heywoodu

That's really sad indeed. Especially in a year in which the men's hurdles is really not that strong, he would definitely have been a good candidate to reach the final

Calm down To get back to the topic: yes, of course they can appeal. Belarus has already said that they are preparing an appeal at CAS, can you tell us if the Romanian federation has already reacted?

Talentless? Come on I mean, we can not like whoever we want of course, but if you honestly think Cavendish is talentless...no, just no

To be honest, I think that's a good idea. Not so much the check to see if they "behave properly", but the last part. I mean, she's an 18-year old girl from Sierra Leone who maybe barely ever gets outside the country except for championships and then all of a sudden she'll be in the middle of an Olympic village absolutely full with male athletes who's hormones are raging like crazy after months of testosteron build-up towards the competitions. Yeah, I think sending someone to take care of her is a good idea

At least we still have the Playboy photos

Matti Breschel - Abandon

So true

Yeah I think I'm just weighing the word "chaperone" too much in respect to having something to do with doping control. I think indeed it's just to watch over her, which is quite understandable for basically all reasons you give.

Yes. To be quite literal: they have to check to see if the urine actually comes out of the "opening" we humans have for that, in order to make sure there is no cheating with stuff like hidden fake urine

I know there are people who wear things saying "Chaperone" on the back who accompany athletes to doping tests to watch them pee, but of course they are provided by the organization/WADA/NADO etc, not people who travel together with the team from Sierra Leone to the Olympics

Isn't a chaperone someone from the organization of the event who accompanies them to see the urine come out of wherever urine should come out of? Not someone from their own team as far as I know?

Quite interesting that they publish these kind of detailed targets for every athlete

Also not bad for my bet on Hungary's K4 And a higher chance for home gold in the C1 200m I guess?

Romania and Belarus have been banned by ICF because of systematic doping, both nations won't be in the sprint canoeing in Rio. http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1039664/icf-bans-romania-and-belarus-sprint-teams-for-a-year-due-to-systemic-doping

I always like when people are much in favour of secularism and interreligious dialogue, but somehow those people always seem to lose

Good mood in the Belgian team Pieter Timmers has dropped the individual 200m in favour of the 4x200 and is now extremely pissed of that Louis Croenen won't do the same thing. "Louis always told we have to give everything for the relay, which is the best chance for most of us, but now he is the only one NOT putting anything aside for it..." Timmers: "I don't want to swim the 4x200 heats because I've got the 100 freestyle heats on the same morning, the individual distance in which I have the best chance to reach a high position. Louis doesn't want to swim the relay heats neither because maybe he has the 200 fly final that night...but in the rest of the day he has nothing! He just wants to sleep in..." That's gonna be fun

No half beard in Rio, Gianmarco Tamberi is indeed injured too heavily and is out

More importantly (in the athletics thread): how are Ortega's chances looking to compete in Rio? It's been awfully quiet lately..

Sadly that would not be surprising I guess...possibly the main reason to "cheer" for Erdogan at the moment because at least that could mean some stability?

Ah, the kind of stage is "a lumpy stage", now I get it

That's seriously impressive in a race like that

Mollema is usually a very strong climber, but on the level slightly behind the absolute top (which should normally be Froome, Contador, Quintana and possibly Valverde). Personally I think it's realistic to see him stay ahead of the likes of Yates, Bardet, Van Garderen etc, whether or not he stays ahead of Quintana depends on Quintana's shape in the last week. Yates is surpising me as well, but is already seen as a serious talent for quite some time. I am still doubting he'll stay on a podium position when the other big mountain stages come, because he only has a very small advantage over the Movistar pair Quintana and Valverde, whereas Mollema has quite a good advantage over them.

Lumpy?

Don't they mean the group of Erdogan's rival, who is based in the US and who is actually moderate and very much in favour of a secular state? (which is of course a good thing)

I think Erdogan can bend everything in his will and severely punish everyone who said one positive word about the coup. I mean, it's of course not without reason that he is mostly called "Erdolf" on internet.