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Racing in the pink
The Giro d'Italia has by far the most evocative competition jerseys of the three grand tours of cycling. Forget France's yellow or Spain's red, what could beat the rosa, ciclamino, or azzura?
I'm not saying that illegal drugs might not have some benefits at work...
Today I stole 90 minutes from my workday for an online training course. Not a very inspiring one, as it turned out I had sat through about half the content four years ago, but some food for thought and a change of pace.
I do have some feedback for the course organisers, though - namely that probably they shouldn't start off with the example of Team Sky's "marginal gains" of how small changes to tweak things for improved efficiency can build up to achieve brilliant results. They can of course be helpful, but the word I shall be using on the feedback form will be "discredited". After all, even if there wasn't any doping, they had one other key thing that my employer is not giving us - vast amounts of money to throw at the issue.
We take our fun where we can find it in November!
I do have some feedback for the course organisers, though - namely that probably they shouldn't start off with the example of Team Sky's "marginal gains" of how small changes to tweak things for improved efficiency can build up to achieve brilliant results. They can of course be helpful, but the word I shall be using on the feedback form will be "discredited". After all, even if there wasn't any doping, they had one other key thing that my employer is not giving us - vast amounts of money to throw at the issue.
We take our fun where we can find it in November!
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Sheffield, your time has come!
The ISU has announced that the two autumn 2022 competitions that were to have taken place in Russia (banned) and China (withdrew due to Covid restrictions) will instead be held in Espoo (Finland, just outside Helsinki) and Sheffield. I have to say, I didn't see that one coming. Nor did I know Sheffield has two major manufacturers or ice skate blades - not that I'll be buying any.
Day off!
At the end of last week I felt really tired and was staggering badly through the working days, so when I was tired over the weekend and still tired on Monday, I decided that I needed an extra day off and having no meetings on Friday duly booked one. Naturally, by Thursday evening I was feeling a lot better than the previous week, but I'm not going to complain about that.
The great thing about a Day Off is that it is extra, with no feeling of obligation or trying to fit things in. So today I have:
* Got up late. This was very nice, especially as having been woken by some warm nights I had taken Nytol to make sure I slept better and thus slept until 8'clock albeit with some really weird dreams. I read some of the commercially published translation of the novel of The Untamed/Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. Reader, as a book it is pretty fun*, but as a translation it is dreadful, and I can tell that without speaking a word of Chinese. But more on that another post.
* Got up eventually to watch the women's mass start biathlon race. I'm not as big a biathlon fan as a cross-country ski one, but it is unquestionably a sport that reaches its peak at major championships when the panic sets in on the shooting range.
* Moved the car to take its chances with roof tiles rather than tree branches on account of Storm Eunice (it is fine, as is everything here but someone's dull bush. But it was very, very windy). Also watched jets land in the wind at Heathrow.** Best performer of those I saw was EgyptAir, who looked like they were in a dead calm. I shall never worry about my plane being buffeted on a mildly breezy day again.
* Ironed to the men's biathlon. Farewell, biathlon, it was a good Games. Plus now I have fresh pillowcases.
* Cut out some of a new lino cut print design to various other bits of Olympics. I keep forgetting how hard I find it on my shoulders at the moment, but I like the design.
* Made the venison ragout part of Tom Kitchin's venison ragout lasagne. I should love to have it in lasagne form, which I have looked at in the recipe book in my parents' kitchen and salivated over, but that's just a bit too much effort for me at the moment. The deconstructed version certainly smells like it will be delicious with papardelle.
Plus receiving a supermarket delivery and cleaning half the bathroom. Not bad going really. And I still have the weekend to go.
* I could wish I had read it without having seen the TV series, for such moments as "hang on, third person POV, have you just skipped blithely over our protagonist doing a little light grave-robbing?" and wondering how on earth things were going to work out.
