Games of the XVII Olympiad - RP Thread

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Logo, many thanks to Tikariot for making it possible!

Results and schedule thread - Roleplaying thread (HERE) - Rosters thread - OOC discussion thread - Host Bid

Dear All,

Thank you for placing your faith and excitement in New Oxford-Whitehaven and Jolbonopolis for the Games of the XVII Olympiad. It is an absolute honour for both nations, of Quebec and Shingoryeo and Afanc Strait, to be co-hosting the Summer Olympics for the second time in our respective histories.

This marks the second consecutive time that the Summer Olympics will be hosted on the opposite ends of the Blood Sea. Both nations, through their decades of history accrued in the hosting and the operations of the Olympic Games, have the necessary experience to host the tournament professionally, successfully and in a sustainable manner.

We look forward to seeing the spirit of the youths, the communities and the movement gather into the municipalities of not only the two co-candidate cities, but the Multiverse, for the unforgettable firework of the youth. We will promise you that New Oxford-Whitehaven and Jolbonopolis strive and will deliver the 'Best Games Ever'.

Let the Games Begin.

Pierre van Eeden Youngblood,
President, Royal Quebecois Olympic Committee (RQOC)

The purpose of this thread is to post roleplays which will contribute to your nation's results. Any OOC comments and enquiries should be posted at the general Olympic Games Discussion Thread or the OOC discussion thread. Information regarding venues can be found in the subsequent posts by the host nations - please remain patient as they can take a couple of days to be updated and posted.

CUTOFF TIME

There will be only one RP cutoff per scorination day, with Quebec and Shingoryeo cutting off first around each day. The cutoff window is yet to be determined and will be updated by the end of the weekend of 6th-9th October, but will most likely be around North American evening hours.

Following the posting of scorination windows, Quebec and Shingoryeo will be the first host to scorinate his events. Results in Afanc Strait will be posted several hours later. Dates for the next cutoff will be announced on the previous cutoff and the schedule/results thread. There will be off-days built into the schedule.

LIST OF DELEGATIONS

Note: All accepted delegations.

AFA - Afanc Strait
AKE - A Kea
ALE - Alezian Union
ARC - Archalit
ASC - Anglo-Saxe Coburg
BNJ - Banija
BRI - Britonisea
BRO - Brookstation
CAD - Cardenao
CDO - Costa de Ouro
DAR - Darmen
DCS - Team Diarcesian
DCU - Da Cunha
DMN - Darkmania
ETM - Electrum
GRÆ - Græntfjall
HAN - The Hannasean Federation
HMS - HMS Onslaught
HUA - Huayramarca
KAN - Kanmer
KGS - Kriegiersien
KRY - Krytenia
KSK - Kelssek
KWP - Magnus Phoenicia
KYP - The Kytler Peninsulae
LEN - Liventia
MCO - Macbon
MYT - Mytanija
NOQ - Nueva Orinoquia
NTN - Natanians and Nosts
PCU - Pemecutan
QUE - Quebec and Shingoryeo
RWH - Estogium
SAT - Saterun
SCR - Scornerse
SEM - Semarland
SJJ - Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove
SKD - St Kristofian Democracy
SRG - Sargossa
STR - StrayaRoos
TLI - The Licentian Isles
TLW - Toluiwa
TVU - The Valhallan Union
VAL - Valanora
VLT - Vilitan Union
WSN - Waisnor

SOME ADVICE ON ROLEPLAYS -- In continuation from the Games of the 15th and 16th Olympiad

Roleplay marking can be pretty subjective, but here are some of the things which would help you in scoring highly:

• Quality > quantity - a roleplay that can make me laugh or feel emotional or has good sporting analysis/research (especially for more obscure sports), graphics, characterisation, world building will be marked more highly. Feel free to experiment and be creative.
• Try and roleplay events about or related to the Olympics or its athletes in some way.
• Use all the information provided to provide details: where applicable, refer to team rosters, IC info, sponsorship info, other people's roleplays, etc.
• Respect people's roleplay permissions (usually people post them on the roster thread) -- this includes not godmodding if it's not allowed and being consistent with what other people have roleplayed first.
• Don't give me a list of results -- I scored them! Instead, give information that I don't know. Fill in the blanks and provide context behind the scores. How did the athletes feel? What moves did they do? How did they win or lose? Why did they perform above/below expectations?
• Don't expect to always win. Remember that having a high skill athlete and/or a good roleplay only increases but does not guarantee the chances of a medal.
• Please don't tag posts to edit in roleplays later. Once I see a post on the thread, I will mark it. If you have anything new to add, do so in a new post and it will be counted.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Quebec & Shingoryeo Information

Quebec & Shingoryeo is a gigantic nation of 94 million people located in the Calania continent of northwestern Anaia, consisting of 12 provinces. That said, due to its geographical location, as well as the complexities of the territorial planes over the Quebecois Realms, it identifies itself as a nation of both Calania and northwestern AO, and handles its border/territorial situations accordingly. Quebecois Realms and the N.A.F.T.A. Zone of five nations that are, for some complicated reasons soon to be RP'd in the last quarter of the OOC calendar year 2022, located in Anaia and Atlantian Oceania. For official administrative purposes, it is recognised to be within an Anaian location.

In Anaia, it borders former Semarland and New Gesem to the southeast and Huayramarca to southwest. In Atlantian Oceania, it borders Lacfroid to southeast and Whitecroft to southwest. South Detroit Free State, as a former Quebecois territory, is considered a dual-region state and qualifies under same regulations as the Quebecois Mainland in terms of border control. In terms of water, it faces Salamantic Sea and the Northandryun Strait to the West, Xile Sea to the East. North of the Quebecois borders stand Blood Sea, the maganimous ocean that stands between Anaia and Atlantian Oceania to Rushmore.

The land that is now known to be part of Quebecois Realms, which share boundaries with aforementioned nations of the N.A.F.T.A. Zone, is inhabited for millennia by the indigenous people present in the region. In the year 1404, the fleet of Joseonite exiles from the would sail into the so-called RL-verse move into areas that nowadays constitute the Acadie province and the capitol of Joongyeong, where the kingdom was founded in the same year by Henri I, who negotiated treaty of coexistence among all peoples of the nation, whether indigenous or Koreanophone.

Over the subsequent centuries, the nation would grow in size and technology. With the quiet incorporation of the neighbouring peoples, the expansion of maritime trade between Atlantian Oceania and Rushmore (and to some degree Tyran and Esportiva), subsequent industrialisation of the country's industries, and inconsistent operations of the interrealm portal, the Quebecois Empire would grow to incorporate territories across many regions.

The Empire, while formed by military warfare and supported by its allied nations (see: Gatchingerrak Union's constituent nations), was an odd one of own. It did not suppress the peoples or the cultures, but focused on the equal standings between the locals (this being mostly the ruling elites of the territories) who would fall under the mostly similar administrative and economic frameworks (citation needed for latter btw). Thus, the Empire was stood to be a short-term option with nations fostered to develop their own, nationalistic path over time. With the growing inequalities faced domestically at home, and the overseas territories becoming increasingly unmanageable in economic terms by the early-1900s, decolonisation and the further bloc-ification of the Quebecois Empire and its allies were inevitable and encouraged.

Eventually, the Empire would turn into that of the Quebecois Commonwealth, a loose political and economic union of two-dozen nations, with the process finished by year 1949. The nation, now without a glitter (and grime) of an empire, had to embark on their own path to redefine themselves. Continued encouragement of immigration from both Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth nations, which had coincided the postwar decades' excitement and calls for cultural liberalisation, would further diversify the nation. At the same time the resilient strength of the nation's economy, even after all the booms-and-busts of economic cycles, nationalisation and privatisation and re-nationalisation policies, would too ensure that Quebec and Shingoryeo, just over a century after the nation-defining Southern Rushmori War and the de-markation of the Quebecois Empire, and just under a decade after historical Foxchester Declaration, is still a darn good place to live, if slightly expensive.

Quebec and Shingoryeo is a federal parliamentary democracy and semi-constitutional monarchy, currently led by Christine II as the head of state. There are three official languages - English, French and Korean - with local indigenous languages spoken in regional capacity. Quebec and Shingoryeo has one of the largest economies in both regions, which is built upon its strengths in heavy industry, finance and agriculture.

As the seat of the former Quebecois Empire and the current Quebecois Commonwealth, Quebec & Shingoryeo has stood as a major power in Anaia and Atlantian Oceania. It has also maintained its historical status as one of the major international powers in culture, science and philosophy - a feat achieved partly through the existence of Quebecois Commonwealth and its geopolitical location between Anaia, Atlantian Oceania and Rushmore, but also through long history of social and cultural homogeneity that originated from the nation's founding day. That said the nation, once an active participant in international wars, has stayed peaceful and relatively conflict-less, and is expected to uphold the past forty years of peacetime.

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Some Questions

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Travelling to Quebec and Shingoryeo is a fun, multi-planar experience of own. So, with this in mind, here are some travel tips you could use during the course of the Olympics:

1. Laws, laws and laws.

Quebec and Shingoryeo is known to be a fairly liberal country in terms of certain laws, and it's partly true. That is probably why you are smelling a bit of marijuana and may be drinking too much on an outdoor patio of a local delicatessen while walking down the street.

The minimum age to purchase and consume substances vary in what substance - 14 for alcohol, 16 for marijuana, and 21 for tobacco. Possession and consumption of said substances (which also include a narrow list of recreational drugs) outdoors are predictably legal as well, though some boomers and fitness maniacs may openly judge you if you do them in a park or somewhere that is public.

There is a total ban on indoor public smoking, however, and this extends to sporting events in general. Drinking on indoor venues, while not prohibited, will be frowned upon. Besides, why would you drink indoors when there is just a pub down the road with way cheaper and better quality Anju? Drugs trade, unless they are from a legal vendor and for legal substance, is banned. So if you are a local or a tourist, you are more than welcome to go to a state-owned Cannabiscorp or a co-op store and buy stuff instead.

What is no different than other past hosting nations are firearms. Firearm ownership, let alone use, is heavily restricted in Quebec and Shingoryeo with exceptions only given to those whose work requires it (e.g. shooters, pentathletes, some members of the police and the military), or those who have likely survived months and several dozen pages of the application process for a hunting rifle. For the sake of this competition, let's just assume that it's probably not a good idea to not bring your favourite Glock or Colt .45 to Quebecois soil.

2. Quebecois Pound (Q£) is the national currency. The exchange rate is roughly Q£1 = NSD 2.00. Foreign credit cards will be accepted into most bank ATMs.

3. As seen above, Quebec and Shingoryeo has three official languages - English, French and Korean - with local indigenous language(s) also used on a regional capacity. While all three languages will be used in an official capacity, the language dynamic there is a bit more complicated - the best way to describe this is by using a quote from Sylvain IV 'The Thinker', the great-grandfather of current Christine II - 'I speak English to a Banker, French to a Dancer, Korean to a Thinker, and the Original Tongue to a God.' In the Northwestern part of Quebec, English and Korean are primarily spoken.

4. Quebecois people are usually known to be talkative, celebratory and most importantly blunt, and they will rarely apologise or remain polite unless on close capacity. While those in need of help or directions will always be helped, and you will be set for a long time after that, it is expected that the help is asked first by those to whom this may concern. That said, once the help is sought out and all goes well, you will be set for the rest of your time here, and may have found yourself a lifelong mate to come stay over or drink with.

5. The rights of freedom of speech and assembly are guaranteed. That said, this does not mean freedom from consequences.

In adherence to the security protocol established back back in the Games of the 16th Olympiad, there will be strict security checks when entering the venues and team hotels, with additional personnel placed across the city. Unlike with the Olympics, however, there will be more lax security regulations -- flares, obscenely large banners and limited display of hooliganism will be tolerated. Displays of hate speech will not be tolerated, however.

6. The question of religion is a complicated one, perhaps even more so than languages. Traditionally, Roman Catholicism, Mahayana Buddhism, Anglicanism, and Indigenous religions are considered as four religious pillars of state and are viewed with particular interest by the state and people. All four pillars, as well as other minor religions, incorporate various elements of native shamanism and folk traditions and do not always follow the rules from Vatican or Canterbury, something that has complicated the authority-to-authority relations over the Interrealm portal.

The rights of religion are unquestioned here, and this will remain the same throughout the course of your stay in the country. People tend to be careful being aware of other person's religions though, and their way of addressing it is usually not asking about them. At least not on the first impression/moment, or else they are viewed as rude.

7. If you need police, fire or most importantly medical help, please call 777. (Yeah, it's literally 777).

Visitors and athletes of delegations will be able to receive excellent and prompt care from the city's hospitals and walk-in clinics under the People's Healthcare Services (PHS). Specialists may take a little bit longer time to reach, but for the most part, will be there for you in time. Those interested in consulting services re: traditional medicine will be given referrals, but those likely require a friend or two, or a local jack, who knows one.

8. Food and alcohol here should be fine, if slightly spicy. Influenced by the indigenous fare and the influences of haute cuisine coming from the Joseonian settlers of old, the Quebecois cuisine is largely based upon rice, and other diverse kinds of grains, vegetables, and meats. In this part of Calania, moose, lamb and caribou are known to be particularly popular, which have long survived the wave of delicacies that are no longer eaten.

They are also known for their intensive use of spices, sauces and pastes. Seafood is extremely popular across the country, though their affordability remains up in the air unless you reside on the West or East Coast - more inland parts usually consume freshwater fare instead. Quebecois do not have a particularly picky taste of alcohol in general, though what alcohol you drink usually depends on your cultural background and socioeconomic demographics. Smoking culture is massive here, and while cigarette smoking is very slowly declining over the years, marijuana's prominence in society is not something that's being challenged anytime soon.

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Welcome to Jolbonopolis!

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Jolbonopolis is the capital and most populous city of the Yoseo-Manitoba province of Quebec and Shingoryeo. With a population of 2.1 million, it is both the largest city in the far western Quebec and Shingoryeo, while also being the fifth-largest city in Quebec and Shingoryeo. Located in the bottom of the Assiniboine Valley with the Lake Jolbonopolis located right into the heart of the city, the city is the centre of the Jolbonopolis metropolitan area that continues to grow, and is arguably considered the fastest-growing major city in the nation of 94 million people.

Originally founded as a fort and treaty outpost between the local indigenous peoples and just-unified nation of Quebec and Shingoryeo in mid-1700s, the city would quickly grow due to its location as a major river trade post and later a major railroad and manufacturing centre. After a major fire in 1862 that burned down most of the city, the city would be rebuilt under an urban works project that would see the construction of wide avenues, leafy promenades and distinctive buildings backed with strong sewage and aqueduct systems.

Exactly two centuries after the fire, contemporary Jolbonopolis continues to maintain strong reputation as the Western Metropolis of Q&S, even if a lot of its allure has since been passed onto Montevicio and Prince Eric, two coastal port cities with growing population and glitzier reputations. It continues to be a major transportation and manufacturing hub in western Quebec, and enjoys expansion in technological and health sectors over the other two cities. Also known is its strong presence as a musical and educational centre, where its reputation as 'Music City' and the 'College City' have held up well and arguably doubled, and it is represented across almost all sports with an inner-city franchise, usually by the big two of Jolbonopolis Winterhawks and Spartak sporting clubs.

As for the city itself, Jolbonopolis is an inland city with temperate climate year-round, with cool, windy summers combined with high snowfall and ice formation in the winter. Due to its high altitude of around 1200m, visitors may find a similar situation to Prescott back in the last Olympics, with multiple outdoor events possibly affected by the conditions. The difference, however, is that Jolbonopolis is located on the bottom of a valley, with a gigantic Lake Jolbonopolis on the city's northern suburbs, and multiple rivers heading into the lake all the way from Huayramarca around 100-150km south of the city or other parts of the Yoseo-Manitoba province, and is not far away from seemingly-endless plains and wheatfields. Jolbonopolis has a five-line, 85-stop metro system, as well as a bus and tram system that feeds into the metro, but it would be relatively easier for one to drive here especially compared to the cities out east. All venues will be pre-existing, with minor and major upgrades made where necessary.

Jolbonopolis is an inland city, which means that surfing and beach volleyball events will be held at a major city approximately 2 hours away in Montevicio. A city of 900,000 with a bustling film and entertainment industry named 'Montywood', as well as internationally-renowned Monte Romeo, Montevicio's scenery, beaches and low-tax status have made it an internationally-renowned destination of its own. Fort Joobong, located on the campus of the Air Force Academy fifty kilometres east of Downtown Jolbonopolis, will be hosting shooting events of the Olympics. Due to the Fort itself located in a city of 80,000, there already exists a half-hourly commuter service that takes approximately thirty minutes between Jolbonopolis Central station, and they will increase in frequency during the course of the Olympics.

Between the two co-candidate cities, Quebec & Shingoryeo and the island of Ceni are separated by long, turbulent oceans separating their respective regions named Blood Sea, and will see minor time differences with Ceni being around three to four hours ahead of Quebec in terms of time zone. Frequent airline services between Cenial and Jolbonopolis Airports will be made available by both Spiritair, who have their western Quebec hub in the city, and multinational Air Terranea. The expected flight time is around 5 to 6 hours.

EVENTS & VENUES

Olympic Villages

The campuses of four Jolbonopolis area universities - University College Jolbonopolis (south zone), Yoseo University at Jolbonopolis, Assiniboine College, and Beaumont College (Downtown zone), will be at least partly dedicated as the olympic village for the Olympics. Barring exceptions filed by the delegations in advance, all athletes, coaches and their support staff members will be residing on campus dormitories or housing over the course of the Olympics.

UC Jolbonopolis and Yoseo-Jolbonopolis are two largest of seven post-secondary institutions in the city, with approximately 36,000 and 28,000 students in undergraduate enrollment, while Assiniboine and Beaumont Colleges are liberal arts colleges also with long history dating back to the city's earliest days. Most amenities and facilities required will be made available in the dormitories, and accommodation requests met provided they remain both reasonable and within the limits of what a hi-fi university dormitories could offer. Please be advised, however, that due to the relatively accessible nature of the dormitories, heavy security presence will be available to ensure safety for athletes and staff.

For events held in Montevicio, the participating athletes and the staff will also be allowed to stay in hotels or dormitories of either the Yoseo University-Montevicio or University of Southern Manitoba campuses.

Downtown Zone
Frogley Place Amphitheatre: Rhythmic Gymnastics, Summer Vigil Fasting
Manicom Mobilite Centre: Gymnastics (Artistic and Trampoline), Basketball (Medal Matches)
Jolbonopolis Exhibition Centre (JEC): Fencing (Hall 1-2), Wrestling (Hall 1-2), Boccia (Hall 3), Goalball (Hall 4), MPC
Westel Stadium: Football (Knockout Rounds)
Assiniboia Park: Archery, 3x3 Basketball, Triathlon
National Regatta Centre: Rowing and Canoeing
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Frogley Place Amphitheatre -- Famous for its bandshells that consist of multiple arches that have been added over the decades, the Frogley Place Ampitheatre is normally used for live musical performances. Having undergone a multi-year renovation that had been long overdue for decades, the 8,000-seater Amphitheatre is chosen to host the rhythmic gymnastics and summer vigil fasting events of the competition. For the purposes of competition, Summer Vigil Fasting participants will be situated in a solitary hut that will be located across the seating bowl, while the stage proper will be fully installed with flooring and additional acoustics barriers where necessary for rhythmic gymnastics. As for its location, the Frogley Place Ampitheatre is located on the southern end of the Downtown, with the Grand River separating the city and the city's traditionally labour class southern district.

Manicom Mobilite Centre (MMC) -- The MMC is a multi-purpose arena that is repurposed and rebuilt from the remains of the former Bus Terminal that has since been merged as part of the Jolbonopolis Union Station. The 15,500-seater serves as the Downtown core's main indoor sports arena with both the Kings (QBL) and the Giants (QHL) calling it home, while hosting concerts on non-matchdays, with the arena connected to three metro stations and a half-dozen hotels. It will be hosting gymnastic (artistic and trampoline) and basketball medal events for the course of the Olympics.

