phelps

by the way, very interesting team, the Finnish one... I'm not sure they're as good as the Russians and the Swedes, but surely they're gonna be among the medal contenders...as always, most of their fortune will be on their goalies' shoulders... the Swiss...well, the Swiss are almost always the same team...no surporise from them... they're gonna play a very entertaining and technical style of hockey, they will probably make some upsets to the top 6 "big name" Countries, but they still lack some size and some offensive power (meaning also one or two true "natural born goal scorers") to have a real shot against the powehouses of the game...

since I always watch hockey from every part of the world, it's not the absence of the NHL players that's gonna stop me from watching almost every game of the Olympic tournament, but I can tell you that I'm still furious with those NHL idiots who just ruined the best 15 days of my life once every 4 years... by the way, let's not name the Kings right now...they're getting me crazy with their losing streaks...I still hope we can at least make the playoffs at the end of the season, but I'm not so optimistic anymore...

to make it fair, however, IOC should ban from the Games also the former doping-cheaters from other Countries (Johnsrud Sundby the first name coming to my mind), not only the (well deserved) Russians...

hopefully they will also ban Yurlova... however, for what concerns the Italian team, it's almost sure that we're going to send these 5 women to Korea: Wierer, Vittozzi, Runggaldier, Sanfilippo and Gontier... the guys should be (actually they are, since we don't have any other candidate) Hofer, Windisch, Bormolini, Montello and Chenal...

look at coni's website (the dedicated microsite for Pyeongchang)... just click on the "Azzurri" list and you have the names for all the disciplines...some of them are already official, some others need confirmation in the next few days... but you can see from now that we're going to send at best 21 alpine skiers (to be chosen among those in that list)... in Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined at the moment there are still the full teams, but I don't think they will send all of them to Korea...actually, I hope they won't waste so much money)... imho, they should give the green light only to those athletes that can at least make the top 15 (and have actually made at least twice the top 8 in this season)... the remaining money should be saved for developing the skills and experience of the most successful youngsters, already looking ahead to Beijing 2022, rather than making some gifts of a paid holiday to a bunch of "capre, capre, capre" (cit. Vittorio Sgarbi )...

Women's Team Epee (La Havana, CUB) Final Results: Gold: South Korea Silver: Russia Bronze: China Semifinals: South Korea b. China 45-36 Russia b. Italy 28-23 Bronze Medal Match: China b. Italy 38-30 Gold Medal Match: South Korea b. Russia 45-34 Here is the Full Final Ranking (and Results) from Today's competition: http://fie.org/competitions/2018/822/results/rank

but you can't buy experience (and especially the Olympic experience) at the supermarket...I'm pretty sure he'd be at his best when it really matters (even the lights of the Zoeggelers, Hackls, Procks often weren't that dominant in the Olympic seasons, when they eventually got their medals in the most important race of the 4-year span)...

Sofia Goggia takes a short rest and won't start in the next race, Tuesday's Giant Slalom, in Plan De Corones (Kronplatz, for those who prefer the German version)... meanwhile, if nothing goes wrong, Brignone will be back after today's DNS (flu symptoms)...

great job, today, by D-Fisch, but this track (together with Igls) is his track... he's not consistent enough to be considered the favourite for the Olympic title, especially because it's a 4-run race, where consistency and experience are key factors a lot more than in "normal" events (including also the World Champs in this category)...that's why I think Loch is still the man to beat in Korea (and Russians are more dangerous than Austrians and Americans)... moreover, any Italian hope is absolutely connected with weather conditions...(relatively) high temperature and high humidity percentage in 3 weeks time would kill any chance to even make the top-10 for our guys...

and also today it was a good day for Italy in Snowboard... apart from the not Olympic Team SBX, we got another podium finish (the 2nd in a row) in the Men's PGS, today thanks to our veteran captain Roland Fischnaller (no relationship with the Luge cousins)... in today's races in Rogla, Germany (Ramona Theresia Hofmeister) and Austria (Benjamin Karl) ended up with the final victory...

Men's Team Foil (Paris, FRA) Final Results: Gold: United States Silver: Italy Bronze: France Semifinals: Italy b. France 45-42 USA b. South Korea 45-25 Bronze Medal Match: France b. South Korea 45-19 Gold Medal Match: USA b. Italy 45-36 Here is the Full Final Ranking (and Results) from Today's competition: http://fie.org/competitions/2018/208/results/rank

Women's Individual Epee (La Havana, CUB) Final Results: Gold: Coraline Vitalis (FRA) Silver: Lee Hye In (KOR) Bronze: Kong Man Wai Vivian (HKG) & Sun Yiwen (CHN) Semifinals: Lee b. Kong 15-14 Vitalis b. Sun 15-14 Gold Medal Match: Vitalis b. Lee 15-12 Here is the Full Final Ranking (and Results) from Yesterday's competition: http://fie.org/competitions/2018/85/results/rank

wow! triple success in the most important World Cup stage of the season and Garozzo back on the podium after his complicated recovery after his lungs troubles... if only all weekends were like this one...