** I am now imagining the MJN Air version of this...
The great thing about a Day Off is that it is extra, with no feeling of obligation or trying to fit things in. So today I have:
* Got up late. This was very nice, especially as having been woken by some warm nights I had taken Nytol to make sure I slept better and thus slept until 8'clock albeit with some really weird dreams. I read some of the commercially published translation of the novel of The Untamed/Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. Reader, as a book it is pretty fun*, but as a translation it is dreadful, and I can tell that without speaking a word of Chinese. But more on that another post.
* Got up eventually to watch the women's mass start biathlon race. I'm not as big a biathlon fan as a cross-country ski one, but it is unquestionably a sport that reaches its peak at major championships when the panic sets in on the shooting range.
* Moved the car to take its chances with roof tiles rather than tree branches on account of Storm Eunice (it is fine, as is everything here but someone's dull bush. But it was very, very windy). Also watched jets land in the wind at Heathrow.** Best performer of those I saw was EgyptAir, who looked like they were in a dead calm. I shall never worry about my plane being buffeted on a mildly breezy day again.
* Ironed to the men's biathlon. Farewell, biathlon, it was a good Games. Plus now I have fresh pillowcases.
* Cut out some of a new lino cut print design to various other bits of Olympics. I keep forgetting how hard I find it on my shoulders at the moment, but I like the design.
* Made the venison ragout part of Tom Kitchin's venison ragout lasagne. I should love to have it in lasagne form, which I have looked at in the recipe book in my parents' kitchen and salivated over, but that's just a bit too much effort for me at the moment. The deconstructed version certainly smells like it will be delicious with papardelle.
Plus receiving a supermarket delivery and cleaning half the bathroom. Not bad going really. And I still have the weekend to go.
* I could wish I had read it without having seen the TV series, for such moments as "hang on, third person POV, have you just skipped blithely over our protagonist doing a little light grave-robbing?" and wondering how on earth things were going to work out.
** I am now imagining the MJN Air version of this...
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Olympics week 1 round-up
Sport, very good. Everything else, mixed. Heavy snow today at least gives a rather more attractive setting, and hopefully will improve the air quality that has been visibly declining over the alpine venue. It doesn't sound a huge amount of fun for the competitors for various reasons, particularly the ones who got Covid, who don't need locking in a hospital cell with entirely inadequate food, but something more akin to a student hall of residence room with room for an exercise bike for the asymptomatic, and food including such radical concepts as fruit and vegetables.
( Cut for thoughts on various events, and doping )
Nineveh's rules of men's figure skating costumes:
- wear all black-grey costume, docked 20 points
- wear black/white costume, docked 15 points
- black with black sequins/crystals, docked 10 points
- skaters with a polychrome history may apply for an exemption for no more than one monochrome costume every 3 years
- monochrome costume that is genuine cosplay (e.g. Keegan Messing Chaplin routine) may apply for an exemption, on condition that the routine contains appropriate mime/dance elements. Exemption available for short or free programme only.
- exceptions automatic for Star Wars cosplay with lightsaber choreography.
TL:DR I do not watch figure skating to watch people in school uniform. I'm all for men who prefer a style that does reflect traditional men's clothing if they want to - see Keegan Messing - as long as it is part of the performance and not there primarily aimed at conveying the message "I am the most masculine man, not at all gay". Look, I'm just not a big fan of Nathan Chen, in case you couldn't tell. Dressing as Jesus in order to perform a routine to 'Jesus Christ Superstar' complete with 40 lashes (thanks to![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
antisoppist for telling me that's what the counting + whipcracks was) - bit weird, but at least distinctive.
All I ask for cross-country ski clothing, and it is a small enough request, is not to be able to see the colour and preferred style of their pants through it. I don't need to know that woman prefers a pink bikini brief, or that man something that otherwise went out of fashion in 1970s. (The most important part of men's pants/suits in cross-country is of course that they are windproof at the front.)
Now onto week 2!
