SalamAkhi

She was always in. The only moment her spot was in danger was between the first and the second JT. Incredible 800 to come, Thiam needs to beat Vetter by a second and a half, which, PB-wise, seems manageable. Even moreso since she knows what she has to do (stick to Thiam during two laps).

Meh. Looks good this way but the camera angles during the action don't give the same feeling. I actually prefer the older version, this one is still quite small, but much more standardized. Shot put area in the center is also meh.

Yeah, that's the main obstacle. Back to back geographically near tournaments would be a first step (like Chile/Uruguay usually do). I hope WR, who's not really making efforts to develop XV outside of Tier 1,5, will help making it happen.

In fact they probably used 2021 continental results to define the participating teams. Which would explain Lithuania M and Georgia over Italy and Spain or Kenya W over Madagascar, Tunisia and Uganda. Seems odd but this tournament is used to promote a team to the 22/23 WS, starting quite soon. If the Challenger Series are set to come back to normal in 2023 (January ?) then this year's results will be used there. Actually this would be dramatic for Wales and Japan. They're 99% out of the WS for 22/23. But Japan only finished 3rd in the Asian Champs this year, thus missing the 2022 World Cup, and if none of HK and South Korea gets promoted in August, then Japan is out of next year's Challenger (if format stays the same). Wales did not take part to the 2021 European Champs so they got relegated to the Trophy this year. This means they have no chance of getting a 2023 Challenger spot (if no little arrangement between friends).

Challenger Series II announced. They will take place in Santiago de Chile on the 12-14th of August. Actually the word "series" is kind of a joke to describe this tournament, as there is no ... series. Pretty much a revival of the HK qualifying tournament. I hope the first format will come back next year and stabilize a World Series DII. Some notable withdrawals. For the men behind Germany no Belgium, Italy or Portugal but Lithuania and Georgia. For the women no Scotland but Belgium. Scotland is focusing on the CwG, the team is not meant to be viable in the long term (actually a bunch of XV players reunited for the occasion). I guess same applies for the withdrawing men teams, but that's a bit surprising. Germany has to be the favorite on the men's draw but they will have a hard time getting the job done. Besides the two other Europeans (and they have some pretty good assets), Jamaica and PNG, every team has got a decent chance of winning. For the women Poland is in pole position imo. Their showings in the EC vs near-full strength France (R1) and Ireland are impressive, so is their appearance in the World Series earlier this season. China would probably be favorite if not for their complete disappearance since Tokyo, what to expect from them is unknown. Japan and Sout Africa are obviously candidates.

Rugby 7s tournaments are organized on two days, sometimes three. This time around it was three. 11 a.m is an usual schedule for the first matches of the day, and on Sunday, it's always a knockout (either semi or quarter-finals). Poland v Scotland was in fact a semi-final, working as an unofficial decider for the overall title since the EC are held on two aggregate tournaments and Poland won the first beating Scotland in the process.

Could have done more. Actually she probably would have beaten the CR and maybe the WR if not for her elbow injury.

Yeah, since the U18 WC are no more that would be fair.

Pathetic crowd, at least in athletics. Continous boos and cheering French athletes failures. Isn't it time to get over it, seriously ?

beat 3-0 in the European Golden League semis. Second straight win against Croatia after last year's Euro, and still FIVB decided to send Croatia to the WCh to replace Russia. They have proved time and time again that awarding wild-cards was within their capabilities, but not this time. Great progress and hosting the next Olympics is not enough it seems.

They were alone in Paris then.

The commentators lol. "An accomplished French team". That's literally the first time ever this team gets to start an official Team Sprint on a 250m track

How surprising ... what about Iraq, Afghanistan and so on ?

And probably for the evening session only, for whatever reason ...

Plain shit, well deserved Olympic shame. Hoping for the least possible number of medals.

French individual medal. I can rest in peace now

It is. It was planned to take place in Jean Bouin (next to the Parc des Princes & RG), which is a rugby stadium (20k). For whatever reason they decided to move it to the SDF ... having most of the tournament (2 days/3 for one of the genders) before the OC is pretty lame.

