rafalgorka

Friday, Day 7, would be very difficult to follow. A lot of things going on in the same time. I hope rowers will be fast enough to finish before swimmers will start their races ? And athletics is on the same time, too. I remember in Rio I watched athletics all-around transmission on tv and High jump or pole vault finals seperately online. IMHO I wouldn't have problem with summer olympics lasting 24 days, not 19, just to avoid these schedulling clashes. If Tour de France can last more than 3 weeks and it's not boring for me... The only problem would be - do I get enough vacation from work? Anyway, there is a lot to watch on Friday. Poland vs Japan in volleyball. It is always hard to play against hosts, unless it is Chinese men's handball team from Beijing. Then K1 slalom final, judo top weight categories, tennis... And as usual, every olympics there is something I didn't plan to watch at all but I did it accidentally and it turned out to be very entertaining. Maybe this year I would find something like that, too. ?

He should do it by the World Cup series. And then everything's possible.

Trap is on Thursday Day 6 Single sculls are on Friday Day 7 So your Croatian party will last 2 days in a row :-)

This is a very sad decision. I didn't know that. At least Epke Zonderland will be in HB final no-matter-what.

Day 6 Rowing finals, swimming finals, Women's C1 slalom and women 's artistic gymnastics individual all-around Besides that Basketball, tennis and beach volleyball No medals for Poland today I' m afraid And already waiting for athletics starting next day, checking out start lists, reading the news who' s in form and who's not

https://swimswam.com/the-olympics-that-would-have-been-dressel-chalmers-have-epic-day-5-showdown/ Italy 1-2 in men's 800 free. Nice. ;-)

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jul/29/uk-sports-minister-says-rugby-union-outside-elite-may-have-to-scrap-scrums this is awkward, At least in sevens it shouldn't be an issue, I sincerely hope.

Oh, Fede Fede, I just love how she stood up in Beijing after 400 free - winning 200 with style and the way she splashed the water with her fist at the end :-) It will be extreeeeemely difficult against Ariarne Titmus, but it's obvious she is always able to do sth extraordinary again in the most important moment. I wonder if Katie Ledecky will swim 200 free in Tokyo because 1500 final is on the same day.

Day 5 Rowing finals - a chance for a medal for Poland in men's four - they won gold in wch 2019, but it will be much more difficult in the olympics. I wonder if we have more chances for gold in women's quadruples or men's four. If one of those could get gold, it would be awesome. We don't get many gold medals in the olympics, obviously, but we had golds in rowing in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2016, so why not again? Swimming finals - the best thing is women's 200 free, it should be a very open race with Pellegrini and others Cycling road individual time trials Men's rugby final Volleyball - Poland vs Venezuela - theoretically it should be the easiest oponnent, but we must be careful - I still can't forget the match against Australia in London Men's individual all-around in gymnastics - this is something I can't miss And maybe 3x3 basketball finals, some tennis and beach volleyball

I think China will win this. Poland may end up with Silver. But we will see, I hope you are right.

And OFF-TOPIC again: a very very interesting article in NYT today https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/27/sports/olympics/1980-boycott.html

https://swimswam.com/the-olympics-that-would-have-been-milak-soars-hosszu-defends-on-day-4/ They say Federica Pellegrini only 4th in 200 free. I don't agree. But they say Benedetta Pilato storming to 3rd from lane 8 in 100 breaststroke. That would be something!

OFF-TOPIC: Are you reading any good sports books now? I have just finished The Olympics of 1972 by Richard D. Mandell - quite good one. Having lazy time now - I'm on vacation which should be olympics-tv-vacation, but instead... ehh...

I would start with women's triathlon if I don't oversleep. Then rowing finals - it looks like we are all going to watch quadruple finals - Poland has its chances for medals here, too. Both in men's and women's races. And I wonder how the views at rowing and canoeing venue will look like - it will be hard to find something more spectaculiar than Rio, with Christ the Redimeer and all the mountains around, but who knows ;-) Then swimming finals obviously - men's 200 free above all - Sun Yang launched an appeal but I do hope that it won't be successful and we will not see him in Tokyo next year. Anyway, it should be another open race, like 400 Then women's K1 slalom and MTB finals, but they are on the same time - some bad schedulling here Then some fencing - Polish women's epee team has some chances for medal - there will be only 8 teams, so with some luck... who knows... And finally women's artistic gymnastics team - it's a pity Romania is not as good as before, I was usually supporting them. In a spare time - rugby and maybe some tennis or beach volleyball I hope after day 4 Poland will have its first medal at least - if not in judo, then in rowing. But still no gold I'm afraid. PS. I do like this discussion, but writing this makes me sad somehow ;-) what if...

