LowerSaxony

Good explanation regarding the goal for medals of our NOC. It's indeed hard to understand (even for native speakers) and the result of the famous German bureaucracy I must say, I would be VERY happy with 8 medals in athletics. This would be exactly the result from the 2015 WC. I think Germany improved the general level in many events, but I expect between 6 and 8 medals and a load of Top 8/Top 12 results. Especially the shape of Holzdeppe is questionable after his long injury, he cleared 5.70m last week, but I think that Lavillenie, Barber, Kendricks and maybe the Polish guys will be too strong. Kind the same with Storl, however there is a realistic chance for silver. A sure shot (harhar) is Schwanitz. Moreover, I expect one medal in each of the discus and javelin events. Heidler has a good chance if she keeps her nerves (especially in the qualifications) and I am really curious about the Decathlon and the Heptathlon where a Bronze is possible each. Even if Krause and Roleder won a medal in the 2015 WC it will be really hard for them to repeat these successes. I expect placements between 4 and 6 what, however, would be really great in events where Europeans are not used to dominate. I am sure that the Men's 4x100 won't make it to the podium (only if a bunch of the other relays suck at the exchances and even then they need luck). The Women's relay has better chances, however they have to repeat the unbelivable 41.62sec from last week for a Bronze. Being a race walking fan for many years I would cheer and immediately start to get drunk if Linke or Pohle will really make it to the podium But I think there is maybe a 5% possibility, the Asians and the Mexicans should be too strong. Well, maybe their will be a surprise such as the Bronze by the Canadian race walker Thorne at last year's WC. Hopefuls to watch are Heß (TripJump) and Jungfleisch (HighJump). With all their luck a medal is not impossible, even if they will further increase their competitiveness over the next 4 years. So maybe we'll have to wait till Tokyo

No. Four gymnasts permorm on each apparatus, but only the best three results are counted for the team. If only three permorm, then all performances count. Kind of same as in equestrian team events.

Nobody said that this is a scandal. It's just against journalistical rules to broadcast interviews without permisson. The Russian reporters were obviously sent to provoke a scandal in order to discredit Seppelt and his work. This video's so obviously propaganda with the intention to destroy his reputation, but viewers should not buy that unreflected. As you see in the video, they don't show the entire interview, but only some parts which make him appear in a bad light. It is not my intention to defend him. And he shouldn't have made this tweets and accusations without any proofs. By this, it really seems he is seeking attention, I agree.

Well, his point of view is that he asked the team to leave his hotel room after they accused him to be bribed for the doping revelations. The team won't leave his room until Seppelt called the police. Also, Seppelt's employer (TV channel WDR) requested Rossija1 not to broadcast the interview. Against all journalistical standards they broadcasted it anyway. So there is nothing like a 'proof' that he is a strange person. Anyway, it simply does not matter whether he is 'strange' or not. He maybe is, I don't know. Don't you see that this interview was only done to discredit him so that the viewers say 'Oh, this Seppelt is a strange person. So then the whole doping revelations are neither true.' This is what we call propaganda. And what he tweeted tonight - no, there are no proofs for his accusations as far as I know. But, this is not related to his documentation about the state-run doping system. This, however, is proofed and is based on facts.

This video is the result of deliberate provocation by TV channel Rossija1 - just to discredit the person Hajo Seppelt. The Russian admin is pissed that he helped to uncover the fraudulent doping system and send this 'reporter' of its state-run propaganda channel Rossija1. There are several articles about Seppelt's point of view about the interview (however, I only find them in German language, e.g. http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/diskussion-um-doping-vorwuerfe-ein-lehrstueck-russischer-propaganda-1.3029260 - this is from one of the most reputable German newspapers, Sueddeutsche Zeitung). I wonder why you use this video as an argument. Is this video somehow related to the revelations about the doping system? We should not fall for propaganda.

This is probably the worst and most confusing official site of athlete profiles I have ever seen. Saw it about 15 min ago. Don't wanna imagine how it looked at your first glance.

send two track&field athletes to the Games. Source: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1430858/somalia-rio-bound-olympics-team-aims-stars

What a big surprise if you bring the close friendship between IJF president Marius Vizer and IJF honorary president to your mind Oh, these are the IJF honorary members: http://www.intjudo.eu/Honorary_Members7

A slim chance? I admit the 50km Race Walk contains a higher share of unpredictability than other events, but my pre-race favourites for Gold and Silver are Matej Toth and Yohan Diniz. I really think (and hope) Toth will make it as long as he is in good shape and I did not miss any injuries prior to the Games.