( Cut for thoughts on various events, and doping )
Nineveh's rules of men's figure skating costumes:
- wear all black-grey costume, docked 20 points
- wear black/white costume, docked 15 points
- black with black sequins/crystals, docked 10 points
- skaters with a polychrome history may apply for an exemption for no more than one monochrome costume every 3 years
- monochrome costume that is genuine cosplay (e.g. Keegan Messing Chaplin routine) may apply for an exemption, on condition that the routine contains appropriate mime/dance elements. Exemption available for short or free programme only.
- exceptions automatic for Star Wars cosplay with lightsaber choreography.
TL:DR I do not watch figure skating to watch people in school uniform. I'm all for men who prefer a style that does reflect traditional men's clothing if they want to - see Keegan Messing - as long as it is part of the performance and not there primarily aimed at conveying the message "I am the most masculine man, not at all gay". Look, I'm just not a big fan of Nathan Chen, in case you couldn't tell. Dressing as Jesus in order to perform a routine to 'Jesus Christ Superstar' complete with 40 lashes (thanks to
antisoppist for telling me that's what the counting + whipcracks was) - bit weird, but at least distinctive.All I ask for cross-country ski clothing, and it is a small enough request, is not to be able to see the colour and preferred style of their pants through it. I don't need to know that woman prefers a pink bikini brief, or that man something that otherwise went out of fashion in 1970s. (The most important part of men's pants/suits in cross-country is of course that they are windproof at the front.)
Now onto week 2!
Winter Olympics - the non-sporty side
The Winter Olympics kicked off officially yesterday with a very low-key opening ceremony that was presumably the only way they could avoid any references to the pandemic whatsoever, except for their being no audience. It did rather make me wonder what the point of having Zhang Yimou direct it was.So the Olympics are in Beijing, which technically makes it the first city to host both the summer and winter games, though given the distances to the mountain venues that honour might as well go to Munich for the 1936 Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. All the reasons that Beijing was a terrible choice I listed in this post still apply, likewise this article. Except now we're in the aforementioned global pandemic and most important of all, human rights abuses are even worse than what was known in 2015, with the Xinjiang internment camps and other aspects of the Uyghur genocide. As some article I read said, if you can't draw the line of mentioning politics when it comes to sport at genocide, where are you going to? And the pandemic is actually really helpful for the Chinese authorities, no wonder neither they nor the IOC didn't want to postpone, it's a convenient way to avoid issues like journalists asking questions or competitors or tourists talking to anyone who hasn't been carefully vetted.
Given all this it is hardly surprising that even winter sports fans are finding it hard to summon the usual enthusiasm. I'm watching anyway. A personal boycott would achieve precisely nothing, writing to the sponsors and the British Olympic Committee won't either, but I shall do it anyway. And give some money in better directions. On the evidence of the first couple of days, what's in store is some very good sport, bizarre visuals of skiing in a desert, and pretty much zero atmosphere. Though that was likely to be the case even without the pandemic for a lot of events. I shall enjoy a lot of the sport, but damn it, we could have had Oslo. Though Oslo is probably incredibly relieved we aren't having Oslo.
Given all this it is hardly surprising that even winter sports fans are finding it hard to summon the usual enthusiasm. I'm watching anyway. A personal boycott would achieve precisely nothing, writing to the sponsors and the British Olympic Committee won't either, but I shall do it anyway. And give some money in better directions. On the evidence of the first couple of days, what's in store is some very good sport, bizarre visuals of skiing in a desert, and pretty much zero atmosphere. Though that was likely to be the case even without the pandemic for a lot of events. I shall enjoy a lot of the sport, but damn it, we could have had Oslo. Though Oslo is probably incredibly relieved we aren't having Oslo.
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That was quite a tennis match!
I know very little about the technical side of tennis, but who cares? It's getting a ball over a net and between some white lines, and that's enough to follow the story of technical skill, tactical nous, and gritted teeth. Congratulations to Nadal, who is, extraordinary as it feels, only a year older than Djokovic.* The end of an era fast approaches, but even for the decidely casual fan, what an era it has been.