Jolbonopolis Exhibition Centre (JEC) -- The JEC is a state of art exhibition centre on the northern end of the Downtown, halfway between the Frechette Bridge that separates the city's Downtown and the northern suburbs, and the centre of Downtown. With a round, circular appearance known for its solar panels and rooftop gardens, the centre has developed nicely to symbolise the diversifying nature of the city's economy in the recent decades. Over the course of the Olympics, it will be hosting a wide variety of events including fencing and wrestling on Halls 1 to 2, Boccia and Goalball on Halls 3 to 4, while the MPC will also be established on the site. Right outside of JEC entrances there will be public squares and alleyways where various stalls and events both local and olympic-themed will occur.

Westel Stadium -- Located on the western side of Downtown, the Westel Stadium saw club-led expansion and refurbishment of the 23,000-seater stadium that is owned and operated by Jolbonopolis Spartak, a major multi-sport club that has traditionally based their operations in the Westel and their surrounding facilities. With the redevelopments followed the removal of athletics track and building of what's practically three, new stands, allowing for close, intimate experience for the players and the fans for the course of the football events of the Olympics, which include the matches for one preliminary group, and the knockout rounds. After the Olympics the redeveloped stadium will be back into use for the Championship squad, whose promotion bid into the Q-League is well underway.

Assiniboia Park is a 1200 acre (490 hectares) park located on the eastern side of Downtown. One of the largest urban parks in the country at the eastern end of the Jolbonopolis Corridor that is linked to the Yoseo Memorial and the Provincial Legislature, it contains over a dozen individual gardens, multiple museums and galleries, while bordering the Lake Jolbonopolis directly to the east. Considered a cultural and recreational oasis of the city, Assiniboia Park will be staging multiple sports in the Olympics that would allow a more intimate access for people.

Archery will be hosted on a temporary, 4,000-seater venue with security personnel present, while 3x3 basketball will be held on the Park's multiple basketball courts that have been existence for long time. The majority of the triathlon events will also be held at the Park - swimming and cycling portion of it will be held solely at the Park, while the 10km running leg will begin at the Park, goes over a wide middle-stretch that circles the Corridor, and ends once again back in the Park.

National Regatta Centre -- Situated on the spacious, lushy western side of Jolbonopolis, which is located halfway between the city's relatively-underdeveloped western suburbs and the city's Cumberland and Music City districts that traditionally have been home to both the Yoseo University at Jolbonopolis and the city's bustling live music and theatre scene. The National Regatta Centre, which is one of only six international-standard venues in the country, will be hosting the rowing and canoeing events. Due to the strict water standard, as well as Jolbonopolis's location, the manmade course will be hosting both the rowing and the canoeing events with relatively little trouble. For most part, the venue remains largely unchanged, with only multiple grandstands be refurbished to provide improved viewers' experience. Before, during and after the Olympics, it will be used for other activities such as fishing competitions and corporate/student events.

South Zone
Anna Wylie-Bressner Arena: Volleyball (Medal Matches)
Stade-Esteban-Tello: Modern Pentathlon (excl. Fencing Rounds)
Jolbonopolis Coliseum: Ceremonies, Athletics, Football (Medal Matches)
Orel Centre: Basketball
University College Jolbonopolis: Modern Pentathlon (Fencing Rounds), Basketball, Volleyball

Southern districts of the city that is traditionally known as a culturally diverse, working class area of Jolbonopolis. Having survived years of relocation to western parts of the city and the coast about a couple of hours to the west, South Jolbonopolis continues to retain significant presence of light and heavy industry factories and industrial zones, though it is gradually being redeveloped with automobile, technology and confectionary sectors replacing railway, river trade and aerospace (last having moved to northern part of the city).

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Jolbonopolis Coliseum -- The famed home of Q-League power Jolbonopolis United's footballing division, as well as the QFL team Jolbonopolis Raiders, the 62,000-seater Coliseum is a familiar venue in the memories of Quebecois football fans. To be used as the centrepiece of the Jolbonopolis half of this Olympic bid, the stadium would see extensive renovations with replacement of seats, roof tiles and adding additional glass barriers to ensure the safety of the visitors. Besides hosting both opening and closing ceremonies - as symbolised by the Pine-shaped Olympic Flame that will be located on top of the North Stand - the stadium will also be housing track and field athletics and hold the football medal matches.

University College Jolbonopolis -- Jolbonopolis's largest university, both public and private, and is known for its core curriculum, strong history of renowned researchers and alumni, and a mix of gothic buildings from the earliest days and glass palaces of the more prosperous, modern era. It has multiple 2,000 to 4,000-seater arenas on campus with additional seating to be included. They will be used to host multiple group stage matches during the course of the competition, though most key matches will be played elsewhere.

Anna Wylie-Bressner Arena (AWBA or ABA) -- The 17,000-seater with particularly high roof and latest, multi-leveled jumbotron in middle of the arena, the ABA is home to Jolbonopolis Winterhawks' successful volleyball and women's basketball teams. Located approximately ten minutes walk away from the UCJ campus, and with two metro stations available, the ABA is also used for concerts or other functions in case the MMC is full and the demand is not there for the gig to be held at the Coliseum. Its acoustics have been reworked and amenities refurbished, including the doubling of luxury boxes, in the past two years leading up to the occasion, and should be having no trouble hosting volleyball matches of all stages during the Olympics.

Other Venues
Western Shooting Centre, Fort Joobong: Shooting
Santa Ana Beach, Montevicio: Surfing, Volleyball (Beach)
Blue Point Stadium (Equinox Hill), The Reneegrad (Joongyeong), Pavel Wilson Stadium (Kingston), Westcom Arena (Montevicio), Stornoway Cottage (Prince Eric), The Samseongoloondongjang (Songak): Football group stage matches
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Western Shooting Centre, Fort Joobong - Located 30 minutes and 50km east of Downtown Jolbonopolis, Fort Joobong is located outside of the Assiniboine Valley. Home to the RQAF Base Fort Joobong, as well as the Air Force Academy (AFA), the city of 80,000 is mostly known as a military site. That said, it is also known for being the home of Western Shooting Centre, whose modern facilities have been used by athletes and recreational shooters of all levels and ages come, provided they already have the permits available. Kept under top-class conditions by the Shooting Association of Shingoryeo (SAS) over the years, it will host all shooting events over the course of the Olympics, which include before and after the competition.

In terms of costs, the city itself is known to have higher average cost of accommodation and food, so it is advised that the visitors commute from Jolbonopolis proper and with some time set in advance. There will be a half-hourly commuter train service that takes approximately thirty minutes between Jolbonopolis Central station, which will also see increased frequency during the course of the Olympics, and both bus and cab services will be available from other parts of the city as well.

Santa Ana Beach, Montevicio - Montevicio is a major, coastal city located on the southwestern tip of Yoseo region on the far-west of Quebec and Shingoryeo, approximately 350 kilometres west of Jolbonopolis. Famous for its mediterranean climate with hot, dry weather on year-round basis, it is traditionally considered to be the sole beacon of warmth in a nation known for its cold, snowy climate. The city is a young one, with it officially founded as principality that would become incorporated and recognised as the protectorate of the Shingoryeoite state in the mid-1870s. The subsequent railway connection to Joongyeong, combined with the opening of the Monte Romeo Casino and the development of the Montywood of commercial television and cinema, as well as the establishment of significant trade centre along the southern mouth of the Salamantic Sea with post-colonial Huayramarca, have expanded Montevicio into a major economic and tourist location.

Plenty is to be offered while the visitors are coming to watch surfing and beach volleyball events of the Olympics. The famous Santa Ana Beach will be at the heart of the action, with the historic, multi-ride pier separating the two halves of the 8-mile beach that is considered 'Home of Quebecois Surfing'. On the south end, two temporary, 5,000-seat arenas will be used to facilitate beach volleyball events while surfing events will be held on a more modest venue on the northern half of the beaches.

[Ceni]

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Welcome to Ceni for the Games of the XVII Olympiad! Below you will find comprehensive information about this small liberal paradise. It is hosting these Games under the aegis of the Afanc Strait Olympic Committee, which it established with New Gelderland as a result of their consolidation into a confederative political entity to magnify their influence in Rushmori politics. (And, as a side effect, Cenian athletes will finally be able to compete in the Olympics given the longtime inactivity of the Cenian Olympic committee.)

Overall Information
Ceni is a small island country of around 5500 km2 located in the eastern parts of the Rushmori region of Terranea. Although it has no land borders, the nearest countries are Electrum, from which it is separated in the west by a narrow strait, and the Isles of Avon, a small republic located to the east in the same island chain. With a population of just over 13 million, this makes Ceni one of the densest countries in Rushmore, at around 2360 people per sq km. Ceni is also one of the most urbanized countries in Rushmore, with the three major cities, Cenial, the capital, City Centre, and New Oxford, forming one large urban agglomeration called the "Metropolitan Tetrad" in local parlance, with the city petering out around the edges of the metropolis. Climate-wise, Ceni has a temperate oceanic climate, with the influence of the ocean helping to moderate both the summers and the winters - temperatures are almost never extreme either way, cold or hot.

Being a relatively small island nation, it is very easy to get around in Ceni. Most major hotels are close to and within walking distance of subway stations. In turn, the venues are (largely) very close to subway stations as well. Note that New Oxford and Whitehaven are connected to Cenial and City Centre by a unified subway system. There aren't many cars in Ceni, and, with the subway system and the closeness of many major attractions, most of Ceni is very walkable, and pedestrians can get almost anywhere.

Given that Ceni is a bustling business, scholarly, and tourism destination, the hotel stock in the city will likely be quite overtaxed for the duration of the Games. As a result, it would not be inconceivable for fans to stay in other places across the island. Fortunately, the island has a heavy rail system with two major lines, one circulating the outside of the island and one bisecting the island with stops in southern Newcastle, New Oxford, City Centre, and Las Moras.

Ceni also has a totally integrated bus network that has commuter express buses between the major office centers and the major suburbs. (There is also a true Bus Rapid Transit lane around Lake Cenial, but most Olympics visitors will probably find no reason to use it.) Each bus line has a prefix designating the city it mainly serves: NO for New Oxford, WH for Whitehaven, CE for Cenial, etc., with express/connector buses having X prefixes. (Yes, there is a X69 bus.) TetTrans will also run special express buses with O prefixes to specifically link suburban town centers with Olympic venues, and to link venues to each other and the respective Olympic "villages."

To get to Ceni, there are several options. Air Terranea, Ceni's major carrier, is based out of Cenial, and has links to many of the sporting world's premier nations, making it very easy to fly to Ceni. Cenial International Airport, located north of Lake Cenial, is the main gateway to Ceni, serving general aviation and most commercial flights. New Oxford also hosts a low-cost airport, but mostly the carriers operating out of New Oxford stick to Rushmori routes. Cenial City Airport is a convenient option for those traveling into the city center; it mainly serves regional business-oriented flights. Airports in Southpoint and Santiago mostly serve small private planes and general aviation, but they are less traveled and less conspicuous if your team wants a less... obvious entrance into Ceni. There are numerous ferry and commuter flight services linking Ceni with many Electrumite and Euran destinations.

Nominally, Ceni uses the Bewlegi (฿) which floats freely against the Universal Standard Dollar and other common Rushmori currencies; it generally trades at around ฿1.333 to the USD or Euran pound, but it does fluctuate, unlike many other common SAREIMA currencies. That being said, Ceni almost universally uses contactless credit cards or mobile payments to conduct business (even street vendors are largely set up to accept credit cards, for instance). Cash transactions are relatively rare, and businesses have the legal right to reject cash payments, although the Bewlegi is not quite at the level of the Electrumite synergy in being a mandatory digital currency.

New Oxford
Centered around the world-renowned University of New Oxford, the city of New Oxford is the third largest city by population (with around one million people) and the largest by area in Ceni's "Metropolitan Tetrad" which also consists of Cenial, City Centre and Whitehaven. The city itself has at least five radically different vibes: the northern area around Cenial International Airport (which is actually in New Oxford) is more gritty and working-class, even with some "garden city" districts interspersed; the central areas around University Centre definitely have a college town vibe, with students roaming the streets in search of booze and treats; Downtown New Oxford is a classic and cultured city, with theatres, music halls, museums, and exhibition halls along with some research activity; south of University Aumbry, the neighbourhoods turn into leafy suburbs, with a less urban vibe than much of the remainder of the Tetrad.

The New Oxford venues are generally in two clusters, the University of New Oxford area (University Centre on the map) and the Olympic Park area (recently renamed from Coliseum Park). The UNO venues consist of currently existing facilities for UNO's athletic programs (some more renowned than others); despite being associated with one of the largest Collegiate Gothic campuses in Rushmore, if not in the whole SAREIMA regions, the Athletics Centre for the University is a gleaming modern space somewhat to the north of the main UNO campus. By contrast, the tennis courts (importantly played on grass) are more well integrated into UNO's campus, although they do have their own metro station.

Some university dormitories will be made available for athlete housing, although the formal Olympic Village and Media Centre are both located in a greenfield housing development on parkland near the New Oxford Coliseum (pretty much the only major development impelled by this Olympic bid, and a development that has of course triggered extensive community debate over gentrification and 'white elephants.' At least it is dense housing). The Coliseum will also host the field hockey event.

Finally, while technically in a different part of town, the Terranean Trade Centre (essentially a rather boring convention center) is only a few minutes away from the UNO campus by metro. From downtown New Oxford or UNO, participants might find the K Line useful for jaunts down to the glitzy Priarlin Boulevard area for shopping and dining or the Theatre District for a more refined cultural experience. Other fans might want to branch out to the bookshops (both generalist and a wide variety of specialty booksellers) in University Aumbry or try to celebrity spot in the manicured mansions of the Bodleian Gardens.

Food options are plentiful in New Oxford, although the cuisine varies with neighbourhood. Around the University itself, the most common options are pubs and so-called "greasy spoon" diners (ooc: similar to the find of places you might fine on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives). Experiencing the New Oxford nightlife is a must-do (after the tournament) as packed bars often experiment with innovative cocktails. Downtown's restaurants, which feature much more upscale cuisine, is within spitting distance of the University or the Terranean Trade Center if athletes want to have a change of pace (or have cash weighing down their wallets).

Whitehaven
Arguably the most beautiful spot in Ceni, Whitehaven is known for its beaches and its spas. Originally, the town sold itself as a centre for sea bathing, which, 200 years ago, was said to have medicinal properties. A nice sea breeze blows along the beaches here, and the tradition of sunset walks along the beach has attracted lovers for a while now. Nowadays, Whitehaven is rapidly gentrifying, with the wealthy from other areas of the Metropolitan Tetrad flocking to new seaside developments.

Unlike the venues in New Oxford, the venues in Whitehaven are not uniformly centered in a few clusters; rather, they are spread out somewhat through the city. At the same time, the bit of the Metropolitan Tetrad that corresponds to Whitehaven is relatively thin and quite thoroughly connected to the national transportation system, so the lack of concentration should not be an issue for athletes, fans, or delegations as a whole.

From north to south (and therefore in increasing distance from Cenial), the Whitehaven Amphitheatre is the center of its metonymous neighborhood recognized for its somewhat bohemian nature and concentration of street artists and performers. Bowen's Wharf in the Silverside Landing neighborhood is known for its arcades and fishmongers, competing with the nearby Docklands Public Market for the best fish and chips in all of Ceni.

Reaching Downtown Whitehaven, the hub for vaguely architectural yet vaguely similar skyscrapers, the Southeastern Ceni Stadium sits smack dab in the center of town. Football fans may recognize this stadium as a critical component of Ceni's various World Cup Committee hosting forays. The main Whitehaven Marina sits immediately adjacent to the large ferry terminal serving ferries to the Isles of Avon and Electrum; sitting at a major metro junction, the rich and famous mix and mingle here with the proletariat commuting to Avon or just going fishing.

Going further south, the Whitehaven International Arena (used in the one time that Ceni hosted the International Basketball Championships, as well as in several NSCAA championships) sits in Kingfisher Wharf, a formerly industrial area for shipping and fish canning that now has more industrial chic warehouses-turned-apartments than actual industry. Venturing further south, yet still hugging the coastline and its beaches, the Fathom Place convention center slash mixed use development sits atop another major metro junction.

The last set of venues stray away from the water a little bit, but in doing so, they hew a little bit more closely to the Olympic Village. The Observatory Highlands neighborhood is perhaps the most coveted in Whitehaven due to its views and hillside splendor. Unsurprisingly, the Astronomical Observatory sits atop this high point in an otherwise flat country; it played a major role in establishing the basic astronomical tenets that we hold dear today. Finally, the Muir Woods Arboretum offers solitude and plenty of recreational opportunities in a 60-hectare plot -- that is, if the mountain bikers or equestrians don't interrupt the peace and quiet.

(Oh, and one last thing -- you might catch a glimpse of Andrew Arrowsword while in Whitehaven for these Olympics. He definitely owns a property here -- although its exact location isn't quite open to the public, some enterprising fans or athletes might be able to track it down anyway...)

OOC Bits & Bobs
If you choose to RP astray from what I have provided, take these concepts into account:

• Schottia once called Ceni "Long Island, but if Bernie Sanders were in charge." That is indeed an overriding concept for the nation.
• At the same time, the number of OOC "British" concepts have infiltrated Ceni over the years. While the user behind Ceni is American, remember that Cenians speak English with a British accent.
• When asked for analogues for these two specific subsets of my larger metropolitan area, I said that New Oxford was equivalent to Cambridge, UK mixed with Cambridge, Mass., and Whitehaven fairly equivalent to Brighton, UK. So while Cenial + City Centre + New Oxford + Whitehaven as a whole might be compared to New York City, there definitely are some British elements for comparison!
• This is still a work in progress -- let me know if you want additional details! PM me @credo on Discord

[HMS Onslaught]

[Krytenia]

XVII OLYMPIC GAMES PREVIEW

ARCHERY
MEDAL HISTORY: 1-2-2
HISTORY PENPIC: Krytenia have a long history of being “just OK” at archery, usually decent enough to win a couple of rounds in the team contest, and having one – and usually only one – archer reach the latter stages of the individual events without troubling the medal matches. Istria changed all that, with the women's team claiming the nation's first ever gold medal in the sport, and the pair of Aston Jeavons and Kat Kristensen pairing up to win mixed team bronze. Jeavons would claim a second bronze eight years later, leading the men's team to third place in Prescott.
PROSPECTS: Despite Jeavons stepping back from the sport, the men's team still looks strong. Cho Yeong-Ho and Chris Jennings return, with debutant Ethan Vollmer completing the trio. Victoria Ainslie, meanwhile, has threatened to medal without being able to back it up in the knockouts at the last two Games – could third time be a charm?

ARTISTIC SWIMMING
MEDAL HISTORY: 0-0-0
HISTORY PENPIC: Not Krytenia's strong (one piece swimming) suit; imagine everyone's surprise, then, when Miranda Lloyd and Eve Webster not only reached the women's duet final in the Twin Cities, but finished a simultaneously impressive and agonising fourth.
PROSPECTS: Despite the heroics of four years ago, there hasn't been the uptick some would have hoped for. Lloyd and Webster return, but with the burden of expectation on them this time, can they repeat their heroics?

