rafalgorka

Men's Decathlon:
 
 Kevin Mayer (8552)

She was such a talent. It's a pity she has finished her career so quickly.
 
 

Well, this was an interesting development.
 
She had already publicly said that she will end her career, missed those tests on purpose, because she didn't bother to inform the testing agency of her current residency.
 
Then, funnily enough, there were some rumours that she had actually started to train and was thinking about coming back, but she was unavailable for three tests by then and was suspended.
 
I think it's because she was hit with success at a very early age, Lithuanians treated her like an absolute star, but then she stopped winning golds and those same people harrassed her through social media and wrote comments everywhere that she got fat and that's why she's slow and incapable of ever achieving anything again. 
 
Every story has multiple sides.

Biathlon Qualification Standing
 
Blue - 6 Quotas
Green - 5 Quotas
Bold - 4 Quotas
 
after Stage 4 (Hochfilzen II)
Completed Events 7/25
 
 
 
Men
 
 
 
Women
 
 

That's not gonna happen in the days of pro sports where sports IS money., You could sell that crap in the 80s when Stenmark or Wenzel got banned for Olympic Games but not now. Even IAAF dropped the 'Amateur' part of their name for instance before a complete name change.
 
Comcast basically tells IOC what to do, how do you expect the sport to be more independent? Multi-billionaire companies run the sports every single day. And those private companies will NEVER become more transparent, they will throw the freedom of speech card at you and you're done. Since you're a journalist you should understand how such huge TV corporations work!
 
The Russian ban is maybe justified but it doesn't justify other nations from being let off the hook. And cheaters like Justin Gatlin being allowed to compete. If Maria Lasitskiene will be ineligible to compete in Tokyo what the FUCK will be Justin Gatlin doing there in first place?

Ruta was 15 years and 4 months when she won gold, Pilato will be roughly 16 years and 7 months come Tokyo. Those two are on two completely different talent levels.

Neah, how long did we have to wait until Lance Armstrong finally got exposed? Handing out life-time bans to athletes who are retired make no sense. Waiting makes no sense at all. Not when Justin Gatlin is allowed to compete as a repeated doping offender like nothing happened.
 
Comcast which owns Sky has a yearly revenue of 109 billion dollars. That's more than Kenya's & Ethiopia's GDP. So much for "state doping" being an exclusive Russian-thing.

Qualification system for 2022 World Championships
 
Hosts:  &  (W)  (M) Current Champions:  (W)  (M) Top 2 teams in each 2021 Confederation Championship (if qualified above, then place go to next ranked team) Top 11 (W) & 12 (M) highest World Ranking teams at the end of 2021 season.

If France and Russia don't qualify it will be a major f-up on their end.

The Nike Oregon Project was as good as being state doping. Nike's budget must be more than 70% of world's countries? And of course everyone is ignoring that becuase of course it's only China and Russia who are doing bad. Yet it's Marion Jones and Lance Armstrong - two American citizens - who are involved in the biggest doping scandals of XXI century.

sure, but you know...some sides are always guilty and some others are always innocent...
 
I'd like to see a bit more fairness in how we look at the usual suspects instead of judging things with so much prejudice (and that's true for all places, it's not a question of East or West, North or South of the World)...

and USA, GBR and Australia, too...

Very likely happen if you persist protesting in front of China embassy in your country. Success belongs to the persevering. Come on.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/oct/23/wada-china-doping-allegations-xue-yinxian
 
Lets not forget Yi Shiwen's performance in 2012 was clearly drug induced as well. Is it no surprise China increased funding to WADA? https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1101523/wada-addiotional-gov-funding so Wada doesn't bite the hand that feeds it?
 
 

Yes, those clean would compete but those who have a doping history earlier or avoid even one test by not being on place should be punished for long time.

Only when USA promise to double the membership fee and pay them in time. 
 
 

Hope WADA focuses on China next

Benedetta Pilato is extremely impressive. I wonder how much faster than today she will be able to swim in Tokyo. A medal looks more and more within her reach. That would be something. Ruta Meilutyte was 15 years old when she won in London, remember?

17 Y.O Anastasia Gorbenko has now qualified to 100m free, women with a time  of 54.38

@ahjfcshfghb
 
the article is very good. I only wish you wrote something about cycling men's road race - 90 riders in a race is not enough. I understand they try to change something, but they shouldn't mess with the most classic events, the core of the games. A race with 150 riders would be much more interesting.
 
But anyway, I hope that both Tokyo and Paris will be fascinating to watch, too.

Good for France, as long as spectators are authorized ...  

Italian Record, 4th European time EVER, Olympic pass! Amazing performance for Pilato (15 years old) that won the 100m breaststroke with 1.06.02".
Carraro was very close to the time limit, with 1.06.58"

I know that (and I'm absolutely OK with that, since they are not guilty of any sport infraction/cheating)...
I was only answering our French friend, who was surprised to hear that the Belorussian athletes are going to compete under IOC's Flag in Tokyo...

If anyone's interested I just wrote a review of the 2024 sports programme in Around The Rings. Would love to know your thoughts, I tried to keep it somewhat balanced 
http://aroundtherings.com/site/A__101937/Title__Paris-2024-Sport-Program-A-Young-Persons-Review/292/Articles

Sport Climbing World Championships 2019 (Reallocation Quotas Asia)  
Hachioji (Japan) - 11 August 2019 - 21 August 2019  
 
Sport Climbing at the Summer Olympic Games 2020 - Men's Combined (Lead - Boulder - Speed)
South Korea (1 Quota)  
Sport Climbing at the Summer Olympic Games 2020 - Women's Combined (Lead - Boulder - Speed)
South Korea (1 Quota)