Games of the III Olympiad—RP thread
Capitalizt SLANI and Jasīʼyūn welcome the delegations arriving in Columbia, Unified Capitalizt States for the third summer Olympic Games. The forty-eight participating NOCs are:
- Ad’ihan (ADN)
- Allanea (ALL)
- An Blascaod Mór (ABM)
- The Archregimancy (ARC)
- Ariddian Isles (ARI)
- Asteran (KAS)
- Baranxtu, Cikoutimi, and Otea (BCO)
- Bears Armed (BRS)
- Bluth Corporation (BLU)
- Bulgislava (PRB)
- Cafundéu (CAF)
- Candelaria And Marquez (CAM)
- Capitalizt SLANI (COM)
- Coocoostan (COO)
- East Ying (EYS)
- Fujisawan Territories (FJT)
- Gerainia (GRN)
- Green Wombat (GWB)
- Illrawq (AIQ)
- Jasīʼyūn (JSY)
- Kanji Starter (KJS)
- Kelssek (KSK)
- Kenavt (KEN)
- Ketchupland (KET)
- Kosovoe (KOS)
- Krytenia (KRY)
- Kura-Pelland (KPL)
- Land de Wood (WOD)
- Landau Institute (LID)
- Maineiacs (MAI)
- Montgisard (MGI)
- Newmanistan (NEW)
- Nuevos Aires (NSA)
- Omigodtheykilledkenny (OMG)
- Prux (PRX)
- Qazox (QZX)
- Roumberre (RMB)
- San Adriano (SNA)
- Sarviats (SRS)
- Secristan (SEC)
- Sorthern Northland (SNO)
- Taeshan (TAE)
- Unified Beretania (UBT)
- Valanora (VAL)
- Wentland (WLD)
- West Pocono (WPC)
- Xalostia (XAL)
- Zwangzug (ZWZ)
Schedule
The opening ceremony will be on 2008–08–08; events will be held from 2008–08–09 to 2008–08–24. A schedule of events (193 KiB) is available, along with a list of events on each day.
Questions and problems
If you need to ask about something or think I have made a mistaek [sic], please use this thread (or the signup thread, if appropriate)—if you TG me, I may miss it.
Links
YES a mistake:
You don't have Prux (PRX) listed as a signed-up team.
My 3-letter intial is: Green wombat (GWB) and No it does not stand for George W. Bush.
ATHLETE PROFILES
She's a fighter
A fighter in more ways than one, the path leading to where Ahn Na-kon is today was by no means a clear one.
Ahn's family arrived in Kelssek in the middle of the winter of 1986 with $150 and a tenuous offer of work for her father when she was 6 years old. Standing on the docks in Kirkenes is one of her earliest memories.
"I was scared. Any kid who had just been plucked out of her home and travelled such a distance to this strange place would be."
Her father went to work at the same docks he'd arrived on. Her mother fretted about making the most of the small trickle of income to take care of the four Ahn children. Anything to do with education, however, became a top priority. They were pushed to do well in school, and it was in school that Na-kon discovered martial arts.
She remembers begging her parents for the money to enroll in the school's judo club.
"I felt that all the effort I put in to plead with them and the sacrifices they made, I owed it to them to put everything into it."
And look where it's led her: to her second appearance at the Olympics and the honour of carrying the Kelssek flag at the opening ceremony in Columbia next week. And although not a medal favorite, Ahn has been widely tipped as a potential dark horse in the event.
Explaining the decision, the Kelssek Olympic Committee said Ahn "embodied the Olympic spirit and the hopes and dreams that Kelssek represents." But Ahn says she never dared to dream of this.
"I'm just lucky to have gotten where I am. I count my blessings every day." she says.
"My father used to tell me, 'we're here because this country is where you can arrive with a little and it'll give you a lot', and I'm so privileged that I have got a lot from this country. In this small way I hope to pay it back."
Has it been 4 years already?
Last time out, Qazox managed to win 6 medals, 2 of each kind. The only returning teams the podium are the Women's football team and Men's doubles tennis. The cycling team, due to the lack of support from the QOC and the timing of the next Tour de Qazox (ooc: it will start soonish) will not return.
The early medal favorites for the Delegation are:
Women's Football (Made last 2 Olympic finals, 1 gold, 1 silver)
Women's Marathon (Kylie Wasnikski is 5th ranked runner in World)
Men's Baseball: (WBC 6 champions)
Men's Tennis (singles): Clinton Few (ranked 4th in World, not competing in Wilbury championships to consentrate on Olympics)
Women's Tennis (singles): Serena Paden (ranked 7th in the world)
Triathalon (men): Kurt Pound (2nd ranked triathlete in World)
Triathalon (women): Kathrine Turlington (6th ranked triathlete in World)
Cliff diving (men): Juan de Leon (Best cliff diver in world) Will also be Flag Bearer for Delegation.
If all of these favorites medal, that will give Qazox 9 medals, and the goal is 10 for these games (even though Cliff diving isn't a medal sport, we're counting it anyway). We'll see you in a week from Columbia, Unified Capitalizt States.
YES a mistake:
You don't have Prux (PRX) listed as a signed-up team.
Oops, your post didn’t look like a signup to me. Got it now.
My 3-letter intial is: Green wombat (GWB) and No it does not stand for George W. Bush.
Fixed.
IT’S TIME FOR THE OLYMPICS!
PINA brings you coverage.
Mélanie Dupré: “. . .And on to sport now. Well, the Olympics are drawing ever closer, and most of the Ariddian Isles’ delegation have arrived in Columbia. We join our reporter John Fieldman there live. Hello, John. So what can we expect for the upcoming Games?”
Fieldman: “Hi, Mélanie. Well, the UCS are used to hosting big events by now, so we can expect well-run, spectacular Games. As you know, the most recent Summer Olympics were in Querzakhi, and the last Winter Games were in Keto. Those were good Games for Ariddia, the hosts did well too, there were very few glitches, and everyone praised the UCS for a great success. So yes, I think everyone is very optimistic. The greatest sports event in the world is set to go, and everything’s in place for a smooth start.”
Dupré: “I can see behind you it’s raining, a bit.”
Fieldman: “Yes, just a little. But it’s warm, too, very warm, so a bit of rain now and then is quite welcome. The weather is good and holding. It seems there’s nothing here to spoil the party.”