ATHLETICS
MEDAL HISTORY: 17-12-17
HISTORY PENPIC: Krytenia have a tendency to pop up somewhere at random and win a few medals – usually in the sprint and one-lap hurdles, where the nation has medalled nine times. There's a smattering of medals in the middle-distance events, too, whilst on the field side of things, we've ploughed a nice little furrow of top three performances in the discus. The last Games couldn't quite live up to the high point of five golds in Istria; that said, there was plenty to keep the Krytenian end up. Kenny Nais' redemption arc saw him take gold in Prescott four years after pulling up injured in the heats, Candace Ewell's 400m hurdles gold checked that box – with Stephen Huxtable doing the same for discus with his bronze – and there was new ground broken for the women with Marine Schönenberg becoming the country's first pole vault medallist and Dodie O'Neill the first in a multi-sport, both taking home bronzes.
PROSPECTS: Kenny Nais captains the men's team, though his biggest rival in the 800m could well be fellow countryman Julian Thomas, who's going for the middle-distance double. Brede Vaesen looks promising in the 400m hurdles, whilst Harry King will be hopeful for the flat lap. In the field, the men won't just be hopeful with the flat round thing (hi David Sablon!) but also with a returning Matthew Cash in the shot and fellow three-Olympic veteran Jack Volland in the javelin. The women's team, meanwhile, is headed by Ewell, who is looking to defend her title. Juanita Marón is looking to upgrade from 100m hurdles bronze, whilst Caroline Stroll has stated she's at the peak of her game, and would love to pick up the two-lap title. Schönenberg is back for more in the pole vault, Linda Timothy looks good in the shot put, Alicia Keane is a genuine hope in the javelin, and Jane Tam will be leaping for glory in the long jump. Finally there's O'Neill returning in the heptathlon; look out, though, because Penelope Salter has been steadily improving in recent months and could spring a surprise.

BADMINTON
MEDAL HISTORY: 4-6-2
HISTORY PENPIC: Shruton's finest, Dana Ireland, contributed at least in part, to a third of Krytenia's medals. Lasft saw her win a gold and bronze, with a silver and bronze on home court four years later. Since then, the highlight has been an all-Krytenian final in the women's doubles twelve years ago.
PROSPECTS: A disappointing Games four years ago needs to be put behind the team, and both Luke Stewart and Christian Stone are looking to do just that in the men's singles. Elsewhere, the women's doubles pairing of Kate Pesci and Tina Vorm look dangerous, as does the mixed doubles duo of Graham Silversmith and Antonia Liebewicz.

BASKETBALL
MEDAL HISTORY: 0-0-0
HISTORY PENPIC: Don't get us wrong; we don't hate basketball. We're just not very good at it. This would explain the lack of anything approaching a medal. There are simply many nations who take the sport more seriously than we do. That being said, there has been a pickup on the 3x3 front in recent years, but it's probably not quite at the stage to win a medal at this point.
PROSPECTS: Maria Meulensteen returns for a third Olympics as captain of the women's 3x3 team, and will hope to do better than their group stage exit. The men's 3x3 team, meanwhile, reached the last eight four years ago; John Bresnan-Smith leads some new faces to, hopefully, continue the momentum. The full court sides...will also attend.

BOXING
MEDAL HISTORY: 3-7-12
HISTORY PENPIC: Twelve bronze medals prove that the Krytenian semi-final curse never truly died; it just moved to the boxing ring. That said, the three medals won in Prescott were a gold and two silvers, so maybe the curse has been lifted after all...(looks at canoeing medal count)...oh.
PROSPECTS: Michelle Hennig's dogs will be the only ones happy her weight class isn't being contested here, as she'll be watching the Games from home. Featherweight Andrea Todd, though, will be in attendance; her record is bronze and silver, so surely gold is the natural next step. Loic Delacroix, meanwhile, already has a gold in the men's light-heavyweight, and is back to try and double up. Of the debutants, look out for women's middleweight boxer Francesca Rawlinson.

BREAKING
MEDAL HISTORY: 0-0-0
HISTORY PENPIC: There is none, partially due to the fact that the sport is making its debut at these Olympics, and partly because there's a good chance this article is the first you've heard of this.
PROSPECTS: Ewan Goric and Georgia Joseph will make history as Krytenia's first ever competitors in the event. Just don't expect more than that.

CANOEING
MEDAL HISTORY: 6-11-23
HISTORY PENPIC: Krytenia plus boats equals medals. Columbia was our most successful Games in terms of volume, with nine medals – though surprisingly no golds. Georgina Sarrozi soon rectified this, winning the kayak kilo in Aeropag before retaining the title in Outineau; Lizzie Guaita, meanwhile, medalled in the canoe slalom in four consecutive Olympics. Just don't mention Republica; the team failed to win a single medal. That's been rectified since, but gold has proved elusive since the second Aeropag Games. That's almost a quarter of a century ago now.
PROSPECTS: A young team this time around, with only Antonia Alban, silver medallist in Orean, over the age of thirty. She and Mona Gelders look the best prospects on the whitewater; on the flat, the kayak kilo pair of Thomas Jean-Baptiste and Billy Hegarty could well be names to remember as they look to make an explosive debut. Amanda Leandri, meanwhile, returns to try and improve on 500m kayak bronze last time around.

CYCLING
MEDAL HISTORY: 31-22-15
HISTORY PENPIC: Yes, you're reading that right. Sixty-eight medals and counting for the cyclists of Krytenia. Just think how many more that might have been if not for Delaclava and (Gods rest them) Sorthern Northland. “Only” two medals were added last time out, but both were in the velodrome, or as Krytenian cycling fans like to call it, “The Medal Factory”.
PROSPECTS: Once again, the big chances will be largely on the track. Christian Marx defends his omnium title, whilst the retirement of Raphael van der Poel doesn't seem to have affected the sharpness of our men's sprint team. Call young Ben Holmes “next man up”. A young women's track team, meanwhile, will be looking to atone for their zero medals four years ago. Look out for Catherine Sanderson, going in three events at the tender age of twenty-one. Away from the velodrome, Lucy Woolf looks to regain her road race title from eight years ago, Marcus Simonsen will attempt to do better than fifth in the mountain biking, and a strong BMX team is led by veteran George Vydra and the promising talent of Melissa Wiegmann.

EQUESTRIAN
MEDAL HISTORY: 1-0-1
HISTORY PENPIC: When it comes to Krytenians in the saddle, it tends towards bike rather than horse. Tell that to Graham Barton, though; the rider from Port Victoria won eventing gold in Republica. He's since been joined by our showjumping trio from Prescott, who won an unexpected bronze.
PROSPECTS: Amelia Morley will once again fight on all three fronts, with fellow team jumping bronze medallists Joseph Hiden and Bruce Kennedy also returning in that event. Catherine Oakes could also be one to watch in the eventing competition, whilst Christine Turner-Fletcher in the dressage events will be the team's only debutant.

FENCING
MEDAL HISTORY: 7-4-5
HISTORY PENPIC: Any fencing establishment that gets the Quebec and Shingoryeo seal of approval must be doing something right, and Escrime Emberton is just that. All bar one of Krytenia's fencing medals have been courtesy of the converted manor house in Oakwood; surprisingly, though, it took until last time out for the grand club to produce an épée medallist. Must have been waiting to show off in front of the Quebecois.
PROSPECTS: The big prospects are undoubtedly in women's sabre and men's épée (nope, still weird). Deon Jones defends his title in the latter, with Francis Highsmith and Mark Cooper-Johnson also in contention. Honey Boden, meanwhile, finally won a medal at the fourth attempt; at the age of thirty-six, she's back for one more crack at gold. In fact, make that two; with Diane Verratti and promising young fencer Rhoda Whitehead alongside, the trio could well be a danger in the team event.

FOOTBALL
MEDAL HISTORY: 2-0-0
HISTORY PENPIC: We could wax lyrical for days about the Dragons, but this is Olympic football we're talking about. Truth be told, the Krytenians have underperformed in this department for the most part. The exception was the team forged in Lasft; they scored the gold medal – the first Krytenian national football team to win a major tournament – before the core of the team returned to retain their title on a memorable day at Oxley Park.
PROSPECTS: For whatever reason, the youngsters never seem to light the burners on the Olympic stage, and this is likely to continue. Knockouts for the two sides would be an achievement.

GOLF
MEDAL HISTORY: 0-0-0
HISTORY PENPIC: Golf is, if we're honest, a sport not huge in this country. David Finch came within an inch of changing that – twice – being beaten to bronze In a playoff hole eight years ago before finishing fourth a second time in Electrum.
PROSPECTS: Finch returns for a third attempt at a medal, whilst Leona Wright will be hoping to extend her day one form at Kingsford Farm over all seventy-two holes this time out.

GYMNASTICS
MEDAL HISTORY: 5-7-3
HISTORY PENPIC: Traditionally a sport in this country that the women have dominated – through Republica, all six Olympic medals for Krytenia had been won by women, and all of them in the artistic events. Orean changed all that, with Damon Armfield winning on the parallel bars as the nation won a best-ever four medals in the sport. It seems to have sparked something, as Scott Woods took Armfield's apparatus title on the Terranean Coast and added silver in the all-around. One of each medal was to follow four years later, with Bryan Vinateri winning gold on the high bar, Armfield taking silver in the men's floor event, and Joanne Jackson claiming a third career medal with bronze in the vault.
PROSPECTS: Jackson may have retired, but the women's artistic team is in safe hands as both Gina Dexter and Bryony Marasso return for a third Olympics, whilst for the men, Armfield, Woods, and Vinateri will all be in attendance again as part of a vastly experienced quintet. Don't expect too much from our rhythmic or trampoline competitors, though.

HANDBALL
MEDAL HISTORY: 0-0-1
HISTORY PENPIC: Handball had received, over the years, precisely zero central funding, being a niche recreational sport. That was before Melissa Womack and the Ousevale University Women's Student Handball Club decided they were going to put the sport on the map. OUWSH convinced the KNOC to send their team to Republica, and the students repaid their trust with a bronze medal.
PROSPECTS: The promised investment into the sport sadly never materialised. All credit to the University of Ousevale, though, who have taken the team under their wing, including establishing a men's club. Sadly, a lack of competitive opposition – even domestically – has stymied development somewhat.

HOCKEY
MEDAL HISTORY: 0-2-3
HISTORY PENPIC: Hockey has been a source of both success and frustration for the men's team, having medalled five times without ever getting their hands on the gold. Those five medals came in the team's first five appearances; sadly, their star has waned quite dramatically since.
PROSPECTS: Six games, one draw, and one win as the sum total of the team's efforts in the Twin Cities. Both teams will expect much better this time around.

JUDO
MEDAL HISTORY: 10-4-14
HISTORY PENPIC: Krytenia have a long and storied history on the judo mat. The complete dumpster fire that was Orean, then, came as a bit of a shock. The (in)famous black front page of the Cy'un said it all. It also kickstarted a renaissance in the sport; two bronzes at XV were followed by another two – plus gold for Emile Robertson – four years ago.
PROSPECTS: Polly Gennaro, now with women's 48kg bronze medal in tow, and 60kg men's judoka Kyle Danson are genuine chances on day one. Add returning +100kg champion Robertson, fellow “big men” James Pironi and Edward Cross, and 52kg women's competitor Connie Mimms, and there's a pretty good chance of stuffing that front page even further into the dustbin.

MODERN PENTATHLON
MEDAL HISTORY: 0-1-0
HISTORY PENPIC: Modern pentathlon is a curiously Olympic sport. As such, it doesn't exactly get a lot of love in terms of participants or funding. That being said, Jessica Southern somehow managed to pick up a silver at the first Areopag Games.
PROSPECTS: Both Anthony Kay and Peri Olsen return for a second Games; neither is expected to feature at the business end of proceeedings, however.

ROWING
MEDAL HISTORY: 28-22-21
HISTORY PENPIC: With seventy-one medals in the bag, rowing is Krytenia's most successful Olympic sport bar none (though the cyclists are chasing them hard). After the disaster of “only” two bronzes in the Free Republics, our rowers went all RAWRCRUSH in Orean with four golds, three silvers, and two bronzes, a haul not seen since the first Aeropag Games. Apparently, the Licentian Isles took this personally, which led to a series of titanic battles on the Terranean Coast...followed by the absolute disaster that was two bronzes – again - at the last Olympics.
PROSPECTS: The team has, to be honest, been thoroughly gutted and rebuilt. Indeed, it's probably the weakest set of rowers Krytenia has ever sent. That's for a given value of “weak”, mind, and pretty much everyone with oar in hand will be eyeing at least a final.

RUGBY SEVENS
MEDAL HISTORY: 0-1-0
HISTORY PENPIC: A quietly growing sport in Krytenia, partially thanks to our women reaching the final in Republica.
PROSPECTS: Both sides reached the last sixteen in Prescott, and will look to improve again here. Medals may be out of reach, but any given fourteen minutes...

SAILING
MEDAL HISTORY: 5-8-3
HISTORY PENPIC: As previously stated, Krytenia + boats = medals. Sailing is no exception: the main exception with them is that it's talented individuals rather than a concerted team effort, with Harry Bartolo, Carlos Valencia, and the pair of Moretti and Chokroun account for twelve of the nation's sixteen medals. Only two of those medals, though, have come since Emberton, both off the coast of Liventia (albeit almost a quarter of a century apart).
PROSPECTS: The loss of the heavyweight dinghy events for this Games is a bit of a blow, to be sure, but Coco Connor and Jaida Sanchez will surely feel that now is their time in the women's skiff. Indeed, the sailing team seems to be female-heavy, with Natalie Croft in the windsurfing and Joanna Macduff in the brand new kiteboard event also looking good for the possibility of medals.

SHOOTING
MEDAL HISTORY: 3-0-3
HISTORY PENPIC: Krytenia's tight gun control laws have our shooters at a bit of a disadvantage...until Orean. Robyn Wilcox won bronze in the women's trap and Adrienne Parker the same colour in the women's three position rifle to bring the nation's medal total to three. It also brought about a few exceptions to the law for sport shooting; that and the media kerfuffle around biathlete James Makone competing in both seasons of the Games has helped the sport grow, and Team Krytenia collected their first two men's golds – plus a bronzr in the women's skeet – in Prescott.
PROSPECTS: Makone may have hung up his skis, but he still has rifle in hand as he defends his 50m three positions title. Emerson Mariano also looks to go back-to-back in the men's skeet, with both Lana Nash and fellow finalist Laura Blissett back in action in the women's equivalent. Joanne Cardenio, meanwhile, competes in the two women's pistol events for a third time, aiming to become the country's first handgun medal winner since Christina Rovegno all the way back at the first Aeropag Games.

SKATEBOARDING
MEDAL HISTORY: 0-0-0
HISTORY PENPIC: Skateboarding largely passed Krytenia by until the efforts of Richie Brown eight years ago, coming agonisingly close to a medal. Scott Madsen became the first boarder to carry the flag for Krytenia at the last Games; the onus is now on the youth of the nation, Madsen included, to continue to raise the bar.
PROSPECTS: Richie Brown may be approaching thirty, but he's still the big name on four wheels for the nation. Madsen, still not out of his teens, will be looking to at least reach the final of the men's street contest, whilst another nineteen year old, Evie Wagstaff, is our leading female contender.

SPORT CLIMBING
MEDAL HISTORY: 0-0-0
HISTORY PENPIC: Eight years ago, we said Krytenian prospects were laughable. Dominique Blondin proved us wrong, qualifying first for the final before finishing a creditable sixth. Simone Pravi continued the run, finishing eighth at the last Games; with two new events this time around, perhaps there's a chance of a first ever medal in the sport.
PROSPECTS: The team looks solid for these games, with Pravi and Jeremie Villeneuve leading the way in the combined events. The new speed-specific competitions, meanwhile, are up in the air; Yannick Gustin could well turn heads though.

SURFING
MEDAL HISTORY: 0-0-0
HISTORY PENPIC: The sport, like its waves, rises and falls with the exploits of Reacher Bay's own Samantha Ryder. Quarter-finalist in her second Games four years ago – so far, the closest the nation has come to a medal.
PROSPECTS: Looks like it's up to the girls for medal chances – note the plural, though, as Ryder is joined this time by local rival Mia Miller.

SWIMMING
MEDAL HISTORY: 21-8-17
HISTORY PENPIC: Krytenia do like to keep the medals ticking over in the pool, with their best performance being a twelve-medal haul in Emberton. With six golds, three silvers, and five bronzes, Sarah Farnerud has contributed more to Krytenia's Olympic medal total than the majority of sports. Istria produced four medals, and the Terranean coast three, to keep the Krytenian total ticking over, before the team hoovered up five medals in the Twin Cities, including three gold.
PROSPECTS: At just fourteen, Olivia Naylor became the nation's youngest ever medallist four years ago with gold in the women's 200m butterfly. She'll take a stab in no less than seven events this time, including both butterfly and breaststroke events, the 200m individual medley, and the women's and mixed medley relay events. Chantelle Maitland looks strong in the backstroke, whilst Thierry Papineau (1500m freestyle), Scott Rossi (100m/200m backstroke), and Ian Howard (50m/100m freestyle) look the big dangers for the men.

TABLE TENNIS
MEDAL HISTORY: 2-4-4
HISTORY PENPIC: Once upon a time, there were two brothers named Andrew and James. They had a part in all six of Krytenia's table tennis medals. They retired after the Emberton Games and Krytenia hasn't been near a medal since...until Istria, when a young woman named Rebecca Morris won bronze in the women's singles. The men's team added a bronze eight years ago, before both Morris and the men medalled in the Twin Cities.
PROSPECTS: Glenn Jackson may have retired, but Krytenia are sending their best table tennis team in years. Martin du Plessis now leads the men's team, with new boy Josh Engels rounding out the trio. For the women, Morris returns for a chance at a third medal; she's joined by a couple of youngsters with real potential in the form of Naomi Dellavedova and Sophie Matisse. Look out too for the promising duo of Daniel Baines and Jocelyn Lonsdale in the mixed doubles.

TAEKWONDO
MEDAL HISTORY: 1-2-9
HISTORY PENPIC: Krytenia in taekwondo are the Krytenia of the Olympics, right down to the single global title. Nine of their twelve medals in the sport have been bronze – eight to either Harvey Fillion or Veronica Ortiz. Oddly, there appears to be a prediliction for larger jin being successful; all of the nation's medals have come in the heaviest class of either the men's or women's event.
PROSPECTS: It's four Games and four bronzes for Veronica Ortiz – could it be fifth time a charm? If not, it may fall on Clinton Pearce to finally become the first non-Big Jin to medal for the sky blue.

TENNIS
MEDAL HISTORY: 0-0-1
HISTORY PENPIC: One bronze medal, and one Opening Ceremony protest are about the sum total of Krytenia's forays into Olympic tennis. The latter of these led to the KTF pulling out of international competition, and no tennis players heading to XV. Since then, the EOTC – a member's club based in the capital, have been in charge of sending players. For all the will in the world, club players are no match for the world's elite.
PROSPECTS: Getting the chance to play top players for a change – and perhaps beating one or two – is about the limit of ambitions here.

TRIATHLON
MEDAL HISTORY: 0-2-0
HISTORY PENPIC: We have decent swimmers and long distance runners, and a litany of world-beating cyclists. When it comes to putting the three together, though...not so much. Samuel King's silver in Aeropag was the exception rather than the rule...until the relay team matched that effort four years ago.
PROSPECTS: Don't look now, but there are actual genuine medal prospects this time around. Gloria Jackson, Tim Sweeney, and Alex Duff were all members of the relay team that shocked the world in the Twin Cities, and they'll also be looking for individual glory. Atlanta Williams fills the hole left by Deborah Heder's retirement, meanwhile.

VOLLEYBALL
MEDAL HISTORY: 0-1-2
HISTORY PENPIC: No-hopers indoors, but challengers on the sand. Krytenia's beach volleyball teams have historically proven hard to beat, especially the women. Sarah Davis and Jane George won silver at Emberton, whilst the second Aeropag Games produced a bronze for the duo of Paige Austin and Tracey Wood. It was all change four years ago, though, with a men's pair winning a medal for the first time.
PROSPECTS: Aaron Olsen and Ashley Maitland will be wanting to go at least one better that their bronze in the Twin Cities. They'll be joined on the sand by two other strong pairings – Thomas Micciche and Michael Holt for the men, and Rosemary Peacock and Nikita Konrad for the women. The indoor teams, though, as usual, will be cannon fodder for the actual medal hopes.