*All top sports people except clay pigeon shooters are now younger than I am, it feels strange.
*All top sports people except clay pigeon shooters are now younger than I am, it feels strange.
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Television: Uncool Runnings
Sometimes, there comes along a programme that seems almost literally made for you as a viewer, and in the run up to the 2022 Winter Olympics, The Olympic Draum (press release) is definitely the one for me. Having covered in recent years the Norwegian women's team, the Norwegian's men's team, and various individual famous Norwegians, NRK clearly felt the need for a fresh perspective in its run-up to the Olympics, and they found it. Seven 22-25 minute episodes following the UK cross-country ski team as they prepare for the Olympics, hampered only by their tiny budget*, wax technician being stuck in Sweden due to the pandemic, and of course the fact of being British. It looks like some lighthearted winter sporting fun.
The chances of this making it to UK media seem zero, so if you feel the urge to take a look, it is here, dialogue a mix of English and Norwegian.
*Here is the Norwegian team's world cup wax truck. The British have a multipurpose van.
The chances of this making it to UK media seem zero, so if you feel the urge to take a look, it is here, dialogue a mix of English and Norwegian.
*Here is the Norwegian team's world cup wax truck. The British have a multipurpose van.
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And there were there eleven/ten/eight/????? (European Super League)
I've been following the news story of the proposed European Super League with a lot of interest over the past 48 hours. I'm not a football fan - I watch the odd international semi-/final every few years while doing something else - but this isn't just a football story. It's a sports, cultural, and political story, and above all its a story about international capitalism, and it's absolutely fascinating. As well as deeply dispiriting. Gary Neville's excoriation of the proposals has been widely shared and for obvious reasons, because it is so very obvious that this is nothing about football as a sport and all about football as a commodity, about greed.
As of this evening, it looks things are starting to fall apart. Fan backlash is high, FIFA and UEFA seem serious about their threats. It looks like Chelsea and Manchester City are withdrawing, Barcelona saying that members would have to approve, rumours of phone calls abound. We'll see what happens. But even if these plans are thwarted, the issue won't end here, because without reform of the financial structures, the vulnerability remains, the overwhelming desire of the astronomically rich to get even richer.
*Zero surprise that the big German clubs took one look at this and backed away rapidly.
As of this evening, it looks things are starting to fall apart. Fan backlash is high, FIFA and UEFA seem serious about their threats. It looks like Chelsea and Manchester City are withdrawing, Barcelona saying that members would have to approve, rumours of phone calls abound. We'll see what happens. But even if these plans are thwarted, the issue won't end here, because without reform of the financial structures, the vulnerability remains, the overwhelming desire of the astronomically rich to get even richer.
*Zero surprise that the big German clubs took one look at this and backed away rapidly.
Possibly this is too much effort
I am supposed to be spending this weekend at antisoppist's. On account of being utterly exhausted and unable to face the train (plus a bit of coronavirus paranoia, nothing must keep me from skiing in a fortnight!), I am not. I am therefore trying to watch the crosscountry ski racing.
Eurosport only has 'ambient sound' streaming, with commentary on highlights this evening. NRK has worked out how to stop VPNs. I have even checked German Eurosport via VPN - also no commentary.
I am therefore watching the men's 50km cross-country race from Oslo in the manner in which some people watched Channel 4 - or now Sky - cricket, with the pictures on a muted TV and Test Match Special on the radio. Eurosport images, NRK sport radio on the computer. Oh yes, it is foggy there and the public has not been permitted in the stadium. Of course, I can actually understand only very little of the commentary, but at least it conveys the excitement. And I have got an app that gives standings at the time checkpoints. It sort of works, and accompanies the ironing.
It is lovely and sunny, so normally a walk would be a better alternative, but alas not today because I am attempting to rest as much as humanly possibly to try to get over this bug that has been a nuisance since January. Moral of the story, however inconvenient take the time off work the first time you are poorly.
