Games of the XI Olympiad—roleplaying thread

by **Qasden** » Wed Jul 27, 2016 9:21 pm

Qasden
Athletic News

AeropagXI Report- Qualifiers Preview

Aeropag, Paripana. The home of the NS Olympic Council, as well as the Eleventh Summer Olympiad. Qasden, of course, will be debuting in a variety of different events, like rugby and handball. However, it's not gonna be that easy for the Vans as they must first participate in qualifiers scattered throughout AO and the multiverse. In today's report, will will be previewing Qasden's groups in the qualifiers. Let's get on it, shall we?

Men's Basketball - Ottawa, QUE
Group O4: Vangaziland, Vettrera, Qasden, Krytenia

Well, at least Qasden won't have to leave Quebec X3
For their men's basketball Olympic campaign, the Vans must face and defeat power-nation, Vangaziland, returning veterans, Vetrrera, and AO hotspot, Krytenia, in order to qualify for Aeropag. Coming off of an adrenalising match against Levivania in Ottawa, it looks like our trip has been extended by the qualifiers and the R16 berth given to Qasden. Our prediction: there's a chance Qasden could qualify, but make sure you bring charms for them.

Women's Basketball - Kingston, QUE
Group K5: Royal Kingdom of Québec, Qasden, Thatius, The Licentian Isles

Unlike our male team, players such as Wendi Frosts and Rebecca Tazel will be traveling back and forth from Montreal (for R16) and Kingston (for qualifiers). While our full roster has yet to be released, we're more than positive that it will provide a list of champions. Of course, Qasden just so happened to be placed in Group K5, alongside IBC21 group-mate, RK Quebec. Our prediction: Qasden will probably be obliterated by the Reapers, but curiosity is flourishing towards the matches against Thatius and The Licentian Isles. Aeropag, we're coming, one way or another!

Men's Association Football (Soccer) - Various Locations
Round 1
Vekaiyu–Thatius
Qasden–Cosumar

Now here's a big challenge. Qasden's soccer team, who has yet to compete in any major tournament, will be facing off with a dynamo Cosumarite team, who made it to the R16 at the 75th WC in Audioslavia and Krytenia. The first match will be played at Royal T.V. Stadium, in T.V. City, while the second leg is to be played somewhere within Cosumar's territory. If, and I mean IF the Vans manage to pull a magic trick out of this one, they will have to face the winner of Vekaiyu and Thatius (you're gonna see Thatius a few times in this list X3). Our prediction: Qasden will probably fall to Cosumar, but not without making it a close aggregate score.

Women's Association Football - Various
Round 1
Vettrera–Thatius
Qasden–Estogium

Like the men's team, the Vans' women's team will play the first match at home, and the second match away. Playing against Estogium, a not quite familiar face to the Qads, the first match will be played at Prince's Arena in Port Harston. Should our girls win the aggregate, they will move forward and play the winner of Vettrera and Thatius for a spot in Aeropag. Our prediction: Qasden will either win or lose by a hair margin against Estogium. Not quite sure how we'd perform against Vett and Thatius, though.

Men's Handball - Quebec City, QUE
Group Q2: Qasden, The Licentian Isles, Kelssek, Vekaiyu, Cosumar

After watching handball basics, the Qasden Vans are ready to compete as they travel to Quebec City, where they'll face off with the Licentian Isles, Kelssek, Vekaiyu, and Cosumar. Obviously, most of these teams are far more experienced than us, but, we could get through. Our prediction: Advancing would be great, otherwise, narrowly missing out works too.

Men's Hockey - Montreal, QUE
Group M1: Valanora, Qasden, Arioslavia, Judea

A sport that's colder than the weather in Quebec (no offense X3), Qasden's IceVans will hit the international rinks for the first time when they face off with Valanora, Arioslavia, and common opponent, Judea. Now, there's a pretty good chance that Qasden may or may not make it to Aeropag in this event, but it'd be great if we do make miracles. Our prediction: a close shave victory over 2 out of 3 of the group-rivals should help the IceVans, and maybe even allow them to progress :3

Men's Rugby Sevens - Aeropag,PSC/CH/Paripana
Group A3: Kriegiersien, North Eurasian Unified Sporting Team, Royal Kingdom of Québec, Qasden

Interesting..... The SeVans (yes, that is the mascot for Rugby Sevens and 7ball X3) will get their first shot at the big stage as they will take on Kriegiersien, NEUST, and RK Quebec, in Aeropag (finally a qualifier where we're in Aeropag XD). Now, we are definitely not the best team in the group at all, but if we can get luck on our side, we could progress. Our prediction: though we might advance, our guess is that the SeVans will be unfortunately halted from a spot in the final tournament, but who knows.

Women's Beach Volleyball - California City, QUE
Group C5: Siiala Soara/Candi Apretti (VLT), Araiza Rae/Audrey Lilac (QAD), Narsisa Dúëniäsa/Jilda Kamariiä (PSC)

Could it workout? Araiza Rae, usually a tennis player, and Audrey Lilac, an athletic model, will represent Qasden in Cal City, and will face off against Vilitan Union's Soara/Apretti and Commerce Heights/Paripana's Dúëniäsa/Kamariiä. Last time a Qad team went to the host city, we defeated IBC defending champs, Saint Kanye, in a friendly. Our prediction: Rae/Lilac will have a hard time defeating V Union's and PSC's pairs, but advancing would be nice.

Men's Water Polo - Goose Bay, QUE
Group G1: Drawkland, Mapletish, Krytenia, Qasden

Another team traveling to Quebec, the AquaVans will take on Drawkland, Mapletish, and the Krytenians for their shot at heading to Aeropag. Now, since Qasden really focuses on sports it's competing in (like the unstarted Water Polo Cup 1), the trio their up against could easily swipe right by us in the standings. Our prediction: Yeah, no. Unless we pull off insane victories over big sporting names, the AquaVans ain't moving on in MWP.

Women's Water Polo - Goose Bay, QUE
Group G3: Drawkland, Serbian Empire, Qasden, San José Guayabal

Now, for our women's squad heading to Goose Bay. Just like the men's team, the AquaVans may have a bit of trouble getting past G3 opponents, Drawk, Serbian Empire, and SJG. But we gotta stay confident. For we can beat Nephara in lacrosse, I'm sure we'll be able to pull some kind of progress in the sport. Our prediction: maybe we'll advance, maybe we'll not advance. You never know until the match begins.

Men's Baseball - Aeropag
Group 5: Vangaziland, Mapletish, Electrum Unified Team, Qasden

Hrmm........ Not quite sure if the Qads we'll be able to get out of this one. New to, well, the entirety of international baseball, the Vans have the lower hand against big sporting names as Vangaziland, Mapletish, and EUT. I'm pretty sure Electrum's still mad at us for the events in IBC21, but maybe the blue and red could pull victories against EUT, Mapletish and the Royals. Our prediction: I'm pretty sure we won't do too great in this event, but it's worth a try.

Well, that's all for now. Can TQ perform successively in the qualifiers? Or will the Vans be overwhelmed by the surplus of adversaries? Stay tuned, stay updated, and stay alert for our post-qualifier report, and/or mid-qualifier report.

by **Sargossa** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 2:13 am

SSM | Sargossan State Media
International Edition - Sport

Qualifying On Track

Blanco Borrayo reports from Neverend;

‘I don’t remember ever being this nervous.’ Those were the words of Sargossa’s Director of Elite Athletics Juan Verzeri on the morning of the first international qualifying heats for the Games of the 11th Summer Olympiad. This is a man who has competed at the very highest level himself. A three time Olympic medallist with fond memories of Liventia, having taken silver in both the 200m and 400m at the Games in Orean. Such is the cauldron of pressure here in Neverend as scores of the region’s finest athletes, having already come through their own rigorous national selection processes, remain in danger of falling agonisingly short of their Olympic dreams. For Verzeri, now in charge of one of Rushmore’s premier athletics teams, failure to get a large number of competitors through to Aeropag could be very bad for his career. Particularly with Cesáreo Espinoza, Sargossa’s Olympic chief, in town for the qualifiers too. Happily the first events of the morning released just a little bit of that pressure.

It was the Men’s 200m runners that kicked off proceedings, with Rafael Jardón the first Sargossan on track in these qualifiers. Jardón has been in fine form in recent Azure League outings and arrived here after victory in the Sargossan trials. In 200m the current world record time stands at 19.29, the national record is 19.33 but here in Neverend the field were keeping something back and Jardón was no exception, winning his heat with a time of 20.32. At this stage it’s not about times, it’s all about progression. Roque De Santa won his heat too, to join Jardón in the quarter finals. And in the final heat Israel Pérez flirted with disaster but came strong after the turn to finish third and join his compatriots in the next round.

In the 800m Sargossan number two Geraldo Avino won his heat while Cipriano Artiga, the man he lost to in the trials, qualified in second from heat six. There was further success in the 400m Hurdles with Danté Pedrosa, Emilio Caballero and Jorge Amor all safely through to the semi-finals. And there was even better news in the 4 x 100m Relay, traditionally a wobbly event for Sargossa, as the men in darker blue won their heat to advance to the final here in Neverend and, crucially, secure a place at Aeropag. But it couldn’t all be good news, Andres Riano becoming the first member of the Men’s team to taste the bitter tang of defeat, having failed to qualify for the 5,000m event.

The Men had set down a marker and the Women started strongly too with Reina De Alba winning her 400m heat. Dominga Savala also eased into the semi-finals but Imelda Santistevan was left with an agonising wait to discover whether her time in heat four would be good enough to advance as a fastest loser. It was. Leira Lobos has been hurdling like a dream in the Azure League and she brought that form to Liventia, winning her 100m heat and advancing as the fourth fastest overall qualifier. Danila Laverde and Gala Bellon qualified too, to make it a clean sweep in the Hurdles. And after the dramas of their individual qualifiers De Alba, Savala and Santistevan, along with Thalia Rama, teamed up to win their 4 x 400m Relay heat and ensure their passage to the Games proper.

