phelps

I hope it's all OK now! about the game...yeah, it's quite clear that the Indians at the moment are just "too much" for the rest of European Hockey...I'd really like to see them in the KHL, they'd be for sure one of the teams to beat even in that league...

the Italian Spring Nationals are definitely not true Trials... it's the main chance for swimmers to get the required clockings, but not the only one... we already have some qualified athletes from last December's Winter Champs, then many other will have a chance to swim the Olympic qualifying time at the European Champs (this championship is actually a true selection for that event, rather than the Olympics) and even further down the calendar, at the Settecolli meet in June... and still our coaches have the last word...there's nothing "mathematical" in our selections (except for those athletes swimming the NF's "A" standard time, who are sure to fly to Tokyo in any case)...

Fourth title for Frölunda after victory over Mountfield HK! Only one team can be crowned winners of the 2019/20 Champions Hockey League, and with the final in Hradec Králové, Mountfield HK hosted the Frölunda Indians to see who would be lifting the trophy at the end of the night. The two teams had recent history as well as the shared a win each back in the Group Stage as the two teams progressed out of Group H. It was the first appearance in the final for Mountfield, who previously have never made it out of the Group Stage previously and are only the second team from the Czech Republic to make it to the final, while Frölunda came into their fifth final, searching for their fourth title, and looking to defend their title they earned last season against Red Bull Munich. In front of packed arena that sold out in just minutes after the tickets were released, the puck dropped and the final of the Champions Hockey League was underway at the ČPP Arena. The start to the game was as energetic as the capacity crowd, with both teams aggressive on the forecheck but defensively the teams were strong in the opening passages of play, getting sticks in shooting lanes to limit any dangerous shots on net. As Mountfield started getting some pressure, they found themselves heading to the powerplay as David Printz of Frölunda took a penalty, and despite a poor start to the man advantage, eventually Mountfield broker through. As Mountfield entered the zone, Filip Pavlík found Petr Koukal with a great pass to the slot, and Koukal buried his chance past Johan Mattsson for the opening score of the game, firing his shot past the blocker of the Frölunda goalie for his second goal of the season. Later in the period, Frölunda responded with a powerplay goal of their own. It wasn’t the prettiest of goals as Ryan Lasch’s effort on net had the sting taken out of it on a good defensive poke check by Mountfield, but it still made its way towards the crease where Simon Hjalmarsson was waiting and greatfully tapped it into the open net to tie things up. With the moment on their side, Frölunda continued to plug away, and that resulted in another goal as a shot by Anders Grönlund was stopped out in front, falling to Max Friberg who slotted the puck past Mazanec who was scrambling to track the puck after the initial block to give the reigning champions Frölunda a 2-1 lead. Mountfield tried to issue a response, with a big hit coming in on Samuel Fagemo, but as they tried clearing the puck through the middle of the ice, Viktor Ekbom fired a one timer from the high slot, taking a tip in front by Johan Sundström to beat Mazanec for the third time to give the reigning champions Frölunda a 3-1 lead heading into the second period with three goals in the last four minutes of the opening frame. Neither side could add to their goal totals through the second period as both Marek Mazanec and Johan Mattsson put in strong performances in middle 20 minutes of play, with Frölunda holding their 3-1 advantage heading into the third period where they would begin on the powerplay. Mountfield killed the penalty early in the third, and a defensive game continued, with neitherside wanting make the next mistake that could let Mountfield back into the game if they pulled one back, or extend the lead for Frölunda who were edging closer to their fourth title with every second that passed. Joel Mustonen came close to giving Frölunda the fourth goal they were searching for, jumping on a loose puck after a defensive breakdown, but he couldn't capitalise as Mazanec got a piece of the shot to keep it a 3-1 game inside the final 10 minutes. Frölunda looked content to hold onto their league, not rushing anything but still tryign to grab a fourth where they could, frustrating Mountfield who couldn't break through a solid defensive performance all night long, and a late penalty didn't help matters leaving the hosts for the Final just over two minutes to try and tie things up. Mountfield were looking to get the extra attack and pull Marek Mazanec to the bench, but Frölunda kept the puck well and forechecked hard when they could, eating away a minute of time that Mountfield could've spent using a man advantage, and when they eventually got the puck down the other end of the ice it was too little too late, and the Frölunda Indians wouldn't be denied their chance to defend their title, securing their second straight and fourth ever Champions Hockey League crown, defeating Mountfield HK 3-1 in the Grand Final. At the end of the CHL Grand Final, Frölunda's top star, the 33-years old American Ryan Lasch, was crowned with both the Scoring Title (22 points: 6 goals and 16 assists) and the League MVP trophy (second time for him). credits: CHL.com