Dupré: “Now, these Games are going to innovate by including more demonstration events than ever before. . .”
Fieldman: “Yes. Yes, that’s right. There’ll be ten demonstration sports, ten officially that is, and countries including Ariddia are expected to hold a few more unofficially on the side. Ariddia, uhm, has sent teams for blind football and amputee football, for example, and they’re here in Columbia now. They won’t be competing at the actual Olympics, but there are hopes for a side competition. And I’m told they’ll be marching in with Team Ariddian Isles during the opening ceremony.”
Dupré: “The list of the ten official demonstration sports is coming up on the screen now. Can you tell us about summer vigil fasting?”
Fieldman: “Yes, that’s an event proposed by the Monastic Olympic Committee of the Archregimancy. Basically what it is is, they put you in a hut on your own at the start of the Olympics, and they see if you can stay there until the end, with no food, and actually no water either. If you can’t stay that long, of course, you’re out. The winner is the person who’s still there at the end and has lost the greatest percentage of body weight. I talked earlier to, uh, Julian Singh, who’s one of Ariddia’s two representatives in that event, and he told me it’s the only Olympic sport that involves just sitting around doing nothing.” (smiles)
Dupré: “I can think of a lot that are less painful, though.”
Fieldman: “Yes.” (laughs)
Dupré: “There’ll also be events for athletes with disabilities?”
Fieldman: “Yes! Demonstration events. The C.O.A. is crowing a bit about this; they’ve been campaigning for a long time for the recognition of Paralympic sports, along with the C.P.A., and they’ve managed to gather support for two events. So there’ll be wheelchair fencing and wheelchair racing. For Ariddia we have Lounglath Sirivonghanh and Marie Bellegarde in fencing, and Sarah Rollins and Kevin Lowe in racing, and they’ll be up against some tough competitors, from half a dozen countries or more in each sport. So everyone’s very pleased about that. Also, Ariddia is entering athletes with disabilities into events for able-bodied athletes. Mélanie Sandré is back again in swimming, and Antoine Mercier will be there in the long jump. As a one-legged long-jumper he’s expecting, hopefully, a bit of publicity.”
Dupré: “Well that’s great, and we wish them all the best. But the Columbia Games will also introduce another novelty?”
Fieldman: “That’s right. The C.O.A. has been heaping praise on the organisers for opening up boxing to women, and synchronised swimming to men. For Ariddia we’ll have, uhm. . . We’ll have Aa Shey and Rosalin Gillen in boxing, and, uh, Jeremy Grover with Mustapha Kanu as the duet in synchronised swimming, for the men. And Grace Smith in women’s chess boxing. So there’s a lot of novelty to look forward to. Aa Shey, you may remember her. She tried to sign up for the first ever Summer Games, in Ashford, but she was turned down because boxing was only for men. Back then, the first call to abolish gender restrictions had come from the Capitalizt Olympic Committee, and Ariddia supported it. A bit of communist / capitalist cooperation there, and today all the sports are open to both genders, thanks to the Capitalizt hosts. Shey is good, actually, she’s very good. She’s one of Ariddia’s main gold medal hopes here in Columbia.”
Aa Shey is one of Ariddia’s strongest competitors.
Dupré: “Speaking of which, who else is there to watch out for from Ariddia? Or rather, I mean, from the Ariddian Isles?”
Fieldman: “Well, medal hopes. . . There’s quite a list. Ariddia won, uh, fourty-four medals in Querzakhi, including seventeen gold, so that’s the target to beat. We finished eighth on the medal table then, out of thirty-three countries, so that’s also the target to beat. Now, we’ve got Youssef Kassmba, in archery. Our only male archer. He won gold back in Ashford, with impressive style. He didn’t do so well in Querzakhi, he was knocked out in the third round, but he’s perfectly capable of winning gold again this time. He set the Olympic record in Ashford with 668 points, but that was smashed in Querzakhi, so he’ll have to do even better than that. He’s got a blog, you know, he’s got quite a few fans, and he says he’s ready. In training he hits 701 points. Whether or not that’ll be enough, we’ll see.
Someone you may not have heard of, in badminton, we have Jean-François Bornescu. He’s Ariddia’s top badminton player, these are his first Olympics, and there are high hopes for him too. Let’s say a gold medal wouldn’t be a huge surprise. Uh, in cycling, our best cyclists come from West Ariddia. Over there, you know, they have top training facilities. This is indoor cycling we’re talking about. Here in Ariddia we just haven’t got the facilities. So for West Ariddians, and of course everyone in the Ariddian Isles, the names to look out for are Andrew Hern and Angela Ellice. A telling sign is that they’ve got lots of sponsors back home, and as you know, in a capitalist country, the sponsors back the winners. So there are strong expectations there.
In diving, another name a lot of people may not have heard of is Ua Le. She’s from Ariddia, she’s 18, and she’s the top name in her sport in the Ariddian Isles. For the anecdote, she grew up in an Indigenous village, and she used to dive from trees into pools, natural pools I mean, a small lake, before she started proper training.
Then there are the big names of our athletes who are already famous. Christina Zhang is back in fencing, and that of course is great news. She was the Olympic champion in Ashford. In Querzakhi she lost her semi-final 14-15 to a fencer from Cafundéu, then lost the bronze medal match to Karen Fletcher of the UCS, which was a huge disappointment, but she’s capable of winning gold again.”
Dupré: “And I suppose the top two sports are judo and gymnastics?”
Fieldman: “Yes, absolutely. A lot of hopes resting there for Ariddia. Gymnastics and judo gave Ariddia seventeen medals in Ashford, and almost half of our fourty-four medals in Querzakhi, so they really are the Ariddian Isles’ specialist sports at the Olympics. Now, Vidic, Smithson and Mathisjen have retired, but most of our gymnastics champions are still there. The Golden Girls and, for the men, the Dream Team. If you’re Ariddian, then gymnastics has to be one of the Games’ highlights. Just as a reminder, in Ashford, the Golden Girls won gold in the team competition, with a really spectacular performance – one of the best moments in Ariddian Olympic history. They did the same again in Querzakhi, so now of course everyone wants them to do it three times running in Columbia. They’re the defending champions, and they’ll be tough for anyone to beat. The men, the Dream Team, did exactly the same in the team event: gold in Ashford, gold in Querzakhi. Jang, Gris, Andresen, Iu, Vaillant, Wal, Reed, Set, Mkrchyan, Mokhobo, Sis, Berthier. If anyone doesn’t know those names yet, the expectation is that they will soon. Abdel Andresen, by the way, will be Ariddia’s flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony. He’s won five Olympic medals, not to mention four Ylompic, and of course he’s back for more.”