All in all it was a successful first session for the Sargossan team, with guaranteed participation in Aeropag assured in two Relay events. Hopefully the afternoon session will continue the theme as Israel Pérez goes again, this time in his favoured 400m, and with have a first glimpse of star 200m runner Lela Montesino. There’s Men’s 10,000m and Women’s Steeplechase to enjoy too, as well as a first outing for the Indoor Volleyball sides as the road to Aeropag continues.

by **Kernansquillec** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 3:28 am

A good start to qualifying for the Kers

Early upset in the handball
Alberta Haggard will have been left very disappointed from the performance of the men's handball team. Following a lighting-fast start to the match and an early four goal lead, Drawkland quickly turned the game on its head and took the lead. A final score of 29-22 to the underdogs puts Kernansquillec bottom of Group L1. Hopes still remains however, with four more games to come and with the top three all qualifying, fans will be hoping this is just a one-off blip. The women's team were much better however, dispatching Judea 28-21 to soar to the top of their qualifying group. There also, the top three teams shall qualify for Aeropag.

Good start for the men in athletics
The men's 200m got Team Kernansquillec off to the perfect start as all three runners qualified for the semi-finals in Liventia. Cliff Cambra and Keneth Schommer would not be so lucky in the men's 800m. Eddie Hatt pulled of a surprise qualification for the semi-finals there and should have his spot in Aeropag sealed by being the last Kernansquillecan standing in his event. The men's 5000m also now has just a single Kernansquillecan standing, with Elbert Dragoo sneaking though his heat. In the men's 400m hurdles, Granville Maddix put in the fastest time of any qualifiers, one the highlights of this first day of competition. He is now firmly expected to seal his place in Aeropag in his semi-final. Kernansquillec's 4x100m relay already have their ticket however, finishing second in their heat. They will now compete in their event final before flying out to Aeropag.

Women showing good prospects of medals on the track
The good news from the track continued for the women's events. Kit Cosentino posted the third fastest time in the women's 400m and will be joined by teammate Dania Garretson in the semi-finals. Cynthia Matson did even better in the women's 1500m heats, posting the fastest time to breeze into the semi-finals. She will be joined by Cherise Oliveras who finished fifth in her heat. In the women's 10000m Maude Heinze secured a surprise place in the final by posting the second fastest time of the day. However, her was overshadowed by a major collision between Chelsie Modeste of Kernansquillec, Stella Faulkner of Taeshan and Miriam Corboys of Electrum that forced all three to retire. Modeste was unable to continue despite attempting to limp on, forcing one of Kernansquillec's brightest prospects of a medal on the track, to abandon the race. The women's 100m hurdles brought better news with all three competitors making the cut. And in the women's 4x400m relay, they replicated the feat of the men's team by sealing their place in Aeropag.

Dreadful start to the rugby ahead of Uzekia clash
Both teams failed to win their opening games of the rugby sevens group stage. The men, who have been drawn in the same group as Uzekia, were brushed aside by Eastfield Lodge who put three ties past the green and whites. Poor discipline also marred the Kers' performance as they gave away 12 points from penalties. A solitary try from Jerrod Riera saved some sense of pride from the game. Meanwhile, the women led a much more disciplined performance in an entertaining and even game against Free Swiss States. Three ties apiece would spell out a draw after both sides constantly exchanged the lead. Ginny Tiano had had the chance to convert Kernansquillec's late equalising try to give the points to the Kers, but her conversion kick somehow came off the inside of the post and out, much to the agony of on-watching fans. With the top three teams of both groups qualifying, hopes still remain high.

Beach volleyball marred by technical faults
Both men's teams were left out in the cold as problems with the power grid and a burst water main outside the stadium forcing officials to cancel the day's planned matches. No news yet as to when they will get the chance to replay the match. For them, the wait continues. The women were able to play thankfully, and Shulman & Frutos secured a first win, brushing aside their Ferkas opposition. Kernansquillec's number twos were not as successful, losing out to the team from Free Swiss States. With the top two in each group qualifying, wins will be evermore important in the second round of matches.

Last minute heartbreak in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec's basketball tournament
Following on from the earlier win by the women's team who eased past Benjamin Mark 91-71, the men had hoped to do likewise against Free Swiss States. Leading 83-82 with just 3.2 seconds left on the clock and it looked like the win was in the bag. That was until a buzzer-beating three-pointer that stole the win from the mouths of the distraught Kernansquillecans. Heartbreaking.

Kernansquillec's Olympic delegation attire for the XI Olympiad

Victory against Kelssek in the Hockey
A hat trick from Julio Arnold and a tap in from Roy Mclaughlin sealed a comfortable 4-1 win over Kelssek in the men's hockey opening matchday in Montreal, Royal Kingdom of Québec. The women's team will hope to replicate their form later today as they get set to kick off their group at the Hockey Olympic Test Event in Aeropag.

A win in the Water Polo in Goose Bay
A solid 9-6 win over a strong The Sarian side is just the start Cedrick Balfour would have hoped for his women's team at the Goose Bay Water Polo Qualifiers. His men's team will get things underway in Aeropag later today, but have been drawn in the same group as Uzekia, promising a feisty affair when the two meet.

Official Olympic kit unveiled in Kernansquillec City
The National Olympic Committee of Kernansquillec has revealed it's official team kit for the XI Olympiad. Produced by K Kits, the predominantly white shirt is design the portray the idea of peace and harmony behind the Olympic Games. Athletes will only be wearing the kit once they qualify for events in Aeropag, with all athletes competing in qualifying events, competing in their own individual attire. Alternative kits shall be made available in case of colour clashes in team events.

by **Uzekia** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 4:48 am

REVEALED: The only reason our athletes lost was because the other guys were on drugs!

Last night, Uzekian officials made an official announcement damning athletes from Sargossa, Soviet Socialist Electrotehnics, Paputu, Judea, Taeshan, Togonistan, Edhros, Swibia, Kernansquillec, Tobiasia, Dunnës and San Llera in the men's 200m, as well as athletes from Electrum, Eastfield Lodge, Sargossa, the Serbian Empire, Kannap, Paputu, Fluvique, Mapletish, Taeshan, Swibia, the Greater Vakolicci Haven, Kernansquillec and Judea in the men's 5000m. Officials also called upon the Olympic Committee to take swift action to "wipe these drug cheats from the face of the Earth" and to "immediately reinstate all Uzekians athletes who were clearly better than their opponants and would have been victorious had the playing field been level".

Officials went on to explain their evidence of drug abuse, explaining notably scientific analysis that has conclusively shown that Uzekians were genetically superior to their competitors. Officals also noted that famed drugs cheats from Kernansquillec, the most inferior race of them all, by some coincidence beat Uzekians in both matchups. Scientific experiments within Uzekia have already proved such a scenario can only occur while Kernansquillecans are given an unbeatable advantage (drugs, weapons...).

Officials insisted upon that fact that in events where drugs cheating is less developed, it's athletes all qualified, clearly showing that these events were rigged. The Uzekian government has indeed demanded the Olympic Committee investigate these "crimes against the sporting marvel that Uzekians display" and that has prevented "Uzekians from basking in the glory of its superior comrades collecting the gold medals that rightfully belong to the Uzekian nations".

The Olympic Committee officials were unavailable for comment, but were understood to be taking part in a gala evening with members of the delegations who have wronged Uzekia.

Glory to the Empire!

by **The Sarian** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 4:50 am

THE DAILY GAZETTE

Olympic Qualifying - Matchday One Recap

So, here we are - Olympic season is once again in full swing (well, kind of...) and as is usual, the Daily Gazette will be bringing you the full story from every event.

After a build-up marred with controversy, it will be Aeropag that will be host to the Games of the Eleventh Olympiad. A global city in a economic powerhouse, Aeropag was a natural choice for the Olympic Council after Ilyseum - a nation so unknown that even our Foreign Affairs Editor was left scratching his head - failed to meet the conditions of their hosting contract. Though initially sending The Sarian Olympic Committee into panic (they had booked their flights early to avoid paying premium rates for some five-hundred-and-fifty-five athletes), it turned out to be a silver lining.

However, due to the limitations of space, it was decided that qualifiers would have to be held outside of Paripana for some sports, and that is where Day One of our Olympic (sort of) coverage takes you today.

First, we fly off to the beautiful city of Orean in Liventia - a nation that is no stranger to hosting Olympic events, playing host to 8th Olympic Games in addition to multiple editions of the Winter Olympics. Needless to say, we were in good hands.

The Rugby Sevens gave viewers their first chance to see Sarian Olympians - however, a 31-21 defeat to Taeshan, a bitter defeat considering that we were leading at the interval, in the men's game left The Sarian supporters disappointed, although there we many positives to pick out of the match. Isaac Quickly, the winger, particularly impressed.

In the women's game, The Sarian fared even worse. Scoring just one try in a 29-5 thrashing by Edhros was hardly the result the ladies were looking for. It should be noted, however, that the side (much like the men) have never played competitively, so can be proud of whatever they achieve. Speaking after the game, team captain Tracey Trevorson tried to inject a positive spin - "Well, you know it was always going to be a learning curve for the girls, and we all had a great time out there. Nobody expects anything from us so if we can just go out and enjoy ourselves, that is victory enough. How many people get to play at the Olympic Games for crying out loud?"

Where we might fare a little bit better, however, is the Beach Volleyball. Despite the generally cold weather in The Sarian, it is a sport that has really caught on - with Men's Beach Volleyball in particular attracting huge support. Viewers scanning their TV channels for the sport would be left disappointed however, as a scheduling error meant the men's team's of Wallis Patrickson and Niall Jordan as well as medal hopefuls, Louie Woodcock and Jamie Montpellier were left with an extra day to train.

The women got into full swing however, as they kicked off their qualifying efforts in Langdon, also in Liventia. Zara Rodriguez and Sophia Martinez managed a straight set victory over their competitors - Juliana Magdalena and Madelon Johanna of Mapletish to top their group, giving them a real chance of qualifying for the Aeropag rounds. Who knows how far they can go?

