phelps

maybe I was a bit dramatic, but I was feeling (and I'm still) very, very bad...

earlier today... KHL Hockey (Salavat Yulaev Ufa vs Avangard Omsk, game #7) now... I'm almost dying because of my usual health troubles but I hope not to fall down before the end of Barcelona vs Chelsea (Football -Soccer- Champions League)...

Fencing Qualification Procedures for Tokyo 2020 (Draft version) http://static.fie.org/uploads/18/92132-10.Tokyo 2020 - Qualification System - Fencing - ang.pdf

Women's Team Sabre Quota Qualification Event Notes Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall France Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Hungary Olympic Qualification Ranking European Continental Spot United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Panamerican Continental Spot China Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian Continental Spot Tunisia Olympic Qualification Ranking African Continental Spot Japan Host Country

Women's Team Epée Quota Qualification Event Notes China Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Poland Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Panamerican Continental Spot Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking European Continental Spot Estonia Olympic Qualification Ranking Repechage Spot (replacing Africa) Hong Kong Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian Continental Spot

Women's Team Foil Quota Qualification Event Notes Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall France Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Japan Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian Continental Spot Canada Olympic Qualification Ranking Pan-American Continental Spot Hungary Olympic Qualification Ranking European Continental Spot Egypt Olympic Qualification Ranking African Continental Spot

Women's Individual Sabre Quota Qualification Event Notes Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification France Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification France Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification France Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Hungary Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Hungary Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Hungary Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification China Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification China Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification China Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Tunisia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Tunisia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Tunisia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Olga Kharlan Olympic Qualification Ranking European WR Spot Theodora Gkountoura Olympic Qualification Ranking European WR Spot TBD Host Country Quota TBD Host Country Quota Misaki Emura Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian WR Spot Gabriella Page Olympic Qualification Ranking Panamerican WR Spot Nada Hafez Olympic Qualification Ranking African WR Spot Bhavani Devi Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian WR Spot Kaouther M. Belkebir African Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification Anna Bashta European Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification Zaynab Dayibekova Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification M.B. Perez Maurice Panamerican Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification

Women's Individual Epée Quota Qualification Event Notes China Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification China Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification China Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Poland Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Poland Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Poland Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Estonia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Estonia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Estonia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Hong Kong Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Hong Kong Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Hong Kong Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Ana Maria Popescu Olympic Qualification Ranking European WR Spot Coraline Vitalis Olympic Qualification Ranking European WR Spot Nathalie Moellhausen Olympic Qualification Ranking Panamerican WR Spot Sarra Besbes Olympic Qualification Ranking African WR Spot Nozomi Sato Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian WR Spot Malika Khakimova Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian WR Spot Ndeye Binta Diongue African Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification Olena Kryvytska European Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification K.T. Abdul Rahman Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification M.L. Doig Calderon Panamerican Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification

Women's Individual Foil Quota Qualification Event Notes Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification France Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification France Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification France Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Japan Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Japan Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Japan Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Canada Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Canada Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Canada Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Hungary Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Hungary Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Hungary Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Egypt Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Egypt Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Egypt Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Chen Qingyuan Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian WR Spot Jeon Hee Sook Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian WR Spot Leonie Ebert Olympic Qualification Ranking European WR Spot Irem Karamete Olympic Qualification Ranking European WR Spot S.L. Van Erven Garcia Olympic Qualification Ranking Panamerican WR Spot Ines Boubakri Olympic Qualification Ranking African WR Spot Meriem Mebarki African Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification Martyna Jelinska European Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification Amita Berthier Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification Katina Proestakis Panamerican Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification

Men's Team Sabre Quota Qualification Event Notes South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Hungary Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Germany Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking European Continental Spot Iran Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian Continental Spot United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Panamerican Continental Spot Egypt Olympic Qualification Ranking African Continental Spot Japan Host Country

Men's Team Epée Quota Qualification Event Notes France Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Ukraine Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Switzerland Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian Continental Spot China Olympic Qualification Ranking Repechage Spot (replacing Africa) Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking European Continental Spot United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Panamerican Continental Spot Japan Host Country