WATER POLO
MEDAL HISTORY: 0-0-0
HISTORY PENPIC: Quite frankly, it's a sport that happens to other people.
PROSPECTS: Staying afloat, throwing the ball, attempting to look halfway competent.

WEIGHTLIFTING
MEDAL HISTORY: 2-2-1
HISTORY PENPIC: Weightlifting used to go under the radar...then Ieuan Llewellyn happened. One gold in Istria later, and suddenly people started paying attention. With a further three medals coming in the Twin Cities – including a dominant gold courtesy of Gemma Tadden – the bar is set higher than ever for the current crop.
PROSPECTS: Look out for the heavyweight names – literally – as the now thirty-four year old duo of Llewellyn and Tadden step up again in their respective “over” categories. Paul Beckham, meanwhile, is looking to upgrade his 61kg silver from last time out, whilst Caroline Dangerfield just barely missed out on a medal in the Twin Cities and will be looking to right that wrong in the women's 49kg.

WRESTLING
MEDAL HISTORY: 3-8-7
HISTORY PENPIC: Krytenia spent three Games not caring about Olympic wrestling – it's nothing like the SWF after all – and then Emily White happened. Since then, there's been a slow trickle of medals in the freestyle. Greco-Roman was still a no-go zone, though, until Orean twelve years ago, when Tilda Polsen, Greg Chesterton, and Lucy Sixsmith all picked up medals. With an incredible six medals in the Twin Cities – including a first men's gold for Simon Calderdale – Krytenian wrestlers will have targets on their backs at these Games.
PROSPECTS: This could be the last Games for the Orean old guard, and Chesterton (35), Polsen (also 35) and Sixsmith (36) will all be hoping to bow out with precious metal around their necks. With Calderdale and Angela Bowes also returning after their medal-winning debuts, the greco-roman team is looking strong. Don't discount the freestylers either, with Isobel Reid leading a talented group including Letitia Spelman, Belinda Osman, and Zachary Smith.

[Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove]

Male striker Émile Croussette put on women's football roster by mistake!

Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer - The Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer and Burnham-on-Stove joint delegation is getting ready for it's first participation at the olympiad. Rosters have been put together and already published last night. However the nation's olympic comittee clerk, Margaret Thompson, made a mistake by putting male striker Émile Croussette on women's football roster.

" I looked at the names and I was tired, I thought the name was Émilie Croussette so I put him on the female roster but it turns out his name is Émile... I'm really sorry about for this mistake " said Mrs Thompson.

Female strikers as listed yesterday by Mrs Thompson:

7	S	Megan Klingenberg	23	FSV German Village
14	S	Émile Croussette	23	Club National
19	S	Lily-Rose Malboeuf	21	Kilbride F.C. (On loan from Club National)
9	S	Rosalie Clairoux	22	Olympique Breteuillois
90	S	Olivia Gonzalez Sanchez	22	West Burnham United F.C.

Logan Dougherty has been cut off from the men roster to make room for Émile Croussette while Élodie Simoneau has been added to the women's roster. We interviewed Émile Croussette:

" You know I was looking at the male roster and I started panicking because I didn't see my name in the men's roster and I received an invitation to the olympics. This was strange. Then I called Gilles and asked him why I wasn't on the roster. He replied he submitted my name to the national olympic comittee and he didn't know why I wasn't on the roster. "

Gilles Bourguignon, the men's soccer manager, then called the national olympic comittee and asked why Croussette wasn't on the roster. A clerk looked at both rosters and told Mr Bourguignon that Émile Croussette is on the female roster! The correction has been made and everything is good for now.

Tyla MacGregor, president of the Woke Burnham Association, and born as Tyler MacGregor, reacted to this by saying: "Gender is not assigned at birth and if Émile or Émilie Croussette feels like they're a woman, they should be on the women's team. And by the way, we have many gender fluid athletes and they should be able to be on the male roster one day and on the female roster on the next day and go back to the male roster on the following day!"

If you look at Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove's full delegation list, you probably noted a Robert McLeod in the women's weightlifting category. This is not a mistake, Robert was born as male and always failed to qualify in men's categories. She recently started taking female hormones and succesfully qualified in a female category.

Pierre-Olivier Lamontagne

[Magnus Phoenicia]

Magnus Phoenicia Unveils Opening Ceremony Uniforms

June 2023,

The flashing of lights could have been confused as lightning strikes in the far distance. But they were the flashing of lights from dozens of news outlets, each receiving their first look at the latest Olympic Games Opening Ceremony attire which Magnus Phoenician athletes would be parading around in two Olympic stadiums, in a matter of months..

24 year old Kim Gyeong-Hui wowed the onlookers at the unveiling of the Magnus Phoenician delegation uniforms for the XVII Olympic Games which was to be hosted by New Oxford and Whitehaven; Afanc Strait and Jolbonopolis, Quebec and Shingoryeo.

Several journalists and Sports Federation officials pondered how someone so young was able to obtain such a prestigious contract for designing the team uniform.
House of Tyrian Royalè, House of Hathor and Maison de Violette were several design houses of previous Summer or Winter Games appearances; all well known fashion houses with experienced designers. It was a mystery how an up and comer emerged victorious.

Gyeong-Hui means respect, honor and beauty. Was it any wonder she would grow to become a fashion designer?

She was hired as a junior designer after graduating from Jacksonia School of Fashion & Design in the top of her class at the prestigious college.

Kim Gyeong-Hui started her colourful career working for Voluptas Mecklenburg of the House of Voluptas, who designed the uniform for the XV Summer Olympics.

After a successful Olympic campaign which saw sales boost for House of Voluptas, Kim Gyeong-Hui parents convinced her to launch her own company and fashion label which received the blessings of Voluptas Mecklenburg.

With her parents' funding and investment, Kim Gyeong-Hui Fashion Inc was born. With her vision being chic, urban, affordability and sustainability.

Initial designs were marketed towards the urban generation Millennials and Generation Z. Colourful, edgy and sustainable best described her collections.
Her first fashion show thrust her into the media and investor spotlight with her traditional meets new age vision.

A close friend and investor prompted Kim Gyeong-Hui to submit a collection to the Magnus Phoenicia Olympic Committee who were looking for the next designer to produce their Opening Ceremony attire.

Never thinking she would be in contention. She submitted entries, realising even if her portfolio was dismissed it would boost her popularity and name in fashion circles.

To her disbelief the Olympic Committee loved and approved. She was praised for her vibrant use of purple and gold, the colours of Magnus Phoenicia in addition to the classy and sophisticated look that melded traditional with a hint of edgy chic.

The following was submitted and eventually won the support of the Magnus Phoenician Olympic Committees recommendations.

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

The main Kytlerian sporting interest over the generations and different national eras in and out of isolation has been "yes." All sorts of sports have commanded public attention and indeed public participation, culminating of course in the Zube-Bay City Olympics where the Kytlerians topped the medals table thanks to picking up successes in all sorts of sports.

One sport that has become particularly popular in recent years, however, is golf. Historically played and indeed watched largely by older people and particularly on the northern peninsula, the sport became trendy in part because of other sportspeople playing it in their spare time or after retiring, but mostly through the rise of golf simulators. If the clichéd view of golf has been a place for business big cheeses to meet over a few hours, simulators allowed the sport to provide the same social sport role for far larger urban audiences - a market that quickly grew to be led by ForeD, whose franchised simulator venues have frequently taken over disused buildings in urban areas across the country. There are nine ForeD venues in Bay City alone, and almost 60 nationwide.

"Golf has been seen historically as this very quiet sport, which has been the appeal for some people but not for others, and we've been here to get those other people into golf," ForeD CEO Jonathan Rodgers told the Zube Daily Times after the firm's 50th venue opened in the southern coastal resort of Ceuran. "And the speed of simulator golf is another appeal, it's most comparable to bowling but there's a lot more involvement as it's not just the same thing over and over, it's telling that many of the venues we've opened recently have been disused bowling alleys."

The popularity of golf has sparked concerns over environmental impact and inefficient land use. While Rodgers notes that simulators are rather better in those departments - power usage is the main issue, but Kytlerian energy is overwhelmingly provided by nuclear and renewables - some have pointed out that by popularising golf in general, more people want to play the real thing. "There are now over 9,000 golf holes in the country," claimed Josie Browne, a local representative for the Workers' Party in Zube. "Given the damaging environmental impact of this elite sport, there's no way that can be right." (And technically it isn't; while there are just over 500 courses in the country, many have nine holes rather than a full 18. As such, the actual number of holes is believed to be just over 8,000.)

Leading Kytlerian course architect Thomas Dyson-Clarke acknowledges the concerns. "I actually turned down one project to build a course on a secluded coastal site in Burana (on the western tip of the northern peninsula), it would have made a magnificent site for a links course but the environmental impact of actually carving a course out of that land would have been unacceptable. The developer tried to revive those with another architect but then abandoned the plans following local opposition."

He tends to build shorter courses with narrower fairways; "that reduces land use and especially water use, because there is less short grass that needs careful maintenance. I've been a big advocate of equipment regulations to reduce driving distance, because if you have drives over 300 metres and the dispersion that comes with that even for the pros, you need much more land." He said one of his proudest professional moments came at last year's Kytlerian Open, the biggest tournament in the insular national golf scene; "at least 15" of the 156 in the field opted to play without a driver in their bag at Dyson-Clarke's Blackwood Forest course, including eventual winner Manu Villalobos. "That course plays only 6,420 (metres, or 7,021 yards) off the championship tees, even though it's a par 72. The number of trees we saved by not making it a more expansive 'championship golf' layout... and for Manu to win without a driver, and he won at 13 under and the cutline was two over, in the best tournament in the country, that was probably my proudest moment, that this more sustainable design worked."

Golf's relative unpopularity in much of the multiverse means this could easily be a place for the returning Kytlerians to pick up an Olympic medal or two. Rodgers says he hopes to take advantage of any golf boom. "Our franchising model means we are able to respond rapidly to changes in demand, and we are optimistic that Olympic exposure and potential Kytlerian success will lead to a further spike in enthusiasm for golf in this country."

[Da Cunha]

Excerpt from national broadsheet The Daily Muhetzin's sports section

DA CUNHA'S DELEGATION TOUCHES DOWN IN OLYMPIC VILLAGE

Spirits were high among the Cunhaneçu delegation as they today made their temporary home in the Olympic Village for the 17th Olympics held in Jolbonopolis and New Oxford-Whitehaven. This delegation, the first one sent by the Da Cunha Islands, is a sizable one, tallying a total of 565 athletes. Of these, 192 are in team events, 371 compete individually, and 2 athletes compete both as individuals and as part of the joint Da Cunha team in the rhythmic gymnastics. Almost all delegation members are native to our fair islands, but a handful buck the trend, being the first descendants of refugees and immigrants to represent Da Cunha at any large international event.

It was announced weeks ago that the flagbearer at the opening ceremony will be the delegations youngest member, gymnast Ganimédes Háptić, aged just 16 and 124 days, and barely old enough to qualify in time with the age limits in place. Ms. Háptić is additionally one of Da Cunha's best hopes for a medal at their inaugural games. Aside from this, for all us fans watching at home, we should seek our best chances in the sea-based and sea-adjacent events, where our people have built our great nation and where we hopefully will allay ourselves well in competition. Observers have also noted chances for Da Cunha in gymnastics, select athletic events and in handball, though our greatest strength, as we all know it to be, lie in our faith and on the water. If God wills it, Da Cunha shall prosper.

The first events commence in a few days time, with Da Cunha's first two competitors to enter the action being the women's water polo and handball teams. The first individual athlete to compete will be archer Nastáxo Bórvan.

[Waisnor]

How Waisnor enters these Olympics?

Last Olympics in Electrum and Quebec and Shingoryeo brought Waisnor many medals and overall good results, including 5 gold medals. And so, returning to Quebec and Shingoreyo and adding Ceni into the mix, Waisnor once again waits for Waisnorian athletes what they are capable of to the whole multiverse, and even though there are fewer participating countries, the enthusiasm remains. So, let's see what Waisnor can offer at these games:

In artistic swimming, previous stars of Waisnor in this discipline on Olympics, Suvorova and Berg withdrew, leaving the space for the new pair of Zoya Kudryavtseva and Anna Pakholchenko. The experts say that this young and energetic pair could perform even better than Suvorova and Berg, which is supported by Zoya and Anna claiming that they have been heavily training for their trip to Olympics.
Diving team will be hoping to repeat the succes of Dmitry Duboenko at 15th Olympics when he managed to grab the bronze in men's 10m platform. And Waisnor has a pretty strong heir to Duboenko - Anatoly Skopin, who already showed his strength in European championships. Other disciplines look less promising, although there could be a surprise success in women's diving with Maria Bolotnikova primed for the dark horse role.
Swimming is, as usual, represented greatly in Waisnorian signups, which means many chances for good results and medals. All the medalists of previous Olympics are back - gold medalists Alisa Kopantsova in freestyle and Alisa Orlova in open water swimming and an underdog silver medalist Oleg Chernykh in freestyle. But they are not the only one returning - such swimmers as Vladimir Kutsiy and Timofey Arshinsky are also back in the swimming pool, getting into the water once again, striving for glory. But as always, there is new blood - Leonid Vinogradsky, Semyon Komar, Polina Golovko and Alexandra Okulova are all really capable athletes, who definitely can show some good results and possibly even get on the podium.
Swimming is, as usual, represented greatly in Waisnorian signups, which means many chances for good results and medals. All the medalists of previous Olympics are back - gold medalists Alisa Kopantsova in freestyle and Alisa Orlova in open water swimming and an underdog silver medalist Oleg Chernykh in freestyle. But they are not the only one returning - such swimmers as Vladimir Kutsiy and Timofey Arshinsky are also back in the swimming pool, getting into the water once again, striving for glory. But as always, there is new blood - Leonid Vinogradsky, Semyon Komar, Polina Golovko and Alexandra Okulova are all really capable athletes, who definitely can show some good results and possibly even get on the podium.
The one discipline where woman have a clear advantage over men is the archery, where there two interesting competitors - clear Waisnorian favorite Lyubov Vakulich and a possible nice performer Valentyna Vasilenko, who migrated from Ukraine and began representing Waisnor after accepting Waisnorian citizenship. Meanwhile, on the men's side Waisnor only has a single archer, who experts aren't considering as the contender for the medals.
Athletics are once again one of the main attraction points for Waisnorian fans with many strong athletes and many chances to take home the gold. The section where Waisnorians are generally weakest - track disciplines - is still heavily represented, with such runners as Artur Erokhov, one of the few good performers in this section of the last Olympics and Andrey Kazakov from men and Vera Derevianko and Arina Khomlyak from women trying to go as far as possible to secure their places in next Olympics. Walking and marathon runners are on the forefront of the medal hunt for Waisnor, with 20km walk gold medalist Anna Kotina back on track for the next run, with such athletes as Dmitry Vasilyuk and Polina Grigorova joining her company. Finally, the part where Waisnorian take special pride but which failed to get them any medals in previous Olympics - field disciplines. Although these Olympics could yield some nice results, especially with such athletes as Mikhail Shutsky and Sofia Samoilova wielding the pole, Alexander Slepchenko and Lydia Goloperova preparing for their long jumps, Dmitry Sukhovenko and Agniya Kotsur for triple jumps, Andrey Grinevetsky taking the hammer and Daria Zhuravleva running to throw her javelin.
These Olympics will see Waisnor joining the badminton competitions, although there is little hope for the medals in this discipline. There is some hope for Raisa Nikitina in woman's competitions, but men's representative himself isn't expecting much from himself. But hey, the participation is what's important, not the victory.
Basketball team is here once again, and after making it from the group stage in the last Olympics, these is hope for even better results at these Olympics. And since the team isn't so different from the previous time and the teamwork remains strong as ever, Waisnorian have an actual chance at getting through the quarterfinals.
The main star of Waisnorian delegation in boxing, lightweight gold medalist Alexey Matyush is once again back in the ring, now going into the light middleweight category, striving for another medal in a different division. Apart from him, there are other boxers that could strike the gold - from men, Waisnor has Petr Porkhovsky in featherweight, and from women, there is Lydia Krasinskaya in welterweight.
These Olympics will be the first ones where the canoeing delegation will be without Kirill Ptashinsky, who left his mark by earning silver medal in 15th Olympics, but there are still many people who can repeat or even outdo his successes - like Alena Rylinskaya in women's C-1 and Alexey Makritsky in men's C-1 competitions. On the doubles side, there is a hope that a pair of Larisa Groholskaya and Julia Gutor will impress everybody on 500m distance.
The victories of Kristina Burachkova and Ivan Dulov in cycling brought them back for this Olympics for another taste of glory, but they won't be the only ones vying for the victory - the athletes such as Valentin Likharev, Mikhail Karpov and Inna Glushankova all have strong chances to perform strongly in these Olympics, especially considering that all disciplines in cycling are well represented with strong athletes in each of them.
Equestrian field is traditionally one of the least represented Olympics fields from Waisnor, and in these Olympics this isn't going to change - only one athlete will represent Waisnor in dressage, and she isn't primed for success, as her previous results were pretty mediocre.
It seems that Waisnor wants to get a medal in fencing, considering that they are once again sending a pretty strong team there. Chances are highest in epee where both men and women have a strong competitor for medals with Sergei Mozolevsky and Ludmila Brusentsova, although sabre also has a good woman fencer in the form of Anna Gurchenko.
In real life, gymnastics seem to be something of a pride for Waisnor, especially with Olga Korbut legacy, but in NS Olympics, Waisnorians weren't able to get any medals there. They will have another chance at these Olympics, with retuning Rosa Kolotsei getting another shot at getting medals and with a promising young Michał Janik on the trampoline, the discipline Waisnorians like oh so much.
These Olympics will be the first ones without first Olympic medalists of Waisnor, representing it in judo - Evgeny Kontsevoi and Lyudmila Tatarevich, who sadly weren't able to get further than bronze medal. And apart from one man, the judo doesn't seem so promising to Waisnorians waiting for medals. And about that man - Vladimir Zabolotsky showed extraordinary talent on European and World championships, and he seems to be primed for success.
Modern pentathlon is another discipline where Waisnorian fans aren't waiting for success, but there could be an underdog performance - Dmytro Stakhanov, another Ukrainian refugee, could pull off a good performance against all odds. After all, this is within the realm of possibilities.
The best Waisnorians in rowing are returning ones - pairs of Valentin Subbotin and Maxim Lunko in men's double sculls and Sofia Pavlyuchek and Oksana Bunina in women's double sculls are once again getting on the water track. Other than that, new Waisnorian rowers didn't seem to get so ready for the gold, although there is a possibility for a good result.
Shooting is one of the best represented disciplines in Waisnorian signup at these Olympics, and not without a reason - there is a lot of Waisnorians who can get a medal or simply a good result in the shooting competitions: Uliana Ivanova in air rifle and Sergey Shepelev and Sabina Majewska in air pistol are the biggest contenders for gold in shooting from Waisnorian side.
Once again, skateboarding is the biggest of new Olympics sports from the point of Waisnorian representation, and as once before, they have a really strong skater, only this time it's on women side - Marina Filippovich already showed herself to be an extremely capable athlete and really wants to showcase her abilities to the whole multiverse.
Table tennis once again is mostly represented through Nadezhda Shunina, who after pulling off another good performance in last Olympics was called back to once again represent Waisnor. Other than that, the delegation doesn't look so promising, as two other athletes haven't been able to show their abilities yet.
As for the regular tennis, by looking at men's side of things, some people could recognise Ivan Belosorochko and Valery Ushakov from their performances in NS Tennis Tour. Waisnorians sure do and hope they'll be able to showcase their best side at these Olympics. Woman's side is represented by the newcomer, who in case of a good run could join the ranks of Belosorochko and Ushakov in NSTT.
Waisnorians seem to be pretty weak at triathlon, but that could change when looking at the only Waisnorian representative there - Julia Zasekina. Even though she is ranked as pretty mediocre, she is known for pulling off victories when you least expect it, so her rivals should be on the lookout because of it.
Weightlifting, the discipline which brought Waisnor's first Olympic gold medal, seems to be pretty nice at these Olympics, since they once again have some strong contenders for gold medals in the form of Timur Satin on men's side and Lydia Barshova on the women's side.
Finally, we have wrestling, in which there is a single wrestler in both categories who looks incredibly strong and could be a potential gold medalist. In freestyle, we have returning Vasilisa Siman, while for greco-roman wrestling we have a newcomer Dmitry Borovsky.