Champions Hockey League Final 2020 Tuesday, February 4th 2020 - h.18:45 CET ČPP Arena, Hradec Králové (CZE) Mountfield HK - Frölunda Indians 1-3 (1-3; 0-0; 0-0) Goals 06:53, Petr Koukal (Oskars Cibulskis, Filip Pavlìk; PP, 1-0) 16:29, Simon Hjalmarsson (Joel Lundqvist, Ryan Lasch; PP, 1-1) 18:21, Max Friberg (Anders Grönlund; 1-2) 19:21, Johan Sundström (Viktor Ekbom, Samuel Fagemo; 1-3) Recap, Play-by-Play Actions, Individual & Team Stats and Lineups https://www.championshockeyleague.com/en/matches/ce867d3cd6751336ebda5739/mountfield-hk-vs-frolunda-indians#tab_event-stats=team-statistics&tab_event=events Match Highlights

Champions Hockey League Final 2020 Where To Watch https://www.championshockeyleague.com/en/fans/chl-games-on-tv

Flashback: Previous Finals The 2020 Champions Hockey League Final is just hours away so for those of you anxiously waiting for the clock to finally strike 18:45 CET, we’ve prepared a flashback to previous CHL Finals to fill in the time. 2015 Final The inaugural 2014/15 season of the CHL saw 44 teams battle their way through the Group Stage and elimination rounds before just two Finalists remained – Luleå Hockey and the Frölunda Indians. Frölunda were first to draw blood in the all-Swedish Final thanks to Joel Lundqvist’s goal just 17 seconds into the match and they even managed to go two goals up by the end of the first period. Everything looked under control, but an amazing four-goal comeback from Luleå in the final period shattered Frölunda’s dreams of winning the title, as Luleå were crowned Champions. 2016 Final The second season of the CHL featured even more teams with 48 in total and with four elimination rounds leading to the Final, there was no room for mistakes. The two teams that lined up for the Final that year were Finnish club Kärpät Oulu and previous finalists Frölunda who were back for revenge. Similarly to the previous final, it was Frölunda who opened the scoring on the night and were two goals ahead by the end of the first period – just like the year before. Luckily for them they didn’t lose their lead and ended up winning 2-1 to earn their first ever CHL title. 2017 Final The 2016/17 CHL season ended with Frölunda facing Czech side Sparta Prague in the Final. The Swedish club were in their third final in three years, while Sparta became the first non-Scandinavian team to make it that far. The game on Frölunda’s home ice was tied 3-3 in regulation, after Sparta let a lead slip. Both teams geared up for overtime but just one and a half minutes in, Frölunda’s Nicklas Lasu found the back of Tomáš Pöpperle’s net to give Frölunda their second title and leave Sparta players in shock. 2018 Final The 2017/18 season was the first under the current 32 team format with a four-stage elimination round and is currently the only year a non-Swedish team have won the title. Czech teams were especially strong that year, with both Oceláři Třinec and Bilí Tygři Liberec making the Semi-Finals, while Frölunda exited as early as the Round of 16 – this is the only season the Swedish club haven’t featured in the Final. But in the end it was another all-Nordic final as Finnish team JYP Jyväskylä faced Swedish side Växjö Lakers in the final match of the season. A scoreless opening period kept both teams on edge but with a man advantage in the second period, the Finns utilised the advantage and scored first. They dug deep determined to not concede leaving Växjö no choice but to pull their goaltender in the final minutes of the match. Janne Kolehmainen’s empty-net goal just seconds before the final buzzer finalised the score to 2-0 to win JYP their first and only CHL title. 2019 Final Last year we saw Frölunda make a dramatic return to winning ways after missing the previous Final to face German side Red Bull Munich, who made their first and only Final appearance by defying the odds in the elimination rounds fighting their way through. Over 12 000 fans gathered in Frölunda’s home arena – the Scandinavium, to witness Frölunda’s 3-1 win over Munich, as the home side lifter their third title in five years to mark themselves as the most successful team in CHL history. 2019 Final Game Highlights