Dupré: “And in judo?”
Fieldman: “In judo, some great names too. We’ve got At Suwil, Darren Foams, Joseph Kabir, Adam Jameson, Olivier Aleksanyan, plus Admina Mwakingwe and Julie Lanza for the ladies. . . They’ve all won medals before, and they’re all gold medal potential in Columbia.”
Gymnastics and Judo are two of Ariddia’s strongest sports, with several gold medals expected.
Fieldman: “One last name I should mention is Christian Mohamed. He’s from West Ariddia, and he’s an absolute star over there. Has lots of sponsors, appears in lots of adverts. . . He’s representing the Ariddian Isles in both table tennis and tennis, and I think he’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t win medals in both. He’s certainly got the talent to get onto the Olympic podium. Oh, and last but not least, we’ve got football. A double gold in the men’s and women’s competitions isn’t a guarantee, of course, but it’s not in the realm of fantasy either.”
Dupré: “So, as you said, a lot to look forward to. Now, I know other countries’ lists of athletes aren’t all finalised, but who are some of the big names to watch out for outside the Ariddian Isles?”
Fieldman: “Well, the list would be a very long one, so I’ll just pick a few. I’m sure a lot of Ariddians will be interested in the achievements of the Kelssek team. One of their stars is Mark Nicholas, and he’s going in the high jump, and in the long jump. I’d be surprised if he didn’t win at least one gold. Although he’ll have Jun Numajiri, from the Fujisawan Territories, to contend with in the high jump. They, Kelssek, have got Pierre Desjarlais in diving, and they’ve got some good swimmers, a strong weightlifter, uhm. . . Yes, one name we’ll all be hearing soon is Scott Wesbot, representing Kelssek in judo in the men’s 66kg. That’s Darren Foams’ category, and by most accounts Wesbot is a little bit stronger than Foams, so our chap is going to have a struggle on his hands as he goes for gold. Any Wesbot versus Foams match should be a highlight of the judo competition.
The Archregimancy is strong in the steeplecheese, which doesn’t worry us, because we aren’t expecting any medals there. Krytenia is sending a team to the Olympics for the first time, and they’ve got some very good names in athletics. And cycling, they’re very good there. Watch out for Medvedev, Voight, Valjavic, Artemescu, Beltran. . . all going against our West Ariddians, Hern and Ellice. There’ll be a Krytenia versus Ariddian Isles clash on the cycling tracks, and it really could go either way. Oh, and Krytenians are expected to reap most of the gold medals in rowing.
Uhm, let’s see, what else. . . The ESF will be one of Ariddia’s strongest opponents in the men’s football. So if they meet in the final we should have a fascinating match. The same goes for Nuevos Aires, and Kosovoe. Kura-Pelland has strong names in sailing. . . For the Republic of Kanji Starter, it’s athletics. . . Same for Ketchupland, and Secristan. From Candelaria And Marquez, look out for Yoon Sung-Young in judo, in the men’s 73kg category. He’s one of the main threats to spoil Joseph Kabir’s gold medal hopes – although the Secristanis will also pose a nasty challenge, to all our male judoka. In gymnastics, they, Candelaria And Marquez have got Jennifer Smith, who’s also a threat. Their strongest gold medal hope, though, is in a category that doesn’t bother us. That’s Hannah Wisnieski, in sailing. Maineiacs’ strong suit seems to be cycling. Zwangzug are putting their hopes in baseball. Newmanistan can be expecting to dominate tennis. Boxing will be all about Newmanistan against Bears Armed, with Secristan snatching a fair number of medals too. Secristan can also be expected to take medals in basketball and baseball. Equestrian will pit Secristan against Newmanistan, as will swimming.
From Bulgislavia, Joni Olescu in badminton will be aiming to be a thorn in Jean-François Bornescu’s side, and could snatch the gold from him. The Fujisawan Territories are very strong in women’s archery. It’s quite possible that they’ll win gold, silver and bronze in that event. Lo Jiang Li, from Unified Beretania, will be hoping to mess up those plans, and she’s quite capable of winning gold.
From Bears Armed, Rrorhb o Greenwood and Jorro Bigbear will be Kasmba’s most dangerous opponents. But one of the Bears’ strongest events will be weightlifting. Kenavt’s Connor da Vincho will be a danger to our Christian Mohamed in table tennis. Wentland has some very good canoeists, cyclists. . . and should be the Games’ major power in wrestling.
The worst news for Ariddia, overall, is that there are some very good gymnasts coming to Columbia from around the world. From Bulgislavia, keep an eye on Teadora Urnesco, Valentina Rianu, Elena Çaulinu and Nadia Silivus. From the Fujisawan Territories, watch for Doppo Iwasa, Tokurin Chi, Tamehi Chi, Ajitawa Yukatsuko and Kikiwa Koriko. From Unified Beretania, there’s Dannie Boyle, Anastasia Kostrikova, Courtney Daugherty, Chrystal Le, Katie Yang. . . Lots of excellent gymnasts from Newmanistan and Secristan, too. Which is all very bad news for Ariddian supporters, but should provide a truly fantastic show for all lovers of gymnastics.
Still, the big question is, what can we expect from the athletes competing on home ground? We still know nothing about team UCS. The host country is keeping the details of its team under wraps.”
Dupré: “All right, thank you, John. To round off this early coverage, how are the Ariddian athletes adapting to the UCS?”
Fieldman: “Some have been here before, but for others it can be quite a culture shock. The values, the way of life here are very different. Very foreign. That’s why they arrived early, to get used to it before they have to compete. Accomodation in the Olympic village is very good, though, as is the food. Most of them won’t be doing any sight-seeing until after the competition, so that dampens the culture shock a bit.”
