phelps

by the way, the leaders after today's races in each class are: Finn (1 race): Jorge Zarif (Yellow Fleet) & Josip Olujic (Blue Fleet), 1 pt Men's 470 (1 race): Panagiotis Mantis/Pavlos Kagialis (Blue Fleet) & Anton Dahlberg/Fredrik Bergstrom (Yellow Fleet), 1 pt Women's 470 (2 races): 1st, Camille Lecointre/Aloise Retornaz (8 pts), 2nd Ai Kondo-Yoshida/Miho Yoshioka (13 pts), 3rd Linda Fahrni/Maja Siegenthaler (14 pts)

the stream only covers one regatta course...therefore everyday you only see the class racing on that specific course...today it was 470, tomorrow should be Finn... today were scheduled 2 races for each of the 3 classes, but since there was not enough wind early in the day, all the races were postponed and the second race (in all classes but the women's 470) were postponed to tomorrow beacuse they got too late in the day with the 1st race in each class... tomorrow the women's 470 class and the Finn class will try to have 3 races to get back in line with the schedule...

Ireland are in the semifinals! p.s. just asking to those who follow women's field hockey carefully...I really don't want to make any argument of that...but, how many of those girls are true Irish and how many are 2nd-tier English women?

World Sailing YT Channel is live every day and all the races with tv coverage are available on demand, too (and the streaming is definitely a good one)... https://www.youtube.com/user/isafchannel and after a short delay, the 2018 Sailing Worlds are underway... so far, good start for Ferrari & Calabrò in the men's 470 for Italy...they were second in their fleet in the 1st race... not so well, instead, Berta/Caruso in the women's 470...they were only 17th at the end of the 1st race (dominated by the Swiss crew Fahrni/Siegenthaler)...

yesterday's medallists (GR last day): -60kg Gold: Andrej Ginc Silver: Abu Muslim Aptievitch Amaev Bronze: Ararat Manucharyan & Jacopo Sandron -67kg Gold: Aliaksandr Liavonchyk Silver: Joni Khetsuriani Bronze: Miakhdi Abubakarovitch Iakhiaev & Ismail Gun -72kg Gold: Ulvu Ganizade Silver: Magomed Yarbilov Bronze: Malkhas Amoyan & Tamas Levai -82kg Gold: Aleksandr Andreevitch Komarov Silver: Nicu Samuel Ojog Bronze: Kiril Maskevich & Vitalii Andriiovych -97kg Gold: Artur Sargsian Silver: Markus Ragginger Bronze: Arvi Martin Savolainen & Luca Svaicari

no, boxers are second only to wrestlers in cutting weight before the fight... your normal 56kg fighter at the moment of the weigh-in (the day before the fight), the day after weights at least 5 kg more (someone has even a bigger spread)... and this is a big health issue...the more weight classes there are, the less fighters have to adjust their normal weight to the event (and in the lower classes, 3-5 kgs can make a big difference in terms of power, especially if one jumps into the ring too dehydrated because he had troubles to make the weight for his class)... boxing is always a really dangerous sport (the only one where the opponent's head is the main target)...there no need to make it even more life-threatening by reducing the number of weight divisions... by the way, the Olympic question about it is a totally different problem...it's about corruption and diffused illegality, it's about the people who are driving the bus now (and those who have done it in the past)... and until AIBA and its Continental affiliated (and their people) are in charge, there's no reason to keep boxing among the sports recognized by the IOC (not only being in the Games program, even giving them just a full recognition like most of the current non-Olympic disciplines is a problem to me)...

well, there are no more than 2, maybe 3 Italian teams that can pay "serious" amount of money to their players... and because Serbia is not in the EU, they can't sign all the non-EU players thay want...there's a strict limit (that's why our team almost always opt for Croatian and Hungarian players rather than MNE or SRB -given that the super-top players from those Countries are always an option also for our teams, of course)... and about the Romanian team, who knows? I don't know what's goin'on with them, so, I just can't say anything about that...

trust me, I've been living all my life dreaming of a strong and serious Milan Summer Games bid...but now I'm old and experienced enough to know that it will never happen... so, with my heart bleeding, I'm against all of this farce represented by these bids Italy has presented in the last years (and luckily gone missing for one reason or another, despite I really hate the people who killed that Olympic bids for other reasons, since they've done so many damages to the "normal" people living in this Country -and Mayor Virginia Raggi to those living in Rome in particular)... as one of the biggest Olympic fans in this Country, I think the best chance for our Nation is to save money from this kind of events and enjoy the Games organized by other Countries that can easily make a good job for Sport and for the Olympic Games ideal... p.s. good luck to Paris and France...I'm pretty sure that the 2024 Games will be wonderful...