[Alezian Union]

JAN: Okay everyone and welcome to "Go, Alezia!". A segment where we get to know athletes better, from their performaces in previous olympiads, what to expect, and things no one expects. Today it's going to be me who's going to present to you our athletes because the other three kinda felt like I'm that bold representative ideal to start things off or sumthin'. BUT! First off, we have the Alezian weightlifting star himself, Iliyas Zhandos! Hey, Illi, welcome back!

ILIYAS : Hey, Jonas. Thanks for welcoming me back, man!

JAN: Now, now, you're our star today so let me do the welcoming. And now, firstly we have a mental check. How have you been doing lately, knowing that you've been selected to go ONCE AGAIN, to the Olympiad and to bear the Alezian flag.

ILIYAS : You know, even though my performance last summer olympiad was less than I expected, the competition were tight that time and I've been predicting that this olympiad will be much more intense which is why I've been training, and that's why I've been feeling good lately. Second of all, I still can't believe I got picked for this whole thing... again! And for me to fly the yellow-white-yellow, you know I'm super happy.

JAN : What are your expectations for this Olympiad?

ILIYAS : Honestly, I hope we can surpass our previous record of 8 gold, 8 silvers, and 11 bronzes from last time. We've been doing well, and I hope we can continue that. Also sometimes I grit my teeth everytime we came in 4th. While great, it's starting to get boring eventually, like ooh Alezia's going to get a medal but unfortunately, you didn't get it by a few seconds or a few points. Yes, it's the Olympiad, things like these happen, but it almost feels like it's become an Alezian... thing. Like it becomes such an Alezian thing that coming fourth in sports has become more of a thing than going to FABA (local Alezian supermarket chain) on Sundays. But nevertheless, sportsmanship remains paramount in things like these and sometimes there's always an event where we have our "payback".

JAN : I agree, it's just something that happen. Although, FABA's sushi collections are amazing. ANYWAY, How have the Alezian online media have been treating you lately?

ILIYAS : Apparently I have a lot of fans in arico.net! And it's somewhat like a spectrum. There are fans of me weightlifting, others are fans of me breaking the record (which is one that I'm still grateful for anyway even though there might be a possibility that someone could break that this year), others are fans of me playing the guitar since that viral video in Alezian internet leaked where someone recorded me playing the guitar during my break in the Olympic Village back in Electrum.

JAN : Oh right, that video! Well, you are insanely multitalented. Maybe Iliyas Zhandos for the next WorldVision Song Contest?

ILIYAS : I'm not going to joke around here, I am competing in Carlisle which is the North Alezian preselection for the Alezian National Final. People around me say that I am a weightlifter with a stunning voice, and I am friends with Dominic Alaine, who got fourth in Operation : WorldVision few months ago. And he has made a song for me to submit for the North Alezian preselection for Operation : WorldVision, so the competition is going to be tight, Ha ha! Like seriously, the expectations of Alezians in the WorldVision Song Contest is MILES more intense than the Summer Olympiad but obviously that didn't mean that we can slack off. But in conclusion, WorldVision? Just like how I didn't expect to have that Olympic Record, there might be an unexpected turn for Alezian music lovers out there! Just please don't throw a protest if I ended up going and flopping...

JAN : Also since you're now in the 73kg realm instead of your previous 67, have there been any challenges that you're facing during the "trip" to get there?

ILIYAS : Oh, definitely. I don't exactly remember why they removed 67, but nevertheless, I've been training and gaining a little bit of weight to fulfill the requirements. It WILL be challenging, but I've been training hard for this, moving back and forth between Zafizamarrah and Pyalivostokgrad.

JAN : Why do you need to move back and forth like that?

ILIYAS : My usual training location in Pyalivostokgrad are being reconstructed due to a fire, which forced me to go to Zafizamarrah for training. But my wife and kids (waving to the screen) stayed in Pyalivostokgrad which meant I had to go back and forth because my wife works at the city's local judiciary as a clerk. Maybe I'll consider moving to Zafizamarrah once the kids have finished their semester, but for now, Pyalivostokgrad it is. I agree though, it CAN be super tiring.

JAN : Whew... Now, since Carlisle ACTUALLY allows promotion months before the next Carlisle went live, maybe we can hear your song which we might hear again in Operation:WorldVision, and MAYBE in WorldVision? Normally, this is the part where we show our athlete's favourite song (if there's any), but today is special.

ILIYAS: Okay! I'll give you a sneak peek!

I JUST FELL IN LOVE AGAIN
Iliyas Zhandos

Music: Dominic Alaine, Iliyas Zhandos
Lyrics: Dominic Alaine, Iliyas Zhandos

Tune: Michael Bublé - Haven't Met You Yet

1:42 - 2:00

Because I know that your heart have that charm
And I know my love didn't mean, mean no harm
And you made my blood, and my heart becomes so very warm,
'Cuz I just fell in love again!

JAN : Alright! Thank you, Illi! Good luck at your olympics!

ILIYAS : Thank you, let's do the best for the Federation of the Alezian Union!

---

Shamal visited a cafe in Afanc Strait, until suddenly, a beautiful lady told Shamal that he's cute and wanted his number and that maybe they can date or something after the Olympics is over or something. However... Shamal told the lady that...

According to 172 women and 42 men from 1996-2023 (countries lives longer with Shamal being physically 32), it is IMPOSSIBLE to ask Andi Shamal Al-Zafari aka North Alezia out. And everyone has tried to find out what the reason is, because no one believes that Shamal is "taken" because there's nothing that can indicate his marriage status. When people would try and ask Shamal out, Shamal would always say no. Initially, people thought that Shamal might not be into women, but Shamal even rejected men. Even though that is the case, people still wanted Shamal because according to people, he's diplomatic, friendly, and well-mannered.

But the reality is, Shamal just lost trust in relationships because the last time he was in one... Let's just say Shamal isn't enjoying it a bit, resulting in a very nasty divorce in 1996. And as such, Shamal gave up and just decided to focus on work. Shamal just thinks that people would change their personalities just so Shamal can love them, but Shamal prefers honesty. However, Shamal sometimes thought about how eventually, there'll be that special someone who just be whoever they are and can made him trust love again.

[A Kea]

KTV

With the Opening Ceremonies coming soon and the Kean delegation having travelled and settled in the Olympic villages it's high time we build up the excitement of Kean fans with a special introduction of our Olympic team for our 3rd participation in the event.

Artistic Swimming We are hopeful that the Kean women's duet of Kalliope Tavros and Manolia Haleplis will compete in the final once again, after placing 7th four years ago. Men's duet and women's team aren't expected to succeed but are hoping to surprise.

Diving Not having ever qualified a diver to the final of any discipline, we are hoping to finally achieve this milestone in this Olympiad. Though our women's 10m platform duet is hoping to improve on the 6th place they achieved in their previous participation.

Marathon Swimming Sky Georgiou is aiming to improve his somewhat disappointing finish of 33rd in the previous Olympiad. This time joined by an olympic debutee Maria Neofytou who is just happy to be included.

Swimming After an unsuccessful, almost embarassing debut for an island nation, our swimmers finally managed to rise to the occasion four years ago, qualifying to four finals and two semifinals, with the highlight being Johnny Kontostavlos' bronze in men's 400m freestyle. He's back aiming for more, accompanied by a numerous delegation of returnees and some newcomers who qualified through the Kean National Championship few months ago.

Water Polo Our male water polo team has managed to make it out of the group stage unbeaten in both occasions so far, thought they seem to run out of luck soon after being eliminated in the Round of 16 and the Quarterfinals eight and four years ago respectively. Hopefully our boys will manage to proceed a round further this time around. As for the women's team, after being eliminated in the Round of 16 at the XV Olympiad, they were unlucky and failed to make it past the group after a victory and 2 draws in their latest attempt. They too remain unbeated in the group stage but unluckier than the boys. Hopefully they'll fare better in their 3rd participation

Archery Not among our strongest sports, with Mikhail Evristheni reaching the Round of 16 in Electrum four years ago being the best performance of any Kean archer. Our delegation once again consists of full man's and women's teams aiming for the best possible outcome.

Athletics As with swimming, our athletics comittee organized a national tournament to select our delegation for this Olympiad. Lila Kofa was our only athletics medalist in our debut with a bronze in 400m. Despite underperforming in her 2nd attempt (6th in the final), Morgana Kassipi (silver in 100m) and Evangelos Pithagoras Scorsone (gold in 400m and silver in 100m) improved our medal tally. All three are back for a third time and with an enlarged and improved delegation, we're hoping for our best record in athletics overall.

Basketball Despite our women's team never having made it outside of the group stage, the Kean men's team was successful in doing so both times, once being eliminated in the Round of 32 and then in the Quarterfinals. Hopefully we'll improve further this time.

Boxing An unpopular sport in A Kea four years ago, Mihalis Sanatas our only world class boxer at the time and first Olympic entrant, went on to win bronze. After that interest has spiked. The one person delegation of four years ago has grown into a seven person one, with Mihalis hoping to get his second Olympic medal.

Breaking We are happy to include one athlete of this new olympic sport in our delegation, that being said there are no expectations here.

Canoeing With Keans surprisingly uninterested in this water sport our delegation is rather small once again. Though Stefania Halepou is determined for more after finishing 8th in the women's C1 200m final last time.

Cycling Once again enlarged, even though still small our cyclists are hoping to finally qualify to a final.

Equestrian Athina Olga Karpeti and her horse Margot are going to singlehandedly represent the Kean colours in the event for the 3rd Olympiad in a row. Having improved their results from XV to XVI Olympiad, they're hoping to do it once more.

Fencing Pantelis Rafias making it to the round of 16 in Quebec & Shingoreyo four years ago is the highlight of Kean fencing. Not much changed in our delegation since, except a full women's épée team, the first fencing team our country has ever sent to the Olympics.

Football Despite an amazing Olympic debut where the men's team got to the Round of 16 and the women's to the Quarterfinals in Electrum, our second Olympiad went really badly for Kean football fans after a wipeout in the group stage. We're hopefull that the devastation won't repeat itself.

Gymnastics Pulheria Hatzisavva and her women's floor silver in Electrum is the biggest success we've had in this sport. Unfortunately our second Olympic entry was a disaster with only 2 of our 8 athletes qualifying to an apparatus final (both got 5th). This time our main aim is to finally succeed as a team, with individual qualifications being more than welcome.

Judo This is our very first participation in judo. With a delegation of 5 athletes, including medal hopeful Athanasios Realmis, we're only aiming for a respectable first appearence.

Modern Pentathlon After our first and only pentathlete Stratos Pagratiou finished 16th in the previous Olympiad, he will be joined by a younger debutee who is here for the experience.

Rowing The Kean Rowing Association failed to submit athletes on time for the XV Olympiad. Fortunately, everything went smoothly last time, and we ended up with Manos Hatzis, Petros Manakos, Jason Cox & Manolis Isidorou getting bronze in men's quadruple sculls, as well as with Christine Salvakou & Speranza Isidorou winning the very first gold for A Kea. Rowing was our most successful sport with our entire delegation making it past the heats and half of them being present at the final of their discipline. With more athletes and more medal opportunities this time, we're hopeful that our rowers will repeat that success.

Sailing Two Olympiads, two sailing medal. Simeon Kalousis, silver medalist of the XV Olympiad, and his younger brother Evristhenis, bronze medalist of the XVI Olympiad, are both returning for the 3rd time, alongside their sister Silvia (Sailing seems to be a family sport) and Tina Fonsou. With them returns the hope of yet another sailing medal for the island nation.

Shooting Despite our bizzare paradoxical gun laws (gun ownership is both mandatory and forbidden simultaneously), shooting has been an event to look forward to, having given us our very first Olympic medal back in the XV Olympics, where Konstantinos Avgerinou got silver in 10m air pistol. His return made him the only kean to win medals in multiple Olympiads, after a bronze in 10m air pistol, as well as a silver in the mixed version of the event with Kassandra Enas. He is hoping to enlarge his collection, and so is the bigger than ever shooting delegation.

Skateboarding Medal hopeful Jason Gryffin Fields has underperformed significantly in both Olympiads held in his native Electrum. The athlete, who picked his parents' national team rather than Electrum's where he was born and raised, is hoping to break the curse now that he's in neutral territory. He's joined by two more, but less promising athletes.

Sport Climbing We're just lucky to have an athlete, Katerina Velotsou who finished 55th in the qualification round last time.

Surfing Well, despite being an island, no one bothered to represent us at surfing before. Marianthi Sokora will be our first surfer in the Olympics.

Table Tennis The best table tennis player to come out of our island, Djiva Trudeau, has been unlucky when it comes to the Olympics. After failing to go through the Round of 16 in her first Olympic appearence, she narrowly lost the bronze medal game four years ago, finishing 4th. The world champion is aiming to finally achieve a podium finish. This time we're also sending a full table tennis delegation which is a first.

Taekwondo Our debut in taekwondo four years ago in Electrum ended with the 4th place of Vaso Karpouza. She will be back, alongside two male teammates, one returnee and one debutee.

Triathlon Not our best sport, but we do have a consistent delegation since our debut (Including the son of our former Prime Minister) which will be returning for the 3rd time.

Volleyball Our indoor volleyball teams have always managed to qualify past the group stage. Our men's team's dreams and hopes have been crushed by Quebec and Shingoreyo both times so far, while the girls only got as far as the Round of 16 both times. As for beach volleyball, our debut four years ago resulted in a group stage elimination. Our men's volleyball do have a medal shot once again, as long as someone eliminates Quebec beforehand, while our women's team hopes to go forther than before.

Weightlifting Timotheos Kakos did finish 5th four years ago. With a revised team due to the changes we have no expectations but are hopefull regardless, seeing some of our previous athletes doing better than expected.

Wrestling Well, the boxing bronze made our government increase funding in all martial arts, which resulted in our very first wrestling delegation. Rather small one consisting of just 3 athletes, but if the enlargement trend is followed in the future, it could be the beginning of a successful streak.

[Semarland]

sportsat.SEM

ATHLETE IN PROFILE: MARK MARSH-ADU
Balancing beach volleyball and football
by Roque Haywards-Heath

For Mark Marsh-Adu, the skill of balance is something he's always known.

From a youngster in the academy of professional football team Eikborg Club balancing football and education, right up to one of the stars of Semarland's potential beach volleyball hopes playing football part-time in the lower leagues with Denmark Town, Marsh-Adu has always had football in his life. Yet perhaps surprisingly for him - or him, this time five years ago, that his chance to represent Semarland internationally would not be in football but beach volleyball.

"It all started when I was released from Eikborg Club." Marsh-Adu smiles warmly with that statement, a contrast in facial expression to how many would likely deliver that. Marsh-Adu was (and still is) a talented shot-stopper, impressing consistently for the club's academy sides right up until the end of his U18 year. With his scholarship due to expire in the summer of 2048, Marsh-Adu and many of his cohorts were surprisingly let go by the club. Eikborg Club have always had one of the stronger academes in Semarland, so the bar has always naturally been quite high - but for Marsh-Adu's team who had tasted success numerous times over the years, it came as a shock when they found out they weren't to be retained. Just two out of the eight were given professional contracts, and only one (Tyron Handon) remains at the club.

For Marsh-Adu, he had strong competition in the form of Anders Bickerton, just a year younger but a member of Semarland's side that entered the most recent Di Bradini Cup, and also a member of the current first team squad alongside Handon. Marsh-Adu feels no bitterness, he's the first to confirm Bickerton's superior talent, but does express some regret that he wasn't given the chance to prove himself fully with the U20s group and possibly the first-team. He was quickly signed up by Lig1 side Denmark Town, where he has remained since - having been the backup mainly in his first-season, he began to share duties more often with the more experienced Johan Rasmussen. Had he not been second choice in 2048/49, he wouldn't have found the time to discover his love for beach volleyball.

Denmark is a fairly large town around 40 miles inland from Eikborg, one of Semarland's largest cities on the east coast. With strong transport links, Marsh-Adu found himself able to commute back to Eikborg easily and opted to stay living around the city rather than relocating to Denmark. With more free time given he was featuring for a much smaller club, Marsh-Adu began to reconnect with old friends from school and in the local area. One of them, Rontell Spencer - originally from Matovallanen, was a member of a local beach volleyball club, who funnily enough was playing for local non-league side AFC Eikborg. Marsh-Adu was originally set to sign for them before the offer of a trial came with Denmark Town, and he had several friends already at AFC Eikborg. His closest friend from school, Amar Spencer, was Rontell's younger brother, and it was he that brought it up in conversation to Marsh-Adu one evening when a number of them had gathered for a meal.

"It was funny, Amar mentioned this "new" sport that was gaining popularity. Obviously, football's always been the main sport in Semarland, by far." recalls Marsh-Adu. "But over time, especially when there was no IFCF or World Cup or CAFA involvement, other sports began to pick up more interest. Handball and basketball have always been two and three, but people began to play other sports recreationally. Water polo and volleyball were especially popular, and then the variant of beach volleyball came about on the east coast. Amar told me about Rontell playing for a local club mid-week and I thought that sounded fun - being a goalkeeper, I thought I could give it a try!"

And so he did. In early 2049, he signed up to the conveniently named South Eikborg Beach Volleyball Club (or SEBVC, for short). It was just a recreational thing, nothing too serious, and a great way to blow off some steam and keep in shape as well as football. At the time, midweek games for Denmark Town were scarce given there were no international breaks, and the Thursday meetups for SEBVC would never clash with training. Marsh-Adu was able to balance both simultaneously, as easy as he balanced full-time education and playing for Eikborg Club's academy. It turned out that he had quite some skill at beach volleyball too - his experience of being a goalkeeper in football allowed him to translate his athleticism and acrobatics but most importantly his strong hands. He ended up pairing up with Rontell Spencer and the two became the pair to beat at the club.

As beach volleyball's popularity progressed, alongside other sports, the government took note. President Darrell Palmer brought up the idea of entering the olympics, and one thing led to another - here we are, and Semarland are entering the Games of the XVII Olympiad. A number of sports lacked professional clubs and structures, with volleyball and beach volleyball being one of them. Qualifiers for the beach volleyball team took part in the form of simple trials, with those who were interested registering for a straight-knockout tournament that took place over the course of a week. Despite it's popularity, there wasn't much entrants in the grand scheme of things, but Marsh-Adu and Spencer came out on top in every single game, progressing to be crowned as winners and therefore Semarland's entrants for the men's beach volleyball competition.

Like most sports, no one can tell how Semarland will get on in beach volleyball. Most of the competitors are unknown outside of their specific sporting circles (though Marsh-Adu isn't the only one who balances one sport with a career in Semarland's lower footballing leagues). Marsh-Adu hopes that olympic involvement will see funding for professional setups for different sports, including athletics, aquatics, volleyball (standard and beach), water polo, tennis and badminton. In a football-dominated country, only handball and basketball are the other sports to have professional leagues at current and Marsh-Adu believes that the Olympics is the key to change that.

"Football has been my life for years," he says. "But beach volleyball is truly something special. Whilst it won't take away my love for football, I'll admit I don't think there's many in this country who could easily part from what we see as the greatest sport, but I think it's really important the country is exposed to more sporting events. Especially with what happened to football over the last years, the opportunity is begging."

