Games of the VII Olympiad - RP Thread

[Euskirribakondara]

Olympic Report # 1, from the Euskirribakondaran Olympic Committee (EOK)

How can the world overlook at one's glory....
But always pointing at the little failures?
How can an athlete stand the purgatory....
And still be able to all these things endure?

Being an sportsman is a hard job
But it is my heart's pot of gold.

Unofficial Oath of the EOK
By Ardán Tel-Haghayram

The people of Euskirribakondara is very excited with the success of her athletes in the recent nine days of the competition in Emberton. The Euskirribakondaran Olympic Committee is proud to present the report of the Euskirribakondaran medalists so far:

Day 1
Afternoon
Mikel Erentxe - Swimming - Men's 400m Freestyle


Day 2
Morning
Binda Txabes - Cycling - Women's Road Race


Day 3
Morning
Jana Bengalkoroak - Shooting - Women's Skeet
Afternoon
Mikel Erentxe - Swimming - Men's 200m Freestyle
Sargis Beldegarrián - Weightlifting - Men's 69Kg


Day 4
Afternoon
Euskirribakondara - Gymnastics - Women's Artistic Team
Kafa Bisantiareni - Weightlifting - Men's 77Kg


Day 5
Afternoon
Balena Lopez - Gymnastics - Women's Artistic All-Around

Day 6
Morning
Euskirribakondara - Equestrian - Team Dressage
Afternoon
Jana Bengalkoroak - Shooting - Women's Trap

Day 8
Afternoon
Mauro Dajalkoés - Gymnastics - Men's Floor

Day 9
Morning
Manoel Rosero - Cycling - Men's Omnium
Afternoon
Euskirribakondara - Fencing - Men's Team Foil
Ninda Selobastekean - Wrestling - Women's 55Kg Greco-Roman
Relke Österinget - Wrestling - Women's 72Kg Greco-Roman

3 Gold Medalists
6 Silver Medalists
6 Bronze Medalists

15 Medalists, total.

With these results, the Euskirribakondaran Olympic Committee is believing that their goal of getting 26 medals like last time, is something achievable. One way or another, the EOK will keep getting more funds from the government as all the sportsmen are earning very good results overall. The Harrika (King) Dago I has established that commemorating the day 9 in which Euskirribakondara won 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronzes; the 5th of August will be remembered nationally as the Olympic Day. And commemorating the two gold medals earned in the day 6, the 2nd of each month will be an sports day throughout the nation.

---

Did you know that....

* 2,500 jobs were created for the locals with the celebration of these games?

* The Euskirribakondaran Hockey Team got lost in Monthuez, where French is spoken as a regional language, because of a fight between a girl who spoke a quebecois-like french, and another one with a french-like french?

* New Cefn was the venue for the Euskirribakondaran Women's Football Team getting their first chant in Welsh?

* The EOK requested games documentation in the thirteen official languages of the nation?...... Thus, they received 100,000 packages of documentations; each one in each one of the thirteen languages. A whole new forest outside Aranes is being grown, to counterpart the great amount of paper used in this products.

[Krytenia]

Insert witty cutoff related comment here.

[Qazox]

THE GAMES OF
THE SEVENTH OLYMPIAD
EMBERTON, KRYTENIA

Schedule of events/Rosters

Welcome to QBC, I'm Michelle Coten, and joining me is Gary Cullen for this evening edition of OlympicsToday Live! of Day 18 of the Olympic Games here in Emberton. Let's start with the track once again:

Men's 200m quarterfinals:
8 Jesse Lewis (QZX)                20.72

Gary: In Men's boxing action, "Sugar" Shane Orton defeated Aaron Hutchins (SSO) 9-4 to advance to the semifinals, clinching at worst a bronze medal; while in the light welterweight division quarterfinals, David Abberito lost to Bryan Brown (LEN) 7-11. In the quarterfinals of the Super heavyweight class, Alex "Thunder" Manos beat Michaut Uturriaga (ASG) 9-8, clinching another medal for Qazox.

Michelle: On the tennis court, David Cain fell short of winning double medals, losing to Novak Dlouhý (THA) 4-6 6-7 (9-11) in the men's singles quarterfinals; while in Men's doubles the team of David Cain and Joanthon Nolan rallied to beat A Saber / K Towne (SSO) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the semifinals.

Gary: In Volleyball, the men's indoor team completed an 0-4 record with a 4 set loss to Lost to Euskirribakondara (EUS) 26-24, 7-25, 21-25, 22-25. Finally on the beach, the pair of Denise and Deanna Fulcroix beat M Patrick / G Pryce (MGD) 21-13, 21-9.

Michelle: Tune in tommorrow at 12:00pm QST for morning and afternoon coverage of Olympics Live! hosted by Eddie Valmers. And tune in every weeknight at 11:40pm QST, the late-night 20 minute recap to be hosted by Carla Montross.

[Ko-oren]

Men's 200 m

Seles Astl and Kil Mun have been eliminated from the Men's 200 m yesterday, after a very promising qualifying round. In the Quarter Final, Astl came in 5th where the top 4 would continue to the Semis, by just 0.01 second, and Kil Mun became 7th out of 8, where 0.02 less would tie him with the fourth. Seles Astl would have been with the top 4 in all other three heats of the Quarter Finals, making this an especially sore defeat for him.

Badminton - Women's Doubles

Daden and Ashtak played in the very first of the Quarter Finals in Women's Doubles Badminton, and beat Wilkinson and Robertson 2-1. They first won the set 21-17, then giving one up 18-21, but they returned fantastically 21-14! They will face either Alexander/Wolfe, Soyara/Ireland, who both won their QFs using only two sets, or Collingwood/Nicholson.

Men's Basketball

The Group Phase has come to an end in Men's Basketball. Where Ko-oren qualified yesterday, the rest of the groups ended today to decide which team would face which in the Round of 16. Ko-oren will face the winners of Group 10, who interestingly turned out to be Darmen. Biggest winners in Groups 9-16 are Mapletish, with 2 wins and +69 PD.

Men's Handball

The Group Phase of Handball has too come to an end like Basketball, though Ko-oren still had to play on the last day in Group 9. The result did not matter either way, as Kytler Peninsulae already won their first two matches, giving them 2-0-0 and therefore the group victory. Ko-oren won the remaining match against Cosumar anyway, giving them 3 points and at least not an unsatisfactory end to the Olympics.

Women's Hockey

And it does not end for the team sports this day: Women's Hockey also reached the end of the Group Phase. Ko-oren, in Group 4, played Akbarabad and won 1-8, ensuring 6 points and edging out over Cyborg Holland and Akbarabad. In the next round, North Europa will be the opponent. Biggest victory of the day was not for the Greenblues though, as Kosovoe beat Liventia 0-9.

Women's Beach Volleyball

The Polatro duo has played their way to a second place in the group in Group 14, at the end of the Group Phase. Though because Lorenzo/Cameron were unstoppable (12 points, versus 9 for Polatro/Polatro), they will represent the group in the Round of Sixteen. Only one would qualify as there were 16 groups. In the final match of the Group Phase, Polatro/Polatro only needed 2 sets to beat Greenia/Thomas.

