. Now the series is tied at 2 games apiece. Game #5 is scheduled for tomorrow in Luleå (puck frop @ 3.15 p.m. local/CET) Game #4 highlights https://www.shl.se/play/video/168440?provider=staylive&autoplay=1

meanwhile, yesterday Luleå HF won game #3 of the SHL Finals on the home ice against Färjestad BK by a score of 5-4 after OT (3-1, 0-1, 1-2, 1-0) and now they lead the series 2 games to 1. Game #4 is scheduled for tomorrow in Karlstad (puck frop @ 7.30 p.m. local/CET) Game #3 highlights https://www.shl.se/play/video/168352?provider=staylive&autoplay=1

breaking news... The Eisbären Berlin are the DEL Champions 2021/2022 They won game #4 of the DEL Finals against Red Bull Munich on the road by a score of 5-0 (1-0, 3-0, 1-0) to close the whole series down 3 games to 1. It's the 9th title for the Polar Bears since the foundation of the DEL (1994/1995), the second in a row. They also won 15 titles in the former East Germany Bundesliga as SC Dynamo Berlin.

thanks! great coverage, as usual... p.s. from yesterday, I'm a Slovak, too... the fact is that in Italy the NHL havs dismissed NHL.tv and left us with the average (if not poor) coverage by ESPN Player (we also have a tv broadcaster like sky Italia, but they only show 1 game/week in the RS and 2/3 games/week now in the playoffs)... but, surprise surprise, since yesterday also the ESPN Player's service is unavailable in Italy, so we can't watch the NHL playoffs anywhere except for the few games offered by sky ITA... so, I turned my vpn on and I subscribed NHL.tv as if I were in Bratislava...and luckily it works well on my android TV, so I can watch the NHL playoffs in peace (unfortunately my apple tv's app -which has a way better picture quality- doesn't work because no vpn can be used on it and because they make a check connected to the Apple ID and the GPS position -and my Apple ID is Italian and the GPS does locate me in Italy, of course)...

Athletics, women's 400m...well, Cathy Freeman's gold in Sydney was very emotional not only for herself...on the other hand, Marita Koch probably will never be beaten by a true woman, but I refuse to pick one of dirtiest symbols of the dirtiest sports fraud ever... therefore, my choice is Marie Josè Perec, the true queen of the killing lap... Swimming, men's 100m Fly...Michael Phelps won 3 times, but he's never been a pure specialist of this race, Caeleb dressel's record is something out of this world... but I have to pick Mark Spitz, because that was his special race and because without him and his 1972 performance, no Phelps, Lochte or Dressel of this world would have even tried to swim so many races in a single meet with that intensity and effectiveness as they have... Swimming, women's 10km...since Viola Valli, the strongest specialist ever couldn't even swim her race at the Olympics (she stopped her career before the event was included in the Olympic program) and we have just a few Olympic Champions to compare, I pass on this event... Diving, women's 10m Platform...well, here I don't have any doubt...it can be a springboard, a platform, a rock in the middle of the Ocean...1, 3, 5, 10 or 30 meters... Fu Mingxia is the one and only GOAT of women's diving and therefore she's my pick... Canoe Sprint, men's C1 1000m...here my pick is Sebastian Brendel, the only man to double up the gold medal in this discipline in modern times...

updates from last night... Färjestad BK won game #2 of the SHL Finals against Luleå HF by a score of 4-0 (2-0, 1-0, 1-0) and now the series is tied 1-1. Game #3 is scheduled for Tomorrow in Luleå (puck drop @ 7.30 p.m. local/CET). Game #2 highlights https://www.shl.se/play/video/168294?provider=staylive&autoplay=1 in Germany, the Eisbären Berlin won the 3rd game of the DEL Finals against Red Bull Munich by a score of 2-1 (1-1, 1-0, 0-0) and now they lead the best-of-5 series 2 games to 1. They could clinch the title with 1 more win. Game #4 is scheduled for Tomorrow in Munich (puck drop @ 7.15 p.m. local/CET). Game #3 highlights https://www.penny-del.org/event/eisbaeren-berlin-ehc-red-bull-muenchen/9351

Let's go Kings!

NLA EV Zug wrote a memorable page in the history of the Swiss NLA. They dominated the season, but in the playoffs final series against ZSC Lions Zürich they were shoulders to the wall, down 3-0 after 3 games where they took an early lead and the Lions were capable of coming back late and win dramatic matches. But when it did look all over, something changed in the series' balance and what was always going wrong for Zug, suddenly it started to go in the right direction. after 4 more games, on of the most amazing comebacks in the history of Swiss (and global) hockey was completed and EV Zug won the 2021/2022 NLA title. LEAGUE SUMMARY Regular Season Final Standings https://www.sihf.ch/de/game-center/national-league/#/standing/rank/asc/page/0/ Playoffs Rounds Recap https://www.sihf.ch/de/game-center/national-league/#/bestof//asc/page/0/ (just choose the correct playoffs round in the small menu in this page) Final Series Game #1: EV Zug - ZSC Lions Zürich 2-3 (0-0; 2-1; 0-3) Game Highlights https://www.mynationalleague.ch/videos/national-league/playback/700571805 Game #2: ZSC Lions Zürich - EV Zug 2-1 (0-0; 1-1; 1-0) Game Highlights https://www.mynationalleague.ch/videos/national-league/playback/701412653 Game #3: EV Zug - ZSC Lions Zürich 1-2 (1-0; 0-0; 0-2) Game Highlights https://www.mynationalleague.ch/videos/national-league/playback/702425373 Game #4: ZSC Lions Zürich - EV Zug 1-4 (1-1; 0-1; 0-2) Game Highlights https://www.mynationalleague.ch/videos/national-league/playback/703026935 Game #5: EV Zug - ZSC Lions Zürich 4-1 (0-0; 1-1; 3-0) Game Highlights https://www.mynationalleague.ch/videos/national-league/playback/703890113 Game #6: ZSC Lions Zürich - EV Zug 0-2 (0-1; 0-0; 0-1) Game Highlights https://www.mynationalleague.ch/videos/national-league/playback/704702196 Game #7: EV Zug - ZSC Lions Zürich 3-1 (1-1; 1-0; 1-0) Game Highlights Coming Soon...