Dupré: “John, thank you very much. That concludes our first glimpse at the upcoming Olympics. Over the coming days of course we’ll be bring you more coverage, along with profiles of athletes, and interviews. Now on to the rest of the news, and–”
From MSPN:
Welcome to our net/vidscreen simulcast coverage of the III Olympic Summer Games from here in Columbia, Unified Capitalizt States. Expectations are high for the team that won the most medals at the II Summer Games in Querzaki. Spirits are high in the Olympic village, and our athletes are prepared and focused. Some of the competitors to watch are Swimmer Sheila Mitchell, winner of 2 gold medals at Querzaki, our Diving team, led by gold medalists Nuo Mei and Shang Zibo, our Men's Baseball team, hoping to better their bronze medal from four years ago, and Badminton gold medalist brothers Vibol and Sopheap Parmansupol. We spoke to MOC President Luther Goran earlier and he said he was "very confident" of our team's chances. Sheila Mitchell said in an interview that she was "proud and thrilled" to be carrying the Tie-dyed Flag at the Opening Ceremonies. Also worth watching this year are several demonstration sports making their first appearance at these games, including gridiron football, for which our team is made up of some of the finest players in the MFL, Wheelchair Racing and Wheelchair Fencing, Cliff Diving, and one of the most unusual events this reporter has encountered: Summer Vigil Fasting, an event based on an Orthodox religious ritual where the object will be to lose the most weight without losing consciousness. The event was proposed by the team from the Archregimancy, so we can count on the return of MOCTA spokesman Fr. Vasily the Heavily-Accented (as well as the re-emergence of the popular "Is Outrage!" t-shirts). MSPN hopes to convince the recalcitrant Vasily into giving an interview. We did speak to our entrant in the event, Spiros Mantakis, a seminary student from the Boston area. "This will be a way for me to simultaneously show my devotion to my calling and to bring glory to my team and my nation." said Mantakis. We wish him, and all our competitors well.
OOC: I will be moving soon, so I will be missing some events around the 15th (give or take). I hope to be back before the end.
Our Empire would like to join, Massvic (Msv)
Like most communist states Bulgislavia had a harsh sporting system where children as young as 3 were assigned a sport and taken to special academies to practice thier sports for up to 16 hours a day and are only able to see thier family 2 times a year. Gymnastics was a high priority for Bulgislavia and this Olympics was expected to be the best the small stalinist regime wanted
Teadora Urnesco
Valentina Rianu
Elena Çaulinu
Nadia Silivus
Were the best gymnasts in Bulgislavia. the oldest being 19 the youngest being 14.
In the Litharisa Gym in the eastern city of Craasi some party members, Comrade Leader Ion Milencu and his wife Irena Milencu were sitting watching a performance
There were 4 balance beams all parrallel to each other. The four girls were standing at the end of each of the four beams ready to mount. It was a pre-olympics performance for the great leadership to view.
They all mounted the beams in unisen and did the exact same robot perfection on the balance beam. magnificent manouvers, flips, splits and handstands, contorting themselves on the beam insync with eachother.
Then they all did a perfect dismount in unison. After this the party leadership watching stood to thier feet and began clapping in unison.
The four girls then gave a communist salute to Ion and Irena and then approached then where they got to shake thier hands and
Ion then spoke
"As a proud Bulgislavian I an very looking foward to seeing our athletes perform at this Olympics with our fine athletes representing our nation well!"
The hall then again began clapping in unison.......
For more information on the Bulgislavian Sporting system
../548259/index.html&highlight=Bulgislavia
OOC: Roumberre signed up, too, with the three-letter code RMB. I'll get their list of entries posted either today or Monday.
(Sorry about the delay: I've [a] got relatives visiting town, & concentrated on getting Bears Armed's entries sorted out first...)
My nation was also overlooked. West Pocono. (Not "east" please, we only post as this because of the jolt bug).
I do intend on having a delegation signed up by the cutoff time.
COLIN CHILLIAD - WATER POLO
August 2, 2008
We checked into our digs at the athletes' village today after a hell of a flight during which the pilot seemed intent on finding every bit of turbulence he could subject us to. The camaraderie is really exciting and I'm looking forward to some great times in the downtime we can steal between training sessions and all. There's my teammates, of course, but I made a lot of friends last year in Querzakhi who are also back this year and it'll be fun to get together again.
We're going for our first training session tomorrow evening, our coach told us to work off the jet lag. He suggested keeping awake until a decent bedtime with coffee. I usually slamclick when I go on trips like this but I'll give it a try - not like my usual method works so great anyway. Hence why I'm here typing away while my head screams at me to go to bed already.
Of course the pressure is on us to defend the gold now. Kura-Pelland seem like our strongest challengers, and of course our old friends and neighbours Coocoostan, but I'm confident we can retain the gold. There aren't a whole lot of teams out there this time, too, but no one is expecting winning Olympic gold to be easy - especially doing it twice in a row.
OLYMPICS PREVIEW in the Daily Kangaroo
--------------------------------------
Kura-Pelland have sent an impressive delegation of well over 300 athletes to the Colombia Olympics, and are targeting a minimum of 13 gold medals and 37 medals in total from them.
Perhaps the most high-profile medal contender is Tim Aorangi, who will be going for gold in both the 5,000m and 10,000m. His sprint finish is seen as a particular attribute, and in an otherwise weak track and field team, huge hopes are placed on him. Other potential track stars include Dominic Belletti in the 400m hurdles, Mandee Fischer in the 100m and 200m, Melinda Tolksteen in the 100m hurdles and Keith Walsh in the 400m, but they are outside medal contenders at best, and even less hope surrounds the field athletes, only shotputter Denise Muller a remotely serious contender.
After their World Cup semi-final appearance, hopes will be high for an Olympic team led by Norbert Fiero, who was a standout player in Daehanjeiguk, but competition is set to be fierce. The womens' team, led by the photogenic and by implication high-profile Laura Cottee, are also outside medal contenders.
But the gold rush is likely to come from sailing, taekwondo, synchronised swimming and weightlifting. In particular, womens' weightlifting is very strong - pardon the pun - in Kura-Pelland, with hopes high for Krista Halford, Mary-Ann Spektor, Jo Durham, Fiona Donn, Tanya Clinton and Ann McCain. In fact, all twelve competitors are expected to pick up a medal of some colour. The men are expected to do almost as well, with the 62kg and 69kg categories filled by two world-class lifters - Barry Omagh and Scott Smith in the 62kg, Scott Dixon and Bill Oakley at 69kg.