Men's Water Polo

The Group Phase almost came to an end as the group of 5 teams has seen four match rounds. One left to decide who'll qualify. Though one certainty: it will not be Ko-oren. Euskirribakondara was victorious in the latest match, 13-8, and Ko-oren is in last place 0-0-3.

Round Up

Ko-oren now still has 2 silver medals, placing them exactly 50th in the table. While still over FSSO, they at least have got 6 bronze medals. Krytenia, in first, has 19 gold, 11 silver and 8 bronze. The gap has become smaller, as Polar Islandstates have 12-3-10. Cafundeu is the only other team to reach 10 gold: 10-4-4. Kelssek, Liventia, Carpathia and Ruthenia, Vekaiyu, Shofercia, Ferkas and Cassadaigua complete the top-10.

[Adihan]

Olympic hero announces semi-retirement

Emberton, KRYTENIA— Ad’ihani six-time Olympic champion Jérôme Taric has stunned the nation after announcing his retirement from involvement in most summer Olympic sports, just hours after winning a shock track cycling gold medal.

Taric, who is just 25 but has competed in three Summer Olympics, said he took the decision to withdraw from the summer Olympic programme run by the National Olympic Committee for the Ad’ihani Islands (COIA) following discussions with COIA boss Kenneth Hounslow.

"I have been extremely lucky to have been able to participate in so many different sports and try so many new things with the COIA's blessing," Taric told the post-event press conference.

Taric says he will turn his focus to excelling in his two Winter Olympic sports of biathlon and speed skating, each of them sports in which he has won two Olympic golds.

"Over the course of three Summer Olympic Games I have been extremely lucky, I have won six medals including two golds and set countless firsts, and this is something I will always be very grateful to the Comité for.

"However, my busy summer Olympic schedule at each Games I go to will only end up meaning I will have to retire from all sport early.

"Therefore, after speaking to Ken Hounslow, we've agreed that I should withdraw from the summer Olympic programme at COIA. Racewalking, canoeing, cycling, and triathlon are all immensely physical sports and not something I can afford to give so much of my time for.

"Ken has persuaded me to still be involved with the shooting programme, and I have agreed to do so, as I will be able to get my shooting training in with my biathlon training. I have won four shooting medals at the Summer Olympics and it would be difficult for me to give that up."

The COIA confirmed Taric's comments in a short statement paying tribute to his "tireless workmanship and attitude to be the best sportsman Ad’ihan has ever produced", adding that Taric has been asked—without response to date—to consider adding short track speed skating to his winter Olympic repertoire, as he would be able to train for that at the same time as his long track events.

[Cyborg Holland]

Things look brighter as four medals are secured

By Daivd Landzaat, Chief Sports correspondent, Emberton, Krytenia.

The sun was shining on the sailing lake as the Women's One Oerson Dinghy medal race got under way, with Katya Gann of Cyborg Holland leading the pack. She battled fierce competition and a harsh cross breeze to complete the course in the third quickest time, securing six points, but it was better than 2nd placed Chelsea Armstrong of The Arcadian Islands, who scored 8 points, and 3rd Sofia Platavel of Shofreica, who scored twelve.

For the third time these games Die Landë Buër played from the speakers, and a Cyborg Dutch athlete stood atop the podium, adorned with their gold medal.

In weightlifting, a very odd and un-notable sport, which Cyborg Holland have never been very successful in, until now, Rudolph Bellener scored a silver medal in the heaviest category, the 105+ kg event. He scored 428kgs which was an Olympic record when he scored it. Beating the of Sterling Cunningham of the Kytler Peninsula, but was blown away by Phillipe Quintal of Liventia who broke the OR by 10kgs

In Boxing, Cyborg Holland secured two bronze medals, at least, with Mary Christeansen, the Olympic Champion in The Women's Lightweight event winning her quarter final comprehensively 10-2 against Brianne Landers of Qazox. Azhar Khan won his quarter final bout against Christopher Ramón of ... 10-6, but still looked comfortable. They will both be looking (and are very capable) to score a gold medal in thier respective events.

In the Men's 200m, David Udo, 100m finalist in the Lasft Games, qualified for the Semi-Finals of his event, narrowly, by coming 4th in his race, clocking a time of 20.36, 14 milliseconds of the pace, set by Bahrrfred Bahrr of Bahrenland. He must look to improve on this greatly if he is to have any chance of a final berth

[Tedoka]

Broadcastress: Cairistìona de Rege
Reporters on Site: Maninder Sokolowski and Jaka Maoilseachlainn
Language: English, Latin

Cairistìona: Good evening ladies and gentlemen! This is Sports Daily, in its Emberton Games coverage And now we turn over toour reporters: Manny Sokolowski and Jaka Maoilseachlainn...

Maninder: Good evening to everyone!

Jaka: Tedoka added two bronze medals to its collection following the third place rankings of Vugar Statham and the Civil Guard Inquisitor Hákon Winter in the 400-meter sprint and the three positions 50-meter rifle event.

Maninder: We almost got a third that was squashed by the defeat of wrestler Dion Nervetti at the hands of his foe from Mantwenic. Vivienne Auttenberg placed ninth in the 3-kilometer steeplechase finals, way out of reach of any medal. Cafundéulese Lívia Vicente won the gold with an olympic record-breaking time of 8:57.53.

Jaka: Our men's handball team failed to qualify in the third matchday after being defeated by the Cowardly Pacifists, who will advance to the next round.

Maninder: And the highly-anticipated fencing trio of Reventón, Touché, and Lamperouge crashed and burned after losing to the gold medalist team from the Polar Island States. The competition in this event is really cutthroat, and leaves no room for error.

Jaka: But despite this, another good news comes from the jumping equestrian event, as Théoden King and Othmar Schwenke will advance to the finals, ranking ninth and 23^rd, respectively.

Maninder: That is all for the Olympic news today. Tomorrow in Day 11, Tedokans will compete in the Athletics and the last fencing event of the games. For more news, visit embertongames.kt and follow us on Twitter. Reporting from Emberton, Krytenia, Manny Sokolowski...

Jaka: ... and Jaka Maoilseachlainn, for TVT Sports!

[Ferkas]

Fervink Strikes Big as Athletics Fails to Impress

Published In: National Sporting Review

Sean Fervink saved this afternoons athletics session, winning big in the Men's 400 meter to offset an otherwise lackluster series of results. Fervink, the 2011 Ferkian National Champion and 2008 Collegiate Champion, posted a fairly substantial margin as he stormed his way onto the top of the podium in the longest sprinting event. His final time of 43.72 easily bested the runner up, Haritz Santxes (EUS), who would complete the single circuit in 43.97. The bronze medal was secured for Vugar Statham, whose time of 44.06 was even further ahead of the rest of the pack.