for those who can read Italian, this is the "candidature file" our NOC has chosen... http://torino.repubblica.it/cronaca/2018/08/01/news/olimpiadi_ecco_il_dossier_per_la_candidatura_2026-203164888/?ref=RHPPLF-BH-I0-C8-P2-S1.8-T1 p.s. funny fact...the Figure Skating venue should be a new facility built here in Milan...because using the only decent venue we have in Italy (Forum Milanofiori, where the last Figure Skating Worlds were held with great audience success) would be stupid...and guess what? it should be located just in front of the Sky Italia palace, one of the most dangerous areas of the entire city of Milan... please, God...if you really exist, save us from this farce!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my6q554WE60

probably the 5-star leaders threatened Malagò to cut funding off big time, I guess... do like we want or we destroy everything...you know...it's their normal behaviour also for more serious things (look at ILVA's question, for expample)...

sure, the bid will survive (and it's also a strong one, if the IOC changed the rules to make it "legal")... I've read that the IOC idea was to award the 2026 Games to Italy and 2030 Games to Stockholm in the same session in 2019, so to keep up the pace with the Summer Games and to put themselves "safe" for a longer period (because they're really scared about all those European bids retired at the last moment after public consultations)...

Summer Games? 0, absolutely 0 the government accepted this Winter bid only because it's not that expensive and because the 3 regions are led by their same coalition (Lombardy -not the city of Milan, but the entire region- and Veneto -Cortina- by Lega Nord and Torino by 5-star movement -and that's the problem...our NOC actually wanted Milan as the Olympic bidder, but the 5-star people wanted Torino...so our NOC was forced to accept the political compromise with this 3-headed bid or nothing)... but the Summer Games are definitely another thing (and the only possible bidder is Rome, with all the problems they take with them)...

they're not the only ones, I fear...

it's more complicated than that... basically, our NOC (after the IOC gave them permission to do it) has approved a tri-city bid (Milano, Torino, Cortina)... but now Milan, that thought (with all the reason, I'd say) they would be the real candidate town (with only some events hosted by the other bidders, Torino and Cortina), has decided to opt out from the possible governance of the final bid (in practice, no Milan officials nor politicians will be in the "Local Organizing Committee" of the Games), giving in any case the OK to our NOC to be included among the Olympic Venues (it's still unclear if they want the name of the city included in the official bid -it's still supposed that the Opening Ceremony will be in San Siro Stadium, so it would be really strange if the name "Milano" won't be included- or not)... however, this not a sport bid anymore...it's just a political compromise that has nothing to do with sport, but only with our worst habit, the systematic spoil system of all our public institutons by the governing political parties... and technically it's just something unacceptable (a few proposed venues are just a joke)...

I agree with you at 200% of course I also voted "NO" p.s. for those who still trust AIBA... https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1068163/rakhimov-backed-to-continue-as-aiba-president-following-return-to-uzbekistan-after-removed-from-wanted-list

naaa... this time you have the joker...with Karate in, there's a very good chance you get 1 or maybe even 2 spots... and with a bit of luck, some of your Russian wrestlers can also earn a chance (I'd be surprised if Makoev doesn't make it)... don't be so pessimistic, mate!

today's Gold Medal finals (always in GR): -60kg: GER vs RUS (Jacopo Sandron of Italy -Senior European Bronze medallist earlier this Spring in Kaspiisk- will fight for Bronze, after losing to the German Ginc in the early rounds and then making it through to the medal round in the repechage bouts) -67kg: GEO vs BLR -72kg: RUS vs AZE -82kg: ROU vs RUS -97kg: AUT vs RUS (Luca Svaicari of Italy also will fight for Bronze after losing to the Austrian Ragginger in the early rounds and makin' up for that in the repechage round)

my mistake... the -87kg final was between GEO and HUN, not BUL... however, those are yesterday's medallists (GR): -55kg Gold: Tigran Minasyan Silver: Giovanni Freni Bronze: Cihat Ahmet Liman & Andrei Ivanov -63kg Gold: Oleksandr Hrushyn Silver: Maksim Nehoda Bronze: Krisztian Istvan Vancza & Leri Abuladze -77kg Gold: Egor Kadirov Silver: Zahari Rosenov Zashev Bronze: Vahe Poghosyan & Beka Guruli -87kg Gold: Temuri Tchkuaselidze Silver: Alex Gergo Szoke Bronze: Ihar Yarashevich & Sayd Magomed Romanovitch Abubakarov -130kg Gold: Oleg Kahaberovitch Agakhanov Silver: Franz Richter Bronze: Lenard Istvan Berei & David Ovasapyan

p.s. all the bouts of these Championships are available in streaming Live and Free on the UWW website...

Giovanni Freni made it through to the Gold Medal match in the Greco-Roman -55kg... later today he's going to face the Armenian Tigran Minasyan in the bout for the title... the other finals (all in GR, of course) scheduled for today are: -63kg: BLR vs UKR -77kg: RUS vs BUL -87kg: GEO vs HUN -130kg: RUS vs GER so, we have 9 different Countries out of 10 possible spots in the Gold Medal bouts...not bad...