But it's the women who've gained the attention, mostly because of the 'unfeminine' nature of what they do. Halford - who competes in the 48kg class and stands at a petite 1.55m - has appeared on national television on several occasions recently to attempt to set the record straight. She pointed out that the Kura-Pelland Association of Weightlifting (K-PAW) refuse to enter competitors to the unlimited male and female weight categories, believing these are the most at risk of doping offences. She also spoke at length on 'the pink weight paranoia', the fear of women lifting heavy weights. 'I'm still tiny, even though I'm capable of lifting double my bodyweight. And the other girls on the team aren't that different.' With the incidence of eating disorders rising massively in Kura-Pelland, the government are taking action, and they have praised Halford, who is seen as a hugely positive role model.
Interestingly, and by means of contrast, the entire female gymnastics team were withdrawn, although this only included five athletes anyway and none were seen as medal contenders. One of them, Kathy Orton, has had much-documented battles with anorexia. She is the same height as Halford, 1.55m. She weighs just 40kg. Two days after the Olympic withdrawal she was hospitalised for the second time this year. It is rumoured Kathy's parents pressured the Gymnastics Organisation of Kura-Pelland (GO K-P) into the withdrawal of their female competitors, leaving them with just three Olympians - rhythmic gymnast Stephen Court and two trampolinists, Thomas Lewis and Jamie Person. It is believed that at least part of the intention is to reduce media coverage of the gymnastics in Colombia, although the controversy surrounding the withdrawal has seemingly made that counter-productive.
Back to the other end of the body image controversy, hopes are high for super-heavyweight boxer Zoe Richardson. Read that again. Zoe's build could not contrast more with Halford or Orton - she stands 1.84m tall and weighs in at 101kg. 'In theory I'm near enough obese,' she says. 'But try calling me fat. You'll regret it.' She's certainly a powerful athlete and is one of the favourites in her division. Hopes are also high, incidentally, at the other end of the weight category, for the (1.51m, 45kg) light-flyweight Ellie Yan.
No body image controversies to deal with for the canoeists, just their competitors and the vagarities of the weather. 'The conditions in Colombia will definitely have an effect, and whoever adapts best will win,' claimed Oscar Ankovich, one of the favourites in the C-1 category over 500m and 1,000m. 'Especially in the slalom.' That's a field in which Sonny Mashton (mens' K-1), Jane Harrison (womens' C-1) and Christina Oatley (womens' K-1) are all medal contenders.
The weather conditions are certain to be critical in the sailing, but Hannah Paulsgrove - hot favourite for two-person dinghy gold in tandem with Gillian Wells, and set for an epic confrontation with the Candelariasian Hannah Wisnieski in the one-person event - is unpertubed. 'I know I can win regardless,' she claims. Ariddian sources see the sailors as the pick of the Kura-Pellandi delegation.
Similar optimism surrounds triathletes Bill Kingston and Idina Brightman, and the water polo teams are also favourites for gold. All eight members of the taekwondo squad - particularly Heath Clifton in the mens' 68kg class - are expected to gain medals. Finally, hopes are high for the synchronised swimmers, race walkers Keith Yaoragi and Alice Kinn, badminton players Darren Lindfield and Richard Vallier, and to a lesser extent for Mick Teyaratis in various swimming disciplines, most notably the 200m individual medley.
A Real Allanean Heroine
NRA.org.all news blog
Some people think real heroes can be only found in uniform – soldiers, police, firefighters, EMTs. Some people think that being a hero is something accessible only to some select few. But we at the National Rifle Association of Allanea believe anybody can be a hero. You just need a strong soul, and a determination to continue, to do your best – no matter what odds are arrayed against you.
Hitomi Palmer is an Allanean heroine. At age eight, Hitomi was caught in a freak car accident. Her uncle, who was driving, was killed on the spot, and Hitomi received a serious spinal injury and broke three ribs. Even though the surgeons at Heston-City Central Hospital managed to save her life, they believed the young girl would remain crippled for life, and certainly unable to succeed in sports.
They were wrong. Young Hitomi made a spectacular recovery. Within six months of the accident she started walking again. For her ninth birthday, her father bought her a .22 rifle of her own. At age 14th, Hitomi Palmer beat the odds – and the other competitors - in the Heston-City Olympic Rifle Championship for Girls.
From there, her progress was sure and speedy. By the age of nineteen, she has brought home multiple trophies and medals from competitions across Allanea – including the prestigious Junior Oaklie Cup. Now she is ready for what might turn out to be her crowning achievement – defense of the nation's flag at the Third Olympiads.
Young Miss Palmer's rifle is a custom-adjusted Stratosphere Six, produced by the Fitzsimmons Arms Company and modified for her at the Orville and Wilbur Gunsmithing House in Heston-City. We remind our readers that Miss Palmer is a Life Member of the National Rifle Association of Allanea.
Hit 'Em, Mel!
Boxing Illustrated Magazine
If any of you have been living in a cave for the last two years (instead of doing the right thing and keeping up your subscripon to Boxing Illustrated), the adorable lady in the picture is Melissa Wright, one of the rising stars of Allanea's boxing. Competing in the Bantamweight category, Melissa is quite possibly one of the most talented boxers in the Olympiad entire – and we're not just saying that because she endorsed our magazine. Nor is it because Melissa is steaming hot.
The fact, dear readers, is that outside of doing a series of photographs for the Men's Monthly (including a very daring one involving that magazine's junior graphics editor), appearing in a lingerie ad campaign and – again – being generally steaming hot and proud of it, Miss Wright also does some boxing.
Having come almost completely out of nowhere to triumph in the Roanoke Cup two years ago, Melissa has since picked up the Cute Bunny Burger Sponsorship and advanced to win the Allanean Square Cup – the nation's most prestigious award in boxing.
Now she's ready to kick some butt in the Olympics – and hopefully show us a glimpse of hers, too. It's quite a nice one, by the way.
The pool heats up
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2008 | SPORTS | by NIGEL THORNLEY
Jean-Andrè Gilcaux swims the backstroke at the Kelssek national championships, which doubled as Olympic trials.
Vernon Obikwelu. Larry Ferrin. Jozenna Nai. Bakomon Aro. Carrie Stefansson. And pretty much all of Newmanistan.
Names that are going to have Kelssek's swimmers looking left and right nervously on the starting blocks. Despite a dominating performance at the last Olympics in Querzakhi, Kelssek's largely-unchanged swimming team will know not to get overconfident as the pool gets more competitive than ever.