Men's Individual Foil (Paris, FRA) Final Results: Gold: Alessio Foconi (ITA) Silver: Daniele Garozzo (ITA) Bronze: Giorgio Avola (ITA) & Julien Mertine (FRA) Semifinals: Foconi b. Avola 15-10 Garozzo b. Mertine 15-13 Gold Medal Match: Foconi b. Garozzo 15-10 Here is the Full Final Ranking (and Results) from Today's competition: http://fie.org/competitions/2018/142/results/rank

*Domenico Garofalo, Cycling, 6 months ban *Giovanni Vernile, *Cinzia Pecoraro, *Sara Fallaha, all 3 Weightlifting, 4 years ban each one and last but not least, Annalisa Barone, Body Building, provisonal suspension after being tested positive for Amiloride – Hydrochlorothiazide - Chlorothiazide *they still have the chance to appeal against this ban... p.s. those are more than B-Athletes...they're just amateurs outside any National ranking for athletes competing to make the National teams and/or to become professionals...

I think it mainly depends on the course setter...if the task goes to the French coach, it would be stupid by him (and the coach) not to start in this event (since it's obvious that the course would be set like a big GS rather than a slightly slower downhill, all in Alexis favour)... on the other hand, a downhill alike-course (as it would obviously be in case of an Italian coach setting it) wouldn't give Pinturault a chance and starting in that race would be only a waste of time for him (not to be forgotten the risk of injury, too)... and the same idea should be applied to someone like Marcel Hirscher... finally, those kind of athletes (a lot more oriented to technical discipline/couses rather than pure speed) have also to cope with the Korean track and that given day weather conditions...and, at leasst on paper, the track itself for sure it's not at their side, which makes it even more difficult for them... but at the same time, I wouldn't count them out until the final decisions about the start list are taken by their teams (and they have time to make their final cut until a few minutes before the starting bibs' draw, if I remember correctly)...

I agree on the Hudacek bros... on the other hand, I understand that it sounds quite an oscenity, but if you look at Slovan's roster (all key players are not from SVK) and at the awful season they're having, it's not so "out of mind" to have left all of your KHL team representatives out of the Olympic roster... I mean, maybe Viedensky (and being very generous Juraj Mikus) on offense and Andrej Meszaros on defense could still have been taken into consideration, but the others for sure aren't better (or, at least, they're not having a better club season) than those who actually made the team... unfortunately, I think your NT is one of the most "changed" and "penalized" by the NHL withdrawal (and even more unfortunately, the early 2000s have definitely gone, I guess)... however, I still hope you can play a good tournament and maybe offer the audience some entertaining hockey and some surprises against the highest rated teams...

for what concerns the "exciting vs boring" sports...well, I guess it all depends too much in everyone's taste and interests to be able to give a personal response... if I was to make this ranking, Ice Hockey would be on top and just unreachable...meanwhile volleyball, racket sports and motorsports would be dead last in my own ranking... but it's just me... more in general, I also think that those kind of polls are highly influenced by a Nation's success at one or the other discipline, since most of the voting people are usually not such big sports fans, who follow almost every event like us on this board, and therefore they might know just those athletes, events and sports who can make the first page in the best sold newspaper/most watched news programs in each Country... to get back in topic, instead, in the last part of 2017/early days of 2018, apart from my daily doses of Ice Hockey (yes, I'm addicted to that and I can't do and I don't want to do anything about it ), I've been focusing mostly on American Football (both NFL and NCAA) and (Olympic) Winter Sports, with very few exceptions... in the last few days I'm also following the men's Handball Europeans...

it depends on the doses... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strychnine

here's included also Plaza's "scientific" explanation... http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/olympics-2016/the-worst-excuses-of-drug-cheats-from-too-much-sex-to-blaming-your-mother/news-story/22f3f8207c356bec11c983a823ee0e6a