ETA Too much effort. I'll watch the highlights and hopefully if it's a good race someone will put it on YouTube. Yesterday's women's race was brilliant.
antisoppist's. On account of being utterly exhausted and unable to face the train (plus a bit of coronavirus paranoia, nothing must keep me from skiing in a fortnight!), I am not. I am therefore trying to watch the crosscountry ski racing.Eurosport only has 'ambient sound' streaming, with commentary on highlights this evening. NRK has worked out how to stop VPNs. I have even checked German Eurosport via VPN - also no commentary.
I am therefore watching the men's 50km cross-country race from Oslo in the manner in which some people watched Channel 4 - or now Sky - cricket, with the pictures on a muted TV and Test Match Special on the radio. Eurosport images, NRK sport radio on the computer. Oh yes, it is foggy there and the public has not been permitted in the stadium. Of course, I can actually understand only very little of the commentary, but at least it conveys the excitement. And I have got an app that gives standings at the time checkpoints. It sort of works, and accompanies the ironing.
It is lovely and sunny, so normally a walk would be a better alternative, but alas not today because I am attempting to rest as much as humanly possibly to try to get over this bug that has been a nuisance since January. Moral of the story, however inconvenient take the time off work the first time you are poorly.
ETA Too much effort. I'll watch the highlights and hopefully if it's a good race someone will put it on YouTube. Yesterday's women's race was brilliant.
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Sport and eating disorders
I'm off from work for the third time this term with the same recurring flu-ey thing. I think the moral of this story is that I ought to have been off for a week properly the first time and got over it properly... Naturally I am therefore planning to go back to work tomorrow if at all possible.
I am trying to avoid using my eyes for anything requiring sustained focus as they and the surrounding muscles really need to rest, which saw me spend 45 minutes this morning listening to an interview with US cross-country skier (and Olympic gold medal winner) Jessica Diggins, talking about her experience of an eating disorder, which I thought might be of interest to some on my flist into sport.
The interview is here on NRK. Scroll down to the bottom video.
I'm cutting the next bit in which I comment on the interview even though there is absolutely nothing detailed or graphic in it. ( Read more... )
I am trying to avoid using my eyes for anything requiring sustained focus as they and the surrounding muscles really need to rest, which saw me spend 45 minutes this morning listening to an interview with US cross-country skier (and Olympic gold medal winner) Jessica Diggins, talking about her experience of an eating disorder, which I thought might be of interest to some on my flist into sport.
The interview is here on NRK. Scroll down to the bottom video.
I'm cutting the next bit in which I comment on the interview even though there is absolutely nothing detailed or graphic in it. ( Read more... )
Eat your heart out, Pheidippides!
Eliud Kipchoge has run a marathon distance in under two hours. It isn't an official world record because it doesn't meet the formal conditions*, but that isn't the important part. As with records of this type, the crucial thing is showing it can be done. Kipchoge is himself the world record holder, it will be interesting to see what this means for his own world record condition races in future.
To run 26 miles 385 yards in 1 hour, 59 minutes, 40 seconds. Bloody hell.
I haven't yet found a clip of the finishing strait with English commentary, so here's the last minute or so courtesy of NRK.
*The world record must be set in open competition. Also, official races don't include, among other things, a car projecting a laser beam at the road so you know what pace you need.
To run 26 miles 385 yards in 1 hour, 59 minutes, 40 seconds. Bloody hell.
I haven't yet found a clip of the finishing strait with English commentary, so here's the last minute or so courtesy of NRK.
*The world record must be set in open competition. Also, official races don't include, among other things, a car projecting a laser beam at the road so you know what pace you need.
Accidentally fell on a needle...
So on Tuesday the Eurosport commentators made a sarcastic comment about Johannes Dürr, Austrian skier, EPO doper, and accidental inspiration for my fic In the Studio having fallen on a needle. Yesterday Austrian police raided team hotels in Seefeld where the cross-country skiing world championships are being held and apparently literally caught one of the five skiers arrested with a needle in his arm for some good old-fashioned blood doping. I am Not Impressed (by the skiers. Evidently criminalising doping has worked out quite well for the Austrian police).