What's next for Marsh-Adu? His performances for Denmark Town have gained interest from clubs higher up in the pyramid. But will he turn them down in favour for a professional beach volleyball career?

"It's on the cards!" he laughs. "Right now, I'm only focused on the Olympics, and of course back from that, it's Denmark Town. I'm enjoying balancing the best of both for now, but I reckon it all depends on how we do in the Olympics and whether we get the appropriate funding, I'll wait until then before making any big plans!"

[Sargossa]

A year-or-so ago…



‘Morning Jorge.’

Óscar Cortez, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the government of Gregorio Emparán, President of Sargossa, to the government of Ana Mecava-Catic, President of Mytanija, greeted his deputy chief of mission. He tried to hide the note of irritation in his voice. His deputy’s insistence on being the first one in the office of a morning was starting to seem like a personal slight.

‘Anything interesting come in?’

‘Actually, yes.’ Jorge Velázquez replied from tucked away in his office. ‘An urgent missive from the Ministry.’

‘Oh?’ Cortez appeared in his office doorway. ‘It’s not another Taste of Sargossa evening, is it? I told them, the fish can be Sargossan or it can be fresh. It can’t be both. You’d think they’d at least have a map in that place.’

‘Not exactly. The minister “requests”, so you know what that means, he requests that we find accommodation and a place on payroll for a new attaché.’

‘Oh no. They must be reassigning Colonel Montoya. He’s good company. And a truly dreadful poker player. How he spies on the local military with that poker face is beyond me. But i’ll miss both him and his dinaras.’

‘It’s not a new defence attaché, it’s a whole new post. From the Sports Ministry, if you can believe that. The description reads like a glorified data analyst. According to the Minister we’re part of a new pilot programme. Although, naturally, details are noticeably lacking.’

‘Has he lost his mind?!’ Óscar couldn’t hide his annoyance. ‘The number of times I’ve requested additional funds to hire new staff. Staff we actually need, mind you. And every time I’ve been denied. Every damn time. And now. And NOW they foist a nonsense new position on me AND expect me to pay the bill. With accommodation too? Not a chance in hell. Forward me the email. I’m going to give Carizzo a piece of my mind.’

Jorge clicked a button and sent the message flying some twenty feet across cyberspace. From his desk he could hear the sound of loud, angry taping and the occasional expletive punching the air. Finally the noise died down, only to be replaced by the ambassador calling his name. He hauled himself out of his seat and approached the open door of his boss’s office.

‘Yes sir?’

‘I settled his hash Jorge.’ Cortez lent back in his chair, a smug look on his face. ‘I settled it good. Now, I believe there’s a Nethertopian trade mission due in town next week. We should…’

He was interrupted by the sound of one of his two desk phones.

‘Ah, probably Minister Carizzo shouting down from his ivory tower. He’s like a tiny dog, yapping away. I’ll just settle his hash again.’ He picked up the receiver. ‘Yes?’

Jorge was then witness to an extraordinary transformation. First the ambassador sat bolt upright, before standing at what seemed to be attention. Simultaneously all the colour seemed to leech from his face. Jorge could only make out one side of the conversation, it didn’t seem to be the winning side.

‘Of course…. I’m so sorry…. It was a misunderstanding… no, of course not… I appreciate that… we’ll make every arrangement… that’s a wonderful idea… of course… it will be an honour…viva el Presidenté…’

He placed the phone down slowly and let out a breath.

‘Settle his hash?’ Jorge asked, masking a mischievous smile by brushing a hand across his face.

‘No… no, not as such. Turns out the Minister was not actually the architect of this pilot scheme. So we shall indeed be finding space on the wage budget for this new attaché... analyst... person. In fact I have… volunteered to take a drop in pay to accommodate them. So that’s… nice. Make the arrangements please. And Jorge. Take that smile off your face.’

[Kriegiersien]

A short overview over the Kriegiersien squad:


As a militaristic nation all sports with connection to fighting and shooting have a certain bonus and the best options to get a medal.

The shooters:

While Archery has still most of the old guard starting and some of the best Archers in the world, it is shooting which presents many of the most precise man and woman in the multiverse.
Many are stone cold snipers, contract killers, mercenaries and soldiers from all over Kriegiersien and some say even other dimensions.

Everything to do with water:

This is now totally in the hand from people living in the sea territories.
While the Kriegiersien main land has only a few billion residents living there, many people may have picked up a glimpse of Kriegiersien on a small or bigger island all over this worlds oceans.
Here Kriegiersien can be seen as the Pirate Nation, corsairs roaming the sea, pillaging and plundering and some of them starting in all sports that have something to do with ships or water.

Even though they are many and some of them very good, none are real candidates for a medal.
Or as mean people would say it:
They couldn’t even sink a submarine.

Arrrrrrr

Athletics:

In an embarrassing failure of organization, the Kriegiersien athletic championships had been given to a group of islands east of Kriegiersien. After a pandemic the autonomous prefecture there decided to only let outsiders in if they managed to overcome terrible complicated psychological, trivia and health tests on short notice. As a result not many athletes made it to the contest.
So nearly all Kriegiersien championships and tickets for the Olympics were won by locals who are furthermore dominated by only a few families.
They are all good athletes, but none of them close to a medal.


Fighting:

Everything what has to do with fighting with weapons, direct hand to hand or feet to body contact sports, is for decades now a Kriegiersien specialty.
The contestants have to undergone a bloody arena fight and deadly tests to reach the final rounds.

It is said that only who can survive a battle with a demon lord or Super Alien from outer space naked, has a chance to make the challenges and reach the Kriegiersien finals.

Every being starting here for Kriegiersien has gone to hell and back and is trimmed to win a medal.


Ball over net sports:

Badminton has returnee Tim Timey, winner of the XV Olympics as biggest hope and flag bearer.
After winning gold he vanished for years, only returning a few months before the XVII Olympics, winning the Kriegiersien championships without losing a set and being the sole hope for a medal.

Table tennis lost its glorious players Esther Ada who now is commentating with the other Kriegiersien gold medal winner, Rainer Claas, for TV.
Pony Fluffy Tinkletoes, who won silver with Claas at the last Olympics in mixed, is here the best Kriegiersien shot.

In Tennis Amanda Acemonster, who had once one of the hardest services in the world of tennis, but never could win an international medal, is now far over her best times.

Even though the Beach Volleyball teams lost some Top athletes to pregnancies (mostly the female ones), there is still some hope to get a medal.

Equestrian:

Ponies age slower and so the same sentient ponies are dominating Kriegiersien horse sports here now for decades.
They participate in every Equestrian event and with weights on their backs.
This is grudgingly seen by many competitiors and often deemed as unfair. In the end not the rider, who is just a brainless weight, gets the medal, but the pony.
“If I would be thrown into the waste and my horse getting a medal instead food, what would the people say?”, famously asked Kriegiersien best known jokey, Roe Jogan, in a Talkshow once.

Cycling:

After the dominating company that made all the vehicles for this sport bankrupted, the Kriegiersien athletes are much behind there opponents.
Even in the Tour de Kriegiersien no Kriegiersien athlete has made it in the Top Ten for years now.

The new and exotic sports:

From braking, climbing, surfing, skate boarding and all the other hip sports only a few Kriegiersien influencer and interweb stars are in these sports competing, but no one really knows what to expect here.

Gymnastics:


Is still dominated by the old guard with coaches who are beating their athletes to Top results. As they are still successful no one is intervening.

Ballsports with big teams:

The best chances here has Kriegersiens youngest sport:
Waterkillerball (or Killerwaterball).

The representatives of this brutaler version of water polo start in international games with the much milder water polo rules, but still the Kriegiersien players get the most penalties and the most blood in the water. Even if they are remembered constantly to play more careful and after the international water polo standards.

Even though soccer (Football) and rugby are also beloved, Kriegiesien, after not competing internationally outside of club level, is here now not on the same level as most other nations.

In the most other sports like Volleyball or Field Hockey it is even worse.

Weightlifting:



Every sport in Kriegiersien has got lost of the old Zombiebots, who are surviving Zombies from the old Zombicalypses eons ago enhanced with strange invisible tech.
Only weightlifting still relies on theses old … things and they stay on Top in Kriegiersien for this sport.
They are just here. Mindless. Emerging. Lifting. Putting down. Leaving.

[Britonisea]

Sports
Brityunik Vefecosoin Cairkovoin
http://www.bvc.com/news/sports

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Day -1
Serving nationwide

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XVII Summer Olympiad: VOCOB revealed Britonish medal targets ahead of Opening Ceremony

Logo for the Games of the XVII Olympiad: Afanc Strait will be hosting the Olympic Games alongside last year's hosts Quebec & Shingoryeo, though this time in Joblonopolis

At the last Games, Britonisea won a grand total of 11 gold medals and 33 medals overall. With a medal target of 10 golds, the nation will need to keep up its recent good performances at the Games...

Britonisea has high hopes going into the Olympics in the Afanc Strait and Quebec & Shingoryeo, with plans on its best-ever medal haul without the support of the ABEN Union. Prior to VOCOB's (the Britonish Olympic Committee) joint deal with other ABEN nations' Olympic delegations, Britonisea's best Games was arguably at the Paripana Games, when the nation picked up a respectable seven gold medals and 21 medals overall. The three Games afterwards saw Britonisea struggle to get more than three gold medals which was an unfortunate testament to its position in sports in the multiverse. VOCOB wanted to change the narrative at the Games and after striking a multinational deal, funding and lottery funds were pumped into the delegation on a scale never seen before in any of the ABEN nations. This translated into success over the next two Games as the Union won 101 medals, with more than a third of those medals being gold. Britonisea in particular saw 57 of these medals go its way, 23 of them being gold which eclipses the number of nations that the nation had won at all the Games prior to the 15th edition. However, with ABEN Union being the only unified team at the previous Games, it was decided that after a change of Olympic law, ABEN had to be disbanded with each nation entering the Games by itself or under one unified trigramme. Britonisea rejected this idea, maintaining that it was important the BRI trigramme should always be present at the Games and thus it was decided that Britonisea would go alone, with Estogium joining them under their Britonish-language trigramme, RWH. So now Britonisea, with a delegation of 468 entrants, is responsible for its own performance at the Olympics with slightly reduced funding but much more fruitful than years before.

VOCOB doesn't expect Britonisea to place in the top 10 as it did at the XV Games, but does believe that the nation is more than capable of reaching the top 15 (last Olympics, Britonisea finished 16th) but also said that a top 10 finish isn't "unreachable". VOCOB has also given out medal targets of what it would like to achieve, but these numbers are fairly arbitrary. For the purpose of giving the public a clear idea of what the aim is for Britonisea, VOCOB has said that it expects the nation to gain around 25 medals in total - matching its haul at the XV Games, while achieving its third-best result of 10 gold medals. Below is a list of sports which VOCOB is aiming to get medals from:

AQUATICS (2G, 2S, 1B)
XVI Games (1G, 2S, 2B):
Diving: 0G, 0S, 0B
Swimming: 1G, 1S, 0B
Synchronised Swimming: 0G, 1S, 2B
Water Polo: 0G, 0S, 0B

It is fair to say that Britonisea isn't a known name when it comes to being in the water. Britonisea has often struggled to get medals in swimming, evidenced at the XVI Games where the nation was only able to get a single gold medal. It was down on the two gold medals it received at the XV Games and it is unlikely that Britonisea will be doing any better at these upcoming Games. The Men's Water Polo team has been ranked very highly and with them missing out on a medal for the first time in three Games at the last Olympics, they will be hoping to achieve something in Afanc Strait. Dilon Cascade and Jason Trueman will be back for the Men's Duet Synchronised Swimming after their silver medal, alongside both the men and women's synchronised swimming teams after they both received bronze medals last year. The synchronised men, in particular, are strong contenders for medals with Britonisea already winning four medals over the past few Games, two of which have been gold. They will be hoping to be on top of the world once again. Reiko Burger, the only Britonish gold medal winner will return to the pool, alongside strong Britonish swimmers, Carlton Williams, Carlton Rickenbacker, and Antoinette Durand, though with swimming being fiercely competitive, it will be interesting to see whether Team Britonisea can float to the surface and reach and get another gold medal. Regardless, for aquatics its medal target is five medals, with 2 medals being gold.

ATHLETICS (2G, 2S, 1B)
XVI Games (2G, 2S, 1B):

Athletics isn't Britonisea's sport either, but its inclusion and hosting of an event in the Global Athletics Tour has made the nation put more funding and focus into doing well here. Similarly to swimming, athletics offers a lot of medal events where nations can sneakily grab a couple of golds and shoot up the medal tally. Britonisea had its most successful medal haul in athletics at the last Games as it, for the first time ever, won two gold medals with this coming in the form of a surprising 200m victory for Gemili Tomlinson who crossed the line with a personal best 19.31 ahead of Óscar López from Sargossa in a picture finish. Tomlinson returns this year but hasn't had a good pre-season compared to the last Olympic Games. Laila Vatenfall, Helena Vatenfall, Kiain Vatenfall, and Xian Vatenfall won in the 4x400m mixed relay, adding to their older brothers' success Dave Vatenfall in the 110m Hurdles and 400m relay where he won gold and bronze respectively. The Vatenfall family will be back and are expected to pick up at least a gold medal on the way. For Dave, he says it will be his last Olympics so he would like to leave with a medal of any kind.

COMBAT SPORTS (1G, 1S, 2B)
XVI Games (1G, 0S, 3B):
Boxing: 0G, 0S, 0B
Fencing: 0G, 0S, 0B
Judo: 0G, 0S, 1B
Taekwondo: 1G, 0S, 0B
Wrestling: 0G, 0S, 2B

Out of all of the combat sports, Britonisea is the best at wrestling with a total of 9 medals in that sport - two of which came from wrestling last year. Wrestling saw two Britons gain two bronze medals, both of whom (Andrew Hogan and Irina Sergeeva) are expected to return to the Games, alongside both Goma Boro who won silver in the XV Games, and Camilla Poe who won gold in the freestyle event. In Men's freestyle wrestling, there are no Britonish athletes which is bound to take a hit on Britonisea's success, but VOCOB are confident that they can gain at least two medals from wrestling with at least a silver. Britonisea has never won a gold medal in boxing but does have some respectable male boxers so they will be hoping to make an impact at these Games, with VOCOB hoping for a medal in that discipline. Jake Narster will be entering into a different discipline than his silver-medal winning discipline at the XV Games, though despite relatively strong fencers, no medal targets have been set for fencing. Britonisea has won a medal in judo at the past two Games and with the likes of Florencio del Cid in the Men's 66kg - VOCOB are hoping to get at least a bronze medal there. Luke Richardson's fantastic gold in taekwondo has made him hailed a hero with the nation never having won a medal at all in the sport. He returns this year, though aside from up-and-coming Christopher McGee, it is not expected that the nation will gain any further medals in this sport. Nevertheless, the target for combat sports is 1 gold medal, 1 silver, and two bronze medals.

WATER SPORTS (3G, 1S, 2B)
XVI Games (4G, 0S, 2B):
Canoeing (Sprint & Slalom): 2G, 0S, 1B
Rowing: 2G, 0S, 0B
Sailing: 0G, 0S, 1B
Surfing: 0G, 0S, 0B

VOCOB's category of water sports excludes sports that are being played "in" water and rather those that are "on" it - if that makes sense? Regardless, Britonisea has got some form on top of the water. To get the most obvious no-medal-hope sport out of the way - it's surfing. Despite the lovely sandy beaches of Doportedas, Britonisea won't be winning any medals in surfing any time soon. Similarly to VOCOB's alleged stance of breakdancing, surfing apparently isn't a sport worth funding. It was a surprise to many that Britonisea regardless decided to send entrants anyway. Moving on, Britonisea won only a bronze medal in sailing last year which came as a shock to VOCOB. Estogium is a good sailing nation and now that ABEN is no longer, they will most likely be fighting Britonisea for some medals. VOCOB is confident that they will be able to pick up a couple of medals in sailing, even if they are not gold. Rowing is a sport that Britonisea is slowly starting to get the hang of. While Britonisea is not yet reaching the heights of some of the other major rowing nations, Britonisea won two gold medals which is in addition to its bronze medal it won at the XV Games as part of ABEN. Canoeing is Britonisea's most successful water sport, with 7% of all Britonish medals ever at the Games coming from the canoe and kayak boats. Despite this, it was only until the XVI Games that Britonisea was able to win not one, but two gold medals - one in slalom and one in sprint. Britonisea is not expected to do as well this year in canoeing due to Nightomese athletes no longer being allowed into the Britonish team, but there are hopes that with the return of the likes of Jong Payton, Daniel Valvo and Harry Horre, a couple of canoe medals can be picked up. Ahead of the XVII Games, VOCOB believes that it has a relatively strong lineup in rowing and canoeing particularly, and will be able to improve on its haul at the last games. However, it sets a medal target of fewer gold medals at three.

RACQUETSPORTS (2G, 2S, 1B)
XVI Games (1G, 2S, 2B):
Badminton: 1G, 0S, 0B
Table Tennis: 0G, 0S, 0B
Tennis: 0G, 2S, 2B

As VOCOB pleads on its knees to the Olympic Gods to add more racquet sports to the Games, it's safe to say that it remains the nation's most successful source of medals over the years, particularly in tennis. Despite tennis only having five disciplines, Britonisea has won eleven medals in the sport, with Britonisea topping the tennis medal table at the XV Games for the first time ever. At the XVI Games, while Britonisea didn't achieve a gold medal, it did receive medals in four out of the five of the disciplines, with Aaliyah de Leon missing out on a bronze medal in the Women's Singles and Elizabeth Quehall being beaten by some random player from Kelssek in the women's final - who unfortunately seems coming back to retain her title. In order to analyse tennis, we have to look wider than the XVI Games. In the men's doubles, Jaguar Zenteanite and Zeke Newham are looking hot to get a medal, after getting bronze at the XVI Games and winning the most recent grass-court grand slam, the Mercedinian Open. And yes, the Olympics will be on grass courts - the New Oxford ones actually - so we will be getting a repeat of that event. So yay to Grass Courts! Nay to having to deal with having to deal with overconfident Cenian tennis fans... Britonish number 1, Jason Gordon, alongside the likes of Ralph Newkarn and Lukas Valerio, bronze medallist from last year, all are participating and are expected to get pretty good draws in the Men's Singles while Ricardo Toli will be chasing down his first-ever Olympic medal in the mixed doubles alongside Elizabeth Quehall, the nation's most decorated Olympian. As for Badminton, the nation hadn't won a medal in that sport until the XV Games when Peter P Larry defected from tennis over to tennis and picked up a bronze and a gold. William Johnson, alongside, Ivor Watkins in gymnastics, became the first to win two golds at different Olympic Games for Britonisea when he returned alongside new partner, Daniel Craig. There is a hope that Britonisea will be able to pick up a couple of badminton medals at these Games but with strong resistance from the hosts and the likes of Alezian Union, it might be a difficult task.

Those five groupings are sports where VOCOB has focused most of its energy and what makes up the 10 gold medal target. At the previous two games, it contributed to 9 of Britonisea's gold medals each and so the nation is hoping to go one extra this year. Outside those five groupings, there is not as much desire for medals. Britonisea is not expected to win any medals in Team Sports except for in 3x3 Basketball, which has only been helped by the nation's performance in the IBA Sports Championships, where Britonisea won a gold and silver medal in the men's and women's disciplines respectively. The Olympics will prove to be much more of a challenge, however. Gymnastics has been a source of medals outside of the five mentioned above and with Britonisea now sending its own rhythmic team too, the nation could pick up some medals to help push it above the medal target. Ivor Watkins alongside Jake Fuentes will lead the men's artistic team while Lane Reese will lead the women's efforts. Trampolining also might provide a medal or two, but the nation has only ever won one trampoline medal in the past. Cycling saw Britonisea get a few medals here and there, including Madison Blakely and Jacobina Zee winning gold in the Women's Madison. Finally, weightlifting could also surprise us too, with Britonisea recently winning medals in that sport too.