From Liventia, we crossed over to the Royal Kingdom of Quebec for further qualifying results. Streaming from Attawapiskat (yes, we did copy and paste that), the women's handball team began their campaign with a loss to Valanora. Although disappointing on paper, the team - which was only formed last year, and has never played internationally - put up a fine performance against a statistically stronger side and can take some real positives forward into their remaining games. Although they have just an outside chance, this is the Olympics - anything is possible, and the team will be looking to build going forward.

And in a pleasant surprise, the women's hockey team managed a victory in their opening match - snatching two early goals on way to a 2-1 victory. Although it may not have been the prettiest game of hockey - both sides were seemingly made up of amateurs, The Sarian side can be pleased with the win. Talking to the Gazette, team captain Maddison Bloodworth said the result was a "fantastic start" and "hoped that it would lead to even further, we're keeping our feet on the ground but all the girls really want to go to Paripana."

However, in the Women's Water Polo, another qualifier in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec - this time in the delightfully named Goose Bay, The Sarian fell to defeat, losing 6-9 against Kernansquillec, despite dominating for large portions of the game. The Sarian side failed to turn this domination, especially prevalent in the first half, into a win however and will feel gutted to lose a game that they were once leading by four goals to one.

Well, that's it from our Olympic (sort of) round up today. Join us tomorrow as more qualifiers take place, in the run up to the eleventh Olympic Games!

by **Swibia** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 5:03 am

Swibian Olympic Bulletin
As brought to you by the Swibian Olympic Committee

Qualifying Day 1 Highlights

Athletics — Men's 5000m Heats
13 Dallin Plumb (SWI) 13:42.70 Q

Volleyball — Women's Beach
Fidelma Ó Braonáin/Divina Wade (ETN) 21 12 15
Ireland Cockrill/Trista Sweetser (SWI) 19 21 9
3 Ireland Cockrill/Trista Sweetser 1 0 1 1 2 0.500 1

Basketball — Women's
Swibia (SWI) 77–73 Free Swiss States (FSS)
2 Swibia 1 1 0 77 73 +4 2

Welcome to the second Swibian Olympics Bulletin for the 11th Summer Olympics.

Great news! The Games have now begun, with the Neverend Athletics Grand Prix opening up proceedings, and some Swibian athletes have already left their mark. We might as well start from the beginning. In the Men’s 200m, Salvatore Montfort qualified third in Heat 3, with a time of 20.42, but Porter Gallison, who qualified 6th in Heat 1, just missed out on qualifying overall with a time of 20.45. Montfort will go through to the semi finals. In the Men’s 800m, Heat 1 was a close contest, with Swibian athlete Theodore Denby missing out on the top three by just over a second. However, he does qualify for the semi finals, coming 18th overall, and the second fastest out of the ‘next six fastest’ category. Chandler Kinslow, however, has come 27th, and so will not qualify.

Moving to the longer events, in the Men’s 5000m, only Dallin Plumb, who came 5th in the last Olympic’s Men’s 20km Walk, has qualified. He came 4th in Heat 4 with 13:42.70, and came 13th overall. Hopefully not an unlucky number. Other Swibian athletes, Reagan Leavey and Glenn Hodgekinson, came 36th and 37th respectively. In the Men’s 400m Hurdles, only Lawrence Blacklidge has qualified, scraping it into the semi finals as the 5th fastest of the next fastest six. In the Men’s 4x100m Relay, Jaylen Provins/Rudy Ping/Cullen Dobson/Russell Arnall have come 7th and qualified for the semi finals.

Unfortunately, no women have qualified for the 400m, but in the Women’s 1500m heats, Alex Bade has come 18th and qualified as one of the next six fastest, with a time of 4:09.05. In the heats for the Women’s 10000m, Tina Boyland pulled a muscle on the track, and so completed the race with the slowest time of 32:51.91. We wish her well in her recovery. In the Women’s 100m Hurdles, Allison Cuny has qualified for the semi finals, coming 19th with a time of 13.27. Unfortunately, the team just missed out on qualifying for the Women’s 4x400m Relay.

Outside of the athletics, there are a number of other results. Remaining in Liventia, we have Matchday 1 of the Women’s Beach Volleyball. The team, Ireland Cockrill/Trista Sweetser, were up against Fidelma Ó Braonáin/Divina Wade from Ethane. Ó Braonáin/Wade narrowly won the first set, with Cockrill/Sweetser crushing them on the second set, 21 to 12. However, on the third set, the Ethanians were quick to reach the magic number – 15 – and so won the match. This result gives the Swibian duo 1 point, and puts them third in the group, which is Group L8.

Our final results come in from the Women’s Basketball, who were playing in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec Qualifiers. The team reached the Round of 16 in the last Olympics, and the Quarterfinals in the Olympics before. They would be hoping to reach the Quarterfinals again, and perhaps even top their previous performance. Their first match was up against the Free Swiss States (FSS), who proved to be dogged opponents. The end result, however, was 77-73 to the Swibian team, giving them their first 2 points, and putting them second in Group K3, just behind Estogium.

We managed to catch up with the Women’s Basketball head coach, Isla Yang, who had this to say about the result and the competition: "I think it's great, and it really shows that the team is taking the qualifying stages seriously, which is very important in order to get a good start on the actual competition. The stadium was in great condition, which we thank Quebec for, and our opponents, the Free Swiss States, were on top form. We only just managed to clinch the match in the final minutes, so it was all up in the air until then. We're looking forward to our next matches now, the rest of the group looks in good shape so we have to be ready, and we're hoping for a good Olympic Games."

by **Hannasea** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 5:37 am

From the rolling news channel SuperBusiness.

"Hello, Ron. Yes, today has seen the first set of events take place in Iqaluit in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, deciding which of the world's athletes will earn a privileged qualifying spot for the Summer Olympics in Aeropag, Paripana. There was disappointment for the Federation, as Hannasean sprinter Esme Mayes finished fourth in her 100 m heat; her time of 11.97 wasn't good enough to qualify as a fastest finishing loser."

"That's right. She has a good lane draw for that, Lane 5 meaning she'll be able to judge how the race is going coming through the bend, and obviously everyone here wishes her well. She's our sole competitor in the qualifiers here in Iqaluit, although Siena Norton will be representing Hannasea in the heptathlon and her specialist event, the long jump, at the Games themselves."

"Yes, the beach volleyball qualifiers also kicked off here today: Tori Fairchild and Hannah House went down in straight sets to a strong Sargossan duo, but they still have games to play against teams from Ethane and Swibia, so they won't be writing themselves off yet."

"Back home, there's a lot of excitement building as the Federation prepares to host its first ever international soccer match!! The team from The Orion Islands will be visiting, and will play the first leg of the qualifier in Jellyblooble Bay Park. I asked team captain Kristina Hill what kind of reception she was expecting, and she said that many of her players were so excited at the prospect of coming out in the Federation colors to a packed house that they were having trouble sleeping."

SuperSport

by **West Phoencia** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 5:59 am

Olympic Qualifying - Matchday One Recap

The 24 hour Olympic Sports Channel.

Hosts:

Devlin Carter
Princess Stephanie Sunbury, West Phoenician Figure Skater
Mitchell, Former Captain of the West Phoenician Basketball Team
Richard Home, Gold Medalist, Paralympics swimmer
Genevieve Horton

West Phoenicia had an average day at the Qualifiers in The Royal Kingdom of Quebec

Rugby Sevens, Women's MD1

*Group 3. Paputu (PAP) 38–0 West Phoenicia (KWP).
A terrible start to a qualifying round. The gave up from the start and just flatlined the rest of the match.

Basketball, Women's MD1

*Group K4. West Phoenicia (KWP) 87–71 Ferkas (CKF).
The Women's Basketball team won their first game. These girls are hoping to continue winning their pool during the qualifiers in The Royal Kingdom of Quebec

Hockey, Women's MD1

*Group M4. Britonisea (BRI) 1–0 West Phoenicia (KWP)

There was high hopes for the Women's hockey team, but they have been placed in a hard pool with some very talented teams. The 1 goal loss was a saving grace as it showed both teams were evenly matched. A team to watch as it goes against other teams in the pool.

Beach Volleyball-Mens

* Group L2. Micah True-Path/Amos True-Path defeated Ben Stephens/Kyle Carp from Taeshan 21-17, 21-13

by **Dunnes** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 7:54 am

dsn.net

Dunians Tip-Toe Through Qualifying Rounds

The Dunnes Athletes in Liventia had a good day of qualifying on the track highlighted by Samantha Cohen’s National Record in the women's 10000m, however failed to impress on the sands of the beach volleyball court. All in all only 5 Dunnes athletes failed to qualify for the next round on the track, with all three of the men’s 800m, women’s 1500m, and women’s 10000m athletes making it to the next round.

The women’s 10000m was the highlight for many of the Dunian track fans, as recent University of Richland graduate Samantha Cohen broke the national record of 30:11.4 by a mere two seconds. “I’m still in shock. I don't really know how I did it. I just got in a groove at the beginning of the race, and just stuck to the leaders like glue. When I heard the final lap bell sound I just went for it, and this is what I got I guess.” Lauren Bourgeois and Alex Regan also easily made the next round, finishing second and fourth in their heats respectively. Dunians also impressed in the men’s 800m, where Orean bronze medalist Will Drinkwater, and Davis Butler qualified automatically, and Jacob Cohen qualified on time. The same was true for the women’s 1500m where Camilla Hines, Jacquelyn Smith, and Anna Pruter who all automatically qualified for their semifinals.

In addition to the distance runners who were expected to qualify, both of the Dunian hurdlers that were in action qualified to the next round. Armon Clay finished third in his heat to make the semifinal, and Cate Ryant qualified on time to make hers. “The hurdlers show how deep Dunnes track and field is.” said Head Coach Ray Appenheimer. “We’re not just distance runners. We can sprint too, just look at Mori in the 400m.”