It's the cross-country world championships in Seefeld, which is providing the perfect relaxation for me after work during a week when I've been feeling a bit tired. Doping scandals aside, it's proving a great competition. Ridiculous weather, occasionally ridiculous courses, good crowds, and fabulous skiing with gripping races.
Oh yes, and ridiculous clothing, with the British competitors yesterday bringing what Clueless described as 'exploring the challenging world of bare midriffs' to the sunny tracks. Andrew Musgrave demonstrates below.
Not a ridiculous result, though; a pretty amazing 8th place. When it's 16C or whatever it was yesterday, it probably helps to have spent your teenage years skiing in slush.
It's the cross-country world championships in Seefeld, which is providing the perfect relaxation for me after work during a week when I've been feeling a bit tired. Doping scandals aside, it's proving a great competition. Ridiculous weather, occasionally ridiculous courses, good crowds, and fabulous skiing with gripping races.
Oh yes, and ridiculous clothing, with the British competitors yesterday bringing what Clueless described as 'exploring the challenging world of bare midriffs' to the sunny tracks. Andrew Musgrave demonstrates below.
Not a ridiculous result, though; a pretty amazing 8th place. When it's 16C or whatever it was yesterday, it probably helps to have spent your teenage years skiing in slush.
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Well that was an unexpected ending to a football match
Truly, this year is not as other years.
In other news, initial details of the Yuri on Ice film have been announced. Good news: it appears to be about young Victor! Bad news: no-one told them that Ice Adolescence is a utterly terrible title.
In other news, initial details of the Yuri on Ice film have been announced. Good news: it appears to be about young Victor! Bad news: no-one told them that Ice Adolescence is a utterly terrible title.
The queen has abdicated
To not particularly great surprise, Winter Olympics all time great, Marit Bjørgen has decided that it is time to hang up the ski boots. Not unexpected given that she is 38 and post-Olympics is a natural time for retirement, but still it is a bit weird. I went on my first skiing holiday in 2003, came home and found that Channel 4 then broadcast a couple of hours of cross-country skiing in the middle of the night. I was not an instant fan, which honour went to Bente Skari* for the remaining few weeks of the season, and noticed Bjørgen only in the next season, when Skari had retired and Bjørgen broke through to the top. But she has been there every since, with occasional pitfalls and one season on maternity leave, and it is going to be really weird to watch next year and know she won't be back.
Thanks, Marit, it's been a lot of fun.
*I have often liked the people who are at the top. And why not, they're good!
Thanks, Marit, it's been a lot of fun.
*I have often liked the people who are at the top. And why not, they're good!
The doping saga is dead, long live the doping saga
Jiffygate continues unresolved, perhaps forever. Chris Froome rides on, while inquiring minds ponder just how Team Sky intends to show he got those adverse findings though legit medical use. Pyeongchang is behind us, and the Commonwealth Games don't involve Russia, so the Sochi doping saga rattles on.
So kindly stepping in to prevent boredom over the summer come the Austrian police, who yesterday raided the offices of the International Biathlon Union, and today are working with the Norwegian authorities in an investigation involving the IBU president, 72 year old Anders Besseberg* and secretary general Nicole Resch. TL:DR, it's a corruption probe into the concealing of doping results of Russian competitors. The IBU appears to have been covering stuff up for years. Info in English here.
Alas, at this point I can't find the relevant article, but I seem to recall that two members of the CAS panel that decided that there was insufficient evidence to strip Sochi competitors of their medals, despite clear evidence of tampering were associated with, you guessed it, the IBU.
*He's been president since 1992, apparently, which tells you a lot about how this sort of thing happens in a number of sports. Maximum 10 year terms, for goodness sake!