There will be extensive coverage of the Olympic Games on BVC One, Two, and Three, with additional live streams on the BVC Player's dedicated Olympics portal - which goes live for Day 1 at the Games.

[Pemecutan]

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Soma Kliwon Wuku Uye, Pawukon 1785

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Welcoming Games of the Olympiad

Afanc Strait - The last batch of Pemecutan delegation have arrived at Afanc Strait, one of the two hosts of Games of the XVII Olympiad. It is kind of time constraint as they arrived only 2 days before the competition started. Tridatu Airways provide the accommodation of the athletes flights in an agreement with UPOC. This last batch consists of athletes from various sports such as Boxing, Cycling, Taekwondo and Weightlifting. Pemecutan delegation arrives at the hosts in 4 batches, 2 each for each host. "Noticing the number of our athletes, we flew them in several flights. Thanks to Tridatu Airways, we can charter the flights there. We already plan for their departure and arrival time so they have the time to rest in the host cities. We decrease the possibility of fatigue and jet lag that might occur," said Kristina Amalia, Chief de Mission of Pemecutan Delegate.

The sports fans back home are really excited with the upcoming Games of the Olympiad or the Summer Olympic as the local say. The athletes have proof that they can compete in international stage with the huge result that they achieved in the previous edition. However, the accomplishment also become a burden as the UPOC hope that the current delegation can at least achieve the same feet. It is worth noticed that Pemecutan will loose a numbers of medal possibility with the missing of Karate from this Summer Olympic edition. We all know that Pemecutan won 3 medals from the sport. "We'll do our best to replace those missing medals from Karate," comment Kristina Amalia. On the other hand, Athletics and Canoeing still hoped to bring the most medals for the country. Another medal hope are from Swimming, Rowing and Weightlifting. The last one is a surprise where Pemecutan able to collected 4 medals last edition although without a single gold medal. But still, Weightlifting was the second largest medal gainer for the country in the previous Summer Olympics by the number of medals that the sport won.

In the delegation, we can see some athletes name that clearly coming from Soracana Islands. This fact trigger the discussion over the relationship improvement between UPOC and SICO (Soracana Islands Committee of Olympic). As we know, SICO barred their athlete to compete under Pemecutan flag and name. The decision was affecting Pemecutan participation in other events such as NSTT, NS World Cup and Winter Olympics. However, the relationship have improve after the there-way meeting of PTA, SITA and RTA, domestic tennis organizing body of Pemecutan, Soracana Islands and Rarungan who decides to established an inter-nation amateur and junior competition. The improvement was also saw with the private meeting between Pemecutan Patih Madya and Soracana Islands Prime Minister during the extraordinary meeting of The Mandaran Council last month. It is possible that these 2 events have influence the relationship between UPOC and SICO. And even without the official announcement from SICO, the Committee have given a green flag for their athletes to compete under Pemecutan name and flag in the upcoming Summer Olympics. On the other hand, sport commentator, Halim Perkasa stated that this relationship won't last long unless some agreement is officially signed between the two countries. "Or we would see Soracana Islands athletes coming in and out from Pemecutan delegations in a number of sports and competitions that the country enters," he added.

Aside from the background situation of the two Olympics Committee, we are ready and excited to see how our athlete's journey in this upcoming Summer Olympics. As the fans, we still and always supports who ever the athletes are whether they are Pemecutan natives or Soracanian. We are all compete under the same banner and we treat them equal. But it seems that UPOC try to avoid last edition incident where Soracanian, Jandiyuha Targaroha was selected as the flag bearer. The athlete were received backlash from his fans in Soracana Islands. So for the opening ceremony of this Games of the Olympiad, UPOC select Gading Mahesa Putra as the flag bearer in Jolbonopolis and artistic swimming athlete, Putu Ayundari as the flag bearer in Afanc Straits. The selection is given for the achievement that both athletes had achieved in the latest Summer Olympics edition.

[Archalit]

Featuring:

Controversies in Sign Ups?
Indigo Aujla: The Archalitian Star

Controversies in Sign Ups?

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Written By Riley Abanda
07/13/2033_(ARC)

It is officially only two days until the 17th Games of the Olympiad begin in New Oxford-Whitehaven and Jolbonopolis, but there have already been some controversies due to how Archalitian athletes have been registered for the Olympics.

In many other sports, Archalitians have registered according to their preferred name, including accents, special characters, or any other diacritical marks according to the individuals preference. However, during Olympic sign-ups, the Archalit Olympiad Committee uniquely elected to only use the basic 26-letter alphabet. In their words, it "simplifies and accelerates the naturally tedious sign-up process." However, this decision has caused significant backlash to the committee.

According to Archalitian tennis star Estée Bonnet, the name is "simply not hers" in the sign-up, and while she hasn't expressed outright anger, she stated that the decision was "frustrating" as "there wasn't even an attempt to accept my name." Other athletes have cited the importance and uniqueness of names, imploring the Olympic Committee to issue an apology for the controversy.

Indigo Aujla: The Archalitian Star

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Written By Akia Terrell
07/14/2033_(ARC)

As the world comes ever closer to the 17th Summer Olympics, our nation is coming in as a bit of a fresh face. Having sent as many athletes as possible, there were still a rather insignificant amount of spots compared to the population of the nation. Despite this, one particular athlete has managed to take 5 spots over 3 distinct sports.

This athlete is Indigo Aujla, the badminton phenom with an exceptionally broad skillset, having attended the olympic trials for Badminton, Sport Climbing, and Table Tennis, and not only qualifying, but qualifying at the top of the sport for Archalitians.

Coming in with a uniquely strong grip and a lot of force output in his arms, having clocked an impressive 458 kph smash, Aujla was expected to show up at the Archalitian Olympic trials. Now, the second best player in Archalit, Xiao Zhou, is certainly not one to scoff at, as he himself has a lot of precision and accuracy, and is Indigo Aujla's regular double's partner. However, Indigo Aujla crushed their final game, winning in straight sets while conceding less than 10 points over their whole match.

Archalit allowed athletes to participate in the Olympic trials so long as the events did not conflict directly at the Olympics (i.e having events in different nations on the same day), however Badminton, Sport Climbing, and Table Tennis were all taking place in Afanc Strait, allowing Indigo Aujla to apply for and compete in all three Olympic Trials. His results were impressive to say the least, winning the Men's Combined Sport Climbing event and coming down to the wire against Zertheoluks Ezaet, finally coming out on top.

This is potentially the most impressive athlete coming out of Archalit this year, especially in an athletics nation like Archalit. If there are any athletes to watch out for from Archalit, Indigo Aujla is at the absolute top of the list.

General Bulletins

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• Jose Gee clocks insane 2:03 marathon to qualify for Olympics
• Rumors of Duke Sondas retiring circulating online forums
• Archalitian Men's Volleyball team in peak performance, now looking to win the Olympics

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

OOC: Opening ceremony RP will be up later tonight, most likely in four to six hours in thursday afternoon, so that would be evening hours in Europe and overnight in Southeast/East Asia. Not an ordinary day when you had decided to resign from your job with less than six weeks to go...

Here is the Day 0 Cutoff.

The next cutoff will be in two days' time.

[HMS Onslaught]

[The Licentian Isles]

The Cyan-and-Gold Observer

The Olympic Overview from the Observer

Each morning of the Olympics, this newsletter from the Cyan-and-Gold Observer will give you three highlights from the day prior, and three things to watch in the day to come. To subscribe and receive this in your inbox before the events get started each day, click here. To unsubscribe, email STOP to ooo@cg-observer.co.li.

Our picks of the action from Day 0:

Men’s Archery Ranking Round – Jolbonopolis
Archery isn’t exactly a traditional Licentian sport, usually lumped together with shooting and fencing as something immensely difficult to practice given restrictions on weaponry in the Isles. No matter though for the Licentian men in Quebec and Shingoryeo, as both Joel Inglis and Seth MacDonald shot well enough to earn themselves a place. It was a tight-run thing, with only 5 points separating the higher-ranked Inglis from missing out on qualification. It’ll be six days before the pair return, with Inglis set to take on Marcelino Brown of Scornerse, while MacDonald will take on the 4th highest ranked archer, Diarcesia’s Thomas Stewart.

Men’s Basketball – Jolbonopolis
Basketball is a sport that only really grew in the Isles when, prior to the fog, the Olympics gave the opportunity for amateur Licentians to turn professional in Mytanija and Quebec. Perhaps, on today’s account, the men wearing cyan and gold remembered that all these years later. They made their fans sweat in their Group 1 game against Britonisea, with a double-double for Thijs van der Heyden topped off with a buzzer beating field goal to secure a win that looked beyond reach with a couple of minutes to go, and the Licentians trailing by 10. They’ll have a tough task to progress out of their group, but if this game is anything to show, they’ll entertain along the way.

Women’s Volleyball – Jolbonopolis
To another team sport that Licentians don’t normally thrive in, but earned themselves a win prior to the opening ceremony. The women’s volleyball team stepped up against the Empire of Kanmer knowing that progression from the group would be a tough task, but they would be evenly matched in this match. They got off to a strong start, with Natalie Aitken’s side winning the first two sets, but the Kanmerians came back strong in the next two to take it to a deciding fifth set. In the end, it was a strong final set from libero Erin Main that would carry the Isles to a win.

Unmissable events on Day 1:

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Qualification – Jolbonopolis
You could argue that qualification days are the most exciting in artistic gymnastics, as you watch athletes from all corners rotate around the gymnasium to compete, and offer their skills in all six disciplines. In terms of Licentian leading lights, it depends on what you mean by leading. In terms of squad leadership, the experienced Boisil Buchanan is unlikely to qualify for a final, but he’s the only gymnast in the Licentian squad old enough to have watch the last time the Isles were here. In terms of skill, watch out for Will Dunne – the 17 year old from Kirkbride, near Colesham, oozes with talent and charisma.

Women’s Time Trial, Road Cycling – New Oxford
Road cycling isn’t where Licentians normally prioritise their energy on two wheels, but Merel van de Velde might be the best cycling hope for the Cyan-and-Gold at these Games – yes, it’s not a mountain biker! The 28 year old from the capital gets two medal shots, with an entry alongside Stella Scott in today’s time trial, and a full squad of five women fighting for her in the road race in a few days’ time. For now though, the time trial, where van de Velde and Scott will race against the clock and their competitors, aiming to produce a time fast enough to win one of the first medals of the games.

Men’s Rugby Sevens – New Oxford
It might be the only game in the first two matchdays of the sevens group stages for the Licentian men, but it’s probably also the most important for their hopes in the group stages. The side captained by winger Lenn Mulder will be taking on the highest ranked team in their group, from Darmen, but an upset win could set them on a course to win the group, or to not worry about any banana skins. A loss for the Cyan-and-Gold would mean worrying when they take on teams like Mytanija and Electrum. Watch out for replacement scrum half Reid Gillespie if he gets on for Colla Gregg: the 19 year old has serious pace.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

It was an overcast day in Jolbonopolis, with little clouds and even lesser doubt in the minds of those present for what was going to be a beautiful ceremony. 16'C/60'F, after all, was more than cool temperature for the occasion to proceed, especially in the summer Olympics where such cool weather's not always guaranteed depending on location. The Jolbonopolis Coliseum has looked every bit ready for the occasion, with a yearlong renovation taken place to ensure a safer, more modern stadium fitting the requirements needed for a competition as jubilant as the Olympics.

The Prime Minister, former Mayor of Twin Cities Irene Kweon Binnington, and the RQOC Chair Pierre van Eeden Youngblood spent some time before the opening ceremonies chatting with each other, mostly in assurance after extensive time spent with both the bureaucrats at home and dignitaries from abroad. Irene had been there before, the former Greater Menagwes mayor able to use the successful operations and the legacies of the Olympics into eventual Prime Ministership, and she had worked very well with Pierre, a former wrestler with almost twenty years of working as a Quebecois member of the OC too.

'Jolbo looks ready,' said Irene, as she looked back at the 61-year old man. It was apparent to Irene, a longtime colleague of Pierre by this point, that her longtime ally and supporter had been aging at a particularly alarming rate, perhaps even more so with the graying of his hair. 'This is for the people of the proud city. The Westerners' turn for the spotlight.'

'Absolutely,' Pierre nodded, he himself of the mid-western stock. His late parents were not from the far west of the country (neither of them were), but with them coming from Tulcan, a border city between Quebec and Huayramarca on the western end of the Golden Lakes, Belwood Park, where a historical pass between the West and the centre of the nation would exist, he knew what this had meant for the people. 'It does feel like a particularly heavy day on heart for those here, especially coinciding the fiftieth commemoration of his passing.'

'I don't think enough of this, but yes,' Irene nodded. What Pierre Youngblood had said was indeed true - the late Henri VIII, the grandfather of Christine II, may have had a short, eight month reign that had ended with an untimely death caused by a self-inflicted error in cooking pufferfish he had captured on a vacation. But he was remembered for two things in decades prior that he had spent as Crown Prince (and Regent-in-acting at two points) - the gradual introduction of Quebec and Shingoryeo into international sports, his attempts to provide moderation between radically-leaning cabinets of his time, redevelopment and autonomy policies to further integrate the western provinces into Quebec and Shingoryeo - and him and Queen Mother Nathalie, who had passed seven years prior, were highly-regarded in Yoseo region. 'The Queen seems to be even heavier-hearted because of the comparisons.'

'She has done her best to carry her legacies, yes, but that's to be expected as the Head of State,' Pierre nodded. 'And for the third time, we have done ours too.' He then tapped Irene on her shoulder as a matter of acknowledgment. 'Be proud of yourself. I've told this to Arsene six years ago, and Jacques two years ago. And I am always happy to tell you again.'

They smiled, and then slowly made their way to rejoin the dignitatries present for the occasion.

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After six years of waiting and preparation, Quebec and Shingoryeo is once again the (co)host to the Summer Olympics. While the Twin Cities Olympics have brought a spectacular display of industrial might from the Mipojoseon grounds, leafy boroughs of Jolbonopolis would use their pre-existing strengths within their own boroughs to elevate themselves into the stage. Originally built as a treaty and trade outpost in mid-1700s, and then rebuilt rebuilt under the major fire in 1868, the city has developed a contemporary reputation as both a 'Music City' and 'College City' with strong economic sectors.

Day 0 went along smoothly earlier in the day, with both Afanc Straiter and Quebecois halves starting off with first matchday of the team sport events. Downtown Jolbonopolis would also see significant action in play, especially as the ranking round of both men and women's individual archery were being held out in the Assiniboine Park, on the eastern end of Downtown just past the Jolbonopolis Corridor. Halfway into the Corridor between Provincial Legislature and the Park, there is 100m tall Yoseo Monument that is built on the original spot of the Jolbonopolis Treaty of 1760. This is where the Public Flame of the Jolbonopolis half were to be lit immediately after.

At 19:50, with about ten minutes to go before the ceremony, two air squadrons - one of the Royal Quebecois Air Force based in Fort Jubong, where the shooting events would be held, and other of the Royal Quebecois Navy's Aviator Corps, who are based in Miramare right outside Montevicio, where surfing and beach volleyball will be hosted for next two weeks, conducted a back-and-forth flyover. After alternating each other's path in six colours of the Estoile over the city of 2.5 mill, they would then conduct a flyover and a flypast over the Downtown Jolbonopolis.

By 20:00, the opening ceremony would begin with a montage of the aerial images of Yoseo region, with the song Live On by Quebeco-Huayramarcan group Lección de vida. It would feature the daily life of average Quebecois citizens from day to night, as they start from the beaches of Montevicio to pass the mountaineous passage that separate the Salamantic coast to the inland, traverse the wheatfields and the tundra, before reaching Jolbonopolis proper.

After the projections, the gigantic '10' screen would appear from above the sky with the performers wearing yellow or black suits. With a slow countdown, it would turn then turn into 9...8....7...6...and then 5. By this point the crowd would start counting down with the crowd, their decibels both loud and tempo varied enough to cause the loudness, and it would reach the peak with the 'FIVE...FOUR...THREE...TWO....ONE!'. At last, the fireworks would follow with the logo of the 17th Games of the Summer Olympiad shown over the stadium's mid-field.

The Public Address announcer, finding the right time to give a round of applause for the audience, said the words, his voice booming across the stadium and into various speakers across the city. He would say them four times - in English, French, Korean and Cree.

'Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Jolbonopolis, and to the Games of the Seventeenth Olympiad.'

This is then followed by the entering of the guests-of-honour. Her Majesty Christine the Second, the Queen of the Shingoryeoite nation and three-time Olympian herself, was the first to enter, and she would be followed by the Right Honourable Irene Kweon Binnington, the Prime Minister of past two years. Both of them, who had shared political disagreements but for most part had respected each other, entered the Royal Box. There they were greeted by members of the Cabinet, the Opposition and other dignitaries.

Once they were seated, they were followed by an announcer asking them to remain standing. The Shingoryeoite flag, widely known as the Tricolour Taegeuk Flag (삼태극기, Sam-Tae-geuk-gi), was slowly and carefully brought into the arena by the members of the Royal Quebecois Armed Forces' five branches - the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Coast Guard and the Marines - before they arrived at the flagpole. As the flag was tied and raised, the Jolbonopolis Symphony backed up the singing of 'Ode to Thee, My Homeland' sung by Constance Noh, the soprano of the Yoseo Opera.

This was then followed by the cultural presentation of the ceremony, with the primary theme 'Build Back Better'. While lacking the longstanding history or the heritage that Twin Cities and thus the East Coast had into the Shingoryeoite fabric, Jolbonopolis's showcase involved one of building up the city of its own, one that would involve the urbanisation, dynamicity and the average people of the country's west coast populace that is considered to be different culturally and ethnically.

20:15 - Start of Time

The first segment of the Artistic Program would begin with the dynamic ecosystems of Yoseo region of far-west Quebec and Shingoryeo, which include and are not limited to the inland Prairies, temperate rainforests of northwest, and warm, semi-arid coasts of southwest. It would start with the appearance of an almost-transparent turtle, who would be seen very slowly swimming through the mythical waters, through pale light representation.

This would then be followed by the formation of the first peoples of Quebec and Shingoryeo, in particular those of Yoseo, who would be represented with two hundred dancers of Quebeco-Indigenous backgrounds from the True North Festival that is held every April in Jolbonopolis. They would then be followed by the various dances and performances of indigenous mythologies, which is aided by the use of life-sized animals and birds native to the region. Also portrayed are the indigenous villages, which over time would grow in size and numbers until they form an elaborately-shaped town.

20:25 - Start of City

As the Start of time concluded, Florent Boitano, as then-Prime Minister Lord Wilkinson, walked into the middle of the stage, followed by both the indigenous chiefs and the Shingoryeoite noblemen. Walking into the middle of the stage, Boitano delivered the words of the 'Treaty of Jolbonopolis', demonstrating the ceremony's importance in recognising Jolbonopolis's significance as a meeting place of all peoples in their aim for common good.

The following section would then be themed around the earliest years of Jolbonopolis. Jolbonopolis, as the place of trade and treaty between First peoples and the Shingoryeoite state of east, would be built in year 1764, though the official designation would not happen until 1806. Gradually and slowly, the dancers portraying the Shingoryeoites from the East would appear in stagecoaches seen shaking hands as equals living together.

Midway into the sequence, a quick swish and swoop of the ground is portrayed, with the full blackening of the stage afterwards. This is used to portray the Great Fire of Jolbonopolis in 1868 that had destroyed most of the city. The houses would quickly be dismantled into the dark, while the empty centre of the city would have to be rebuilt by the unified peoples.