Referees & Linesmen assigned for CHL Final Top game officials from the Finnish and German leagues will take charge of this season's Champions Hockey League Final. Head Referees for the Final on 4 February in Hradec Králové will be Kristian Vikman and Mikko Kaukokari. Both are experienced officials who have worked over 300 and 500 games in Finland’s’ top league respectively, and have also refereed many games at international level. Vikman was selected just recently for the Semi-Finals and Final game at the U20 World Championships; while Kaukokari was previously assigned to the CHL Finals of 2017 and 2019, and has been selected for two World Junior Championships Finals as well as for two Bronze Medal games at World Men’s Championships. Running the lines will be Andreas Hofer (GER) and Joep Leermarkers (NED), both working in the German DEL. “These game officials are all top ranked in their domestic leagues,” CHL Senior Sport Advisor Bo Lennartsson said. “They stood out with great performances in the Champions Hockey League and, as currently part of the world’s elite, they very much deserve the chance to officiate this years’ CHL Final in Hradec Králové.” @heywoodu so, we also have some Dutch presence in the most important game of the European Club season!

First CHL Final in the Czech Republic: ČPP Arena This season's Champions Hockey League Final will take place on Tuesday 4 February in Hradec Králové, the home of Mountfield HK, with the opening faceoff at 18:45 CET. They will face defending champions, three-time winners, and fifth-time finalists Frölunda Indians. The 2020 Champions Hockey League Final will be special for both teams involved as they get a chance to go for the European Trophy in the final games of the 2019/20 season. It will also be special for Mountfield HK. Not only is this their first CHL final, but they won the right to host it at home in front of their own fans - the first Czech team to play for the prize on their own ice. Built in 1957, the ČPP Arena has been used for hockey in Hradec Králové since its inception. For the first 12 years of its existence, the arena was actually completely outside with no roof added until 1969 when a large reconstruction began. While it's known that this development work lasted some seven years, a less known fact is that the team continued to play games in the building while construction work was going on! In 2007 the arena was completely overhauled to make it suitable for hockey in the modern era: VIP sections, Skyboxes and new locker rooms were all added to bring it up to today's standard. A quirk of the building itself is that, to this day, it still only has one entrance on and off the ice for skaters. Extraliga hockey arrived in Hradec Králové in 2013 with Mountfield HK playing out of the ČPP Arena in the country's highest level of competition, while in 2017 the arena saw its first taste of the Champions Hockey League. A multi-purpose arena, it has also hosted the 1980 European Junior Championships, 2000 World Inline Hockey Championships, the 2002 IIHF World Junior Championships and the 2017 European Basketball Women's Championships. 6890 fans can be packed into the arena, and interestingly just over half (3750) is seated - the other 3140 create one of the best atmospheres in the Czech Republic in the standing section!