So kindly stepping in to prevent boredom over the summer come the Austrian police, who yesterday raided the offices of the International Biathlon Union, and today are working with the Norwegian authorities in an investigation involving the IBU president, 72 year old Anders Besseberg* and secretary general Nicole Resch. TL:DR, it's a corruption probe into the concealing of doping results of Russian competitors. The IBU appears to have been covering stuff up for years. Info in English here.
Alas, at this point I can't find the relevant article, but I seem to recall that two members of the CAS panel that decided that there was insufficient evidence to strip Sochi competitors of their medals, despite clear evidence of tampering were associated with, you guessed it, the IBU.
*He's been president since 1992, apparently, which tells you a lot about how this sort of thing happens in a number of sports. Maximum 10 year terms, for goodness sake!
Third place counts as a sporting triumph!
At least it does in cross-country skiing. So congratulations to Andrew Musgrave for his bronze* in today's 15km time-trial in Italy. I'm wishing I'd got round to putting on my Olympic bets rather sooner. It's even made the the BBC!
Best of all, the UK team has finally dropped its mostly-white suit in face of a blue-toned one, so now the skiers are actually visible.
*Less than a second off second place. I would say "Oh, but the man behind had a later start and the splits, so he really got it", but the later starter was Maurice Magnificat who has such an excellent name I can't hold it against him.
Best of all, the UK team has finally dropped its mostly-white suit in face of a blue-toned one, so now the skiers are actually visible.
*Less than a second off second place. I would say "Oh, but the man behind had a later start and the splits, so he really got it", but the later starter was Maurice Magnificat who has such an excellent name I can't hold it against him.
This week in the Ministry of “Take back control”
British government policy on Brexit is being run from Ireland. That might be OK if it were being run from Dublin, where the Irish government appears to have a grasp of reality on the subject and would probably be a much better bet than the current lot. Unfortunately it is being run from Belfast, where Arlene Foster is demonstrating quite how much power a minor coalition party can wield in the right circumstances. I await developments with interest.
Meanwhile another contestant in the “Have they got a spine?” show, the IOC, receives this afternoon the latest report on Russian state-organised cheating at Sochi. News on their response will appear this evening. I think that the mostly likely outcome is some restriction of Russian participation in Pyeongchang in 2018, but it’s always possible that cowardice/bribery will win the day.
Finally, the English cricket team must be ruing their failure to bowl Australia out in their first innings. As I have said before, as a team they are capable of putting together a very good session. Unfortunately they appear incapable of putting several good sessions together in a row in order to win a match.
Meanwhile another contestant in the “Have they got a spine?” show, the IOC, receives this afternoon the latest report on Russian state-organised cheating at Sochi. News on their response will appear this evening. I think that the mostly likely outcome is some restriction of Russian participation in Pyeongchang in 2018, but it’s always possible that cowardice/bribery will win the day.
Finally, the English cricket team must be ruing their failure to bowl Australia out in their first innings. As I have said before, as a team they are capable of putting together a very good session. Unfortunately they appear incapable of putting several good sessions together in a row in order to win a match.
About bloody time: Olympic doping edition
After faffing around for what has seemed like eternity, the IOC has today announced the disqualification of two Russian cross-country skiers for doping at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, rendering them also unable to compete in the 2018 Olympics. This means that Russia loses the men's cross-country ski silver and the men's 50km gold medal. I'm particularly pleased because I argued for accepting the latter at the time when there was a lot of muttering about doping that in the English-language (i.e. mostly American and Canadian) cross-country press, on what really wasn't any evidence beyond general suspicion of the wrong people winning, and while I am very anti-doping, I don't think that bitching that your fave didn't get it generally helps the cause, especially when the victor is someone entirely credible*. If one side of good sportsmanship is not cheating, another side is not crying 'unfair' because the person/team you like had a bad day.