Fervink started strong, running in third place down the back stretch as the race quickly seperated. It became clear that the gold would come from either Fervink, Santxes, or Statham, pending a disaster. Heading into the turn on the back stretch the three athletes had a noticeable gap on the rest of the field, and that is where Fervink struck hard and broke free. Pulling into the home straight Fervink had pulled about a step ahead of the other two, much to the delight of the Ferkian fans who were already on their feet. With fifty meters left it was all over except for the shouting, Fervink would lean at the line out of instinct and earn his first international medal. His performance marked the third time that the crowds in Emberton were treated to our fifteen minute long national anthem, something which seems to confuse or even irritate some foreigners.

Afterwards Fervink was ecstatic, saying that: "This is huge. Really, it is. I know it probably sounds cliche, but this is the biggest thing thats ever happened to me. Winning here, at the Olympics, its a dream come true. I just knew, with those last few steps, that I had it, and all I could feel was joy and excitement. I can't wait to celebrate, take some time off, then get back to training even harder. Next time I'm here, I want that record too."

Elsewhere on the track the performances were far less noteworthy, the crowds would stay seated. Donovan Lemens finished last in his Quarter-Final for the Men's 200m, more than a tenth of a second outside of qualifying. After the race Lemens would storm through the media zone without giving any comments. He apologized later and sent the following message to our office in Emberton.

"I would like to apologize for my failure to stop and comment after my race. I hope it can be understood, that was very hard on me emotionally. You spend so much time preparing for this one shot. You make your way through the heats and you feel excited for your chances. Then...it just doesn't go right, and the next thing you know its all over. I'm saddened about how this has all turned out for me."

Lemens wouldn't be the only Ferkian who was saddened by their results. Brenda Murdo failed to advance from her Semi-Final of the Women's 400m hurdle, a result which she described as "devestating...emotional heavy and painful, something I never want to have happen again." She then vowed that "...next time, it will be different. If I reach this level again the training will be different, the preparation will be there. I won't let myself get here again just to fail."

Although she made the final for her event, Lily Potter very likely feels the same way. In fact, she might feel worse. Potter had reached the final of the Women's 3000m Steeplechase, and was seen as a hope to remedy the lack of female distance medals. The pressure was high, a medal in the iconic event would cement her place in Ferkian athletics legend and set her career for life. It obviously wasn't to be though, she struggled throughout before finally finishing last in the field of twenty. Crossing the line four seconds behind the second to last runner, Potter was already in tears. She too left without comment at the media area, although her coach did offer that she "hasn't been feeling well as of late...struggling with an unknown stomach issue that has really been detrimental to her final preparations for the event." It doesn't change the result though, and it seems with every passing day that for some reason our women can't repeat the performances of their male counterparts.

Football Continues Unprecedented Streak

Optimistic Fans Hurry to Purchase Tickets

Published In: National Sporting Review

Going into these Olympic Games, no foreign media would have paid much attention to the team sport entrants in the Ferkian delegation. Why should they have? After all, the Chancellery Kingdom has never been active on the global stage, not for those sports. Our teams have never been sent to international competition, they have never even taken part in a simple match against a foreign nation. In fact, we had no national teams for those sports until about six weeks before the Games. We had never needed one, but boy had we wanted one.

The desire for internationally competitive team sports has been growing for years. During the 5th Olympics, the first in which Ferkian athletes took part, many in the public hoped to see some sort of team event be lined up. It wasn't to be, a mini crisis within the Athletics federation highlighted the Ferkian participation, as did a famous declaration from the then Minister of Sport that the Kingdom, then the Republic, would never been sending teams to the Games, just individual athletes. But with the regime change came administrative change, and the new administration in the Ministry of Sport was far more opened minded to the idea. Nothing would happen for the 6th Olympic Games, an attempt was made to put together teams for Men's and Women's Football, but the funding wasn't lined up in time.

So it was with no history, and little fanfare, that the assorted Ferkian teams arrived in Emberton. Chief among them was Men's Football, filled with the very best talent to be found in the Kingdom. Young and dynamic players were brought together from club teams across the nation, united under an experienced coach and given top notch national facilities to train in. But still, how could they hope to compete? They lacked the most important ingredient, experience. Surely that would limit them, prevent them from really reaching a competitive stage in such a major international competition. After all, they would have to go up against teams with proud international traditions, powerhouse teams that routinely particpate in the World Cup and host friendlies against all sorts of nations throughout the year. That sort of experience would have to hold back the team, they would need more time.

Or maybe not. It's been an impressive run so far, a run which started with a series of wins in the Group Stage. Still though, winning the group stage doesn't mean that the other teams notice. The idea might be that its just the group stage, it may very well be filled with sub par teams, potentially allowing for a mediocre at best team to earn an advancement. One has to wonder if that's what the foreign press was thinking when they decided to ignore the results.

The Round of 16 would be the real test then. The team was already impressed just to have made it that far, where they were slotted to go up against Inis na Dun, a nation which few had heard of before the match was announced. It was a strong showing for the Ferkian team, a dominating 2-0 victory that filled the hearts and minds of fans with hopes and dreams. They would advance again, this time to the Quarter Finals, where they would be matched up against Mantwenic.

That match was today, and was the most highly anticipated non-Athletics event ever in Ferkas. Figures from various television sources indicate that viewership of the match, showing live on several channels, was among the highest for any event in these Olympics. Hubaab al-Sanwir gave the viewers what they wanted, and didn't make them wait too long for it. In the seventeenth minute he powered off a deadly shot, accurate and quick, into the upper left corner of the net. The crowd went wild, it was the sort of performance that put thousands on their feet. Not wanting to be outdone by a midfielder, Ian Ulrich would later step up, netting a point of his own in the 72nd minute with a beautiful header. The cross was set up by Mirsab al-Sanwir and the two were expectantly celebratory as the board lit up, showing 2-0 and favoring their side. As the match pulled on other channels would even interrupt their scheduled programming, allowing the whole nation to watch as the final minutes ticked off. The team would advance yet again.

A 2-0 win in the Quarter Finals means that the team, the team which had never before competed internationally, was among the four best in the tournament. In the Olympic tournament, likely second only to the World Cup in terms of prestige. It is a powerful statement for the young team, advancing well beyond the level that any would have expected. But what will they do now? Can they win their Semi-Final match, making the Olympic final and securing a medal of some color? Such an event would likely drive this Kingdom to the brink of fanaticism. Or will they flame out in the next round, still leaving behind them a trail of unexpected victory?

News in Brief

Hopeful Canaday Wins Semi-Final

National Sporting Review, Online Edition

Our office in Emberton is reporting that Kyle Canaday has won his Semi-Final heat for the Men's C1 1000m Canoe event by a comfortable margin. Canaday, the outspoken statesmen of Ferkian canoeing, performed fantastically to win his heat by a margin of about one and a quarter seconds. This was after finishing just second in the previous heat, a result which had worried some analysts.

Canaday has become highly popular as of late, part of a hard to explain uptick in interest in canoeing and kayaking in the Ferkian homeland. The sports, typically on the fringes, have been thrust into the public mind over the last few months. Some experts credit Canaday and his manager, Liam Gurge, who have spearheaded an expansive underground marketing campaign. Their stunt of canoeing through a series of storm ditches in Coventry gained national press, as did the surprise canoe races held in the Port of Turgen, which many suspect were organized by Canaday and Gurge. Canaday has also been highly outspoken, having appeared on more than a dozen different television programs and twelve different radio shows since being named to the Olympic team. It seems that the competitor has taken it upon himself to bring canoeing to the front of the public mind.