The Finalists: Frölunda Indians Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: The Frölunda Indians have advanced to the Champions Hockey League Final. Since the relaunch of the European club championship in 2014/15, the Gothenburg-based team has now made five of six Finals and won three so far. The club was established in 1938 but only won one Swedish title in the 20th Century – that coming in 1965. Since the turn of the millennium, they have added titles in 2003, 2005, 2016 and 2019, in addition to their wins in the Champions Hockey League – three and counting. Five players have been members of all three CHL titles and are looking for a fourth – Patrik Carlsson, Niklas Lasu, Mats Rosseli Olsen, Sebastian Stålberg and Joel Lundqvist. Lundqvist, the captain, just played his 1000th game in a Frölunda jersey in the team’s Semi-Final victory over Luleå Hockey, recording a goal and an assist in the comeback win. The 2016/17 CHL MVP who first joined the club as a 16-year-old, is the CHL’s all-time leader with 64 games played. Ryan Lasch only has two CHL titles to his name so far but has several other accolades, most of which have been accomplished with Frölunda. He is first in goals (29), assists (61) and points (90), won the 2015/16 CHL MVP and has won two scoring titles so far and, barring something unforeseen in this year’s Final, will win a third. Lasch scored the aggregate-winning goal in Luleå. Veteran leadership is supplemented by a seemingly endless supply of young talent. In the past, we’ve seen the likes of Andreas Johnsson, Oscar Fantenberg, Artturi Lehkonen, Carl Grundström, Jacob Larsson and Rasmus Dahlin win titles with Frölunda and all are now in the NHL. It seems the next player on that list is Samuel Fagemo, the Los Angeles Kings draft pick who, at 19, already has a CHL title under his belt and is already one of Frölunda’s offensive leaders. Waiting in the wings is 17-year-old Lucas Raymond, who’s played 18 SHL games and 6 CHL games with Frölunda this season. And of course, at the helm is Roger Rönnberg, the two-time European Coach of the Year winner who has been Frölunda’s Head Coach since 2013. Even he is sometimes blown away by what his team can do. “I’m so impressed with the character of my hockey team,” Rönnberg said after his team’s Semi-Final win – Frölunda’s third comeback in as many Playoff rounds. “I’m almost crying here because to have the team spirit to do it this way against Luleå is an amazing performance.” Winning a fourth CHL title would be a milestone of sorts. It would make Frölunda just the second club to win more than three European titles. The all-time leader, CSKA Moscow, is in a class by itself, having won 20 titles between 1969 and 1990, the last 13 of them coming consecutively. Other teams to win three are Czech club Kometa Brno – or ZKL Brno as they were then called – who won the first three European Cups in 1966, 1967 and 1968. Russian club Metallurg Magnitogorsk won the European Hockey League in 1999 and 2000 and the European Champions Cup in 2008. 5 reasons why Frölunda will win the CHL Final! It's just over a week until the last two teams standing face off in the 2020 Champions Hockey League Final. We're asking journalists covering each team to tell us why they think it'll be their year this time around. We start with Johan Rylander from Göteborgs-Posten, who gives us five reasons why it'll be Frölunda Indians lifting the trophy again this season: 1. Tradition This could almost be a carbon copy of last year's prediction, but it’s a fact that the Champions Hockey League has existed for six seasons and Frölunda have reached the final in five out of those six. In Hradec Králové, the Swedish team has the chance of title number four – that is really impressive, and a huge mental advantage. 2. Skill Frölunda do still have more skilled players than their final opponents. Samuel Fagemo is heading for the NHL in the next season – but he’s not the only threat. You also have the tournament MVP in Ryan Lasch, the all-time CHL scoring leader with 29 goals. You also have players like Rhett Rakhshani, Patrik Carlsson, Johan Sundström, Nicklas Lasu, Simon Hjalmarsson and future NHL star Lucas Raymond. He is to be drafted this summer – and I predict he is going Top 3 in the NHL draft. Any of those players can decide a final. 3. Four producing lines If Frölunda, like last year, use the speed of all four lines in the final, well … then Mountfield HK will also have problems catching them! And when you have problems catching someone, you will take penalties. And we all know how good this Swedish team is with a man advantage: almost three in ten powerplay opportunities result in a goal. 4. Strong fan base The arena in Hradec Králové hosts almost 7000 fans – and Frölunda will come with approximately 700 of those. They will create a red wall of noise, and an early goal will most certainly silence the home crowd. 5. The coach Roger Rönnberg arrived in Gothenburg seven seasons ago and I would say that he is the best addition Frölunda have made in this millennium. His results at the club are extraordinary, in fact the best in history. Five titles will become a sixth in the Czech Republic – because after two games against Mountfield HK in the preliminary rounds the Swedish Head Coach will most certainly have figured out a lethal game plan.