Men's Team Foil Quota Qualification Event Notes United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall France Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Top 4 Overall Egypt Olympic Qualification Ranking African Continental Spot Hong Kong Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian Continental Spot Germany Olympic Qualification Ranking European Continental Spot Canada Olympic Qualification Ranking Panamerican Continental Spot Japan Host Country

Men's Individual Sabre Quota Qualification Event Notes South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Hungary Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Hungary Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Hungary Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Germany Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Germany Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Germany Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Iran Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Iran Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Iran Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Egypt Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Egypt Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Egypt Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Bolade Apithy Olympic Qualification Ranking European WR Spot Sandro Bazadze Olympic Qualification Ranking European WR Spot Fares Ferjani Olympic Qualification Ranking African WR Spot Shaul Gordon Olympic Qualification Ranking Panamerican WR Spot Xu Yingming Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian WR Spot TBD Host Country Quota TBD Host Country Quota Kento Yoshida Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian WR Spot Akram Bounabi African Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification Iulian Teodosiu European Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification Sherzod Mamutov Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification Josè Quintero Panamerican Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification

Men's Individual Epée Quota Qualification Event Notes France Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification France Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification France Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Ukraine Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Ukraine Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Ukraine Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Switzerland Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Switzerland Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Switzerland Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification South Korea Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification China Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification China Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification China Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Gergely Siklosi Olympic Qualification Ranking European WR Spot Bas Verwijlen Olympic Qualification Ranking European WR Spot TBD Host Country Quota TBD Host Country Quota Masaru Yamada Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian WR Spot Ruslan Kurbanov Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian WR Spot Ruben Limardo Gascon Olympic Qualification Ranking Panamerican WR Spot Houssam Elkord Olympic Qualification Ranking African WR Spot Mohamed Elsayed African Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification Jakob Jurka European Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification Roman Petrov Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification M.-A. Blais Belanger Panamerican Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification

Men's Individual Foil Quota Qualification Event Notes United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification United States Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification France Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification France Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification France Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Italy Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Russia Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Egypt Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Egypt Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Egypt Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Hong Kong Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Hong Kong Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Hong Kong Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Germany Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Germany Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Germany Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Canada Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Canada Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Canada Olympic Qualification Ranking Team Qualification Lee Kwang Hyun Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian WR Spot TBD Host Country Quota TBD Host Country Quota Takahiro Shikine Olympic Qualification Ranking Asian WR Spot Marcus Mepstead Olympic Qualification Ranking European WR Spot Carlos Llavador Olympic Qualification Ranking European WR Spot Guilherme Toldo Olympic Qualification Ranking Panamerican WR Spot Mohamed Samandi Olympic Qualification Ranking African WR Spot Salim Heroui African Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification Alexander Choupenitch European Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification Huang Mengkai Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification Diego Cervantes Panamerican Olympic Qualification Tournament Continental Qualification

thanks... I took for granted what a local website wrote... but it looks that I shouldn't have done it...

OK, back in topic... yesterday I watched some Ice Hockey (KHL playoffs round #1, Metallurg Magnitogorsk vs Avtomobilist Ekaterinenburg, game #7 and NHL regular season, New York Islanders @ Calgary Flames)... Today, it's Ice Hockey (I have many options -NHL RS, Swiss NLA and Czech Extraliga playoffs above all- so, I guess I have to take some hard decisions when it's Hockey time ) and Football (Soccer) Champions League (Roma vs Shakhtar Donetsk)...

the Val Gardena Downhill has a long history of winners started with very high numbers... Markus Foser in 1993 won with #66 (ahead of Werner Franz, AUT with #52), Max Rauffer (GER) in 2004 won with #46... and they're not the only ones...