While no one contests that this could be the time for Phillipe Destry to make history with his bid for an unprecedented nine medals, and that the crowds at the swimming complex will be able to hum the Kelssek anthem by the end of the competition, no one is saying that it'll be easy. Not if the swimming teams put out by nations like Newmanistan, Krytenia, Secristan or the Fujisawan Territories have anything to say about it.
Try telling that to Kelssek's team, though. Particularly the Destry brothers. The elder Bernard, 23, is ready to give an earful to anyone who is writing off the success at Querzakhi as unrepeatable.
"More competititors just cranks up the motivation for me," Bernard insists. "It'll be great to watch. Everyone is going to be absolutely swimming their guts out."
Phillipe, meanwhile, is spurred on by the disappointing (by his standards, obviously) haul he took in Querzakhi. "I'm still learning and I'm still growing. To just improve, to show that I'm getting better, especially when everyone's saying it's going to be so hard, that's what I want to do."
Modest words from 21-year old Phillipe, while he takes ambitious actions. Remembered for the way he made a hyped-up contest between him and Romario Hadid in the 200m butterfly at Querzakhi into a no-contest, he wants more than to defend the three golds he won, he's angling to make history with nine events. Winning six medals would make him Kelssek's most-decorated athlete along with Jessica Langton. Winning nine would be unprecedented.
Ah, and don't think we've forgotten the women's team. Jessica Langton was on the podium at every event she swam. She doesn't expect any less of herself at Columbia.
"Obviously I've set high expectations for myself. Honestly, though, when I see how tough the field is for the guys, I take my hat off to them." she says. Asked if she can surpass her previous haul, she winks and says, "Why on earth not?"
The one major change to the team could have some impact, however. Jean Boisvert's retirement has left the team without his calm, experienced, level-headed presence. The mantle of leadership has fallen to Brent Fowles, who is unfazed by the task ahead.
Asked if he thinks it likely the team will surpass its last performance, scooping up 9 golds, 7 silvers and 6 bronzes, Fowles is quick to emphasise that it's not about how many medals the swimmers pick up.
"The Olympics is not about that and it should never be. Some like to think of it as a national pride thing and some nations go to really sad extremes to train Olympic champions, but that's all wrong. This is all about the power of sport to bring people together and we can wave flags around and sing anthems, but in the end it's about the ideals of fairness and friendly competition, it's about people coming together regardless of nation."
Pocono City, Newmanistan- In a few short days, the Empire’s greatest athletes will be heading to the Unified Capitalizt States to participate in the third Olympiad. We’d venture to imagine that every kid growing up has, at some point, dreamed of representing their nation, realizing Olympic glory, and then standing there on the podium as your flag rises to the top, centering two others, with your national anthem being played. For most of us, this is just a dream. But for a select few, it is indeed a reality. Soon, they will be wearing the sky blue and white with pride and competing against the best athletes in the world. Many of the nations we have some familiarity with, either in competing against them in some tournament, or just being in the same competition as them before. Others are countries completely new to us, so we are eager to see their best in action, while at the same time, give them a glimpse of Newmanistanian pride.
There are many events, and the Empire has sent the maximum number of delegates to Columbia. Let’s take a look at each event and diagnose what we feel are Newmanistan’s chances:
Athletics- Men’s- Track Events: Here, we expect to show some speed, with John Van Allen in the 200 meters being our best chance at a gold medal. Van Allen, however, is participating in a handful of other events, and he could make some noise in the 100 meters as well. It’s possible that you’ll see Newmanistan represented in the some of the final races, but this isn’t exactly where we are expecting to boost our medal count. No, we didn’t forget to enter anyone in the 50k Walk, or however long it is. We’re still trying to comprehend how walking is a sport.
Athletics- Men’s- Field Events: It’s no secret that these events are not popular in the Empire. We have entrants, but if any of them win any kind of medal, it would be an upset.
Athletics- Women’s Track Events: Bring on the golds!! Ok, so maybe we’re getting a little too excited, but the fact is that Newmanistan absolutely must be considered one of the biggest threats for gold in these events. Michelle Rancourt, Brittany M. Wright (believe it or not the Bluth Corporation also has a Brittany Wright in the same events!), and Danielle Giles all have the potential to win gold, and could even sweep the podium in an event. Then when it comes to them in the relays, they have to be considered one of the favorites. In any case, these events will receive some of the highest ratings throughout the Empire.
Athletics- Women’s Field Events: As with the men, when these events are going on, watch another sport.
Badminton- Well, we have some people who are “ok”, so Newmanistan will probably see players make it out of the first round, and perhaps the second. However, don’t look for much more then that. Maybe Janelle Rogers and Susan Carpenter can sneak away a doubles medal.
Baseball- Newmanistan expects to be one of the biggest contenders for gold, in both genders. It;s not arrogance, but as we showed in World Baseball Classic 7 as a first time entrant that made it all the way to the final, we know how to play this game and play it real well. On the diamond, therefore, anything other then a medal winning performance will be a disappointment, with gold hoped for. Especially on the women’s side.
Basketball- Well, we got to the final of the International Basketball Championships, did we not? Obviously that means nothing here, but our group of fearless three point shooters are ready to try and take care of unfinished business and pick up a gold medal. As is the case with baseball, anything that doesn’t end up in a medal will be considered underachievement.
Boxing- Here, depending on gender and weight class, the Empire hopes to pick up medals. Many talented boxers are entered and many of them could have the ability to bring home a medal. The biggest favorites look to be Brian Gallows, Kevin Scott, and Andrew Payne on the men’s side along with Lauren Courtney, Ashley Nicholson, and Shannon Marshall on the women’s side. After them, we have even more potential to medal. This is seen as one of our better events.
Canoeing- Some people entered because they begged the Newmanistan Olympic Committee. And the NOC had a few spots left. Unless you’re related to them, skip this events. You may want to skip them even if you are related.
Cycling- Recently, cycling in Newmanistan has picked up. We may remember way back when we participated in our regional Olympiad that we were bringing up the rear more often then not. But gradually, we have seen improvement on the bikes. 29-year old Michelle Patrick is responsible for the rise in popularity in the sport, and she could even get us something that four years ago may have seen unheard of. A cycling gold!
Diving- We have people entered. But the only diving they’ll be doing is down the leaderboard.