The Finalists: Mountfield HK t’s safe to say that Mountfield HK's journey through the Champions Hockey League hasn’t been as plain sailing as Frölunda's in recent seasons. During their debut season in 2017/18, the side from Hradec Kralové were beaten home and away by the Nottingham Panthers from the United Kingdom; and a season later they went down in Rouen, France – both campaigns saw them fall out in the Group Stage. This season they also lost in Cardiff, but went on to win eight of their 12 games on the path to the final. However, despite those setbacks, the team qualified themselves back into the CHL with strong performances in the Czech Extraliga. The team were knocked out in the Semi-Final stage of the Playoffs in both 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, before exiting in the Quarters last time around. Indeed, their Extraliga form has been one of the more consistent over recent years: since the top flight of Czech hockey came to Hradec Králové, Mountfield HK have never finished outside the league's top five, and for the past four seasons they've not been beneath fourth at the end of the season. Cult captain Jaroslav Bednář, who spent time in the NHL, KHL, Liiga and Swiss top-flight retired from the team in 2018 and is the club’s Sport Manager – though he also still laces up in the Czech third tier! Another legend is behind the bench – Head Coach Tomáš Martinec coached at every level from U16’s in the city before taking on the top job in 2018 and has also been part of the coaching setup with the country’s U18 national team. Martinec was joined during this season in the Head Coach role by Vladimír Růžička. The former Slavia Prague Head Coach led that team to a pair of Extraliga titles, and the national team to two World Championship gold medals in 2005 and 2010 respectively. Known for a defensive style of hockey, his influence can be seen in Mountfield’s impressive CHL playoff record – three shutouts, and only three goals against in six games! Star players of this season’s team include goalie Marek Mazanec who was shortlisted in the first round of voting for the LGT MVP Award, while 33-year-old captain Radek Smoleňák has actually played in Sweden with time at Timrå and MODO. Wearing an ‘A’ is 30-year-old forward Rudolf Červený who is in his second spell with the team after a season with time in the KHL and SHL outfit Brynäs; while 27-year-old defenseman Petr Zámorský is another who has SHL experience in three seasons for Örebro. Meet the Team, Video 5 reasons why Mountfield HK will win the CHL Final! We've taken a look at the Top 5 reasons that give Frölunda Indians the edge in this season's Champions Hockey League Final, but now it's time to turn our attention to this year's host team and CHL Final debutants: Mountfield HK. Pavel Ryšavý of Czech national newspaper Deník Sport gives us his take on why we'll be crowning the first-ever team from outside of the Nordics as our 2020 champions! 1. Marek Mazanec Consistently on top of his game for months now and his performances haven’t dropped off a single bit, Mazanec uses a reverse catching style with his glove on his right, doesn’t panic and has been tremendously important for Mountfield all season. There’s no doubt that he’s No. 1, no questions asked. When opponents result to dumping the puck, he collects them behind his net and plays out from the back using his impressive stickhandling skills that he learned during his six years overseas. Mazanec himself says that he doesn’t like penalty shots and that he’s not good at them – but, on the contrary, he’s known for his quick reactions and saves that catch opponents off guard. 