When asked about this after the race Canaday was excited, saying that: "Of course I'm glad to see the sport grow like this. I consider it part of my job, as an athlete, to increase the recognition for the sport. Its a great event, with a proud history and tons of potential which I think isn't being tapped into back home. Hopefully this will all help motivate more people to give it a go, either competing on their own or persuading them to come watch some competitions back home."

[Todd McCloud]

Xa Ikari 'Surprisingly' Wins Silver
Reporting for V3 News Services, Rin Slakori

EMBERTON - It was no less than two years ago that Vekaiyun athletes attempted the 3000m Steeplechase event for both men and women. After dismal performances in both events, many began to wonder if Vekaiyuns were aware of what Steeplechases consisted of. Even Vekaiyun citizens jokingly quipped it's participants must have ran to the nearest church rather than finish the race, believing the name of the race was a literal sense. With respect to that, equestrian events in Vekaiyu had been fairly foreign - outdated and ill-funded equestrian events have annually finished well below Olympic average. Especially since the Steeplechase event was derived from the equestrian equivalent, there was little hope Vekaiyuns would catch on.

Xa Ikari was one such athlete. Finishing no higher than 50th in her first years of competition, this year she managed to take third place in the heats, and second overall, beating some seventy-two other athletes in the process. The dramatic turn-around was most definitely unanticipated by the Vekaiyun populace at home, but not to Ikari, a devote Vekaiyun nationalist.

"I'm thankful for my time," she told V3 News Reporters after her event. "May this be a testament to Vekaiyuns and non-humans everywhere. We can be down, way down, but definitely not out. We are indeed the strength of The East Pacific realm, and deserve the spoils of the Listonian territories." It's not the first time Ikari has decided to speak with respect to the Listonian crises, both current and past. In 2010, she openly suggested that Vekaiyu search for young budding military commanders in Listonia because "they have seen the Vekaiyun arsenal first-hand." Her comments were quickly dismissed due to the performance of her fellow chasers.

"It's nonsensical to think Vekaiyu should just leave Listonia alone," she proclaimed. "The two nations would do better under Vekaiyun rule. Listonia's economy is heavily based on agriculture, while ours is more geared toward technology and manufacturing. Our army is in Listonia right now, even. No army would dare kick it out, for we are far too strong. We should just absorb it and ignore those who object."

Perhaps Ikari was alluding to her own performances, as she and her comrades had to endure being the receiving end of ridicule. Now with a silver medal, she will no doubt look forward to improving upon it in the Eighth Summer Games.

Like Ikari, Isii Sileveri looks to only get better, but has a much limited ceiling. Having won gold in the Women's Flyweight title last year in Lasft, she seems potentially poised to defend it after an impressive win against the strong Kelsey Clement from Cassadaigua. She was able to make quick work of the fighter, taking the win with an impressive 8-2 score. She has but two more opponents to beat before she can say her defense of the gold was a successful one.

In synchronized swimming, the combined efforts of Ankya Nilu and Ikrisia Sibaki have done well with their routines thus far, qualifying for the final round. They have finished well above average in both events, but look to step up their game for the final round. "We were saddened the men's teams couldn't make it to Krytenia," Nilu told V3 reporters. "But that's what a strict quota will do to you. We're playing for both them and us."

V3 will continue to put out reports as the Olympics continue.

[Krytenia]

The German for eleven is "elf". Does that mean Valanora will win a clutch of medals?

Only one way to know. CUTOFF!!!

[Lymantatia]

Journal-LTN2, July 12 2012
In table tennis, M Dawson / N Dawson / I White qualified for the Women's Team quarterfinals.

[Qazox]

THE GAMES OF
THE SEVENTH OLYMPIAD
EMBERTON, KRYTENIA

Schedule of events/Rosters

Welcome to QBC, I'm Michelle Coten, and joining me is Gary Cullen for this evening edition of OlympicsToday Live! of Day 19 of the Olympic Games here in Emberton. Let's start with the track once again:

Men's 110m Hurdles qualifying:
14 Bryan Daniels (QZX)             13.44  Qualified for semifinals
74 Harold Oldmen (QZX)             13.62
104 Juan Ortega (QZX)               13.94

Men's Triple Jump qualifying:
16 Nathaniel Caulder (QZX)        16.71      X  17.13    17.13
23 Mark Glenn (QZX)               15.36  16.98  16.50    16.98

Women's 200m qualifying:
52 Gertrude Wright (QZX)           23.38
57 Andrea Artimisa (QZX)           23.45
58 Shona Glanville (QZX)           23.47

Women's 5000m qualifying:
13 Jo Ryan (QZX)                             15:03.56  Qualified for final
37 Barria Kiper (QZX)                        15:21.70
64 Jaycee Cabrera (QZX)                      15:46.22

Women's Javelin qualifying:
30 Jolene Flatt (QZX)           49.61  51.97  55.62    55.62
56 Harriet Pagan (QZX)          51.95  51.68  52.10    52.10

Women's long jump qualifying:
37 Travia Kolacos (QZX)                X   6.43   5.25     6.43
59 Kelly Ethier (QZX)               6.32   5.96      X     6.32

Gary: In other action: Andrea Conpilous (14.675) finished 7th in Women's individual Balance Beam. Severe thunderstorms have racked the Ashton area, causing power outages, dealying most of tonight's events until early tommorrow morning.


Michelle: Tune in tommorrow at 9:00am QST for morning and afternoon coverage of Olympics Live! hosted by Eddie Valmers. And tune in every weeknight at 11:40pm QST, the late-night 20 minute recap to be hosted by Carla Montross.

[Tedoka]

Reporter on Site: Jaka Maoilseachlainn
Language: English, Latin

Jaka: Good morning, Tedoka! This is Jaka Maoilseachlainn, one of the resident reporters in Emberton Krytenia. My companion Manny Sokolowski is currently unavailable for today due to personal reasons, so I will be doing the entire morning update.

Long story short, our athletes for the most part fared poorly against the competition. The list goes: coming short of qualifications in most of the athletic events, an almost bronze medal in equestrian with Lindsie Darzi's fourth place, another loss in fencing by the women's sabre team, and the fact that none of our Greco-Roman wrestlers today will advance to the finals.

But despite this, there are gems of good news as always, one is the qualification of Petra Bradford in the 5000m heats. And chief of these is the triple jumper Aureliusz Burgstaller topping with a best length of 17.45 meters, tying with the Carpatho-Ruthenian Janika Laguardia.

Now that's all for the morning update, for more news, just follow us on Twitter and visit the official Olympics website in embertongames.kt. This is Jaka Maoilseachlainn, for TVT Sports!

[Lymantatia]

Journal-LTN2, July 13 2012
In handball, Lymantatia qualified for the women's Quarterfinals.