Italian team (with the final races distribution by athlete) Men Domenico Acerenza (CC Napoli) 400, 800 + 1500 Free Filippo Berlincioni (CC Aniene) 200 Fly Federico Burdisso (Tiro a Volo Nuoto) 100 + 200 Fly Thomas Ceccon (Fiamme Oro/Leosport) 50 + 100 Back, 200 IM Matteo Ciampi (Esercito/Nuoto Livorno) 200 Free Piero Codia (Esercito/CC Aniene) 50 + 100 Fly Stefano Di Cola (Fiamme Gialle) 200 Free Luca Dotto (Carabinieri/Larus Nuoto) 50 + 100 Free Filippo Megli (Carabinieri/FlorentiaNC) 200 Free Luca Mencarini (Fiamme Oro/CC Aniene) 200 Back Alessandro Miressi (Fiamme Oro/CN Torino) 50 + 100 Free Gregorio Paltrinieri (Fiamme Oro/Coopernuoto) 800 + 1500 Free Alessandro Pinzuti (Cortona Nuoto) 50 + 100 Breast Luca Pizzini (Carabinieri/Fondazione Bentegodi) 50, 100 + 200 Breast Alessio Proietti Colonna (Marina Militare/Unicusano Aurelia Nuoto) 4*200 Free relay only Matteo Restivo (Carabinieri/FlorentiaNC) 200 Back Matteo Rivolta (Fiamme Oro) 50 + 100 Fly Simone Sabbioni (Esercito/Swim Pro SS9) 50 + 100 Back Fabio Scozzoli (Esercito/Imolanuoto) 50 + 100 Breast Federico Turrini (Esercito/Nuoto Livorno) 200 + 400 IM Ivano Vendrame (Esercito/Larus Nuoto) 100 Free Andrea Vergani (Can. Vittorino da Feltre) 50 Free + 50 Fly Lorenzo Zazzeri (Esercito/FlorentiaNC) 50 + 100 Free Mattia Zuin (Fiamme Oro/Nottoli Nuoto 74) 200 Free Women Ilaria Bianchi (Fiamme Azzurre/NC Azzurra 91) 50, 100 + 200 Fly Martina Carraro (Fiamme Azzurre/NC Azzurra 91) 50 + 100 Breast Arianna Castiglioni (Fiamme Gialle/Team Insubrika) 50 + 100 Breast Ilaria Cusinato (Fiamme Oro/Team Veneto) 200 Fly, 200 + 400 IM Elena Di Liddo (CC Aniene) 50 + 100 Fly Francesca Fangio (SMGM Team Lombardia) 200 Breast Erika Ferraioli (Esercito/CC Aniene) 50 + 100 Free Sara Franceschi (Fiamme Gialle/Nuoto Livorno) 200 IM Giada Galizi (Fiamme Oro/Unicusano Aurelia Nuoto) 100 Free Laura Letrari (Esercito/Bolzano Nuoto) 100 Free Margherita Panziera (Fiamme Oro/CC Aniene) 100 + 200 Back Federica Pellegrini (CC Aniene) 100 Free Anna Pirovano (SMGM Team Lombardia) 200 Breast + 200 IM Stefania Pirozzi (Fiamme Oro/CC Napoli) 200 + 400 Free Alessia Polieri (Fiamme Gialle/Imolanuoto) 200 Fly + 400 IM Simona Quadarella (Fiamme Rosse/CC Aniene) 400, 800 + 1500 Free Lucrezia Raco (CC Aniene) 50 Free Silvia Scalia (CC Aniene) 50 + 100 Back Claudia Tarzia (Esercito/Genova Nuoto) 100 Fly Carlotta Toni (Esercito/RN Florentia) 200 Back, 200 + 400 IM Carlotta Zofkova (Marina Militare/Unicusano Aurelia Nuoto) 50 + 100 Back

and Spain kick Belgium out of the tournament... first completed quarterfinal pairing: Germany vs Spain (re-match from the preliminary group, when GER won 3-1)...

what a disaster... Omsk fans are among the most passionate and enthusiast of the entire Russian Federation... they really don't deserve this...

US Nationals 2018, Day #5 (final day) recap women's 1500m Free Ashley Twichell, 15.55.68 Ally McHugh, 16.02.56 men's 800m Free Zane Grothe, 7.44.57 (US Champs record) Jordan Wilimovsky, 7.47.51 women's 200m IM Kathleen Baker, 2.08.32 (US Champs record) Melanie Margalis, 2.09.43 men's 200m IM Chase Kalisz, 1.55.73 Abrahm Devine, 1.57.41 women's 50m Free Simone Manuel, 24.10 (US Champs record) Abbey Weitzeil, 24.63 men's 50m Free Michael Andrew, 21.49 Caeleb Dressel, 21.67