2. A team made for playoff matches Mountfield haven’t been as strong in the Czech Extraliga as they have in the CHL this season. There are two main reasons why: First, when Vladimír Růžička was appointed co-Head Coach at the start of the season, Mountfield needed a few months to adapt to his playing style. But the main reason why the CHL has just seemed to work for them this year is the way they approach each game. Second, when the team lines up for an ordinary home match against a regular Extraliga team, they have trouble getting into the flow of the game and winning - but when faced with an all-or-nothing CHL Playoffs match, they seem to transform and understand the responsibility they have. They haven’t had a single bad game in the Playoffs this season and have been sturdy at the back, blocking all attempts at an opponent breakthrough from the neutral zone. Mountfield are going to be a feared side in the Extraliga Playoffs this year with their direct style of play. This team plays best when it’s do or die. 2. The Coaches Vladimír Růžička is a coach with an impressive CV. As Head Coach of the Czech National Team he won two Ice Hockey World Championships (2005 and 2010) and was equally successful during his time with Slavia Praha, winning the Czech Extraliga twice. He’s one of the best Czech coaches around and is renowned for his quick tactical changes during matches and responsible defending. He reads the game well and likes swapping players around in reaction to the flow of the game. Equally as important is his college Tomáš Martinec who has been with the team longer and has a very forward-passing style of play focused on attacking. When Růžička joined Martinec one week into the 2019/20 season as co-Head coach things weren’t looking good for Mountfield. The conflicting coaches’ ideas weren’t working on the ice and they struggled with their roles as equals; but come the new year, they’ve started working together like a well-oiled machine and the results are starting to show. This rejuvenated and re-energized Mountfield team combines both coaches’ philosophies – Martinec’s aggressiveness and Růžička’s responsible defending. 4. The atmosphere The ČPP Arena isn’t the biggest arena around with a capacity of just under 7,000 fans but when the stands are full the atmosphere is intense. One of the main reasons why it gets so heated in the arena is the fact that nearly half the stadium’s capacity is taken up by sectors for standing only. The sheer sight of the thousands of fans huddled together supporting their team in the stands is breath-taking. When Mountfield faced Djurgården in the CHL Semi-Finals, the standing crowds got the whole arena to get up and join in for a Mexican wave that circled the arena multiple times. They chanted, sang and pushed their team on to win the match. They are Mountfield’s secret weapon for the Final. 5. The first line One was captain of the National Team, another is a current National Team player for Slovakia and the third is a one to watch for the Czech National Team. Of course, we mean Radek Smoleňák, Lukáš Cingel and Matěj Chalupa – Mountfield’s elite attacking trio. They create chances every game and have the skill to take them and score. Smoleňák is a big personality in the locker room and a true leader, the players respect him and stand by him. Despite being well-travelled, it looks like he’s finally found a place to settle down. He leads by example and is strong in front of the net, often doing the “dirty work”. Cingel is a two way forward who plays between the lines and strikes when the time is right. He supports his teammates and has also started scoring himself lately. And Chalupa? The youngest of the three at just 21 years of age has finally started proving himself and fully displaying his talent. He’s strong on offense and is a great shooter.