Which didn't mean that I had any particular interest in a Russian victory in itself, much as strong (clean) Russian team is good for the sport, and when increasing evidence of state-sponsored doping emerged, I got increasingly irritated at the sporting authorities seeming to do bugger all about it. Well, now they have, and I suspect that this won't be the last. I would actually like to see Russia disqualified entirely from the 2018 competition. Again, not because I am anti-Russian, but because I think that any nation that demonstrates the extent of state-sponsored doping in a competition, especially on home soil (snow) that seems to becoming apparent, should forfeit the right to take part. Would that cause some clean Russian competitors to suffer?** Yes, it would. But the fault would like with Russia (or another nation in this position) for making the action necessary. After all, it caused plenty of other people to suffer when cheating. And not just those who came 4th, 5th, and 6th. As soon as you get out of short sprints in lanes, the whole shape of a middle or long distance race is formed by the people in it. The victor wins not just in the home straight, but in how they are involved in shaped the preceding 700m - 49,900m. Without them you have an entirely different race. If victory in sport is to have any validity, there have to be limits on what you're allowed to do to win, and the sheer scale of organised corruption at Sochi is a line I am happy to draw. There's going to be more where this came from in the 100 days left to Pyeongchang, and I await the details of the judgement with interest. Now, if FIFA could just sort out their little problem with bribery, corruption, and plain stupidity concerning awarding the 2022 world cup to Qatar...
*Admittedly this moral high ground is made easier when your country's only competitor in the 50km came 53rd. But he was 4th in the 2017 World Championships, so there is hope yet!
**There are arguments both for and against allowing people who have been extensively tested outside the country to compete under a neutral flag.
Which didn't mean that I had any particular interest in a Russian victory in itself, much as strong (clean) Russian team is good for the sport, and when increasing evidence of state-sponsored doping emerged, I got increasingly irritated at the sporting authorities seeming to do bugger all about it. Well, now they have, and I suspect that this won't be the last. I would actually like to see Russia disqualified entirely from the 2018 competition. Again, not because I am anti-Russian, but because I think that any nation that demonstrates the extent of state-sponsored doping in a competition, especially on home soil (snow) that seems to becoming apparent, should forfeit the right to take part. Would that cause some clean Russian competitors to suffer?** Yes, it would. But the fault would like with Russia (or another nation in this position) for making the action necessary. After all, it caused plenty of other people to suffer when cheating. And not just those who came 4th, 5th, and 6th. As soon as you get out of short sprints in lanes, the whole shape of a middle or long distance race is formed by the people in it. The victor wins not just in the home straight, but in how they are involved in shaped the preceding 700m - 49,900m. Without them you have an entirely different race. If victory in sport is to have any validity, there have to be limits on what you're allowed to do to win, and the sheer scale of organised corruption at Sochi is a line I am happy to draw. There's going to be more where this came from in the 100 days left to Pyeongchang, and I await the details of the judgement with interest. Now, if FIFA could just sort out their little problem with bribery, corruption, and plain stupidity concerning awarding the 2022 world cup to Qatar...
*Admittedly this moral high ground is made easier when your country's only competitor in the 50km came 53rd. But he was 4th in the 2017 World Championships, so there is hope yet!
**There are arguments both for and against allowing people who have been extensively tested outside the country to compete under a neutral flag.
The best sports news of 2017
Edinburgh is going to host a ski race! Not until February 2020, but nonetheless, Edinburgh is going to host a cross-country world cup ski race. This aforementioned bid has been successful, and it's hosting the first stage of a tour that will then to go Sweden and Norway. As you can imagine, I am quite excited.
Unsurprisingly, there's not a lot of news on it in English, but I'm amused that translated press release includes my anticipated virtuous comment about getting more countries involved. It should be brilliant, I just hope it doesn't pour with rain. It wouldn't be a problem for the snow, but it would make spectating a lot less fun.
Unsurprisingly, there's not a lot of news on it in English, but I'm amused that translated press release includes my anticipated virtuous comment about getting more countries involved. It should be brilliant, I just hope it doesn't pour with rain. It wouldn't be a problem for the snow, but it would make spectating a lot less fun.