The athletes on the beach volleyball court were not so lucky as Bella Bress/Claire Caitlyn fell two sets to one, and Katy Lynch/Sidney Smith fell in straight sets. “I think we underestimated our opponents. Playing internationally is just so much more different than playing at home.” said Bella Bress.

On the men’s beach volleyball side, matches that were scheduled to take place earlier today have been rescheduled for a date TBD, due to a clerical error that had the same team playing in two groups. “It’s kinda comical, but we’ve dealt with much worse.” said Nik Lizdenis. “When you play beach, you’re always dealing with something. Lightning, rising tides, rain, seagulls. At least this time it’s man made.”

by **Liventia** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 7:59 am

Liventian qualifiers Day 1B cutoff.

And results are now available.

by **Fluvique** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 9:07 am

Olympic qualifiers: the first step for the Fluviquean athletes

The Golden Boys already know their rivals

The current owners of the bronze olympic medal will travel to Aeropag with the objective of earn the ticket to return to that city again, but to compete in the Olympic. The young squad led by Carl Sheep presents a few changes regarding the twelve men which wrote history in the last games. After the draw made in Aeropag, the team was placed into group Group A3, together with Britonisea, Bulgar Rouge, West Angola, North Eurasian Unified Sporting Team and Taeshan. To be in the next Olympics, the Golden Boys need to be in the top three.

Carl Sheep, calm as always, said that the team "will fight for the qualification with the knife between teeth", despite the "tendency and capacity of the boys to play a beautiful and aggressive game". Is true his statement: Fluvique is not a team used to play a physical game, they prefer to pass the ball and try to penetrate the zone. However, they can adapt to any situation, specially for the substitutes. The roster was carefully selected to be ready to face any contingency. This squad has even lowered the avg age: 24,3 in contrast of the 25,4 in the past Olympics. About that, Sheep said: "We are attending to a great moment of the national basketball, especially in matter of players development. It's a young and fresh generation with hungry of glory".

The chances of the team? Sheep has his opinion: "We believe in our skills. We have been working a lot and the players commitment is total. The illusions are big and, above all, we want to show the best of us. Perhaps that could be enough to qualify or maybe not. But we will try.

In the same city, but in the women's side, Fluvique was placed in Group A3 with Kriegiersien Vettrera, Judea and Eastfield Lodge.

The U-23 White Foxes will face Free Swiss States in round 1.

Finally, and avoiding the embarrassment, Fluvique reached an agreement with the clubs and the coach gathered the needed 18 players to compete in the qualifiers. The situation is that the most important sport in the country, which is considered as a religion by millions, is facing its most deep crisis on its 120 years of history. To recap: after the first round elimination of the Cup of Harmony, the Royal Football Association exploded. Internal fights, scandals, massive resignations of players (including Sam Gonza, captain and best player in history), the sacking of a coach after four matches and the removal of the board and the intervention of the Federal Goverment.

While the start of the First Division (and lower categories) is still an unknown and the referees are near to start a strike, Fluvique has to face a official competition. Due to the total removal of the board and, according to the statutes, was imposible to hire a manager until hold a new election. Thus, the coach of the U-23 women's team, Ricardo Carusso, the only coach with a contract, was named to command this team. He tried to convince the best players to join the Olympics, but it was impossible. That is why Fluvique will try to qualify with a team plagued of young players, almost without experience in the first division.

The most recognized players are Dennis Castanginnet, Teo Calmwater, Ted Apparicio, Bernard Pullian, Nick Auze and Ricky Bertens, all with some experience in the senior team. With them will be some young like Franck Drees and Shakir El-Ghazzawy. He is the first player without Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch, British or Polish origin to play for the White Foxes.

The team chances are very few. Until the last week, Fluvique was training with only six players and the only two friendlies with the complete roster were played against the women's team of the University of Concorde, composed by U-20 girls. Carusso already said that he and his team are "ready to play even with 10 players". "If the clubs don't want to give us players, fine. We can still fight". With his charm and usual humor, he told how the RFA named him coach of the team: "I was in the supermarket and the cashier warned me that I had an expired coupon" he said laughing. "When I was trying to find the correct, my phone started to ring. It was a member of the RFA and he said that we had a meeting in an hour. The rest is story"

Fluvique will play away the first match and will host Free Swiss States in a stadium to be determined. South Lane is banned due to the itching powder attack over Abanhfleft's fans in the World Cup qualifiers. However, its sure that in any venue, away fans will suffer all kinds of agressions. The winner of this round will face Tobiasia or Kaboomlandia for the place in the Olympics.

The women's team, on the other side, will play against Kelssek at home for the first leg. The match will be played at Darwin City Stadium (20.000), in Point Territory

The Panthers, ready to roar in the qualifiers.

The Fluvique women's field hockey team, The Panthers, are more than ready to face their compromises. It will be hard, but they have the biggest heart on their group and the capacity to overcome every obstacle, as usually. Their nickname is not a whim or a marketing brand: reflects the spirit of this group of women, sisters rather than teammates and with a powerfull stamp. The girls will be in the Group A2 with Orion Islands, Mapletish, Electrum, Amnarei-asud and Free Republics.

Led by Eva Leiah, captain and best player, and supported by a loyal group of players, The Panthers are wanting to play or, better, to fight in every match to earn the ticket to Aeropag, the dream of be again in the Olympics, a place more than deserved. The team, in the last training session in the headquarters of the Royal Hockey Association, received the affection of their fans. Despite the rain and cold, a larg group of fans approached to that last practice and, cell phone in hand, called their heroines. The team was more than happy to sign autographs and pose for "selfies".

Simultaneously, the men's field hockey team, the Young Lions, will be also playing in Aeropag his chance to reach the Olympics. They are in Group A5 with Drawkland, Edhros, Kaboomlandia, West Angola. Both teams will be in the same hotel and they had already traveled to the host city in the same flight of Fluviquean Airways.

Victory of the Red Devils
Fluvique (FLU) 42–12 Vettrera (VTR)

The renewal and fresh spirit seemed to be in the hands and legs of every Red Devil and helped to clearly defeat Vettrera in the first matchday. Solid in defence when Vettrera tried to hurt them and stinging in attack, where the team transformed in points every move in attack. Timo Jakeman (x2), Adam Harding, Gabriel Van Leeuwenhoek, Felix Dupont and Étienne Stijn scored the tries. Pierre Lachance also saw action.

Today's results

handball

Men's
Fluvique (FLU) 28–29 Orion Islands (ROI)

Women's
Fluvique (FLU) 31–29 Kaboomlandia (KBM)

Rugby Sevens

Men's
Fluvique (FLU) 42–12 Vettrera (VTR)

Women's MD1
Orion Islands (ROI) 24–10 Fluvique (FLU)

by **Sargossa** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 10:13 am

SSM | Sargossan State Media
International Edition - Sport

Living Up To The Past

Blanco Borrayo reports from Neverend;

As the first day of this Rushmori (and assorted others) Qualification Grand Prix draws to a close Sargossa’s sporting higher-ups such as Olympic Association chief Cesáreo Espinoza and Athletics Director Juan Verzeri can both be pretty happy as the nation’s sprinters did exactly what was asked of them. Earlier in the day all three of our 400m runners on the Women’s side of the draw advanced safely into their semi-final and the Men have now repeated the feat. Although they certainly didn’t blow the opposition away. Of the twenty four competitors into the next round Ricardo Cruz was the eleventh fastest, while Israel Pérez and Naldo Socarras were fourteenth and fifteenth respectively. Not an overwhelming showing but fit for purpose nonetheless.

Over in the 200m heats Sargossa’s Women were much more comfortable, with all three advancing within the top ten qualifiers. Lela Montesino, a junior member of the delegation that went to Zube, is now the nation’s premier 200m sprinter and won her heat to advance as the sixth fastest qualifier, although barely a hair’s breadth separates her from compatriots Calda Pomales and Estrella Castillon, nominally placed seventh and ninth. But whereas the nation has form in the sprint events, past results in the longer distances have been noticeably less impressive. True to form there will be no further Sargossan representation in either the Men’s 10,000m or Women’s Steeplechase.

Team events also got underway ahead of the main events in Aeropag, with Volleyball on the agenda here in Liventia. The Men performed as expected, losing every set in both the Indoor variant and across two Beach matches. But Sargossa’s Women are a much tougher prospect in this arena, as the Indoor side showed in their victory in a tough encounter with host nation Liventia. And out on the Beach the Camino sisters showed just why they are former Olympic champions with a straight sets win over the Hannasea duo of Hannah House and Tori Fairchild. Elsewhere in Rushmore Sargossa’s Women beat their Eastfield Lodge counterparts on the mighty battlefield that is Handball, while the Men managed a draw against the ‘Tish, and up in Atlantian Oceania the Women’s Hockey team tasted defeat to The Licentian Isles.

Admittedly the team events have been playing second fiddle to the Men and Women of the Track, that’s where the public attention is focused and that’s why there’s so much pressure to get the bulk of our boys and girls through to Aeropag. After the hefty medal hauls of Orean and Zube and the domination shown at the Rushmori Games a lot is expected of these athletes. But there are big question marks over whether then can actually deliver. The team of the Orean and Zube vintage were exceptional, thirty five of the forty eight national athletic records were set by members of that team. How many national records are held by members of the current squad? Two (see the table that's all the way down there for some reason for a full list of national records). Can they live up to the hype? Only time will tell.