[Ferkas]

Rounds Continue in Olympic Athletics Competitions

Ferkian Athletes Fair Generally Well In Morning Session

Published In: National Sporting Review

The morning session of Day 11 included various rounds and preliminaries in the Athletics competition, and for the most part the Ferkian athletes performed well against the top flight competition with many athletes advancing into the next rounds of their events.

Men's Triple Jump was a double bladed sword for the two Ferkian entrants. Adam Lengt advanced comfortably, finishing 4th in the qualifying rounds after covering 17.38 meters. Advancing in forth position has given Lengt confidence in his abilities, as he currently sits just .02 meters behind Dwayne Martin (MGD), who was the third qualifier. "I know that I have more in me than just 17.38, so I know I can do better. If I can pull it all together in the finals, then things should be pretty fun. Placing this well and knowing what I have to work on still is nice, its a good confidence boost. Because the issues I do have...they are things that I know I can take care of pretty quickly." Richard Marx wasn't nearly as optimistic, the young athlete finished in 13th place and was the first to be left behind in the cutoff. To make matters worse, he only missed the cut by .01, a tough pill to swallow. "It stings. It stings a lot. Hell, it fricken burns. Missing by something that small, it really drives the point home. When we are training for hours every day, at this level, we really are fighting for every little decimal. It might seem to some people that it can't matter, its just a hundredth of a meter or a tenth of a second. But those fractions, they are huge, they really decide everything once you reach this point."

Andrew Posat continued his successful run as of late, advancing in his Semi-Final heat of the 800m run. Posat finished in 1:45.15, good enough for third in his heat of eight, from which four advanced. Nikolai Curtham wasn't as lucky, being placed in the same heat, he pulled up just short. Finishing in fifth place with a time of 1:45.59 Curtham will be left out of the final. Darius Simon (KSK) recorded the fastest time from either heats, winning heat two in 1:44.92. Posat's time will rank him fourth going into the final. He is a tenth of a second behind Jordi Amat (SRG), who bested him in todays flight and will be ranked third going in to the final. He has a gap of .27 on the next runner, Kevin Clarkson (KRY), who finished right behind Posat in heat one.

The qualifying rounds of the Women's 200m Dash ended up being very fruitful for the Ferkian delegation, managing a perfect 3 for 3 on advancing athletes. Natalie West lead the charge, and the entire field, crossing the line in 22.80 seconds. She was determined to have come out ahead of Kirsten Alcorn (CDG) by little more than a thousandth of a second. Sarah Hill ran her way to an impressive eight place with her time of 22.90. Rounding out the group was Sarah Cultan, finishing 19th with a time of 23.02.

Speaking with West afterwards she expressed her excitement regarding the race, her training, and the Olympics as a whole. "I felt really good out there, which is of course a great sign. It just felt fun and natural, my form felt really smooth, like I didn't have to strain to get to the line. That's something I've been working on a lot, staying relaxed, and I think its paying off. I'm not wasting as much energy with tense muscles, so its easier to run well...Of course the atmosphere here is amazing too. The crowds are great, and just the fact that its the Olympics. I mean, this is it, this is the pinnacle."

Distance fans were mostly encouraged by the results from the heats of the Women's 5000m Run, which will hopefully yield more success than the steeplechase, 10000m, or the Marathon. Jennifer Delmont placed second overall, running a time of 14:56.53 to come in right on the heels of Jessica Massie (CDG). Also advancing is Abby Elsat, who finished fifth with a time of 14:57.44, putting her in early contention for a podium spot. Both ladies will have to be in top form though, as this is a tough field, witnessed by the failure of Wendy Opelat to advance. Opelate, finishing in 21st place, was the first one left off the list. Her time of 15:09.99 wasn't strong enough to make the twenty athlete cut and she will have to wait four more years before she can hope to resume her Olympic dreams.

The trend of one in, one just missing out, seemed to come up frequently for the Ferkian athletes. In the Women's Javelin it was Carmelita Johnson who found the better end of the bargain. Her throw of 61.40, done on her first and only valid throw, secured her the fifth place slot and an easy advance into the next round. Elizabeth Inverness would draw the shot straw, a distance of 58.88 only being good enough for 13th place and the right to watch the others compete later in the week.

Thankfully not every event was plagued by the near misses. Women's Long Jump was highly exciting for Ferkian fans, who witnessed both entrants earn their way into the next round. Molly Nestlbey launched herself 6.75 meters to finish third in this preliminary round, an impressive performance that really showcases how she has been so consistent atop the Ferkian national rankings for the event. Malinda Mursok, the younger upstart, was no less impressive. Covering 6.68, after an early jump of 6.66, Murston put herself into fifth place. Both athletes will have to up there game though it they want to challenge for the top of the podium, Bridget Nicoli (BER) needed only one jump, covering a distance of 6.86 meters, to secure the early first ranking for herself and her country.

Day 11 Morning, Mixed Event Review

Olympic Success Still "Very Likely"

Published In: National Sporting Review

Ferkian athletes have continued to prove themselves in various venues in and around Emberton, even now as the Olympics begin to enter what might be considered their final stages. The pair of Desiree Dyson and Pauline St. Clurg proved themselves to be more capable than expected, advancing from the heats of the Women's K2 500m Canoe event. The duo, with little individual experience and even less experience working together, were also surprised by their second place showing. "To be honest, I'm kind of surprised. I know that doesn't sound good, like we are suppose to expect good results and all...but really? Did anyone expect us to do better than dead last?" A very valid summary from Ms. Dyson. Their advancement places them in the second Semi-Final race.

Bernard Ngeny may have needed a few different shots at it, but the cyclist finally advanced from the Repechage of the Keiren cycling event. Ngeny, who is a competitor in the Aliva Domestic Keiren Circuit, spoke to us about the differences of international competition in regards to the cycling events. "Back home its a very structured affair. We have some of our own little quirks in the way that we do things, especially off the track. Turns out that not everyone here expects an obligatory fist bump before being lead out onto the track. Back home its pretty much law."

Dylan Rines and Jordan Peerson continued their strong advance in the Men's Beach Volleyball competition. The dynamic duo won in two sets over J Nash/B Odon (BER). The win pushes the two from the Round of 16 and onto the next round. Afterwards Peerson said that he was "...frankly a bit surprised. We've been receiving a fair bit of attention from the press and stuff, giving interviews and being stopped in the streets. That never happens back home, its kinda strange really. Just the other day two girls stopped and asked if they could take a picture with me. Not that I'm complaining! They were both pretty hot. Its just different. A good kind of different."

Fannie Maulson proved today that she is not someone to be trifled with. Competing in the 63kg class of Women's Greco-Roman Wrestling Maulson bested a whole series of competitors this morning. First on the list was Rose Piaui (CAF), who would go down in an easy 3-0 decision in the Round of 16. Next would be the Quarter Finals, where Bella Bennison (KYP) would have to suffer a crushing 0-4 defeat to Maulson. Maulson wrapped up the morning with another win, this time a 3-0 decision against Birgitta Wood (TAE) in the Semi-Finals. It will be exciting what she can do in the final, where she will go up against Farhana Ferdousi (AKB) who crushed her Semi-Final opponent in an impressive 5-0 match-up.

