Joshi

I enjoyed this thread Rafal. It's your predictions and I think you did an excellent job. From a NZ point of view 9 golds would be amazing but I don't think so, it's a bit much. But in the overall medals if all perform to potential and a lot of luck we should crack the 20 mark in overall medals. Also I think this will be a resurgent Australia this time round but it all depends on their swimmers if they bomb yet again they will be lucky to finish in the top 5. I have a feeling though that it could be a bit of a rivalry with GB and it could very well hurt GB a bit but we shall see.

Going on a different tack and that everyone has thrown up all kinds of scenarios. Just imagine if it went down to ethnicities or former empires? Great Britain and Ireland could legitimately claim hundreds if not thousands more. Most of the population in the anglosphere, I'm talking about countries where English is the lingua franca are either mostly of British/Irish stock or even partial. Two classic examples are both Australia and NZ. In NZ so many of us have ties to the UK that it makes me realise how young my nation is. But would actually never go for GB or England in any sport

So we in NZ have our first case of Coronavirus, since the news broke it has caused panic buying.

I know it's early days but the Aussie men's pursuit remind me of the NZ sprint team. They've become stagnant.

I'm still quite devastated for our Aussie cousins. They really should've won that. They actually led by 10 at one stage in the 4th. But the sad thing is mainstream media a lot like NZ probably wouldn't care the slightest and will just overlook it. Even when they were winning. It's AFL season now and I see sellout crowds tonight 🙃

NZ have qualified for the Olympics. Beating Australia in the 3 match Olympic qualifying series by a goal difference of +1. NZ won 3-1, Aus won 3-2 and a 1-1 draw. The new coach has already done wonders when I thought they had no chance.

Even though we beat Montenegro. NZ's centers still suck. If only Steven Adams would make himself available just this once....

That was quite some devastating last 400m from the NZ W8 and even better to deny Australia

Join the club NZ is in the same boat. Pun very much intended.

It's quite obvious the US only care about the big boats. It will be interesting to see them v Ger/GB and NED in the M8+ and also v NZ in the W8+. They could walk away with minor medals in both though. Which would be a shock for their W8+ which is by far their strongest boat.

So many accusations without any proof is a bit retarded but anyway. The reason for China's shock development if you say is the appointment of perhaps the greatest rower of all time Sir Steve Redgrave (GBR) who oversees Chinese Rowing. Along with former Olympic gold medalist and multiple WC Nathan Cohen (NZL). They have taken rowing to a different ball game by making them live in camp for 50 weeks of the year. Which is I think abuse but anyway. Ireland are there because since the O'Donovan's won silver it's really catapulted rowing in that country in terms of participation and sponsorship wise. Therefore their full-time job now is just being a rower. Instead of working a full-time job and trying to be a rower. It also helps that coaches from NZ and GB are being there too. Thanks to sponsorship. If you look at World Cup results for the past 3 years the NZ women have practically fronted for NZ instead of the men. Last year's WC were an anomaly where NZ were ill and walked away with a poultry 3 medals and not one gold. Our worst result in 15yrs. So a bounce back was always going to happen. So if you think something sinister is going on well so be it. But let's just ignore the fact that NZ has always been good at rowing at WC and Olympic level. NZ men are going through a changing of the guard and it will be after the next Olympiad that we will see them up there again. GB aren't as good at the moment due to injuries particularly in the sweep squad. But what's the bet they will comeback at Tokyo 2020. I think GB have done a stellar job in qualifying a lot of boats with all these injuries.

They would've assessed this during the b finals and came up with the conclusion to redraw the lanes hence why we had at least a 20 mins delay between a para rowing event and the W4x. These things happen and it's not unusual for these things to happen in a rowing regatta.

Lane 5 and 6 are the fast lanes. Normally 3 and 4 are. That's where the best boats are because of the redraw due to unfair conditions. Finish 1st in the SF you get the best lanes.

To be honest I think the Italians rowed their final in the SF. I think the Sinkovic bros gave them a huge psychological blow and they haven't really recovered.

How impressive was that Chinese and Irish M2x. Perhaps the surprise of the regatta for me and I cannot see anyone beat that Chinese W4x