avlar

It is official - no russians in bobsleigh and skeleton at 2026 Olympics

Yes ) And I have rewatched a film about our successes in Atlanta, so I have recall a lot )) That team sport successes were really a part of Soviet heritage. Teams were sponsored by big factories but after the huge crisis of 1993-1994 it was too difficult to continue sponsorship. During the next decade team sports (except football where oligarchs brought their money) lost their financial ground. Bubka was really injuried. He was the king of the WCH but not of the Olympics. That team was very strong - with the gymnastics on the very top. Podkopayeva especially.

That was a moment of proud - the highest number of medals - and then - a moment of shape because of the highest number of medals lost due to doping cases. But it was not a question of authrorities. We were and are highly different with russia in this sphere: number of Olympic medals has never been a question of national importance as it was and is in russia. It is notable that most of the politicians brought to the top after the Orange Revolution did not have personal interests in sport. So the decisions were really made at the level of the national sport federations (like weightlifting). And when the sports were competitive at the national level, it was a question of discipline coaches and personal coaches (like athletics). So I would say it was a systematic problem in 2008 in weigtlifting (and it exists now - this sport gets a lot of money from Herega`s but it makes no sense with the number of doping cases we have) and in some "sectors" of athletics.

Furthermore according to some sources he will not be able to receive Shengen next 2 years. He got tourist visa to visit Spain but tried to use it to go to Romania to take part in competitions. So he is now blacklisted and will not compete in Shengen. Do you know if Sidakov got visa? Yesterday he was also on waiting list.

I found there a very valuable footage - one of our cycling track medals. I have not seen that bronze final at all. By the way - a new/old collection of Olympic videos from Korean TV. They upload these videos from time to time but then the IOC blocks the channel. So I do not expect this source to be available permanently. https://www.youtube.com/@KSFA2024/videos

Yes, I remember it very well. Our first ever gold in kayak/canoe. It was not clear after the finish - and I recall - the first thought was about - "it will be no gold again". But the margin was so close - it was like a case of Juha Mieto in cross-country ski in 1980. By the way, they changed the rules in ski after that.

Thank you! That is really awesome!! 2008 Olympics coverage in 456 files!!! https://archive.org/details/2008_Beijing_Olympics/ I wish they had earlier Olimpics collected this way too!!

That was a great moment - when she won that medal. But the field may be too strong for her now, in my oppinion. It looks like Felfner tried something different this year. He looks focused on the WCH. So I am trying to be oprimistic about his chances - if this new approach works. But of couurse, his medal will be a great surprise. By the way, I am still curious about our pole vault athletes - it looks like their potential is seriousely measured by the equipment they have. Do you agree?

In biathlon russians have even more troubles due to the case of Bessberg. According to the recent news he was foubnd guilty by the court. So their influence on the IBU is really at the lowest point now. I suppose Bolshunow will not be back to the Olympics in 2026 (like Sadulaev, Uguev, major judokas in Paris - 2024). Talking about the end of the war - is rather a theoretical assumption for us. No evidence of that so far. I have read a sad joke on this: "Donald Trump said that if Russia does not end the war in Ukraine by the end of summer, then... autumn will begin." He is predicatble and unpredictable at the same time.

I think no more then that. Medals in High Jump (W) and Hummer Throw (M) will not be a surprise. One more may come from High Jump (M), Javelin Throw (M) or the second medallist in High Jump (W). This one are less likely to happen.

Ukraine has a very small team this year. It is notable that we have no women in stadium disciplines on track. I supose - for the first time in the history (( Women Yaroslava Mahuchikh — high jump — Dnipropetrovsk region Yuliya Levchenko — high jump — Kyiv city Kateryna Tabashnyk — high jump — Kyiv city Olha Korsun — triple jump — Poltava region Yana Hladiychuk — pole vault — Kyiv city Maryna Kylypko — pole vault — Kharkiv region Iryna Klymets — hammer throw — Volyn region Mariya Sakharuk — 20 km race walk — Volyn region Liudmyla Olyanovska — 20 km race walk — Kyiv region Hanna Shevchuk — 20 km race walk, 35 km race walk — Ivano-Frankivsk region Men Oleksandr Pohorilko — 400 m — Sumy region Oleh Doroshchuk — high jump — Kirovohrad region Dmytro Nikitin — high jump — Zhytomyr region Vadym Kravchuk — high jump — Lviv region Oleksandr Onufriiev — pole vault — Kharkiv region Artem Levchenko — shot put — Kharkiv region Mykhailo Kokhan — hammer throw — Dnipropetrovsk region Artur Felfner — javelin throw — Kyiv region Serhii Svitlychnyi — 20 km race walk — Sumy region Mykola Rushchak — 20 km race walk — Sumy region Ihor Hlavan — 20 km race walk, 35 km race walk — Sumy region Ivan Banzeruk — 35 km race walk — Volyn region Yehor Shelest — 35 km race walk — Sumy region

The most recent news on this were that russia and belarus will miss biathlon tournament at the Winter Olympics. They cannot get wild-cards. Because quotas can be obtained only by the NOCs competeing at the international torunaments. And IBU did not implement "neuthral status" at all (instead they have introduced Biathlon Refugee Team). So they have no way to compete to gain points and obtain quotas. The only way hove it may change - sudden finish of the war. But we do not expect with all these "the next 2 weeks will be crucial for peace" lasting for months.