Equestrian- Equine sports have always been big in Newmanistan, and it’s not a surprise that we are one of the top threats to win, with our One Big Island neighbors from Secristan likely our biggest threats. Let’s face it, the breeding in the Empire is superior to most, and that’s what these events come down too. The riders are well experienced and composed and ready to demonstrate to the world what we have known for years.
Fencing- Somewhat of a surprise given that this sport isn’t as unpopular in the Empire as it may appear by the athletes being sent over. Perhaps an increasing in funding is needed to make Newmanistan respectable with swords.
Field Hockey- If it’s hockey, and it’s not on ice, we don’t care. Though we have teams in it anyway.
Gymnastics- So, what’s this I hear about Ariddia? They have experienced Olympic success before, but that came without Newmanistan entered. Now, with our athletes set to clash in Columbia, the fans will see a great show, without a doubt. In its regional Olympiad, Newmanistan swept the podium in several events, so our athletes are coming here with a ton of confidence. This is moreso the women then the men, but even the men have a shot. They have seen what Ariddia has done in the Olympics before from a long distance, and are now very excited to go head to head with them. We don’t know what athletes will win, but in the end, the biggest winners will be the fans of the sport.
Handball- It’s not that popular, which is a pity, because every time it is on, it always seems to capture a lot of attention. We could have a shot. Watch at least one game.
Judo- Maybe a few first round victories, but not much else.
Modern Pentathlon- Maybe if someone gets really, really lucky.
Rowing- Next?
Sailing- Given that we’re a coastal nation, shouldn’t we have been better in this? Oh well.
Shooting- Newmanistanian athletes won’t be amongst the top contenders, but they may be in firing range of the lead on the last days of each event. Tara Kelly gives us an outstanding shot to medal in the Women’s trap, double trap, and skeet. On the men’s side, Tom Parsons and Brian Dawe, who are also each policemen, have a chance as well.
Swimming- We love swimming, can’t you tell? The list of talented athletes in which we are sending to Columbia in all of these events is very impressive, and we expect to win several medals. There is not any event in which we feel that we are weak in. Furthermore, swimmer Jennifer Conlin is someone who could pick up as many as nine medals, which would be an impressive individual feat. Jennifer is one of Newmanistan’s flag bearers as well during the opening ceremony. Be sure to watch every swimming event.
Synch. Swimming- This never really caught on in Newmanistan.
Table Tennis- Maybe Tom McHale can get a few breaks. But anything here is very doubtful.
Taekwondo- Not gonna happen. Hideki Yokoshima may win a match, though.
Tennis- We expect to contend, on both the men and women’s side. We are best in singles play, and look to get at least one medal, if not more, out of it.
Triathlon- Our athlete’s will probably be somewhere in the middle of the pack.
Volleyball- The indoor teams expect to have a good showing, but the competition here looks to pretty good, so you never really know. And then of course, you have the always popular beach volleyball, in which Brittany Phillips and Katie McAllister look for some redemption after a somewhat disappointing showing in the Qazoxian Sports Festival. Michelle Clausen and Courtney Larson also have something to prove, as in, that they should have been the two that went to Qazox!
Water Polo- Perhaps both teams will be a threat in the later stages and make noise for a medal, but one should not be expected.
Weightlifting- The fact is, our strongest men play other sports, leaving the exclusive weightlifters very subpar in comparison to their peers.
Wrestling- Maybe a first or second round victory for most of our athletes, but don’t expect much else. If they are drawn against a bear, by the way, they’ll likely lose earlier.
Demonstration Sports:
American Football- Who’s the host of World Bowl I & II again? We don’t see Dancougar or Arroza entered, so maybe we have a shot at gold!
Bocce- I hear we have people entered.
Chess Boxing- Yes, we do in this too.
Cliff Diving- Michael Driver and Ashley Davies could have a shot here folks. Ashley performs better when drunk, by the way.
Croquet- Oh boy, croquet....
Lacrosse- We are the best in the world!!! Alright, well, we think we are anyway.
Summer Vigil Fasting- This is anyone’s guess. But we believe in our representation!
Tug of War- Nothing like a good ol’ fashioned tug of war, is there? Hey, we might have a shot.
Wheelchair Fencing- They will probably do better then our regular fencers.
Wheelchair Racing- Didn’t have a lot of people come forward to enter.
McOwen named Ad’ihani flag-bearer
The National Olympic Committee for the Ad’ihani Islands (Comité national olympique pour les îles ad’ihanais; COIA) today confirmed that Ad’ihan's sole women's tennis representative, Martina McOwen, will be the Ad’ihani flag-bearer at the opening ceremony for the upcoming Games in Columbia, Unified Capitalizt States.
As Ad’ihan will be the first nation to march in unless another nation with a name alphabetically preceeding Ad’ihan enters a delegation, McOwen will become the first woman flag-bearer to lead out the parade of nations in the history of the NS Olympics.
McOwen, 24, from Dalinn, Barrier Island, is taking part in the women's singles in tennis, one of just eight individuals from the islands who will be representing Ad’ihan in Columbia. Four teams of 20 to 23 — men's baseball, men's field hockey, women's softball and men's water polo — are also making the journey to Columbia in Ad’ihan's colours of green, navy, and sky blue.
COIA has also announced the appointment of national football team manager Luke Evans as the chef-de-mission for the delegation, despite there not being an Ad’ihani entry in association football and the fact that Evans, who is a naturalised Ad’ihani, was not born in the islands.
Evans said he had already met with the eight individuals representing Ad’ihan in sixteen events, and told reporters he expected to meet with each of the four other teams before leaving for Columbia. "Our target, for our first Games, is to win five medals. It doesn't matter what colour the medals are," he added.
Meanwhile, there has been minor controversy after COIA confirmed that Ad’ihan's four athletics representatives — Julian Crowley, Michael Riley, Dani Thomas and Julia Damon — would not be staying in the Olympic Village. The Chief of Media Communications at COIA, Ernest Plenty, suggested that the athletes would be better served in their preparations "by staying in Ad’ihan and flying out only for their events, staying in hotels while in Columbia." They will, however, be present at the Opening Ceremony, he confirmed.