Men’s			Women’s
100m	Matías Almeida	9.67	100m	Maribal Varga	10.97
110m Hurdles	Gerson Lima	13.07	100m Hurdles	Danila Lima	12.62
4 x 100m	Sargossa	37.89	4 x 100m	Sargossa	42.28
200m	Cesáreo Espinoza	19.33	200m	Adriana Padilla	21.81
400m	Juan Verzeri	44.27	400m	Elena Leal	50.93
400m Hurdles	Cristian Morante	47.88	400m Hurdles	Cleo Bustamante	52.83
4 x 400m	Sargossa	02:58.12	4 x 400m	Sargossa	03:23.29
800m	Jordi Amat	01:44.67	800m	Rodriga Bernallo	01:55.55
1500m	Jorge Urbina	03:33.65	1500m	Charlotte Jaramillo	04:01.37
5000m	Félix Silva	13:06.04	5000m	Jerrely Almeda	14:56.63
10000m	Leandro Cabrera	27:00.84	10000m	Maura Cotto	30:13.75
3000m Steeplechase	José Garcia	08:12.82	3000m Steeplechase	Soraya Luján	08:57.78
Marathon	Tino Santoro	2:09:07	Marathon	Teresa Ruiz	2:29:59
20k Walk	Horacio Abraham	1:20:49	20k Walk	Maria Velázquez	1:26:50
50k Walk	Ricardo Bianco	3:39:15	50k Walk	Lenora Sans	4:20:53
Decathlon	Rafael Ríos	8544 pts	Heptathlon	Maria Vigil	6977 pts
Shot Put	Nestor Ibañez	21.30	Shot Put	Iliana Cazares	20.28
Hammer	Diego Rolan	81.67	Hammer	Adriana Oquendo	76.36
Discus	Antonio Bartra	68.60	Discus	Selena Heredia	62.77
Pole Vault	Hector Flores	6.05	Pole Vault	Adriana Mercada	4.85
Javelin	Marcos Vizuete	88.92	Javelin	[Orieta Raya	71.06
Long Jump	Walter Arriloa	8.30	Long Jump	Electra Bernal	7.02
Triple Jump	Dani Arroyo	17.67	Triple Jump	Daniela Alemán	15.32
High Jump	Ernesto Salinas	2.36	High Jump	Carisa Corrales	2.07

*Bolded indicates current member of the Olympic delegation

by **Vettrera** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 10:17 am

(Featured Left: Valoria Beach-Cummings, Featured Right: Meghan Young)

Valoria Beach-Cummings and Meghan Young Chosen As Vettreran Olympics Spokeswomen

Eight years ago Vettrera took place in their first Summer Olympic Games where they able to take home eight medals. The breakdown of those medals was 1 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze placements. The sole gold medal finish was the work of Valoria Beach (now married) in the event of BMX Cycling. Three of those bronze medals belong to Meghan Young. Gymnast Young finished 3rd on the uneven bars, 3rd in the individual womens' all around, and 3rd in the Vettreran team all-around. Both women announced their retirement from their sports at least year's Valor City Games (the competition between Vettrera's different provinces and branches).Beach ended her career with one gold Olympic medal, as well as 8 gold medals from the Valor City Games. A drastic injury stopped her from placing well at the last VCG. Young ended her career with 3 Olympic bronze medals, 9 gold medals from the Valor City Games, 3 silvers, and a 1 bronze, making her the most decorated woman in Vettrera. In her final Valor City Games she was able to score a silver medal on the uneven bars. These two women are etched in Vettreran history as extraordinary athletes, and with both still under 30, they have time to make new legacies. Because of their widespread popularity inside of Vettrera, they have been chosen as the mouthpieces for the nation though it's Olympic return.

With the terrorist movement that plagued Vettrera for much of the last ten years over, the Vettreran Olympic Team hopes to inspire and motivate the Vettreran populace. The delegation this year is significantly larger than what Vettrera presented back in games hosted inside The Kytler Peninsulae, which hopefully means that Vettrera will also take a much larger medal count in this year's games. Even so, attempting to have a large presence on the podium is not necessarily the focal point for the nation, Meghan Young said as much during a short interview.

"Vettrerans don't really care that much about actual medals. We have a decently sized delegation, but we aren't one of the biggest. I remember back when we made our debut eight years ago, everyone just wanted to have people to rally around. There was no guarantee that we would win any medals, even though we weren't strangers to international athletics. Vettrera just wanted to say that they brought something home. Valoria being a gold medal winner got a lot of attention when we got back to Vettrera. She was just bombarded with interviews. Being a three-time medal winner, I got the same treatment. We basically became mini-celebrities, we were guest judges on a lot of reality shows, I mean...when we came back home we were not treated as athletes. We became a representation of what Vettrera wanted: excellence. I think the athletes this time around will be under a different sort of pressure though. The Insurgency was rough on everyone, and there are a lot of wounds that need to heal. The Olympic Team is trying to prove that people from all different provinces and branches can compete as a unified force and make it work. Vettrera doesn't need a strong medal finish, but they'll need to bring something home in order to make the public believe that this is possible."

Valoria Beach continued with her own explanation.

"The Vettrera of eight years ago was optimistic and secure, the Vettrera now is imbalanced and scared. Meghan and I are basically here to bridge the gap for everyone, and remind them of the joys that took place while we as a nation were united. The years of Valor City Games' during The Insurgency were rough and hyper-competitive. Brawls were breaking out between delegations from different provinces, some people refused to attend because they were part of the various groups campaigning for independence. The wounds haven't healed yet, so Vettrera needs to have some well known athletes from 'yesteryear' around to keep the public at ease."

by **Valanora** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 11:58 am

Valanora Times
Vanorian Athletes Prepare for Olympics

After a bit of a snaifu with regards to the hosting rights of the Olympic Games and some emergency voting that finally saw the Games awarded to Aeropag in Paripana. For Vanorians, the trip to the eastern part of the region is one that they will be undertaking with quite a bit of joy and excitement, though there is a small hurdle to jump through for some of the athletes before the delegation does make it to Aeropag. Due to the large nature of the entries in this Games, it was decided that there needed to be qualifying heats before moving on to the Games themselves, with the heats being conducted via regions. While this is a move that is unpopular with some, most Vanorians merely see it as similar to the qualifying process for the World Cup and though not ideal it is part of the process.

For the Games themselves, the Vanorian delegation is one of the largest it has sent and is looking to finally impress on the world stage, as the Olympic Games in both the Summer and Winter have been somewhat disappointing for Vanorians. While there has been a modicum amount of success in team sports, like Women's Hockey and Men's Football, individual athletes have had a hard time living up to expectations given to them by the Vanorian media once they do make it to the Games' location. It has been several editions now since the Vanorian delegation has met or exceeded the medal and gold tally that the VSC had set out for the delegation and the skill of the athletes being sent this edition might show that such an occurrence is likely to occur again.

The best chance for success will be in the team sports, as they have been historically the best for Valanora here in the Games, as already noted, as well as the preferred form of sport in the Eternal Empire. However one should also pay attention to the Fencing and Archery events, as both of those disciplines have quite a bit of following in Valanora and previous athletes have medaled in those events in past Games. It will not be an easy path though, as the Games have gotten more popular and so have those disciplines, with Quebec looking to be a huge challenge to anyone who wants to see the podium in any of the Fencing events, while various other nations have started sending quite strong Archery contingent to challenge the Vanorian excellence.

Overall, both the athletes and the supporters should look to enjoy the Games regardless of the success of the delegation, though success would definitely make celebration and merriment quite easier to do. The Olympic Games only comes around every few years and it brings together the people of the world on a scale that even the World Cup doesn't accomplish, as great and grand as that competition is. Take the opportunity to mingle and celebrate the people and their cultures from all across the world, for that is the spirit of the Games in earnest.

by **Arioslavia** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 12:06 pm

In draft

by **Thatius** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 12:17 pm

Nöldner Herald - Olympic Edition

Thatius Makes International Comeback at XI Olympiad
Iqaluit, Royal Kingdom of Québec

After a nearly two-year absence from the international sporting world, the nation of Thatius has returned to the scene. This time, the nation will be competing at the XI Olympiad, the international Summer Olympic Games, hosted by the city of Aeropag, Paripana. But before the games officially begin in the city of Aeropag, certain athletes and nations must qualify in sports such as athletics, water polo, basketball, football, handball, and volleyball. This will take place across three different nations; for Thatius, its athletes will compete in Iqaluit, Royal Kingdom of Québec, before continuing on to Aeropag.

The Thatian delegation will compete in a variety different sports- ranging from indoor volleyball to golf to fencing. Several athletes from the IX Olympiad (Kytler Peninsulae) are returning to these games, including:

Kostas Stefanous (Gold, Gymnastics, Individual All-Around)
Aiden Krizanović, Cameron Antansije, Darko Timorivić (Gold, Rowing, Coxed Eights)
Krystyna Naulitz, Laura Borchardt, Kasia Jagaciak, Annie Odzaković, Jelena Jacek (Silver, Rowing, Coxed Eights)
Marko Njego (Silver, Athletics, 4x400 Relay)
Angelique Eikeri (Bronze, Swimming, 200M Backstroke)
Michael Eraković (Bronze, Sailing, One-Person Dinghy)

Thatius, an island nation, has usually excelled in water sports (rowing, sailing, swimming), as exhibited by past success in Olympic Games and other international competitions. Look for Michael Eraković to make a splash again in the Men's One and Two-Person Dinghy Sailing events. Swimmers Bernard Kojić and Djordje Cetković also seek to make a name for themselves in their events, 400M Freestyle and 1500M Freestyle, respectively, before teaming up in the 4x100 Relay Event.

The largest sport in the nation, however, is not a water sport. Most Thatians either grow up on the tennis court (although swimming is a close second). Thatian tennis players have largely excelled on the international tennis stage, competing in a range of competitive events, such as the Olympics, International Tennis Association (ITA), Coby Cup, Open di Kastos, and Scott Cup. Tennis players like Novak Dlouhy and Vittoria Panaro are household names in Thatius, having been in the spotlight for nearly a decade before retiring.

Once Dlouhy and Panaro announced their retirements within several months of each other, Thatius lost the two athletes who had been the faces of the nation. This year, the spotlight is on rising stars Rob Djokić, Danilo Clijsters, John Michael Neuer, Ana Volandić, Dijana Montañes, and Kari van Uytvancka. Expect a more in-depth profile on these players in the next few days, as we closely follow their journey in the XI Olympiad. In order to have earned a spot on the Olympic Delegation, the tennis players either automatically qualified based on ranking or had to navigate their way through the Thatian Olympic Qualification Tournament- a two week event held in the capital, Frederikstadt.