You are partially right, I mixed some facts up. Here are some quotes from the McLaren report to solve this confusion. On the time range of the positive samles: In fact, they are not related only to the time span Sep14-Dec14. p.25 'Olivier Rabin wrote to Dr. Rodchenkov in December 2014 requesting to secure and save all the samples being held at the Moscow Laboratory. There were some 10,000 samples in the Laboratory at the date of that letter. Shortly after its receipt in Moscow, the Laboratory destroyed some 8,000 samples it held dated prior to 10 September 2014.' p.35 'The Disappearing Positive Methodology was identified as operating over the period from at least late 2011 to August 2015. It affected athletes from all sport 36 disciplines whose urine samples were being analysed by the Moscow Laboratory.' p.39 'In total, over the period 2012-2015, the IP found the Disappearing Positive Methodology used on 643 positive samples.' You are right, these seamples were not contaminded with salt. Those which were not destroyed were analyzed and 643 came back with a positive result. However, the 'salt methodology' was not only used for the Sochi samples. pp.43-46 'The IC has reported on how, in advance of the WADA visit, Dr. Rodchenkov destroyed 1417 samples analysed more than 90 days before 10 September 2016.' (...) 'Of the remaining samples not destroyed by the Laboratory, 37 were positive samples for which a negative report had been made in ADAMS following the Disappearing Positive Methodology.' (...) 'This corroborates Dr. Rodchenkov’s evidence that the 37 samples were covered up with the sample swapping methodology discussed in Chapter 5 in connection with the Sochi Games.' (...) 'As previously noted, Dr. Rodchenkov’s evidence was that salt was sometimes added to the clean replacement urine where necessary to raise the SG [Specific Gravity] of the sample to be consistent with the SG reported on the initial DCF.'

Well, that's the point of view the Russian media try to sell their readers. However, the McLaren report is not about positive samples at international competitions. It deals with the procedure that Russian athletes are tested by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency before they were sent to international competitions to be sure that they will not be tested positive by the local anti-doping agencies at the respective international competitions. If they were tested positive in Russia, then the sample was suppressed and not reported to the WADA. After the first reports about a possible state-sponsered doping in December 2014, the WADA secured the samples from September 2014 to December 2014 which were stored in Moscow in order to analyse them. The McLaren report states that 643 of those samples were positive or contamined with, for instance, salt to destroy them and prevent further analysis of the samples. Of those 643 samples 27 came from athletes who compete in Canoeing. So, I can assure you the report contains more than 'only words'.

I think they want to give Germany the opportunity to name athletes who are 'specialized' in this event. The point is that Germany won't do that as the teams are selected and well-established for the entire season. The only change to come which I can imagine is that Germany will now be able to name a reserve athlete as this was not possible before.

Well, the quotas in the Men's K2 200m and C1 200m as well as the Women's K1 200m and K2 500m were won by the help of athletes who were named in the McLaren report - cheaters, to be straight up here. Thus, I think it's only fair that these quotas are reallocated to the next eligible NOCs from the respective event at the WC. I'm also sure that this decision will be upheld by CAS.

Another minor change within the Men's football schedule on Aug 04: They (silently) changed the slots for the Group C matches, which means MEX-GER will meet at 17:00 before the match KOR-FIJ at 20:00. This has obviously been changend due to broadcasting issues as the German match now starts at 22:00 German time instead of 1:00 in the morning, while the Koreans can follow their match at 9:00 in the morning instead of 6:00.

Actually, it's 426. Official number (up to now )

Both Woitha and Sujew were nominated by DOSB (German NOC) on July 12th, but had then to be scratched from the team as the IAAF did not send invitations for the respective events. The reinclusion of them has been announced a couple of minutes ago after the German Athletics Federation received the invitations after all.

Two athletes added to the German team after IAAF invitation of Diana Sujew (1500 metres) and Charlene Woitha (hammer throw). This increses the team size to 426. Source (German): https://www.leichtathletik.de/news/news/detail/diana-sujew-und-charlene-woitha-ruecken-ins-olympia-team/

sends 2 athletes. As expected, both will compete in track&field by virtue of universality (men's 400 metres and women's 100 metres). Source (in french): http://lepaystchad.com/index.php/sport/273-deux-athletes-tchadiens-a-rio-2016

sends 4 athletes (3 in track&field, 1 in swimming). Source: http://bviolympics.org/?p=2445