You forgot me, I signed up for Association Football [Soccer] at the last minute, my 3 letter abreviation is EYS, and here is my Football [Soccer] team:
------------------------------
East Yingonite National Football (Soccer) Team. [Using a PSTI of 1-100 [[Player Skill Totaled Index]] In order of First choice to last choice in each category
------------------
Tactical Postion 3-4-3
----------------------------------------------
Goal Keepers:
#1, Gog Ming: 90
#23, Horace Copt: 88 [Sub
#42, Joa Ming: 85 [Sub]
#78, Sing-Sing Jong 85 [Sub]
#97, Ko Ming-Yang [RES] 80
#67, Shogun Losim [RES] 78
.........................................................
Defenders:
#9, Hing Faulk: 89 [Center Defense]
#12, Joshua Kahn: 88 [Right Defense]
#14, Ko Ming Shau: 88 [Left Defense]
#59, Longau Sip 88 [Sub]
#76, Hong Mii 79 [Sub]
#89 Shogun Loshimin 69 [Sub]
........................................................
Midfielders:
#10[Star of the Team]***Hang Zike-Tau**** 93 [Center attacking Mid]
#11 Sang Long: 87 [Right Winger Mid]
#13 Shogun Heee: 85 [Left Winger Mid]
#19 Hing Hing 89 Center Defending Mid
#15 Benzema arim 79 [RES]
#16 Long Shin 78 [RES]
........................................................
Attackers
#20 Alling Mo 86 [Left Striker]
#99 Hosh Mig 87 [Right Striker]
#8 Gigi Monk 88 [Center Mid-Forward] (On the same 'line' as Zike-Tau, so kindof a mid, but still has very short defensive runs, unlike Zike Tau)
Hoji Mishibuu 84 [Sub]
.....................................................................................................................
So We have on Defense:
A strong Goalie, but semi-strong defense that can easily be broken down by a strong offense. Midfield runs extensive Defensive runs to the back to take part of stopping the ball. Goalie is weak under enormous pressure, and usually breaks "the brick wall" on the last penalty kick. With morally shifting defensive wingers, it is easy to make a run on the sides, if midfielders havent already covered them. With Weak Sides, during defensive runs, midfielders focus on closing the gap between the players and the touch line. Zike-Tau makes a defensive run into the penalty area. A trustworthy old salt of the trade, is East Ying's own defensive sub, Longau Sip. He has been playing for East Ying's teams since he was 6. He is usually put on as a winger and sometimes as a CMFD, which he was born to play. He is called the safety man for his tendancy to make amazing plays when East Ying is down by more than two. A shifty figure is Ko Ming Shau, who is inconsistent, but because of his amazing ability to get the ball and 'magically' get it upfield, he has been added to the main lineup. Although unliked by everyone in the proffesional circles, he still makes a wonderful adition to the team chemistry. Joshua Kahn is a player added to the sawuad for a reason, he can tackle. Although usually never passing, he charges forward and doesnt stop, which usually means a throwin for East Ying somewhere on the other team's half. His ability to charge makes him a good player, but he has been in and out of the squad due to his inconsistency to perform under pressure. His spot in the Olympic squad was granted by the coach, who thought that this tournament would improve is playing.
So We have on Mid:
After amazing scouting over the nation by top class recruiters, Zeke-Tau was uncovered playing in a U16 Soccer tournemant in the slum city of Hag-Ki. He was immeadiately recruited to an early addition to the East Ying team. Although mocked by profesional players at the time, he turned the crowd against his mockers after scoring 125 goals in his second season for his club. Immeadiately after that, as captain of East Ying, he took East Ying to World Cup glory in its 2nd participation, and after a harsh battle against Pac Italia for the next world cup, lost and went to the Consselation match, where Zeke-Tau immeadiatly scored 2 goals, and with the help of attackers, scored 2 more, winning the game for East Ying. Amazingly, Zeke-Tau turned 18 3 months ago, making himself the youngest player to be the captain of East Ying. Although consistently upset about his position as midfield, he stills scores over 120 goals a season, and most recently scored 2/3 of the goals for his club, Fonhitau FC. He his considered the best player in the world as of the moment, and has the highest ranking for any player in East Ying. He is a crucial element to the attacking, and scores an average of a goal a game. He alone is the icon of the Yingonite Team. Then as Center Defending mid, we have a fast moving new recruit who is being upgraded to Center Midfield for the olympics specificly to tag along with Zeke-Tau, who is extremely fond of playing with noneother than; Hing Hing. Although ranked 89, he is ranked by most people as 85. His glorification as Zeke's twin has pushed him up to 89. Being the same age as Zeke-Tau, the often chat and like to move the ball up together, passing and dribbling. On Wings, players are semi strong, and mostly sit around in the corners waiting for the ball so they can cross, which Zeke-Tau finds quite handy. They are the best kept secret of the Yingonite team, and although maybe the worst, they are quite impressive with their ability to move up and down the pitch and to intercept passes and crosses. Their ability to pass and cross also makes them vital to offensive runs. The midfield acting like a brick wall, defenders have been recruited weak and made strong, because of the fact the midfield is and will always be the heart and strength of the Yingonite team.
On Attackers:
The heart of the team morale comes from someone not usually referenced as an attacker... Gigi Monk. His ability to cheer on the team makes him 2nd in line to be the captain. His ability to work with the plans of other players also makes him a real player on the field. His passing and heading is weak, yet he continues to practice, and although 23, still has 18 year old perfection in him. Before Zeke, he was the star of the team, and although now nullified by rising stars on the team, he continues to perform, although what he gives is not what most board directors want to see. The Coach and manager continue to push for his spot in the Olypmics, which is guaranteed almost. The forwards are always shooting, although not on target. Most of the time, their goals are assist. The striking power of the strikers is completely horrid. As soon as they get the ball, they stride into the penalty area and shoot it wide, completely ignoring Monk, Zeke-Tau and Hing Hing, who beg for the ball in great shooting positions. Our sources predict that Monk will be put as Center Striker, instead of what he is now.
(Gigi Monk is Center Attacker, and two 20 year olds, Hojo Mong and Liland Mose have been added to the right and left wing attackers, Mong has a PSTI of 89 and Mose has PSTI of 85, although he has a better foot for striking, and has better finishing, but lacks in the ability to move quickly.
GIGI MONK WILL BE THE FLAG BEARER DURING THE CEREMONY.
If need be that i need to sign up for more events, it will be tennis, cycling and Pole Vault, and track and field