heywoodu

I'd definitely prefer that, sadly there is absolutely no way that is ever going to happen. (Just like I'd prefer for example everyone in biathlon or XC using the same wax, to avoid big countries having 765001 different combinations to test while small nations have exactly one pair of training skis and one pair of competitions skis + one pot of wax)

Mulder, Verbij, Smeekens, Boisvert-Lacroix, Junio, Dubreuil, Poutala, Ihle, Lorentzen, Was, a Korean, Japanese or Chinese guy or even Whitmore are all at the very least serious medal outsiders. Of course Kulizhnikov would have been somewhere in the top-5 of that list as well, and Murashov wouldn't be far back neither, but the fact remains the 500m is a hugely open event (especially now that it's with the unfair one run format). The main favourites in the 1000m are still mostly there, except for Yuskov (who really is 'just' one of the main favourites). Maybe you meant the 1500m, where there were indeed only two main favourites (Yuskov being one of them) and sadly one of them is now gone.

Well she was already asking for medical help and complaining/struggling about her physique in the 2nd set, so it's not so strange

Meaning I won either €11,75 or €587,50, depending on which of the two bookmakers I placed my bet at cancelled it when they closed my account and which one didn't (I know one didn't and let it open until it was decided, but don't remember which one)

YES! Finally!!

I'm cheering with you, go Caro

Wow, Sander screwing up a potential home podium or even win...

What a run yet again by Feuz

His first part makes sense, too bad after that he goes and say it's not an Olympics, when in fact especially in 'his' event things don't change that much. Instead of 11, we now have 10 gold medal contenders, alright. Sure, it's sad for him, don't get me wrong, but saying the price of this medal is 'zero' is just an (understandably!) frustrated person talking

Ustiugov doesn't give a fuck anymore

Monster

Wow, good luck to win this if you're not called Akito Watabe

Oh wait, they want OEB as coach, not athlete. Maybe not 100% impossible then.

And actually not a bad one neither!

Bold move

Yeah, another option would be, for example, to just not have this event. At all. (meaning the sprint, not Bansko)

Like I said, I'm here for the speed skating discussion (we do have both a politics and doping thread, where this kind of thing fits better) And yes, looking at the sport, what this thread is about, it's a huge shame Yuskov won't be there. Kulizhnikov has already hurt the sport before, so I'm having less problems with that (even though it'd be nice to see 11 instead of 10 potential gold medal winners), plus the 500m is entirely open anyway, with or without Kulizhnikov. Shikhova not being there is a shame as well.

I like the animated flags in posts where there's 1 or 2 flags (like the one where you presented the IOC flag just above this one), but in posts with 10+ flags it's kinda getting annoying when half your screen keeps moving

Oh I'm here for speed skating It's a real shame Yuskov can't go. Yuskov vs Verweij in the 1500m was promising to be one of the best fights of the entire Games.

6th and 9th, that's not bad at all in the doubles.

I'm sure someone turned back the timing.

Yes, Kulizhnikov not going to the Olympics has been known for a couple days already actually. Sadly the same goes for Yuskov.

Oh definitely, but especially Lardschneider really needs to work on her shooting...if she can get that under control, she's gonna be a real threat in the big leagues in a few years.

Do you cheer for any of the two? Sweden I guess

I wonder how our Danish/Swedish friend @Agger is thinking about all this