Lakers cruise into final and win right to host SHL leaders Växjö Lakers confirmed their place in the Champions Hockey League Final with a commanding victory over Bílí Tygři Liberec. Tied at one each from last week's first leg, the Lakers wasted absolutely no time in a dream start on home ice. Elias Pettersson rocketed the first with 5:50 played as the hosts took advantage of a powerplay; and 36 seconds later the lead was doubled when good passing found Martin Lundberg alone at the far post. It got worse for the visitors before the period was out - 15:35 on the board, White Tigers don't clear their lines on a rebound, and Linus Fröberg eventually scored after a scramble to make it 3-0. Just 1:40 into the middle session, Liberec found themselves four down. On the rush Janne Pesonen found Tuomas Kiiskinen to slot home and put the game comfortably in the Lakers' favour. Liberec however did manage to respond before the period was out. A shot from the blueline from Petr Jelínek took a fortunate bounce. Pontus Netterberg made it 5-1 with just under eight minutes to play, before Elias Pettersson rounded off the scoring. The Växjö Lakers win 7-2 on aggregate, and will host this year's final.

thanks... probably at that time of the day I won't have the chance to follow the event live, but for sure I'm gonna read all the news (and your thoughts) here as soon as it happens... about Sweden..I'm not saying that I'm surprised of how good they are...just I didn't realize how many "names" and former NHLers they still have to choose from all around Europe...the depth of the Swedish hockey is so, so impressive (I admit...I'm so jealous...what I'd like Italian hockey be just half of Sweden's)...

now it's official...the game in Växjö is over and local Lakers are the second team to make the Final in the 2017/2018 Champions Hockey League... Semifinal Result, Second Leg Växjö Lakers - Bílí Tygři Liberec 6-1, Aggr. 7-2

JYP win in shootout, on to Final! Jarkko Immonen and Antti Suomela scored in the shootout to end a wild hockey game in Třinec and send JYP Jyväskylä to the Champions Hockey League Final. By blowing a two-goal aggregate lead in the last 12:10 of regulation time, they didn't do it the easy way. Down by two goals to start the game after last week's loss in Jyväskylä, it was no surprise that Třinec came out strong at home, looking for the all-important first goal of the game, and it didn’t take them long to get it. After dominating the opening minutes of the game, Martin Růžička one-timed Tomáš Marcinko’s centring pass off the back crossbar to open the scoring at 2:07 and cut the aggregate difference to one. The Steelers had fired 10 shots on Jussi Olkinuora before JYP finally got a couple late on their first power play. Slowly, the momentum seemed to shift in JYP’s favour and just past the midpoint of the opening period, Juuso Vainio ripped a shot over Šimon Hrubec’s shoulder to restore the two-goal difference. JYP owned the rest of the period and Jarkko Immonen potted a rebound on a power-play rush at 17:36 to increase the lead to three with four of six periods played. As they did in the first period, Třinec dominated the early minutes of the second period, and although they didn’t manage to score on a power play chance, Michal Kovařčík did manage to force a loose puck over the goal line following a wild goalmouth scramble just seconds after it ended at 25:07. But despite another power play and several quality scoring chances in the middle frame, Třinec remained two goals down on aggregate with 20 minutes to go. With momentum on their side, Třinec went for it in the third period and carried the play by a wide margin. They just needed a break and they finally got it with just over 12 minutes to play when David Musil’s point shot deflected off a JYP skate in the slot and beat Olkinuora to bring them back within one again. With that spark, they kept their foot on the accelerator and Ondřej Kovařčík tied it with 9:04 to play, taking a pass from David Cienciala, waiting for Olkinuora to commit and sliding it in the open side. The two teams were back to even since the second period of the first leg. JYP woke up a bit after the equalizer and both teams had some decent chances over the remaining nine minutes of regulation, but with no more scoring, the game went to overtime and eventually a shootout, where it was finally decided in JYP's favour. Semifinal Result, Second Leg Ocelari Třinec - JYP Jyväskylä 4-3 (OT), Aggr. 6-7 p.s. the game's not over yet, but it's basically already sure that the Final will be played in Växjö between JYP and Växjö Lakers (SWE), since the Swedes are leading with a big margin against Liberec (CZE) with very few minutes to go...

maybe I've written too early that Sweden's roster wouldn't be so impressive... well, this is quite a good roster for a team that can't count on their NHLers... more than solid goaltending, young talent, a lot of experience (also in the NHL, even if those guys are currently not playing there) and also size doesn't lack this squad... waiting for the Finns, 4 weeks before the Games, I'd say: RUS well ahead, SWE in the hunt and CAN ready to upset the 2 big favourites...no chance for the Czechs and very little room (if any) for major surprises from the "true outsiders"...