Swimming predictions ctd. https://swimswam.com/the-olympics-that-would-have-been-smith-murphy-king-lead-u-s-gold-rush/

11.30 pm - men's triathlon - an entertaining race, but what an awful hour here 3.30 am - swimming finals - as always 7 am - canoe slalom C1 men 7.20 am - Poland vs Italy in men's volleyball - I don't think we will win that - we are world champions twice in a row in 2014 and 2018, but we play much worse in the olympics - 4 times eliminated in quarters 2004, 8, 12, 16 8 am - cycling mtb - Schurter vs van der Poel clash noon - gymnastics - men's team - I wonder whether Russia will compete under its own flag in a spare time - men's rugby prelims and basketball of course and cheering Julia Kowalczyk in -57 kg judo contest - possible first medal for PL in Tokyo? we will see. You need a TV and a computer on to watch this simultaneously, but it is always like that with the games ;-)

Could it go that way? Here are some interesting swimming predictions. https://swimswam.com/the-olympics-that-would-have-been-seto-leads-strong-start-for-japan-on-day-1/ https://swimswam.com/the-olympics-that-would-have-been-mega-stars-shine-on-day-2/

Yes, swimming finals generally will be the highlights. 3.30 am european time but i must watch it day by day. At least they didn't agree for gymnastics finals on the same time like in Beijing. I think men's 400 free without Sun Yang will be a very open and interesting race. And women's 4x100 free relay is always great to watch. Then women's road race (with Katarzyna Niewiadoma) and first Basketball games. I hope that Greece will qualify and Giannis will show sth special!

Me, too!!! I wonder Who would play in the US team?

Day one is finished. What would you watch on day two?

I know what you mean, I will have the same when the olympics will come to LA in 2028. If we fight the virus until then :-( and watching Rio olympics in Europe wasn't easy, either. Swimming finals were so late in the night. But it wasn't staying out until 9 am, I must say.

Men's cycling road race definitely - i love this route, it is very interesting, it should be a great race, at least as good as in Rio, but more safe for the riders, I hope. I remember Alaphilippe and Evenepoel had their supporters here, but I'd rather still bet on Roglic. Van Avermaet won virtual Tour of Flanders the other day - I'm not sure if it means much, but he should be in a great form in Tokyo. Great enough for second gold? Not sure. But who knows, cycling road race is always unpredictable. From Polish perspective - I was waiting for men's volleyball. Poland vs Iran - there is a long history of tense matches between these two teams. So it should be another good match, five sets I guess. And after that - USA vs France - so a good piece of volleyball in the afternoon european time. Swimming and artistic gymnastics qualifications - I always watch these two disciplines carefully. No medals yet, but already looking for some surprises. In tennis - maybe Hubert Hurkacz could have an interesting match. I'm not really into archery - but basketball 3x3 could be something new to watch. Poland had bronze in 2019 world cup, but it is very tough challenge for them to qualify for the olympics. I'm not sure they are to able to do that. Anyway, I would have to wake up at 2 am maybe, but what the hell - it's olympics time! ;-) it would be fun.

Another question I wonder about in these first days when we should watch olympic games - whether playing softball in Fukushima is really safe? I don't have any knowledge about it, but believe it must be. Because it is very important sign that they decided to play these games in Fukushima on 2 days before the opening. I hope it is a good idea.

I can see in Nagano it was in English, too. Well, I am not sure if Japanese organizers should agree on that. I think general rule is that parade of nations is according to the organizers' alphabet. But that;s their decision. I don't agree with morning swimming finals, either. But what can you do?

There should be opening ceremony going on right now. I am So disappointed :-( I wonder what is the order of teams entering the parade in japanese language. I will check how it was in Nagano.