Djokić and Volandić, based on past experience and as the Thatian #1 tennis players, automatically qualified for a spot on the Thatian Delegation. Clijsters and Montañes won the male and female tournaments, respectively, while Neuer and van Uytvancka were the runner-ups. The players, along with most of the delegation, has arrived in Aeropag, where they will begin preparation for their events. Our reporters on the ground in Aeropag will continue to give updates on our website regarding the progress and results of Thatius' athletes. We wish our nation's players the best of luck in the XI Olympiad.

by **The Royal Kingdom of Quebec** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 12:26 pm

In honour of this glorious moment, I present to y'all the Morning Cutoff of the Day 2 for Royal Kingdom of Quebec Qualifiers.

Here.

by **Eonstar** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 12:40 pm

Eonstar News Wire

High Hopes for Eonstar Olympic Team

Expectations are high for Eonstar's first ever Olympic team. Neo Talrod, the chairman of the Eonstar Olympic Team, set a target goal of 10 gold medals and 30 medals total. He outlined that Eonstar expects nearly all its medals to come from the traditional Eonstar sports of association football, gymnastics, judo, volleyball, and shooting. Of specific note is gymnastics; Eonstarites take pride in excelling in gymnastics, and the 19 year old Nina Carver from the women's gymnastics team will be Eonstar's flagbearer at the Olympic ceremony.

Neo stated that in addition to the traditional sports of Eonstar, the Olympic Team has invested heavily in the entire spectrum of Olympic sports. Although Eonstar is not traditionally strong at these sports, by focusing on training people across all sports, it is hoped that future talent will be identified and nurtured for the next round of Olympics, and new sports in which Eonstar is strong will be discovered.

Men's Volleyball Prevails over Electrum

The men's indoor volleyball team kicked off Eonstar's qualification efforts in spectacular fashion against mighty Electrum, opening up with a narrow win in the first set and following up with another win in the second set. Just as Eonstar looked to be winning the match, Electrum fought back with a clear 25-14 victory in the third set. In a panic, the Eonstar volleyball team rallied to finish off the match in a hard-fought 25-22 victory in the fourth set, resulting in a 3-1 victory for Eonstar, and putting the Eonstar men's volleyball qualification efforts on solid ground.

by **Astyrian Olympics Delegation** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 1:26 pm

Alpenhorn International Airport
Telleursville, Geneva, Neu Engollon
Two Days Before Qualifiers

They had arrived from all over the country, where various training programs had disgorged them to join their fellow Olympians in the capital. The shooters had come in from their facility near Albertville, the swimmers from the large National Natatorium in Burgunden, where most of the other training facilities were also located, the tennis players had new courts near Vusurlac where they polished their game. Minister Koepller was in among them shaking hands and exchanging brief greetings and positive messages.

He was a small man, who didn’t seem to have been any type of athlete himself at a younger age, but that would be a wrong assumption for the man had once been a champion skiier in his heyday. In tow were Aaron Gaspard and Phillipe Kriegman, the Commissioners of the AVRU (Alpen Valley Rugby Union) and the NETC (Neu Engollon Tennis Committee), acting as his assistants and directing his orders towards lower aides that would all be traveling with the Neu Engollian contribution to the delegation. For now, they just smiled and also shook hands.
Reporters tried to get their attention, and dozens of camera toting journalists were taking pictures or rolling film to document the occasion for various networks and smaller Internet media enterprises.

Two athletes were notable among the rugby group, a male and female that had more than a passing resemblence to each other. Alex turned to his sister,
They’re making a big show of this. I still don’t understand why we’re all here now…” He glanced at his phone, which he also used as a time telling device, as most modern folk did these days. “We all have to fly off to different qualifying nations.”

“It’s a show of solidarity and camaraderie, Alex. You know, rally the troops sort of thing. I think it’s kind of nice.”

“Kind of a waste of time, sis. Just a big media circus. I hope none of us miss our connecting flights.”

“Hi! Alex! So good to see you...and you must be his sister, Helene?”

“Oh, um, hello Magda. Nice to see you.” Magda Wertauer was the top anchor for NETV Sports and usually covered the bigger sporting events on their main channel, Sports 7.

“Hello. It’s cool to finally meet you in person.” Was all Helene could come up with at the moment.

“Oh, I’m just as happy to meet you. I’m so excited that the women’s team will finally be competing internationally.” Rugby was the top sport in the Confederacy, but it was the men’s teams that got all the attention. Most would say that was typical for a society that was still trying to downplay and reform their chauvinist, slightly misogynistic ways.
“Otto, get in here.”

Otto was a cameraman on loan from the World News desk, and this wasn’t exactly a step down, but it was an easier, less challenging gig than he was used to. That they had moved him over for this showed how highly NETV, and most other media in Astyria were treating the Olympics. Sure, tiny Costa de Ouro had been competing for years, but most other nations in Astyria were just venturing into International competition, or had only dabbled in tournaments in fringe sports. To much of the rest of the Multiverse, rugby was one of those fringe sports, but it was the main passion for Neu Engollians.

“So...we’re going to do this now, Magda?” Alex briefly frowned, exchanged a look with Helene, then went neutral. He was too cranky to be on TV now. He’d had little sleep before heading out to Burgunden International to catch up with the rest of the Goats.

“Sure, why not? This is being recorded to play later on the Update. Just play along, Alex. OK, so...in 3. Two...One.”

“Hello Neu Engollon, I’m Magda Wertauer and you’re watching the NETV Sports 7 Update. We have a special treat. We’re watching all the athletes get ready to board their various flights to go to the Olympics qualifiers being held in several nations. Right now, I have with me Alex Renvier, the Center for the National Rugby Sevens squad, the Goats. He also plays for the National Union team, as well. With Alex is his sister, Helene Renvier, the scrum half for the women’s rugby sevens Goats. It’s great to catch you both, and together no less…”

“Um, yeah...We’re pretty stoked right now, Magda.”

“I bet you are, Helene. How does it feel to be sort of...following in your brother’s footsteps?”

“Well, I don’t see it that way, Magda. I mean, I’ve learned a lot from Alex, and all my brothers and our father. We’re a big rugby family going way back. But I’ve also put in the hard work, as have all us ladies for the team, to make sure we have a tight unit going into these qualifiers.”

“Just to be blunt, what do you think your chances are?”

“Pretty good. We may not have the international experience, but we’ve got the cohesiveness and the fundamentals down.”

“Alex, how proud are you of your sister?”

“Very. Oh, look, Magda...They’re calling us for our flight. Gotta go.”
Saved by the bell, Alex thought.

“Pity. Well, we’ll continue this another time. Thanks for talking with us.”

“Of course, any time.”

“All of Neu Engollon is behind you, as is the rest of Astyria. Make us proud, Renviers.”

“Yep.”

Serreten Olympic Training Facility
Falmouth, Eastern Coast, Serretes
Winter Preceding

Eadric of Dunmarrow gazed at the scale. Too heavy to box in the Heavyweight. I guess I’m fighting in the Super-heavyweight class. He had always struggled to control his weight, and now he was fifteen pounds over the weight cut off. He lacked the discipline of some of the other Olympians he had watched training in Falmouth. Even some of the younger kids, being trained to eventually take his place, exhibited better discipline around food. When Eadric saw tripe stuffed with apples or mutton or white wheat breads he simply lost control. He knew he would gain weight quickly as soon as his training ended when he retired in a couple years. The muscle was thick on his back, chest, and arms. He carried fat in his face and his ample butt. He had avoided weighing in for a few weeks, fearing the truth and his coach’s reaction. Disappointment reigned on the old man’s face as he gazed at the scale, struggling to read the numbers in the dimly lit room.

“Looks like you’re fighting super-heavyweight. You should have stopped eating when I told you.”

“I tried…”

“Not hard enough. We’ll work this off of you if it kills you in the process. You’re not to eat unless I approve everything you eat, first. No more bag work, just weights and running. Then two weeks dead time with just technique before the Games.”

Eadric nodded sourly. He wasn’t looking forward to the veritable hell he was about to undergo.

“We’ll start today. You’ll run into failure. And then turn around and run back. Clear?”

Eadric cringed, anticipating the pain.
Nonetheless, at the end of the few weeks Eadric weighed in at just five pounds over the cutoff for heavy weight at his lightest and looked to be in the best shape of his life. He liked his chances well enough while before he was almost scared to participate due to embarrassment caused by his weigh. Instead, now he felt like a raging wolf ready to dismantle his opponents. The tattoos that covered his face now pulled tight over his skull and frankly he looked terrifying, or at least he thought he did.

Serreten Olympic Training Facility
Falmouth, Eastern Coast, Serretes
Winter Preceding

Yarrow of Falmouth gazed at the pile of food in front of him, wanting nothing more than to rip into the saddle of mutton his elderly grandmother had set before him. To her, weight meant strength. Yarrow knew better, but he still struggled to control his appetite during his weekly visits with the old woman. It almost seemed unfair to not eat what his grandmother gave him especially after she had worked so hard to make him the best food she could find, but Yarrow wanted success more than he wanted his grandmother’s cooking.

He struggled with family more than any of the other Olympians, being that the whole family lived in the same town as the training facility. His grandma was constantly delivering food by hand when she thought he needed it. Usually it was fed to whoever wanted to eat. Everytime without fail, his grandma chided him for being too skinny. She told him most every time she saw him that no woman would ever marry such a small man. Personal experience, she said. Yarrow was not small in any sense of the word. He weighed nearly 245 pounds and while he did carry a little bit of extra weight to add to his raw strength his body was still knotty with muscle.

At just 26, Yarrow was the reigning strongman champion of Serretes, although he had always focused more on the Olympic lifts than his strongman counterparts. His hair was cut close, an anomaly among Serreten athletes. Most favored complicated cuts and braids, both on their head and their faces. He also lacked tattooing. Everyone else on the Olympic team had at least a couple tattoos and the rowing team and Eadric of Dunmarrow were both covered in ink.