@hckošice Short interview with Emma Zapletalova at our major media (Suspilne Sport) after the second place at the final of th DL https://suspilne.media/sport/1102404-ce-nace-mria-slovacka-bigunka-vigrala-sriblo-diamantovoi-ligi-ta-vtrete-v-sezoni-onovila-nacionalnij-rekord/

Thanks! Oleh did all his best today. Second place is good for him now.

Our commentators were supported him a lot today. It is always coll to see such a great family story.

It may help a little. Here you can find streams in Ukrainian. Of course, they do not cover all the events but the recordings are available https://www.youtube.com/@DeTalks_ua

Me to. I do not think you really need him.

Right now fans in Ukraine are talking about Plotnyski as canidadate to switch nationality to perform for... Italy )

I suppose Italy will have some heritage programm after the Olympics to keep all the venues. But it looks like public attention is shifted to the summer sports in Italy, am I correct?

Open Letter to the International Fencing Federation (FIE) from over 440 International Fencers https://www.globalathlete.org/our-word/open-letter-fie-2025 As athletes, we are not mere participants—we are the sport, and we share responsibility for upholding its values. Therefore, we call on the FIE to: Immediately reverse its decision to reinstate Russian and Belarusian athletes and resume thorough reviews and checks for every athlete applying for AIN status; Align its policies with the broader Olympic community’s standards on neutrality and eligibility; Ensure meaningful athlete consultation in decisions affecting the ethical integrity of international competitions. Olga Kharlan, Ukraine, Sabre, Current Lee Kiefer, USA, Foil, Current Michał Siess, Poland, Foil, Current Gerek Meinhardt, USA, Foil, Current Eva Lacheray, France, Foil, Current Zuzanna Cieślar, Poland, Sabre, Current Kryvytska Olena, Ukraine, Épée, Current Alina Komashchuk, Ukraine, Sabre, Current Léa Krüger, Germany, Sabre, Current Piotr Kaśków, Poland, Foil, Current Aleksander Ochocki, USA, Sabre, Retired Bakastova Yuliia, Ukraine, Sabre, Current Karolina Cieslar, Poland, Sabre, Retired Olena Kravatska, Ukraine, Sabre, Current and more and more and more...

Winter sports requires more expensive venues since our climate does not provide enough ice and snow anymore. Our economy could not support such venues at the late 90-s and we lost a lot at that time. I remeber me watching Euro 2000 semifinal Italu - Netherlands. I did not see extra-time and penalty shot-out due to the regular electricity cut-off. Cut-off was scheduled. We did not have hot-water supply - the centralized supply system was ruined and had been never repaired again. And I am talking not about a small village but about a city with 500 000 inhabitants. Thus, there were (and are) no arenas for speed-skating, luge, ski jumping, curling. Luge training in Lviv happened at the steep streets. Curling - at the market center without proper ice. It took us 15-20 years to rebuild the country and bring new IT and technology solutions (I would say we were at the same level with the Europe in some spheres by the moment the war had started). But a whole generation lost interests in some sports since they were not inspired by the local heroes. Biathlon was very popular due to those first succesess and still stays. Aerials were successfull enough and it was a strong school of this sports in Mykolaiv. We had a hill there with water landing. So it was possible to have trainings.

Yes, it was a big story. 2002 Olympics were in the year of parliamentary elections. And our state TV during the Olympic broadcasts stressed the sponsorship and support of the ruling block (later transformed into the Partz of Regions led bz Yanukovich). It looked like they told about it more than about the Games itself. But the games were the total disaster for us. Biathlon was the main chance to win the medal, Yubrilova was the leader of the team. So she was appointed as a guilty one and left for belarus. By the way, right now she supports belarussian regime and has a proper attitude from our fans.

Yes, It was a big topic in Ukrainian sports community these days. A lot of negative but all the negative goes towrds Kovtun. We lost many athelets during the decades and mostly all the hate goes to the national federation which cannot motivate people to stay. But this time Kovtun`s behaviour brought all the hate to him (the NF got a lot but due to another reason). And there is no negative to the Croatian NF - I would say I do not see words like "buying athletes" talking on this case at our media. So it is ok ))

I wonder if anyone ouside Ukraine knows club "Veres" But their presentations of transfers are awesome )) If you fond of "The House of Paper" )))) https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLZaMXiNXk8/ https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLe05MbM8i2/?utm_source=ig_embed https://www.instagram.com/veres.club/reel/DMAZGjlNJIP/ and e t.c.

It looks like nobody wants to take risks before the Olympic season. I wonder about the entries at the ski jumping summer season.