This would then be followed by additional performers representing the Huayramarcans, Orinoquians and Sudafricain origins, whose arrival to Quebec in search of economic opportunities would come to shape the diverse fabrics of Jolbonopolis and thus the urban Quebec, were portrayed by the labourers in suits and work uniforms. Unlike those of Twin Cities games this time around, the villages formed would consist of multiple individual blocks - first of individual houses and duplexes, before progressing further into skyscrapers. It would also include a minute of silence, represented by alternation of audience's whistle and a bugle playing, remembering the lives of those who had passed during the Felixian Liberation Campaign, HRE Liberation Campaign and the wars of previous century.

Eventually, the section would end up with a small city, a makeshift model of 1960s Jolbonopolis. It is completed by a young worker putting on a small Estoile on top of the Yoseo Monument.

20:40 - Start of Life

This section looked into the urbanisation of Jolbonopolis in a more dedicated manner as the sound of Caution by Mesmer featuring marching bands from six in-region universities - Yoseo-Montevicio, Southern Manitoba, Yoseo-Jolbonopolis, Keewatinook, UC Jolbonopolis and Navy. Two alternating groups, one of the Quebeco-Hinodejin Carreta Furacao troupes and other of mischievous, rebellious youths, would go back and forth on jumping the projections of the skyscrapers and the older buildings of Antebellum, Neoclassical and Gothic styles. The audience would figure out that it is a variation of capture the flag and flag football that they are playing.

This would then be followed by reproductions of multiple old fighter jets flying over them, in reflection of the city's long history as a major aerospace manufacturer. The flyovers would go back and forth, both on stage and on the montage, until both groups capture the opponents' flag at the same time, causing the game to be over in a tie. By this point, the jets would be flying over the Assiniboine Auditorium, the Gran Western Opry (one of two alongside Menagwes Grand Opry in Twin Cities) is going on. In an open-air, makeshift singer, Lance Byeon, country musician and grand-son of country-folk legend Alanis Buford, sang his grandfather's 1974 country folk anthem If Only Tonight, arguably the most famous song to have come out of Quebec in last 100 years. It would be followed by slow, low-ringing waves of water over the dark stage, representing the power of the Lake Jolbonopolis and the rivers that surround the city.

After the makeshift Opry, the working-class South Jolbonopolis would be represented with diverse sound, starting with dance group Estrella de La Sierra, who would play their biggest hit 'Canedelario', and rock anthem Temazo by Alphonse Sequeira. This would then be followed by 2030s club anthem Osoto-Gariby electronic giants The Warpath. The residents, wearing street clothes over their colourful housing blocks, would break out into dance performances symbolising the active street culture and the people.

Whether in the stage or the blocks, they would go out into a party, accompanied by several signifiers such as street food stalls, breakdancing and playing in circles of fire. They would be accompanied to further up-tempo music such as Jolbo, Opry, Green by The Chain, 그 날 (That Day) by Adam Gervais, and Dazy Breeze by Sylvester and the Flick. This would then be followed by slower, melodic tunes with If I Should Stay by late Olivia Egbuka, Song of the West by country group Gimli, former tugging the heartstrings of the crowd with a veteran quartet singing in their colleague's memory, and latter drawing nostalgic responses from the crowd.

Now, at the close, all the performers would come together into the stage for a single dance. They, now all holding a drum to their hands, would sing and drum to the O The Greatest Mystery of All, the lead soundtrack single from 2061 QBC smash-hit historical The Tiger and the Lark. The song, which talks about the prosperity of transcendent love and sacrifice, was attributed in memory of the late Henri VIII and the Queen Mother ahead of an Olympic Year.

It was around 21:15 when the Parade of Nations would follow. The Electrumite delegation, as the previous (co)hosts and current active seat of the Olympic Council, were given the honour of marching out first. They would then be followed by the alphabetical order which would start from none other than their cohosts in the Afanc Strait. While the Jolbonopolis crowd were more energetic than their East Coast counterpart in past, particular rounds of applause were heard for their allies and regional-mates, such as Banija, Electrum, Græntfjall and Mytanija, and some of the nations with particularly close ties to Western Quebec such as Cardenao and Huayramarca. Also hearing additional round of applause were the Kytler Peninsulae, whose return to the Olympics after a 48-year absence (XIV KBC-Zube) have drawn international attention.

Finally, the Quebecois delegation went out to a massive applause, with the flagbearers, two-time wrestling gold medalist Baek Seung-Gweon and women's volleyball team captain and Twin Cities silver medalist Yang Soo-Gyeong, bearing the honours. The players, fully dressed in their red suits, golden crest and blue hair, were a sight to behold in the end.

Now, the Parade of Nations was over. The ceremony, however, wasn't over at all. There were various additional procedures in place as the white, Olympic Council Flag were raised by the team of seven young athletes, who were representing the city and the province of Yoseo-Manitoba. They, each of them wearing a badge of the five major regions of Anaia, Atlantian Oceania-Arrosia, Esportiva, Rushmore, the independents; and Quebec and Shingoyeo. They were then followed by the Olympic Oath, taken by marathoner Glenn Joel-Opechancanough first, then by Handball referee Uhm Ji-Woong and triathlon coach Dante Lucarelli.

This was then followed by the speeches from the Olympic Council Council President and the ASOC President already made hours back in Afanc Strait. Then the Jolbonopolis-Afanc Strait XVII co-chairperson Arianna Ceciliani gave a brief speech thanking everybody for their undying support and belief in the Olympic Games's significance towards building the society, that of ordinary peoples, and raising them up.

It was almost 22:30 now, and there was just one more thing left to do. Now, with the final musical piece played by the Jolbonopolis Symphony, the flame was first brought onto the stadium by Montevicio native and hall of fame quarterback Ian Lautner and Jolbonopolis Raiders' hall-of-fame cornerback Leopold Langlois-Zuluka. It was then passed to Tatiana Llnagaay-Kondratyuk and Yi Doo-Heon, legends on their respective sports of gymnastics and fencing entering their final Summer Olympics. Afterwards, field hockey legend and coach Lane Whitworth received the torch with legendary Montevicio Lakers forward Moustapha Niang.

The pair would then pass the flame to six emerging athletes of the region - basketballers Horace Karugunda and Krista Christopoulos, footballer Didier Garnacho Siboyintore, kayaker Toni Baldeo, shooter Jang Woong, and Boccia player Eun Ji-Soo. They, while not all are participating in this Olympics (Karugunda were set be representing the senior national team, and not under-23s, for the IBC-38, while Garnacho had selected Kirungabi, his father's country, for international commitment), were considered some of the most emerging stars to come out of western Quebec in recent years.

The Olympic Cauldron, as with the last Olympics, was a small, circular sculpture designed to demonstrate a small ball of fire. It would be accompanied by a larger, kinetic sculpture that included many circles and balls linked directly to it, almost to the point where on choice, it could be viewed as great balls of fire. This was intended to represent the fire possessed by the youth across the Multiverse, though its effectiveness was another story.

But it was not going to work without all six athletes lighting the cauldron. With the music and the suspense continuing to escalate in a crescendo, they all looked into each other's eyes, drew a sigh and placed the flame on the ground, causing the cauldron to be lit and the sculpture move alongside the rest of the flame.

[Kanmer]

OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE 17TH OLYMPIC GAMES

The 17th Summer Olympic Games are finally opened. However, for the Empire, it's hard to call those games as summer. October is a fully autumn month in Kanmer. All leaves on the trees turned yellow and brown and are about to fall. The sky is covered in clouds and everyday is raining, in rare cases even snowing. Like in this year. In the Imperial Capital, Awenir, the first snow already fell on the 7 October, however, it melted quickly. But now, an other coldwave is coming, and almost wintry temperatures with snow are forecasted for this week, the time when first days of the Games will occur.

Our Imperial delegation officially made its debut. First victories and defeats already took place.
Some of the athletes, unfortunately, already finished competing in the Games.

In the day 0 of Games, our athletes haven't won any medals at all. But neither are any other delegations, as fight for the medals will begin on day 1.
Today was only a preparational day, which ended with the massive opening ceremony. Our Imperial delegation pridefully marched throughout the Jolbonopolis Coliseum, with Baris Korin as a Harugwahandir (Banner-holder).

Our Leader, The Enlightened Emperor Damian I Rinmein, expressed his interest in visiting the Opening Ceremony, and only a week ago was ready to travel to Quebec and Shingoryeo, but suddenly changed his desision and stayed in the Empire, but promised his people to watch ceremony on TV.
He also sent an encouraging letter to the athletes:

What Olympiade? What athletes? It's 3:43 am! Go away, you demons!

Oh damn. Thet's a wrong transcription. We are very sorry.
Soon in the morning Enlightened Emperor wrote an actual letter to the athletes:

Dear athletes of the Empire,
The time for a battle and overcoming yourself has finally come. About 20 days of fierce competitions are ahead. Remember who you are and for what are you fighting for. Remember that you are fighting for the state and for yourself. You will fight for the international glory and honor both for Empire and for yourselves. Be confident and fully concentrated, don't panic. Work hard and don't expect easy victories. Be polite and respectful to your opponents, as our Lord Jesus Christ was. May the Divine help be with you.
— Emperor Damian I Rinmein.

And I want to tell one interesting thing for our athletes. A week ago, our Enlightened Emperor gathered his officials and played badminton with them for a couple of hours. Despite being 280 years old and playing badminton for the first time of his life, he moved swiftly and showed a true fighting spirit. He won 4 matches and lost just one (by a small margin). That's an example for our athletes, and especially for badminton players. If a 280-year old Emperor humiliated his younger opponents, you probably know what is expected from you.

Now we are moving to the results. Our archers, quite unexpectedly, had a very decent performance. Everyone, except Iwan Honarkad, the weakest of archers, qualified to the knockout stages. This is, again, quite unexpected, as our athletes suffered from the lack of international experience. In September, our archers planned to participate in the Black Arrow - annual preaparatory tournament hosted by Chromatika. But this year, the competition was cancelled and our athletes failed to get international practice.

Men's individual
28. Uladzimir Adziner - 662
54. Alexey Saranin - 647
89. Iwan Honarkad - 633

Women's individual
24. Antanina Shinboda - 657
28. Alisa Sorekara - 656
35. Tatsiana Chinhodara - 652

Men's team
18. Kanmer - 1942

Women's team
9. Kanmer - 1965

Mixed team
12. Kanmer - 1319

What is probably more interesting, it's the fate of our football team, one of our hopes. The football tournament just began and first matchday is played. But Imperial team didn't participate in it, recieving a bye and a few more time to prepare and rest. Only thing we can do now is researching matches of our opponents.

AN INTERVIEW WITH BANNER-HOLDER

Our Harugwahandir (Banner-holder, or flag-bearer) at these games is 30-year old fencer Baris Korin. He is going to represent our Empire in men's individual epee competition, which will occur on the 21 October, the day 2 of the games. Makar Dhein, a reporter from the First Imperial Channel, got a chance recently to take an interview with him.

Recorded in the morning of 13 October, shown on the First Imperial Sports Channel at 16:45 that day.
Dhein: Good morning, Baris. How are you?
Korin: I'm fine, thanks. Slowly getting used to live in the Olympic Village. You know, it's a little bit hard to me, because i'm a quite reserved person. I'm more like a lone wolf, but there we live in the dormitories, so it's quite uncomfortable for me. I'm struggling even despite my roommate is my counterpart and good teammate Feliks Madarin.
Dhein: Oh, I feel your problems. Wish you to overcome them. I would pray to the God for you, may He dispeal all your troubles.
Korin: Thank you so much. Well, actually, life here is not so hard, as we don't spend much time in the dorms. We train a lot, and I flourish while training. I'm becaming excited and even furious sometime. And then we travel around Jolbonopolis, happily spending time.
Dhein: Do you feel you are ready for the competition? It would be in a matter of a week.
Korin: I'm a bit nervous cause it would be my first ever international competition, as for many of us. But I'm not scared or afraid, I just haven't got used to those massive sports events...
...The interview goes for another 50 minutes. Then, the new program starts at 17:45. It's a replay of the Imperial Fencing Championship 2023 final match, where Korin became champion in the epee cathegory for a 4th consecutive year, defeating another Olympic athlete, Roland Maliner.

Korin is not the only hope of the Imperial fencing team. In men's foil, Kanmer have another strong athlete, Kandrat Ellisen. Not to ignore the women's fencing team, especially in the individual epee. Strong fencers like Paulina Korinka and Amalina Surkodara will fight for the medals already on the day 1.
Fencing and football are not the only strong delegations of Empire. Men's judo team is expected to perform well. The first judoka will compete already in the day 1, and he is also the strongest one — Mikita Korinder.
Unlike judo team, Imperial shooting delegation have strong both male and female athletes, the brightest stars being Uladzimir Rikasen (who could have been the banner-holder at those Olympics, but Imperial Olympic Comitee chose Korin instead), Tatsiana Renkodara and Todar Rinrensen. Shooting delegation is a bit like fencing, with both males and females having decent skills. This is because almost everyone in the Empire is being taught how to handle both melee weapons and guns.

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

There is no single Kytlerian national sport, but if you had to name a single one, what would you pick?

Lacrosse is one contender - the first sport the country competed in internationally, and one where the Kytlerians both hosted and won a World Championship. Probably the right answer at one point, definitely not now as shambolic administration and high equipment costs wrecked its "ordinary people" participation. Golf? Too little international history, too recent in its popularity; trending that way, but not yet. Babbageball? Despite international success, really seen as mostly a school sport by the wider public at this point. Gridiron? That's the Varnian sport, not the Kytlerian one. (And nobody would say so more than Varnians themselves.)

Cycling? Now that might just be the one.

There hasn't been much of an international scene for the isolation-era Kytlerians to be missing anyway, but before that, they had significant success both in Olympic track cycling - Joke Ter Haar remains a national icon, Gideon Veidt was the first Kytlerian gold medallist - and in the stage-racing scene, where the "VDS-VDC" battle between Kytlerian Pieter-Jan van der Capellen and Mytanar legend Wes van der Stijnen was the stuff of legend. However, Olympic road cycling is notorious for its disorganised, everyone-for-themselves racing, and the Kytlerians have often struggled in that environment.

Hoping to change that this year is perhaps the most memorable name in the entire Kytlerian delegation, at least to those nostalgic for that VDS-VDC era. Dennis Dalgas IV is the great-grandson of Dennis Dalgas, the famed gruff-voiced host of KBT's cycling coverage. The family tradition remains, but for the last two generations it's been specifically on the road, and Dalgas IV follows his father in having won the Kytlerian Big Weekend - the three-day stage race that once formed part of the World Tour of Cycling itself.

"People have weird expectations of us with the name, they still remember my great-grandad and having no real memories of him because he died when I was two, it's all been archive footage, and it's wild to see it, but we're all cyclists when we step on that bike and nothing matters but who goes the fastest."

Dalgas is in action initially in the time trial, a discipline that was crucial to his Big Weekend success. "The Big Weekend has a longer TT (time trial) than most, the Olympic ones are fairly standard in length every time, but I got a lot of separation from the field that day and I think I am confident I can challenge the best from anywhere." Then follows the road race, where he is set to be part of a two-pronged attack with Ed McAllister, alongside three would-be domestiques whose ability to control the race will no doubt be tested in the chaotic Olympic environment. "At the end of the day everyone wants to win Olympic gold and everyone in that road race tries to get it, and it becomes very splintered. We're just going to do what we can together and see if it works. In those races that's really all you can do."

Meanwhile, top Kytlerian swimmers Kerry Rush and Lucy Sanders will get their campaigns under way on the first official day of action in the 4x100m freestyle, where the team goal is to make the final. "We don't know what to expect but we know how much swimming has moved on in this country in recent years, and this is a great chance to put a marker down," Rush told NBO. "The fields aren't as big as they once were, so I think being top eight and making the final is a realistic target, but all we can do is focus on execution, it's a race against the clock and we can't control anyone else."

[Magnus Phoenicia]

Before the Games......

Archery choice, fails to hit supporters bullseye

Did the Magnus Phoenicia Archery Federation miss its target for selection?

"Absolutely not," declared Damon Hood, the esteemed President of the Archery Federation, his voice ringing with conviction as he spoke to the eager reporters gathered around him. The Phoenician Archery Cup finals is the most prestigious archery competition in Magnus Phoenicia. The results are a crucial determinant in deciding which elite archers earn their coveted spots in the Olympics.

The question was posed by a reporter with mousy features. Plain and bland, both in personality and features. The most interesting thing about the reporter was a pair of rockabilly style glasses. The Press pass around their neck identified them as John Brown.
Even the name was drab and unworthy of the time of a President of a sporting federation.

The timing of the question was ill-timed. Damon Hood, in a cheerful manner, was enthusiastically announcing the archers who had achieved top positions on the ranking board and would consequently be representing the nation at the XVII Olympic Games.

Reporters scribbled the names of the three male participants. Guru Indi, Choi Tae-suk, Bruno Lopez

There were no major surprises, nor any skeptical raised eyebrows.

Two athletes were making their comeback, fully prepared for another shot at winning a medal. Bruno Lopez, the reigning third place national title holder, had consistently performed well in various regional competitions. At the age of 24, this rising star in the world of archery was steadily ascending, and it was widely acknowledged that his career would flourish even more in the coming years.

Bruno emerged as the chosen successor to the illustrious John Joseph, who had graced the grand stage of the XVI Olympics. Phoenicians were left in awe as John Joseph, with a heavy heart, made the decision to withdraw from the season, his departure the result of a shoulder injury which mercilessly plagued his every move.

The appellations of Bambi Caldwell and Camilla Romero did not elicit any commotion. These two distinguished individuals are at the pinnacle of their respective fields and are poised to grace the Olympics once again, with the lofty goal of clinching the coveted gold medal.

Lady Amelia Defence-Heywood, the name that slipped from Damon Hood's lips, caused quite a stir in the room. The mere mention of her name seemed to have a peculiar effect on the crowd, as if someone had unleashed an unpleasant odor or fart in a confined space after surviving solely on a diet of cabbage.
The room was filled with wrinkled noses and curious glances, all intrigued by the name mentioned

"No, not at all," Damon Hood repeated, to the question if the Federation had missed the target in resurrecting Lady Amelia Defence-Heywood Olympic career.

"We want the strongest team possible going into the Games. Lady Amelia Defence-Heywood brings a strong history of medal excellence. A gold, a silver and a team bronze, she is a legacy when it comes to West / Magnus Phoenicia Olympic history."

"Amelia did not participate in the Phoenician Archery Cup or any of the preceding tournaments of the season. This raises the question of how such an occurrence could have taken place, particularly given her past record of exhibiting poor entitlement behaviors. One must consider whether this is equitable to other competitors, such as Jordana Ngyuen, who achieved a third-place finish in the competition today?"

The question was posed by Matilda Johannessen, a journalist affiliated with Quiver & Nock, a bi-annual publication dedicated to the sport of archery that is highly regarded among avid archery enthusiasts.

Matilda Johannessen maintained a lengthy affiliation with Phoenician Archery, being hailed as the epitome of virtue within the sport due to her cherubic countenance. However, her aspirations to partake in the Olympics were thwarted in the past, as photographic evidence surfaced depicting Matilda involved in a ménage à trois scenario alongside a judging official and a pinata fashioned in the likeness of a pink flamingo.

Matilda made no secret she felt Amelia Defence-Heywood was behind the sabotage.

"Lady Amelia Defence-Heywood has been granted entry as a wild card participant. Her eligibility stems from her status as a former gold medalist and her successful fulfillment of the minimum qualification criteria, which were assessed during a privately organized invitational tournament held last week, satisfying all the necessary requirements.

Lady Amelia Defence-Heywood may have been absent from the archery circuit, but she still masters the bow as a professional and her title of Queen of Archery still stands undefeated. It's an honour and a privilege to have Amelia represent the nation once more. May her appearence breathe fire into the team and hail a new golden era for Magnus Phoenician Archery.
Any other questions relating to today's results and the team which will represent us at the next Olympic Games?"

A flurry of hands rose up from members of the Press….