His grandmother would not stand the long hair, beards, tattoos, and earrings that most everyone wore. She had the final say in everything it seemed. She had even demanded to travel with the Olympic team in order to ‘coach’ Yarrow. Her coaching usually consisted of trying to feed him and giving him little pats on the back and squeezes to the cheeks. He didn’t mind her coddling, he rather enjoyed it. Still, he had other things to focus on, namely his lifting. He had immense raw strength.He smiled at the old woman and ripped into the mutton. No reason to hurt her feelings. She watched him eat, and quickly pushed another cut of meat onto his plate. She squeezed his cheeks and smiled.

“See, now you’ll be big and strong and win that competition, what’s it called….”she trailed off. “Anyways, I have some extra sausage that your grandfather doesn’t want. I’ll make you some sandwiches to take with you. You need to keep eating or you’ll wither away. Am I going to have a new granddaughter?” Yarrow just laughed.

by **Ferkas** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 2:55 pm

Sitting Down with a Living Legend

FAW Exclusive Interview with Kyle Reper

Ferkian Athletics Weekly

Kyle Reper is the first to say that he is surprised he made the Olympic team again.

"I don't think anyone expected it, and sometimes I think that includes myself. The last year had been pretty rough, so the move to the marathon...Well, I'm not saying it was the last shot, but it was pretty close."

It's a fair assessment. Since his last Olympic medal (10000m Silver, VIII Olympiad), Reper hadn't done too much. Sure, there had been a few strong showings, but nothing close to what the public, or he, had come to expect.

"When you're winning everything...When it becomes the default, anything short of that can get to you pretty fast."

Perhaps the worst was last November, when only two kilometers into the FNAA Cross Country Championships Reper pulled off to the side. It later came out that knee pain was the culprit, although it wasn't clear what the cause was. But after several years of sub-par performances, few were ready to give Reper the benefit of the doubt. When his name appeared on the entry list for the FNAA Marathon Championships most assumed it was nothing more than wishful thinking.

They couldn't have been more wrong. Reper hadn't run a marathon in almost two years and hadn't finished a race in almost six months. It was supposed to be a race dominated by the veteran marathoners and the new young talent. Not the "washed-up Olympic has-beens who can't suffer the thought of being outside the spotlight and continue to show up in events where they really have no place", to quote an editorial piece published in this very magazine.

"I remember reading that," Reper reminisced with a laugh. "I think my coach read parts of it to me actually, in the middle of a tempo run. We actually had a decent laugh about it. I mean, we didn't know if I would make a team, but we new I wasn't as much of a wreck as everyone seemed to think. But it might be a bit more than that. I think on a certain level he and I both knew that it could be right. If I didn't do well in that marathon, how long would it be until I was just a has-been, trying to reclaim lost glory?"

At this point, one can't help but think back to Lasft, site of the VI Olympiad. Going into the games, Reper was the undisputed king of Ferkian distance running. His gold medal at the V Olympiad had secured him that title, along with the eyes and expectations of an entire nation. But Lasft, Lasft was different.

At Lasft, Reper had qualified for the steeple chase and the 5000m. He was the national champion in both. The defending Olympic medalist in the steeple. Easily the most experienced Ferkian entrant.

He was also, unknown to all but a few, dealing with a severe stress reaction. Kept even further from the public was the depression.

Reper would falter in both events, failing to advance. But it wasn't the athletic failures that turned Lasft into, in Reper's own words, "the darkest moments...of my entire life."

Reper was sent home from Lasft after being found by his teammates, passed out, overdosed from a combination of alcohol and prescription pain-killers. He spent the next month in in-patient care, and is open about the fact that he still attends regular counseling sessions.

"I learned a lot from Lasft...mostly, and I know this will sound cliche, that it's a good thing to get help when you need it. It's strange, in sports. We will get all the help we need for something physical. If an athlete feels weak, they'll get a strength coach or find a new gym. If they need a training partner, they'll find one. But if it's something mental that attitude can go right out the window. And I know it's an issue for non-athlete's too. Working on this over all this time has helped ground me in that, and has also helped ground my perspective a bit. You see, that was the first time I ever really experienced failure, and I didn't know what to do about it."

It's clear now, all this time later, that Reper has come far since Lasft. At Emberton, he won the 5000m, a victory that he considers his most personally significant. At Orean it was a silver in the 10000m, an event where he will get another chance at medal glory after again surprising the critics.

"You know, after making the marathon team, running 2:05, after all that I thought they would give me a bit of credit!" Reper said with a laugh. "But heading into the championships it was all the same stuff again! I was too old for the track, I didn't have the speed anymore, I was stealing someone's spot. That last one really got me. I qualified, fair and square like everyone else. I didn't steal a spot."

Whatever the critics may have said before the race, Reper had silenced them by the end. Running 27:02.73 and grabbing the third and final qualifying spot, Reper made it very clear that he deserved to be in that race.

It's a different sort of Olympiad for Kyle Reper, that's for sure. It's almost certainly his last, although he refused to speculate on his future after this meet. But age is catching up to him. It's different too in that, for perhaps the first time in his career, the expectations are low. Despite his turnaround the last few months, few are picking him to top the tables. Sure, the domestic press will always talk about him, but now they spend easily as much time on the new stars.

Rightfully, and thankfully, so, if you ask Kyle. "I don't, I never, want to be the center of attention. I love doing well, I love winning, but that's for me. Not to get on the shows or something. And for the sport to do well it's crucial that all of our top athletes get attention. And personally, it helps me a bit too. Being able to relax and focus on myself, on my training, on my races...it's a nice change."

No one knows what that change will mean for Reper's performances, only time and distance will tell that. But here, six Olympiad's after his debut, years after his stunning prep and collegiate seasons, Reper finally seems truly prepared - whatever the outcome.

by **Kernansquillec** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 3:01 pm

A brief history of Kernansquillec's brief Olympic history

Kernansquillec's relationship with the Olympics has been a short lived one. Tensions and issues on both sides have led to Kernansquillec not participating in a single Winter Olympic Games and only a single Summer Olympic Games back in its sixth edition, before today that is. But this brief history is a rich one, with many of Kernansquillec's great sporting moments coming over that summer in Cafundeu. Ten gold medals, seventeen silvers and thirteen bronzes were won; a grand total of forty medals in total, putting Kernansquillec 13th in the medals table at its first ever Olympic appearance.

Kernansquillec's first ever medal at the Games came curtosy of a certain Abigail Edwards in the Women's 10m Air Rifle at Jóquei Clube Sangue Azul. Joint top with a perfect 400 after the qualification round, pressure got to Abigail in the final as the realisation of what she was in reach of accomplishing dawned upon her. A score of 102.7 finished off her hopes of gold but she was able to hold off the challange of Alexa McAndrews by 0.3 points to claim her medal.

After that early day one success, Kernansquillec would have to wait until three days later to see another medal arrive. This time in a slightly better shade as Ella Kaur missed out in her judo final. As Kernansquillecans battled it out to qualify for their respective finals and those lucky few struggled against the odds to win a medal, the day after Kaur's heatbreak, gold would finally arrive. Zak O'Neill was competiting in the table tennis at Clube de Campo Irmãos Metralha. After a marathon seven game semi-final in which he edged out Vanse Sokolowva, some may have feared he would suffer from fatigue against Krytenia's Andy Barcali who had eased into the final with a straight-games victory. And Zak got off to the worst start, losing the first two games. A rally in the third game him some hope, but he collapsed in the fourth, losing it scoring just five points. Barcali was now just a game away from gold and had three games to win it. In one of the best known comebacks in Kernansquillecan sporting history, Zak somehow turned the game on its head and won the last three games 11-7, 11-8 and 11-9. Upon the winning strike Zak collapsed to his knees in tears of joy in front of a Kernansquillecan nation that had bitten its nails raw over the course of the closing games.

The first gold had been a struggle. But it inspired and lifted the whole delegation who now knew they could do it. The next day, Laurette Brochu finished an agonising fourth in the eventing final, before the Complexo Aquático Peixe-Boi saw a second Kernansquillecan gold. The 4x200m freestyle relay team of Hope, Sciverit, Senneville and Viens swan out of their skins to nip home ahead of their rivals by over 0.2 seconds. Flag bearers at the opening ceremony and C-2 slalom team Kayleigh Mellor and Madeleine Kay were the next to seal gold, outclassing the entire field to win Kernansquillec's most comfortable gold of the Games so far.

More medals would soon follow as Kernansquillec continued to impress on their Olympic début.

//LATEST RESULTS//
//BASKETBALL// Cosumar 65–58 KERS M, KERS W 93–69 Amnarei-asud
//WATER POLO// Vilitan Union 8–8 KERS W
//400m (M)// R. Liebold, S. Bramlett (Q)
//10000m (M)// B. Litt (Q)
//200m (W)// L. Niver, N. Eck, M. Deegan (Q)
//3000m STEEPLECHASE (W)// R. Wier, N. Schimmel (Q)
//BEACH VOLLEYBALL (M)// Fritts & Conant win 2-1
//INDOOR VOLLEYBALL// Kernansquillec M lose 3-1, Kernansquillec W lose 3-0

by **Todd McCloud** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 3:16 pm

Levinile: No International Military Presence Permitted
Reporting for V3 News Services, Rin Slakori

ELDURA - "No troops may enter or operate on Vekaiyun soil, unless they fly the flag of Vekaiyu or that of the Vekaiyun Union," Premier of Vekaiyu Ikrisia Levinile warned in a press conference earlier today. The question was posed by a member of V3 staff (yours truly) during a general question and answer session. "It is a line that will not be crossed," she said in the same breath.

The Premier later specified by saying, "if any delegation wishes to have a small non-national non-weaponized security team follow them to their venues, they may of course do so provided they have been adequately screened and continuously abide by our laws while in our nation. I am aware of the differences between species and the unfortunate stigmas some histories may carry, but we have cast aside those fears and open our nation to the spirit of competition. We expect the same in return. Otherwise they will have to forfeit."