[hide] Event & Date Athletes Gold Silver Bronze Men's Triple Jump Day 1 March 18th 2022 Yasser Mohammed Triki x Nazim Babayev Jahnhai Perinchief Any Athlete from Brazil Lazaro Martinez x Melvin Raffin Jean-Marc Pontvianne Max Hess Emanuel Ihemeje Pedro Pichardo x Will Claye Donald Scott Any Other Athlete Women's Shot Put Day 1 March 18th 2022 Sarah Mitton Sara Gambetta Kathrina Maisch Christina Schwanitz Sophie McKinna Danniel Thomas-Dodd Jessica Schilder x Auriol Dongmo x Fanny Roos Chase Ealey Maggie Ewen x Any Other Athlete Men's Long Jump Day 1 March 18th 2022 Samory Fraga Maykel Masso x Kristian Pulli Miltiadis Tentoglou x Sreeshankar Filippo Randazzo Yuki Hashioka Jose Mandros Martinez Thobias Montler x Marquis Dendy Jarrion Lawson Emiliano Lasa Any Other Athlete Women's Pentathlon Day 1 March 18th 2022 Sarah Lagger Noor Vidts x Dorota Skrivanova Leonie Cambours Katherina Johnson-Thompson x Holly Mills Sveva Gerevini Adrianna Sulek x Claudia Conte Yuliya Loban Chari Hawkins Kendell Williams Any Other Athlete Women's 3000m Day 1 March 18th 2022 Jessica Hull Gabriela Dubues-Stafford x Julie-Anne Staehli Lemlem Hailu x Dawit Seyaum x Ejgayehu Taye Hanna Klein Amy Eloise-Markovo Beatrice Chebet Ednah Jebitok Laura Galvan Marta Perez Alicia Monson Elinor Purrier St. Pierre Any Other Athlete Women's 60m Day 1 March 18th 2022 Daryll Neita Zaynab Dosso Shericka Jackson Briana Williams x Pia Skrzyszowska Ewa Swoboda x Lorene Dorcas Bazolo Geraldine Frey Mujinga Kambundji x Michelle-Lee Ahye Mikiah Brisco Marybeth Sant-Price Any Other Athlete Women's High Jump Day 2 March 19th 2022 Eleanor Patterson x Mirela Demireva Emily Borthwick Elena Vallortigara Nadezhda Dubovitskaya x Marija Vukovic Angelina Topic Iryna Gerashchenko Yaroslava Mahuchikh x Rachel McCoy Svetlana Radzivil Safina Sadullayeva Any Other Athlete Women's Pole Vault Day 2 March 19th 2022 Xu Huiqin Yarisley Silva Amalie Svabikova Margot Chevrier Roberta Bruni Elisa Molinarolo Olivia McTaggart Tina Sutej x Angelica Moser Yana Hladiychuk Olivia Gruver Sandi Morris x Katie Nageotte x Any Other Athlete Men's 800m Day 2 March 19th 2022 Amel Tuka Marco Arop Elliot Giles Any Other British Athlete Mark English Noah Kibet x Collins Kipruto Alvaro De Arriba Mariano Garcia Andreas Kramer x Bryce Hoppel x Any Other American Athlete Any Other Athlete Men's Heptathlon Day 2 March 19th 2022 Ashley Moloney x Damian Warner x Hans-Christian Hausenberg Karel Tilga Kai Kazmirek Lindon Victor Dario Dester Jorge Urena Simon Ehammer Andri Oberholzer Steve Bastien Garrett Scantling x Any Other Athlete Men's Shot Put Day 2 March 19th 2022 Darlan Romani Filip Mihaljevic x Tomas Stanek Nick Ponzio Zane Weir x Bob Bertemes Tomas Walsh Konrad Bukowiecki Michal Haratyk Asmir Kolasinac Josh Awotunde Ryan Crouser x Any Other Athlete Women's 400m Day 2 March 19th 2022 Shaunae Miller-Uibo x Lada Vondrova Any British Athlete Phil Healy Stephenie Ann McPherson Modesta Juste Morauskaite Femke Bol x Lieke Klaver Natalia Kaczmarek Anna Kielbasinska Justyna Swiety-Ersetic x Jessica Beard Lynna Irby Any Other Athlete Men's 400m Day 2 March 19th 2022 Julien Watrin Benjamin Lobo Vedel Christopher Taylor Liemarvin Bonevacia Zakhiti Nene Manuel Guijarro Bruno Hortelano-Roig x Carl Bengtstrom Jereem Richards x Trevor Bassit x Marqueze Washington Noah Williams Any Other Athlete Women's 1500m Day 2 March 19th 2022 Any Athlete from Australia Lucia Stafford Axumawit Embaye x Hirut Meshesha Gudaf Tsegay x Sara Kuivisto Aurore Fleury Any British Athlete Sarah Healy Nozomi Tanaka Claudia Mihaela Bobocea Marta Perez Winnie Nanyondo Elinor Purrier St. Pierre x Any Other American Athlete Any Other Athlete Women's 60m Hurdles Day 2 March 19th 2022 Liz Clay Devynne Charlton Reetta Hurske Cyrena Samba-Mayela x Luca Kozak Danielle Williams x Britany Anderson Zoe Sedney Ditaji Kambundji Noemi Zbaren Gabriele Cunningham x Alysha Johnson Any Other Athlete Men's 60m Day 2 March 19th 2022 Rikkoi Brathwaite Bolade Ajomale Arthur Cisse Jeremiah Azu Andrew Robertson Adam Thomas Lamont Marcell Jacobs x Ferdinand Omanyala Emmanuel Matadi Joris van Gool Adrian Brzezinski Jan Volko Marvin Bracy x Christian Coleman x Any Other Athlete Men's High Jump Day 3 March 20th 2022 Donald Thomas Thomas Carmoy Fernando Ferreira Thiago Moura Gianmarco Tamberi Naoto Tobe Edgar Rivera x Hamish Kerr Norbert Kobielski Woo Sanghyeok x Loic Gasch x Darryl Sullivan Jr. Any Other Athlete Women's Triple Jump Day 3 March 20th 2022 Nubia Soares Leyanis Perez Hernandez Liadagmis Povea Thea Lafond x Neele Eckhardt-Noack Dariya Derkach Kimberly Williams Patricia Mamona x Ana Peleteiro Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk Keturah Orji Yulimar Rojas x Any Other Athlete Men's 3000m Day 3 March 20th 2022 Matthew Ramsden Berihu Aregawi x Selemon Barega Lamecha Girma x Maximilian Thorwirth Daniel Simiu Ebenyo Jacob Krop George Beamish Elzan Bibic Adel Mechaal x Andreas Almgren Jonas Raess Any Other Athlete Men's Pole Vault Day 3 March 20th 2022 Kuris Marschall Thiago Braz Any French Athlete Oleg Zernikel Emmanouil Karalis Menno Vloon x Sondre Guttormsen Paal Haugen Lillefosse Armand Duplantis x KC Lightfoot Zach McWhorter Christopher Nilsen x Any Other Athlete Women's Long Jump Day 3 March 20th 2022 Akela Jones x Jazmin Sawyers Lorraine Ugen Larissa Iapichino Any Athlete from Nigeria Florentina Costina Iusco Milica Gardasevic Ivana Vuleta x Fatima Diame Khaddi Sagnia Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk x Any American Athlete Any Other Athlete Women's 800m Day 3 March 20th 2022 Catriona Bisset x Madeleine Kelly Habitam Alemu Tigist Grima Keely Hodgkinson x Jenny Selman Natoya Goule x Naomi Korir Eglay Nafuna Nalyanya Angelika Cichocka Halimah Nakaayi Olivia Baker Ajee Wilson Any Other Athlete Men's 1500m Day 3 March 20th 2022 Oliver Hoare Ismael Debjani Cameron Proceviat Taddese Lemi Samuel Tefera Robert Farken Neil Gourley George Mills Abel Kipsang x Charles Grethen Jakob Ingebrigtsen x Michal Rozmys Isaac Nader Any Athlete from Spain x Joshua Thompson Any Other Athlete Men's 60m Hurdles Day 3 March 20th 2022 Rafael Pereira Wilhem Belocian x Pascal Martinot-Lagarde x David King Andrew Pozzi Paolo Dal Molin Ronald Levy Damian Czykier Enrique Llopis Asier Martinez Jason Joseph Jarret Eaton Grant Holloway x Aaron Mallett Any Other Athlete Women's 4x400m Relay Day 3 March 20th 2022 Belgium Canada Great Britain Ireland Jamaica Netherlands x Poland x Slovenia Spain United States x Any Other Nation Men's 4x400m Relay Day 3 March 20th 2022 Belgium Czech Republic Great Britain Ireland Nigeria Netherlands x Poland Spain x Sweden United States x Any Other Nation [/hide]