[Zwangzug]

The Kerlagrad Courier

Well, Jack Desto-McRoff is out of the keirin repechage, thus sparing nationalists the indignity of watching any more of that ridiculous event.

Or is it that much of an indignity? Maybe for some the joy of watching an athlete from Zwangzug succeed is worth the pain of putting up with the keirin. Maybe not. Below, find a list of factors that influence just how likely, or unlikely, an event is to draw attention.

Titillating "ooh, look what those adventurous foreigners are doing which our nanny state would never let us do" thrills:
+ Shooting. Badminton. To a lesser degree, the combat sports of wrestling, taekwondo, judo, maybe even boxing if you're not from Omephaw. Modern pentathlon.
- Cycling. Parallel and asymmetric bars are not what you some of you were hoping, either.

Being considered a lesser-quality competition:
- Women's sports except maybe, like, synchronized swimming, gymnastics, and (in Zwangzug) field hockey. Weight-restricted events (combat sports, but also "lightweight" rowing, although not "heavyweight" dinghy). Also, some team sports, compared to more specialized championships. Demonstration events.

Special characters showing off how diverse the world is:
+ Épée fencing.
- Repechage [sic].

Medals:
+ Wrestling/boxing/judo/things with multiple bronze medalists, weightlifting when there are ties. Unless giving out too many makes them loose their luster?
- Preliminary rounds of things.

Nostalgia:
+ Points races in the cycling omnium.
- Baseball--certain nationalists like having won some of the last sets of "real" medals.

Just showing off human talent:
+ Pommel horse (not actually an equestrian event).
- Equestrian events.

Aiming at targets:
+ Archery.
- Community football (for which the name "target" didn't take).

Sounding like an illegal play in another sport:
- Diving, handball.

The chance of seeing an Olympic record:
+ Weightlifting!
- Women's team swimming, apparently.

[Todd McCloud]

Nilu, Sibaki Take Gold
Reporting for V3 News Services, Rin Slakori

EMBERTON - Perhaps it was the fact that the Vekaiyun swimmers were getting all the attention thus far into the Olympics. Perhaps it was the fact that the women's synchronized team or duet has never won a medal for Vekaiyu. Perhaps it was the fact that men's team and duet were held out of the Olympics this year due to cuts, despite the men's team winning silver in Lasft. Whatever the reason, the female duo of Ankya Nilu and Ikrisia Sibaki felt like they had a little extra in the tank during their routine on the morning of Day Eleven, as the two were the only team to score above fifty points in the final round to secure the gold medal for Vekaiyu, it's eighth as the Olympics move past the halfway point.

"We did it to make a stand," Nilu told V3 reporters. "We were not happy that the men's team was cut from the roster without any explanation, especially since they won silver last year. It's not fair. Whoever's in charge of that decision has a lot of explaining to do."

"It's not so much that," Sibaki added. "It's the fact that the Olympic Committee says it will support us, especially if we do well. Where's the security in that? Does that mean anyone can be removed from the roster just because they feel like it? Hopefully, they'll include both sides next year. But as for this year, the damage has been done."

In athletics, runner Elana Hureri finished "just above" the qualifying time mark, being the last competitor to make it through at 23.09 seconds, good enough for 32nd overall. The first time outside of the qualifying time mark was 23.11 seconds, making her time literally on the edge of the mark. She will have to dip into her reserves to keep her medal dreams alive. In addition to Hureri, Sayli Ikalso managed to qualify for her semifinal round with a fourth-best distance for the Women's Javelin event.

In diving, Yamano Sokalori finished first overall in the Men's 3m Springboard event, finishing one full point above Luis Palmer from Camwood. "[Leina] Irlavistre seems to think that if you finish first overall in the semifinals you're going to be medal-less in the final," Sokalori remembered. "I'm here to prove that theory wrong." Sokalori, who has never won a medal in the Olympics, seems poised to do so this time around especially with his impressive performance. "I don't think you have anything to worry about," he assured.

Sokalori hopes to break a string of defeats by the Vekaiyun diving team that dates back to last year's stand at the Women's 3m Springboard. Recently, Vekaiyun gymnasts had broken a losing streak of their own with a silver medal won by Enlil Vosteru in the Men's Pommel Horse. Unfortunately for Xa Vilaseru, luck did not seem to be on her side as she took sixth overall in the Women's Balance Beam event, finishing far behind the gold medalist from Euskirribakondara.

"I'm confident we can get a medal for Vekaiyu," Vesilia Ayanolistre informed reporters after her match with Capitalizt SLANI. The team of Yva Oleru, Kesia Lunakoli, and Ayanolistre took just three frames to remove the other team and advance to the semi-final round in the Women's Team Table Tennis. Both she and her comrades will look to be just as strong in their next match.

V3 will continue to report on the day's events as they are available.

[Darmen]

Sprecher and Hoogliand look forwards to winning a Medal
Sprecher, about to win the match against Crush and Charles

Elliot Sprecher and John Hoogliand have their eyes set on taking home a medal in the Doubles Tennis competition. After a dominating performance in the Round of 32, where they defeated the two Bryan's of Deandean98 in two sets, and a strong finish against Mamercus Furius Ahala and Ulysses Walpole of Bruyn, the pair were confident going into their Quarterfinal matchup against Bergnovinaian pair, Ivan Crush and Stanley Charles.

Although the pair arn't known well for their doubles play, both are considered to be among the best in terms of singles play. Charles was ranked 1st in the world when the last ITA rankings were released, while Crush was ranked 18th. In comparison, Sprecher was ranked 50th, and Hoogliand was ranked 92nd. But the Darmeni pair were ranked 2nd in the doubles rankings, and most experts had Sprecher and Hoogliand on top.

So when the first set ended with the Bergnovinaian pair ahead, 7-5, both Hooliand and Sprecher had suprised looks on their faces. "We were both suprised by how well they worked together," said Hoogliand, "we both knew we were in for a tough match ahead." The second set saw the Darmeni pair perform much better, taking the set 6-2, and forcing a third set to decide the winner. "We were really confident going into the final set, we knew we were advancing on," added Hoogliand, as he noted that both Crush and Charles were growing frustrated about their inability to gain the upper hand.

But the Bergnovinaian pair started out the third set strong, gaining their first point off of 4 straight aces. But not long there after, Sprecher and Hoogliand found their groove, and proceded to gain the upper hand, eventually winning the deciding set, 8-6.

"I'm happy we've gotten to the semifinals. Our opponents arn't going to be easy to beat, but we've lived up to our status as one of the best doubles pairs in the world, and that was one of our goals," said Sprecher following the match. "Our other goal was bringing home the gold."

[Civil Citizenry]

More than a Medal for Ventura
WHY 39-YEAR-OLD IS BACK FOR ANOTHER SHOT AT GOLD

BNS | EMBERTON, Krytenia | Rosalina Ventura holds a distinction that every Citiz would kill for: she is an Olympic gold medalist in the discipline of tennis. Her mixed doubles title with Edison Bancroft wasn't all that shocking, considering her ITA top-five doubles ranking - but taking into account her troubled background, it is actually quite a miracle that she has accomplished something more out-of-this-world than most Citiz can comprehend.

