Olympian1010

I don't know why I didn't consider that more. I bought a light rail ticket in Frankfurt and that made travel so easy. I was little more worried about the language barrier in Athens. I don't think it was problem in Plaka/Monastiraki, but I wasn't sure about the rest of the city. I speak "un poquito español," but I'm only fluent in English.

beats the 2-0 at the women’s CONCACAF Cup. I believe this is only the second time they’ve beaten the US

You guys should visit Malta. I could never drive in that country I didn't get to see any sports events, but I did check to see if any international stuff was in town. Greek football and basketball seem intense, so I think I'd want a local guide/friend if going to a game. I think I had the rice only version of Gemista. My family eats a similar American version with rice and meat for dinner quite frequently. Chicken gyros were also a wonderful surprise, since those are less common in the US. I had some sort of Lemon Lambchop that was pretty good too. Paying for water during a meal was my least favorite thing about Greece and Europe. Water is viewed as a right in the United States. Most places offer it for free, even if you don't purchase any other drinks or food.

@Makedonas @Wumo Just realized the Acropolis Museum and National Archeological Museum are two different things. I went to the first, not the later. I stayed at hotel near the "Plaka" district. I mostly explored the area around the Acropolis, Parliament, and Panathinaiko Stadium. I used one of the "all access" passes offered for the major archeological sites, which I made very good use of during my short time in the city. I stepped inside the Church of Panagias Grigorousas, but I wished I visited a few more Orthodox churches. I wanted to go to the Athens 2004 Olympic Park, but I was too busy exploring other places. Plus, I wasn't big on spending money for transportation. The taxi ride from the Acropolis district to the Athens International Airport was NOT pleasant on my wallet. I ate at a few places, but I liked the vibe of a place called "Cave of Acropolis," so I ate dinner there every night I was in Athens. They had live music and a nice view of the Parthenon. If I were to return to Athens, I'd probably focus more on modern Greek culture, or areas outside the main tourist area. I normally want a very "authentic" experience when I travel to a foreign country (I want to know what daily life is like, and be engrossed on the local culture), but I felt like I needed to visit the big sites since I had the opportunity. Outside of Athens, I'd be open to visiting Olympia/Patras, any of the islands, and maybe Thessaloniki as a tourist.

Okay, but there'd still be a glaring issue if they win that appeal. ROC still technically fielded then an "ineligible" athlete, as Valieva's doping infringement is backdated to December 25, 2021. To quote the statement released by CAS after the ruling:

Here’s a fun one for everyone.

@Werloc rapping alter-ego

10/10 on architectural planning. I spent a solid hour just looking at the ruins under the museum. Who knew Ancient Greek sewage design could be so interesting? I would threaten the national supply of "Gemista" if I ever immigrated to Greece.

No, I almost couldn't finish my initial listen through. I usually prefer the annual as well, but this feels very "mid." Like, there are NOT a lot of songs I dislike, but there also aren't a lot of entries I find interesting.

Can't wait for them to send Daddy Calzone next year

It'd be a lot more boring if that was the case.

I visited last summer

surfers both relegated to the 1st repechage. I imagine they won't go much further, but hopefully they stay with the sport. It'd be nice to see some representation at the CAC/Pan Am Games.

The annual tends to be more "samey" with the songs, but this year does feel incredibly similar. There's maybe half dozen or a few more songs that stand out to me. Everything else is pretty much a blob.

The 15000km distance between events would make a potential double from Sky interesting.

Quite a ride for that team over the last year. Highs and lows

I wonder if they are eligible should either one of them qualify an athlete through the current competition?

Olle Dahlin (IBU President) is reportedly under investigation in Source: https://apnews.com/article/biathlon-ibu-investigation-dahlin-f63a39a410a2ce1b33bd3f23a0af4e3f I’d hazard a guess that the IBU won’t be using those first two paragraphs in any promotional material

I believe it is mostly core strength and balance from what I've been told. Surfing is one the few popular sports in California I haven't tried. Flexibility might help in skateboarding, but its more just about board control and individual skill from what I can tell.

The broadcast slots the women's event are able to get might also have something to do with it.

A lot of that does come down to publicity and broadcast coverage though. Would women's biathlon be as big if not offered as dual package with men's biathlon for the last few decades?

Yes, and no. Women’s sport has been an afterthought for broadcasters for so long. There’s just this belief that “no one wants to watch that,” and so a lot of networks don’t/didn’t really bother to program women’s sport. We’ve seen attendance records shattered in women’s sports over the last few years, and when those events are broadcast on mainstream channels or freely on publicly available channels people pay attention.

This is a bit of a "Catch 22" though. You can't give women less opportunities to compete, win medals, etc. and expect growth in their sports. If there's less opportunities to make a living, win accolades, train with a nearby club, etc. there's probably going to be less athletes. The point of women's events and domestic laws like "Title 9," are to give female athletes equal, or at least equitable, opportunities to compete. If NOCs (outside the few at the top) can't qualify athletes or win medals in women's event, what incentive do they have to invest in women's sports? In terms of mixed events, some of them have awful formats. I'll agree with you there. However, I will say that they encourage an NOC to develop a sport/event in both genders. If the point of a relay/team event is to measure the depth of an NOC's talent, then I don't really see a problem in that regard.

I would agree with some of this, but I'd add that women's sports should at least be given the same opportunities to make those kind of earnings. If you relegate their events to backwater channels, then you can't really be surprised they don't rake in as much.