De_Gambassi

So becomming artistic, synchro swimming has also turned somehow into a nine events sport. That's fine and all. But if the european championsips want to be a real thing in the future and come up with a meaningfull combined medals table at the end (after all, a price will be given to the top nation, so they do care), some sports will have to see the number of events keep in check...

As far as I'm concerned, the elimination race is the single most exciting race in track cycling, yet it's not even raced on its own during the euro/world championships. I don't know why the IOC felt obligated to bring up this Omnium thing and not simply one (or two) endurance event(s).

Basically, what happened here also. Ah, that's the part missing. D'oh. -------- We had three new velodromes opening in a couple of years here (and a couple more in the pipeline). I remember how the french cyling federation was claming then this was going to put french track cycling back to the top . Having the needed infrastructures is only one face of the coin, really.

It doesn't necessaraly works that way though. Every four years, we open a new velodrome in France, every olympics our results are getting shittier and sitthier

The're only relative geographical terms after all. When you've grown up 20 miles from the Atlantic coast, anything past Luxembourg is 'Easten Europe'.

How surprising is France topping the qualification stage ? And do you think, they can win the gold medal here ?

Thanks.

So we have straight semi finals for the men, but not for the women ?

Apparently, there will be some quarter finals this year.

Indeed. Honnestly, I'm surpised by the doom and gloom over here. Just to give an exemple, I believe this will be the fist time ever that rowing will be broadcasted by the french public television outside of the olympics (even, the world championsips in France in 2015 were only broadcasted by Eurosport) . That, in itself, is allready a massive plus in my book.

Yeah, sure, rainy rowing championsips morning sessions are usually such a hit with the public Glasgow organisers said they allready sold over 114K tickets. I'm pretty sure they will sell a lot more tickets than they are used to (if not allready).

It's a start, and it's working (at least here). Four pages on today's l'Equipe, 100 hours+ of live broadcasting on public television. For sports like rowing or triathlon it will be the best they ever got outside of the olympics.

Honnestly, this bid feel strange from the beginning, a bit rushed and now spread too much for little purpose (other than balancing italian political scope I immagine). But don't worry, if they end up winning, it will be fine. It allways is. I'd love to see Milan and Turin for a joint bid for the summer olympics though

Stockholm is basically vaporware at that point...It won't happen. If the italian bid survive, they will have it in the bag. But I don't share your optism, i beleive we won't see an european bid making the last stage (again)

Do you think the bid will survive (generally speaking, not just with this Milan thing) ?

Yes, but not with AIBA though. This federation is beyond salvable.

https://gamesbids.com/eng/featured/milan-withdraws-from-italian-2026-olympic-bid-amid-coni-proposal-of-joint-project/ Milan drops out

Now, I understand the new 3x3 Superleague the french federation has set up this year...

There is no host country quota here. That makes it okish for me.

That last km from the helicopter was awesome

That's a hell of atmosphere for a u20 match ! https://www.ehftv.com/int/livestream/final-france-slovenia/1256528 Oh well, Congrats Slovenia

Archery: The male team should do it, possibly the female's one too, but it's archery, you never know : 2-6 Artistic Swimming: I guess not, perhaps, who cares ? Not me : 2-8 Athletics: The federation seems more open to bring youngsters that just make the standards, so I assume a bit more than the ~40 athletes we had the previous olympics: 42-52 Badminton: Leverdez as always. Possible one female, Maybe one of the double too (mixed or women) : 1-4 Baseball: yeah,right : 0 Basketball: Both female teams should be fine, the males ones are more of a question mark : 16-32 Beach Volleyball: The male team was close last time. No chance for the other teams : 0-2 Boxing: I can see us having less boxers in Tokyo than medals in Rio (6) : 4-10 Canoeing - Slalom: The two males boat, possibly only one female. : 3-4 Canoeing - Sprint: No idea : 4-10 Cycling - BMX: Definitly three boys, one or two girls : 4-5 Cycling - Mountain Bike: Three male riders seem almost garanted. 3 women are not impossible either : 5-6 Cycling - Road: 9 riders (6 males, 3 women) sound like a lock : 9 Cycling - Track: Possible a full team if we manage to find someone to go with Mathilde Gros in team sprint : 13-15 Diving: Probably, the same three we had in Rio (Auffret, Rossino, Rosset), which apparently are the only three divers we have in the country : 3 Equestrian: Looking at the current dressage ranking, I wonder how we manage to qualifie in Rio... Eventing and jumping teams hould be ok. :6-7 Fencing: As it stands, we 'd qualifie every teams, but it's dam close for some of them. We could easely miss a couple of teams: 12-18 Field Hockey: The boys are not quite up there, but it's getting closer, (the french federation is looking for Huguenots daughters in the Netherlands to have somhow a competitive team in 24, so nothing to see here). Still, most likely : 0 Football: With the world cup at home, I fail to see the women team not qualifying. The male team has its chances as always : 18-36 Golf: Probably four, even if we suck at golf : 4 Gymnastics - Artistic: I'm giving myself two years to understand the qualification process : 10-14 Gymnastics - Rhythmic: 1 Gymnastics - Trampoline: Probably one girl, and that's it : 1 Handball: I'd be suprised if not both team make it tbh : 28 Judo: Possibly, we could miss a couple of male categories : 12-14 Karate: Could go either way really : 2-6 Modern Pentathlon: Hard to see past a full team here : 4 Rowing: 10-16 Rugby Sevens: Definitly the female team. The male team has been shit this yearn but by 2020, we should have enough to prevail against the likes of Spain : 24 Sailing: Probably a full team also : 10 Shooting: Possibly more than ever before : 12-18 Skateboarding: Guessing here really : 1-2 Sport Climbing: We don't really know who will prevail with this new combined event : 2-4 Surfing: As it stands, we would qualifie 4 athletes. The second female one is a bit of question mark. So : 3-4 Swimming: Probably, quite lower that what we are used to : 20-30 Table Tennis: The male team + possibly one girl : 3-4 Taekwondo: The federation seems to be in disaray at the moment... : 0-2 Tennis: 8-12 Triathlon: At this point, a full team sounds likely : 6 Volleyball If it was not for the FIVB, the qualification of the male team would not even be a question mark. Still, the should be able to do it: 12 Water Polo: The possibility is here for the male team (like in Rio), but it's really a slim one. I'm guessing that the women one have some chances too: 0-11 Weightlifting: 4-6 Wrestling: Well, at least, one (Larroque), then, it's anyboddy guess : 1-4 Total: 322 - 463 (330 in London, 395 in Rio)

All right, I've missed that. It still should left one Pro League team home though.

If I get it right (and assuming that only Australia and one of the european Pro League teams will qualifie from their respective contintental championship), three teams from the Pro League will no take part in the OQT ? If so, it's a blessing for second tier countries like France, but also very iodiotic.