Basketball no. #2 in Italy? it wasn't anywhere close to that even in its best days in the Eighties...TV ratings on free tv (1 game a week) are about 0.3% (apart for the Olimpia Milano games, which go up to 0.5/0.6)...there are just 1 or 2 exceptions a year for the possible game #7 of the final series if there's Milano on the court, but we still talk of 4/5% ratings on the 2nd or 3rd major Italian public channel... Euroleague games are not even broadcasted (they're on the eurosport player, with about 80000 subscribers in a 60-million people Nation)... NBA is only on pay-tv since the Middle Age (we're talking of 50/60k average for the RS and 150/200k spectators for the finals)... if this is our second most popular sport... and for what concerns F1 and MotoGP, they should write Ferrari and Valentino Rossi, because without those 2, nobody would watch a single race (apart for the usual few die hard fans, but this is common to all disciplines in all Countries) Cycling is indeed our 2nd most popular discipline... and no comment on Golf, Rugby or Tennis being more popular than Alpine Skiing or Swimming (actually, no comment on Golf at all...I guess we are no more than a few thousends here in Italy to know that golf is not only a Volkswagen car model )... p.s. they don't even name Boxing, but here it's still a big sport...if only there weren't many idiots trying to boycott it (together with all fighting sports) and they could still broadcast it in prime time on free TV (which at the moment is illegal), a good Boxing fight would make very good tv ratings (Clemente Russo and Roberto Cammarelle finals in London 2012 are 2 among the most watched sport events of the last 10 years outside the "magic circle" -Football, Ferrari, Valentino and Road Cycling)... and I don't go back to the Mike Tyson's prime (when his fights were broadcasted live on free tv and replied in prime time the day after)...he used to have soccer-alike tv ratings... I appreciate the effort, but they should live here for a while to make an idea of how things works (the sad truth is that outside the socalled "magic circle", all the remaining sports are just for the die hard fans...the average Italian people don't even know they exists)...

today it was time for some Speedskating (All-Rounds Worlds) and Biathlon (World Cup Mass Start races)... I also followed the last day of the Youth Europeans in Fencing... now I'm watching some NHL Hockey (Boston Bruins @ Chicago Blackhawks) on a slight delay, since this game was played earlier (but at that tiime I was first preparing and then eating my dinner )... later tonight, I'm gonna end up my day with a bit of Golf (final holes of the US PGA Tour Valspar Championship)...

and also another year of Continental Youth Champs is over... in Europe, Italy and Russia shared the most Gold medals (8 each), with the Southern Europeans leading the medal table because of 2 more Silvers (and a 20-19 total)... good campaign also for Hungary and, only among the juniors, for France (they didn't even compete at cadets' level)... Germany and Turkey (nice surprise) won the only remaining Gold medals (1 each), with 15 different Countries winning at least 1 total medal... in the other Continents, almost everything went according to the previews, with Korea winning the most medals ahead of Japan in Asia (China was very disappointing, though...even if they never show up at their best in this youth events) and USA dominating as usual the Pan-American zone (here also Mexico had a very good campaign with 4 Gold medals, not all of them really expected)... In the African zone, we saw Egypt taking most of the honors, but they were not as devastating as they used to be, with Algeria emerging as the second force of the Continent and, good news if compared to the recent past, some more Countries making their appearance in the final medal table (and it could be even better if some day we'd get the cadets results, tooo...because we have to say that the usual lack of information is still a big problem with African Fencing -and many other sports, but this is another question)...

European Cadets & Juniors Championships - Final Overall Medal Table ITA, 8 / 7 / 5 RUS, 8 / 5 / 6 HUN, 4 / 4 / 4 FRA, 2 / 1 / 5 GER, 1 / 2 / 3 TUR, 1 / 0 / 2 POL, 0 / 1 / 3 ROU, 0 / 1 / 3 BUL, 0 / 1 / 0 DEN, 0 / 1 / 0 GBR, 0 / 1 / 0 AUT, 0 / 0 / 2 NED, 0 / 0 / 1 SWE, 0 / 0 / 1 UKR, 0 / 0 / 1

European Juniors Championships - Final Medal Table ITA, 4 / 4 / 2 RUS, 4 / 2 / 3 FRA, 2 / 1 / 5 HUN, 1 / 2 / 2 GER, 1 / 1 / 2 POL, 0 / 1 / 0 ROU, 0 / 1 / 0 NED, 0 / 0 / 1 SWE, 0 / 0 / 1 AUT, 0 / 0 / 1 TUR, 0 / 0 / 1

European Juniors Championships - Women's Team Sabre Final Results: Gold: Russia Silver: Italy Bronze: Hungary Semifinals: Italy b. Germany 45-36 Russia b. Hungary 45-13 Bronze Medal Match: Hungary b. Germany 45-43 Gold Medal Match: Russia b. Italy 45-33