Tonight's the night! Champions Hockey League Final 2020, Official Intro One Game, One Final, One Champion

not yet... atm, the only news are about the new Ariake Arena being unveiled... https://www.fivb.com/en/about/news/ariake-arena-unveiled-as-volleyball-prepares-for?id=90466

@MHSN I just stumbled upon the Fujairah Open results...and I've seen this: Men's -74kg, Gold Medallist: Abolfazl Yaghoubi...from UAE wasn't he from Iran? when did he switch Country? did I miss it time and time ago or it's just something new?

the problem is TUE itself as it's ruled right now... you don't need to fake illness...you can even be seriously sick, but you shouldn't be allowed to turn that disease around to your advantage (any referral to Lance Armstrong's history is purely intentional)... I mean, Armstrong was almost ready for the Last Rites, with cancer all around his body...and look what happened...exempted from basically any sort of stoppage because of all the medicines he had to take once the cancer was (luckily) gone, he got to rebuild himself as a super-human, using things that normally put people in bed for weeks, months... when you're sick, you should take a break. point. not performing better than when you're fully healty.

I agree...the qualification process has good principles, but really messy development... however, more than a question of qualification (if ITA are going to have 1 weightlifter at the Games, that's Pizzolato), I was happy to see that some of his potential rivals in this period are not growing too fast and more than our guy (the Bulgarian more than the Armenian, who likely is not going to start in Tokyo, as ARM only have 1 quota because of doping sanctions and almost certainly they're going to use it for Martyrosian)...

happy to see that both Karapetyan and Beytula were below Pizzolato's total in Ostia a few days ago...

actually there are 2 cities named Kansas City, 1 in Kansas and 1 in Missouri (and basically they're located one on the border of the other)... still, Trump referring to the wrong one...typical of such an idiot...

in terms of pure show, imho Katy Perry is still unmatched...by far... but Shakira can do whatever she wants and I still love her in any case... in terms of commercials, I got really disappointed once again...really few interesting ones... my favourites, definitely Anne Heche's Alexa (the excursus back in the old times, actually) and the Porche electric car, when the rookie at the Museum is given the tractor's keys to pursuit the thieve... and Erin Andrews' Tik Tok appearance...but only because she's Erin... meanwhile I just can't stand the 9-1-1 Lone Star promo anymore...not that I was going to watch that series in any case, but they really got me hyper-annoyed with that... the game...well, definitely not the most exciting of the season... SF did what they were expected to do...KC didn't play well at all, with Mahomes having a really disappointing night, but still their offense is too talented and somehow they could set up a pair of drives in a few minutes and turned things around in the last 7 mins or so... at least, I'm happy for Andy Reid...imho, he really deserves this success...

you can't even imagine how many times I asked our great savy political leader Salvini to tell his dear friend "uncle Vlad" to stop cheating because it causes a wrong perception of the whole Russian Country in the Western world...

no, my friend... you're completely wrong... those events have not been broadcasted on free tv (only) because of the crazy raising of the tv rights costs and the current hypocrisy for the socalled "spending review"... here in Italy it's also the same story...our public / free commercial networks just ignore the vast majority of sport events because of supposed lack of money (the truth is that they just prefer wasting it in stupid tv shows like dancing with the stars -where the supposed "stars" are overpayed a scandalous amount of money- or the Sanremo Song Festival)... but this doesn't mean that there's a lack of interest or a decreased attention among the people... and no...it's not time to slim down...actually, it's time to make the Summer Games a full 3-week event, growing to 35 sports and 400 events (at least)... meanwhile the Winter Games are good as they are, and who cares if it's only a matter for half the world or so... because there's nothing like the Olympic Games in the world...you can add to the calendar as many international events as you want, but they are not and will never be even comparable to the charm, the feeling, the hype, the prestige and the importance of the Olympic Games...

imagine if they cancel the 2nd run and take this result as the final ranking...

Filippo Mondelli, one of the crew members of the Italian Quadruple Sculls -among the main pre-competition favourites in Tokyo, has to give up "professional" Rowing because of bone cancer (aggressive osteosarcoma)... this is a really bad loss for our sport, but, more than anything, it's going to be a long and tough battle for him...good luck Filippo!

poor Bolivia! I don't think they could have made it to the Olympics anyway, but it would have been very nice to see them at least go through this first round...

not kickin' them out right now (which in any case it would be more than wise, imho)... if they were "serious", they would have never even thought to add them...it's quite different... p.s. we already wrote quite a few pages about this matter in the recent past...so, you know what I think about those "artistic activities" and why I don't consider them true sports and why I don't like them to be part of the Olympic schedule...

it all started when they established the rules about the Olympic participation... now there are too few available spots (so to make it impossible for the 2nd and 3rd tier Nations to beat the powehouses for those very few spots) and above all, the rule stating that the Olympic qualification can be earned by an athlete only on a single discipline has killed the main event like no other... because of that, now you necessarily have to choose if you want to build decent boats in 2- and 4- or the Eights (meanwhile before that wasn't the case, as it was quite common to see crews doubling up 2- or 4- and Eights, especially among the women)... nowadays this is basically not even an option...reducing even more the chances for those Nations not having a super deep Rowing program and leaving the Eights events as the Garden of Eden of those said powehouses, who can afford to choose their rosters from 40/50 athletes almost all of the same level... so, to tell the truth, it's the Olympics that hurt Rowing (and especially their Flagship event)...not Rowing losing appeal and not deserving their main race being part of the Olympic program anymore...