While she did not specifically call out one particular delegation, Premier Levinile was most likely reacting to an announced plan by the Ndakene Minister of Defense Nicolas Roufosse, who called for a task force to follow their delegation. Their announcement is understandable - the nation was ravaged by wolf individuals during their so-called "Great Species War", a nation-shaping conflict which resulted in the death of over five billion individuals. But what cannot be excused is the extreme disparity in the rights of different species. Non-human individuals "often face miserable and grueling times" as per a recent bulletin published by their Olympic committee, and it appears "rights" are only reserved for those of the human race.

To contrast, Vekaiyu makes no distinction in law with respect to different species. While the nation has preserved through trying moments, one of the constants under Premier Levinile has been fair treatment of Vekaiyun citizens regardless of species or creed. The operative word is, of course, citizen. Levinile has been a firm adherent to the controversial Sen Aygusi, or the belief that citizenship is a binding contract that can be broken under certain circumstances, rendering the offender a citizen of no nation and therefore susceptible to any treatment deemed necessary by the Vekaiyun government. Such justification was used during the 2010 civil war in order to remove Maxism and the practice of Maxism from upper echelons of government, and has been used several times in the not-too-distant past.

One could imagine that this places VOC Chairwoman Riyna Yovisktre under a bit of a predicament. Ndaku is scheduled to face off against Orion Islands tonight at 1900 VST in Eldura, the Vekaiyun capitol, which is sure to have plenty of Vekaiyun spectators curious about international teams. Will their nation and their fans cause a disturbance in an event that will be viewed by vulpine individuals? Will there be any altercations between their fans and spectators from Vekaiyu? More importantly, will the nation even be able to compete?

Yovisktre, of course, remains a vigilant individual, and was quick with a response. "We will not bar the team from Ndaku from engaging in competition tonight," she said during a press conference. "This is in-line with what Premier Levinile has said - they control their own destiny. Any national troops will be forwarded to Vekaiyun authorities, as it is against our policy to have international troops operating within our borders. Unarmed private security will be permitted with proper justification. Any altercations between fans or players will be dealt with by the Eldura Metro Police and instances will be forwarded to the International Olympic Council for investigation. We will not allow petty politicking to disturb what is to be a celebration of competition and culture."

V3 News Services will of course follow this situation and any other situations like it as they develop. In addition, we will continue to report on our athletes abroad as they hope to make it to Aeropag.

by **Commerce Heights** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 4:18 pm

To: Kaleb O’Reilly
From: James Burdick
Subject: Matters regarding the Games of the XI Olympiad
Encryption: Secret decoder ring

Mr. O’Reilly,

I am writing in response to your letter regarding the upcoming Games of the XI Olympiad. I don’t know what kind of towers you have in your “nation”, and unfortunately, it sounds like you don’t give tours there. But if you have a chance, I’d love to show you around the place I work. It’s the biggest, classiest tower you’ll ever see, believe me. It’s got sporting facilities like you wouldn’t believe. It’s got the greatest Olympic stadium on the top. It’s the hugest, most premium chunk of real estate in Aeropag, which, let me tell you, is not a cheap city to live in.

By the way, we own it. Did you ever wonder how the Paripana Sporting Council got to be so rich? We pull in rental income like you wouldn’t believe. Aeropag Tribune, UICA, you name it, everybody wants an office in the Olympic Tower. Our best people back in the day took a big gamble on building this place, and it was a huge win. They were winners, believe me.

But what you were actually writing to me about was the Olympic Games. You see, because our organization is so great—we’ve got the best administrative staff, believe me—we have a whole accreditation system to keep track of who’s allowed to go where in the tower, and all of our other venues. If anyone tries to go someplace they’re not allowed, we’ve hired the greatest security people to find them and figuratively throw them out. And we have all sorts of rules on who we can grant accreditation to, and how many we accredit in each category. We wouldn’t want a football team to have thirty-three players trying to sit in the technical area, would we? That would be ridiculous! They’d have to sit on each other’s laps!

Oh, and single file? That’s so low-energy. Single file is for losers. I thought you said you were a winner.

—James Burdick
Circular Filing Clerk
Paripana Sporting Council

by **Krytenia** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 4:34 pm

OLYMPIC QUALIFYING UPDATE
The Ins and Outs in the RKQ

It's an intriguing prospect, having to qualify for an Olympic place. For the last ten iterations of the multiverse's favourite sporting event, it's just been a case of the KNOC selecting their combatants and having at it. Now, though? Now those athletes have to earn their place. There are those who espouse the qualifying process as "unfair" and "unjust" - and whilst it's true that the format wasn't in the original brochure, neither was hosting the Games in Paripana, so there's at least a lingering aroma of sour grapes involved.

That being said, of course, it does lead to heartbreak, at least for some. It also means a chance to miss out entirely on a trip to Aeropag, as Krytenian athletes have been drawn into the Quebecois sections of qualifying alongside the majority of their bretheren in the region.

So how are we doing?

ATHLETICS

The lions' share of the qualifying process involves those participating in the athletics events. One person, though, is above all of that in the Krytenian team. The sole athletics gold medallist from the Krytenian team at the last Olympics, Ryan Black - along with all the other competing champions from four years ago - qualifies directly to the big event. For everyone else, though, it's a hard slog to make it to the "Top of the Tower".

Which brings us to poor Paul Cassano. Four years of training, sweat, and graft, and it all goes up in smoke in four seconds. The Diorville runner, needing only to finish in the top seven in the 10,000m to make it to the big stage, was running nicely in the pack when a tangle of legs left him stumbling. One awkward footfall later, and Cassano was left face first on the track, a mis-step leaving him with a twisted ankle. Officials helped him off the track, the Krytenian's face plastered with blood and tears.

Better news, though, in the women's sprint, where Belinda Taylor made sure of her place by qualifying through the semi-finals. A medal here could put her among the favourites for gold in Aeropag in a few weeks time.

BASKETBALL

To say the Krytenians have been Jekyll and Hyde in the basketball qualifiers is putting it somewhat mildly. The men's team were unlucky not to get something out of their game against Vangaziland, but bounced back to dominate Qasden in their second match. A win against the hapless Vettrera side will all but ensure an Olympic spot.

The women, too, are one win away from Aeropag. Anmarei-Asud were far too strong for them; Benjamin Mark, however, were quate hilariously not. The only thing standing in their way, sadly, are one of the medal favourites - Kernansquillec will be a very tough nut to crack.

WATER POLO

Well, it was nice knowing you.

Qualifying continues tomorrow...who'll be the next to book their plane tickets?

by **Ndaku** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 4:34 pm

TIG|The Interplanetary Guardian
Sports || Health || Technology || Space || Domestic Politics || International Politics || Entertainment || World || Ndaku
Thursday 28 July 2110

Prime Minister Maria Serafim Criticizes Roufosse's Plan

LUMUMBAVILLE - Yesterday Minister of Defense Nicholas Roufosse's announced a plan for a Ndakene Task Force to follow the Ndakene delegation scheduled to compete in their qualifiers in Eldura, Vekaiyu - a nonhuman nation.

Prime Minister Maria Serafim in Lumumaville Thursday

Ndaku's track and field, water polo, handball, rugby and volleyball delegations were split into all directions on Tuesday. What alarmed and even shocked some was the fact that Ndaku's water polo team, both men and women, were to play in Vekaiyu. Despite that fact that much of the Ndakene population remains in a traumatic state after the War, Prime Minister Maria Serafim emphasized the importance of moving on while remembering the past. Prime Minister Serafim provided a speech criticizing Roufosse's decision and commending the Vekaiyun response: "We have all seen the near-death times of humanity, most of us have experienced them, some of us were able to contribute to resisting, and the rest simply did the best they could to survive. It is true that those were unarguably scary times, but it is my duty to remind you, my fellow People, that those times are over. We are in a time of recollection, restoration, and progression. With that said, it is about time we set the past behind us and move on.

"While I understand our precaution towards the nonhuman nations that thrive in our universe, allow me to remind you that, just like us humans, there are those who are benevolent, and there are those who are malevolent. Not all Wolves are harmful. Thus, we must be the Christians and Muslims most of us are and accept them as not only a different species, but a living species. Humanity spent much of their time searching the cosmos for life other than our Homeworld, and we are lucky that we have. We are also extremely lucky that we have found life that is practically harmless; would it not make sense to embrace them and take the advantage to learn and thrive alongside?"

P.M. Serafim then provided strong rhetorical arguments on the importance of a peaceful coexistence with nonhumans. She then moved on criticizing Roufosse's plans: "While I understand Mr. Roufosse's plan to send armed squads with our Olympic delegation, I must state that I am a bit appalled. The Vekaiyuns, just like us, still have skepticism towards a different species. However, they have managed to move past that through strong leadership, progressiveness, and education. I do announce that the said Task Force will no longer make their way to Vekaiyun lands, and Mr. Roufosse's plan will be withdrawn.

"As Premier Levinile stated, their nation is not like it was in the past, and neither is ours. Let us enjoy these Games being played, and let us continue to show our support to our athletes, peacefully."

Much of the population criticized Minister of Defense Nicholas Roufosse's plan on "protecting" Ndakene athletes in foreign lands, and much of them are thankful for Mrs. Serafim's speech as pushing military protection during an international diplomatic event would have crumpled Ndaku's chances of scoring high and going farther than domestic sporting. Following P.M. Serafim's speech, it has been said that NDISA (Ndakene Domestic and International Sporting Association) law and policy makers will encourage inter-species sporting in the near future. Many sporting analysts hypothesize this movement may take time to assimilate into Ndakene sporting culture, but it's worth a try. The Interplanetary Guardian will continue to follow this development; highlights, live coverage, statistics, and much more can be found via NdakuSports.nda!

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Games of the XI Olympiad—roleplaying thread

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A brief history of Kernansquillec's brief Olympic history

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