Best events first

Covid. He was on the brink of making his way back to the WC and then ... I would not take him out of the picture but this year must have been ... frustrating.

It's worse, one quota is actually unused. So both Colombo AND Jeanmonnot could have started (and Botet). I was pretty convinced they would send Botet back, after all she's had a good chunk of experience in the WC on the basis of a small portion of IBU Cup in December, and her results are not particularly excellent. That would have opened 3 spots for Oslo, which is not too much given the excellent form of the whole B team, so Jeanmonnot can be back after some great first races last year, same for Colombo to prove she's WC worthy and one last for Bened (or even Chauveau) who's been up and coming for a few years and deserves a first experience on the big stage. But eventually one quota is not even used, I'm gutted. Colombo is probably not in the staff's good graces anymore (too "old"), but why do they let her take part in the IBU Cup and earn a WC spot if they don't want to call her back in the end (she was told she wouldn't go to Oslo before Val Ridanna) ? And if so, why is her place not occupied by a younger athlete ? The A staff probably feels Botet is a star in the making, which I get, I was actually the first to hope she would experience Oberhof and all ... but the management of the "B to A team connection" looks shaky to say the least.

So happy

France IBU Cup globes tally is suffering a Zimbabwean inflation +400% From 1 (Chloé Chevalier Pursuit 17/18) to probably 5. Nations Cup is looking clear, Colombo has won the sprint, Jeanmonnot has already secured the super-sprint and it seems she's made what needed to be done today to conquer the Big one. It shows the density of this B team.

An open-to-public mascot competition ? I'd rather bet on a €500K McKinsey report to provide us with a piece of crap any 7 y.o child could have imagined. Business first.

The first Korean stumbled at the start and lost a fair amount of time. They had to trail all the way, coming within firing range of France just in the end but the last French skater managed to hold the Korean back. One lap more would have been enough though. As for French medals in relay that's not a first. Four between 2004 and 2008 including a win in 2006, although it was a 2000m relay with three skaters.