She grew up in the poor southeast county of Suthwarmoss, whose largest industry is agriculture, and even that produces little in the way of wealth. Born to Cafundelense and Krytenian immigrants, she grew up on a moderately-sized farm that grew corn, beets, and peppers. Steady cash wasn't all that common; two famous droughts, the Southeaster* of 8 and the Southeaster of 12, severely hurt the family and forced young Rosalina and her four brothers to go to work at a young age.

So how did someone who took half-day courses at school, who first learned to be a farmhand at nine years old, who lived eighty miles away from any notable city, become one of the world's top tennis players? Near the local primary school** lived the town mayor, who was rather wealthy and had a clay court built at his estate. Ventura was discovered by a visiting tennis coach at a local camp held at the mayor's court; she was immediately spotted as someone with uncanny hand-eye coordination. Not many children in the area had the time to take up tennis avidly - although all were interested, of course - but once Ventura was singled out as someone with potential, she found the time to train. Her tennis skills developed rapidly due to her natural talents, so she was able to devote more of her efforts to fitness - easily done spending afternoons and evenings busily working on a farm.

All that fitness has allowed her to not just be a healthy woman for an athlete who should have had at least three knee replacements by now, but continue to be a world-class tennis player. The combined age of her gold-medal doubles team in Lasft was 72 - unheard of for a sport where, in many nations (not Civil Citizenry), players' peaks are in the early-to-mid-20s. Her current partner, Sealey Armstrong, is a more orthodox 29 years old - and a previous medalist as well, having claimed bronze in Lasft with Edison Bancroft, Ventura's former mixed doubles partner. And while Armstrong may be seeing the Citiz Open, which is beginning soon in Bartewick, in his peripheral vision, Ventura is fully focused on winning a second gold medal. For her, success would be a validation of her hard work, considering her roots and the improbable road she took to get to this point.

OOC:
* In the same way "nor'easter" is a term in New England for a heavy regional thunderstorm, in Suthwarmoss "southeaster" means a terrible summer drought.
** "Primary school" is a term generally used by residents of the poorest counties (Suthwarmoss, Whitehope, and Westwold), where rural school systems follow the pattern of primary school (1st-7th grades), then secondary school (8th-13th grades). The rest of the country uses a three-school system prior to university.

[Krytenia]

In honour of Bastille Day...

COUPURE!

[Kelssek]

"Both of Kelssek's water polo teams have put themselves in a great position to make the knockout rounds of the Olympic tournament. The women's team smashed Cafundéu 13-2 to remain unbeaten and top of group six, with Erica Shawinigan of the Kirkenes Jets scoring four goals in the match.

"I'm very happy, it was a complete team game and we really broke them down defensively. Everyone did very well and now we've got to be ready to take it to the next level."

"Cafundéu never had an answer to the overpowering offence were already down five goals to none after the first quarter. They made a shot at getting back in the match by scoring right from the second quarter swim-off but Kelssek's captain Kelly Ulrich then scored a great backhand from hole set and the match was only going one way. Meanwhile the men's team won a crucial victory as they beat Cotdelapoms 11-4 in a match that would have decided second place in the group. The result eliminated Cotdelapoms from contention but Kelssek still face an uphill task in the men's tournament having lost to group leaders Carmadin earlier in the tournament and knowing that means their destiny is not in their own hands. Head coach Ronan Dragicevic:

"Well the guys know we didn't do all we could there but we can't dwell on that now. We have to make sure we handle our end of the situation and play our own game. We have to stay on the ball and we need someone else to slip up but we still have to make sure we keep the pressure on."

"Some are calling it a new era for diving in Kelssek after Courtney Wilcox won the gold in the women's 3m springboard, adding to an impressive tally for Kelssek's divers of 3 golds, a silver and a bronze. Diving Kelssek technical director Jean Ménard:"

"I think it's very impressive what we accomplished here. We have had success before but this is really a great advancement for the sport. I think we can say we showed this meeting, that we're a powerhouse in this sport. It's a new standard for us to live up to."

"You're watching Olympic Update on the KBC, Kelssek's Olympic network. There's more after the advertising break, please stay with us."

[Qazox]

THE GAMES OF
THE SEVENTH OLYMPIAD
EMBERTON, KRYTENIA

Schedule of events/Rosters

Welcome to QBC, I'm Michelle Coten, and joining me is Gary Cullen for this evening edition of OlympicsToday Live! of Day 20 of the Olympic Games here in Emberton. Let's start with the track once again:

Men's 1500m Final:
4 Cal Noughton (QZX)            3:34.66 (lost out on bronze by 0:00.02)

Men's High Jump Final:
5 Xavier Ares (QZX)   o    o    o    o  xxo  xxx  2.32 (lost out on bronze due to misses in 5th round)

Women's 100m Hurdles Semifinals:
5 Tori Gomez (QZX)              12.66

Gary: In Women's basketball, Cassadaigua destroyed Qazox in the round of 16 by the score of 72-43, as Cassadaigua raced out to a 23-0 lead and were never leading by less than 20 for the remainder.

QZX  7 12 10 14  43
CDG 27 16 13 16  72

In women's gymnastics, Sidney Charles finished 4th in the Women's Floor.

Michelle: the Women's water polo team won their first match of these games beating Mapletish 9-7, but were eliminated when Homelands our won their match earlier in the day.

MAP 1 2 1 3  7
QZX 3 1 2 3  9

Gary: Tune in tommorrow at 9:00am QST for morning and afternoon coverage of Olympics Live! hosted by Eddie Valmers. And tune in every weeknight at 11:40pm QST, the late-night 20 minute recap to be hosted by Carla Montross.

[Cyborg Holland]

Athletes build to finals, whilst other fail to impress

By David Landzaat, chief sports correspondent, Emberton, Krytenia

It seems this time round, we've been struck by the finalists curse. A bloody annoying thing when you get down to it. All that training, then the heats, quarters, semis, only to be left behind by some greasy, sweaty sporting god from some unknown country where they worship that goddamn event.

It's happened all too often in these games for CYB Athletes. Just to name a few:

• Felix Anderson: Men's Uneven bars, 5th in final
• Nena Richt: Women's 200m Breaststroke, 4th in final
• Jacob Lund: Men's 50m Pistol, 7th in final
• Tobias Snijders, Men's 85kg, 4th
• Men's Quadruple Scull, 5th in final

Heart wrenching stuff. But on a lighter note, our athletes on the track and in the field have been pretty successful of late. David Udo seems to running better with each race he runs. Having narrowly scraped through the quarter finals, he looked outside to qualify for the final, but one race later and he'd booked his place in the final 8 with the second fastest time of the night, albeit tied with two others. Pray Maragrets final curse doesn't strike.

Another one for that prayer is Katya Smeeren. The 18 year old qualified for the final of the women's 110m hurdles, and looks a favourite to take one of the medals. She ran a vicious time of 12.44, the second fastest time of the night, coming 2nd in her heat behind gold medal favourite J. Mervis of CKA.

Louise Ver Den looks in strong form after qualifying from her 200m quarter final with a time of 22.87. But Bergbewon, Myrthe Dirikx, missed out by two places on a fantastic comeback from 17th after the first event to 5th. She won two of the 6 events and finished in the top 10 in the other 3, but just wasn't enough for a medal.

[Ferkas]

Jumpers Lead Strong Showing in Athletics

Distance Disappointments Continue in 1500

Published In: National Sporting Review

This afternoon belonged to two men, Kevin Nlota and Justin Mervins. Both men have made names for themselves through the simple act of jumping, sending their bodies as high into the air as they can, with only their legs to power them. An absurdly simple task, like much of life, but simple should never be confused with easy. Indeed, as both men will testify, the training and work required to really excel in the high jump is a challenge of the highest order. A challenge which Nlota and Mervins have risen to, or perhaps jumped to, in the process establishing Ferkas as the premier nation for the vertical jump.

Both men qualified for the final earlier, with Nlota clearing 2.32 meters and Mervins putting himself over the same height, but needing a few extra jumps to do it. They came in ranked right in the middle of the pack, flying under the radar so to speak. Few would have predict that they would later dominate the final, the performances in the preliminary rounds just didn't suggest it. But who really cares what is suggested?

Nlota and Mervins ended up putting on a show, demolishing the field as they charged their way onto the podium. Mervins would top out at 2.34 meters, clear of almost the entire field. The only man to beat him? Kevin Nlota, who wouldn't settle until he had put himself over 2.38 meters to secure the top podium spot. A perfect 1-2 punch, Gold and Silver, the two friends would stand side by side atop the podium as the national anthem again rang out through the stadium.

Nlota and Mervins weren't the only success story of the day though. The Quarter-Finals of the Women's 200m Dash were encouraging, again with a perfect set of advancing athletes. Sarah Hill won her heat with a 22.71 second performance, teammate Natalie West would finish fourth in the same heat to also advance. The two would then wait to see how Sally Cultan would fair in the third heat, to see if she would be joining them in the Semi-Finals. They had no need to worry though, Cultan ran 22.77 for a comfortable second place in her heat. Hopefully this three for three streak can continue, placing three athletes into a sprint final would be an unprecedented feat and do wonders for the chance of a Ferkian medal performance in the event.

Afterwards we spoke with Hector LeGourge, who coaches both Cultan and West. "Both of these ladies, along with Ms. Hill, are fantastic athletes. Really this is just a testament to the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice that they put in every day. They have worked extremely hard to reach this point and it is fantastic to see them finally reaping the rewards of their efforts. We know what we want to work on coming into the next round and we are excited. They seem to be in great form, and most importantly they have just enough confidence in themselves and their training."

The only real downside on the day was Andrew Posat in the Men's 1500m Final. Running in the chase pack for much of the race, Posat began to make his move with roughly five hundred meters left in the race. It wasn't enough time though, as the lead pack unleashed a ferocious kick of its own and Posat was unable to close the gap. He would end up in an awkward seventh place, his final time of 3:35.98 almost two and a half seconds behind the winner, Misi Accorso (CAR).

Assorted Sports Round-Up

Wrestlers Continue to Excel

Published In: National Sporting Review

Medals continue to be added to the Ferkian list, some coming from the most unlikely of events. Events like Greco-Roman wrestling, something that few Ferkians know about or even care about. Wrestling isn't big in the country, but maybe it should be. Because as these results are showing, its something that we might actually be pretty decent at.

Fannie Maulson put up a strong fight against Farhana Ferdousi (AKB) in the final of the Women's 63kg weight class, although she would eventually have to settle for the silver medal. The final score of 3-1 doesn't do justice to how close the match actually was, the unheralded Maulson was in contention throughout and impressed many spectators who commented that she "performed like a natural out there" and speculated about the "high quality training camps that Ferkas must be putting together for their wrestlers, real top level coaches". As far as we can tell Maulson trains almost all on her own, is coached by her father, and doesn't have a training gym. Instead she has a membership at a small fitness club in her hometown.

One athlete doesn't make a trend though, and Maulson wasn't alone in impressing the wrestling community this afternoon. Bronze medal matches might not be as popular but the crowds are still strong here in Emberton, likely because people are happy to get whatever tickets they can. But that doesn't change the fact that plenty of spectators were on hand to watch Christian Canderwelt take down Friðþjófur Sindrason (TBI) in a 3-1 decision, securing a bronze medal for himself in the process. Before the contest began Canderwelt was calm and joking, saying that "I can't even pronounce this guys name. I'm more worried about that than actually beating him. I mean, look at all these little marks. Are they like accents or something, or just smudges from an old printer? Honestly, how do I say this?!"

Marta Vlasic was also in a jovial mood today, much to the appreciation of reporters who have learned to fear her temper, after her team decimated Astograth in the Round of Sixteen for Women's Basketball. Vlasic was again the leading point scorer on the Ferkian team, posting 29 of the teams 78 points, as well as providing key assists and setting up plays for the other players to complete. Despite losing her captaincy it remains apparent that Vlasic is the true guiding force on the court for this team, her experience and ability clearly placing her a step above her teammates in terms of skill and ability.

Men's Hockey was also celebratory today, as their 5-0 win over Ipeland and Hutt River means that they will be advancing from the group stage. The Ferkian team moves on with a perfect 2-0 record and impressive +7 point differential. During the group stage of the tournament they gave up only three goals in two games, but in the same time netted five of their own per game. An impressive range which will hopefully carry them far in the rest of the tournament.

[Tedoka]

Women's 400m Hurdles - Final

Gauhar Richter has prepared for this all day. She has practiced a lot, hoping that she will best her competitors in this event.

I guess my best isn't enough...

That was her thoughts as she watched the three medalists on the podium. She accepted her seventh place position and defeat gracefully, the fact of being in her first Olympics giving her some consolation. She had just shaken hands with all of her competitors in the finals, especially the gold medalist Leapa Silva, who completed the 400-meters stretch almost a full second faster than her.

But you know what, she told herself, I will be in that spot next time. She is mentally pointing to the top spot of the podium...

Somewhere in the Olympic Village
8 pm

"Oww yeah!" Agnes Elena practically screamed as she arrived at her lodgings in the Olympic Village. Her fellow Tedokan athletes were curious of what caused her such a ruckus.

"Guess what, bronze! Anyway, that's not much, but still a medal," she made a thoughtful smile.

Blank stares at first...

Then everyone in the building 5 of them all, who were other wrestlers as well made a surprise charge on her and, grappling Agnes way before she can react.

"Wha-!?"

Her companions soon made a chorus. "Congratulations, Agnes!"

One of them, Electra Buffone, added, "In case you forgot, we agreed that we will do this to the first Tedokan wrestler to get a medal!"

"Oh, yeah," Agnes replied. "I completely put that out of my mind. But this is still a pleasant surprise!"