Games of the XI Olympiad—roleplaying thread

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

Coach's Perspective - Rebecca James

BEEP!

The loud whistle broke the tension as Arlene Lafontaine and Julia Onderjik dived into the cool, clear waters of the pool for their pre-olympics trial run. The swimmers, both looking to assert dominance over each other, blasted through the water as if they knew how to do everything right by heart, from when to breath in, and when to breath out. Women's 100m was one of the first and many events that the Natation Quebec had high expectation on, and it was also the one 22-year old Arlene Lafontaine felt a resurgence in her confidence as of late and 15-year old Julia Onderjik the discovery of her potential. Both wanted to impress and make the difference and after all, wanted to be the golden girl.

Standing on the sidelines, watching their movements from one to another, was the Quebecois National team coach, Rebecca James. It was only few years ago that the Schottian, the poster girl for the small Tyran nation of 6 million people, swam in the platforms that her current students were now blitzing over. Growing up in a small city of South Berwick (pop'n: 51,500), Schottia, she became a Schottian poster girl in matter of 4 years, as she won 2 silver medals in swimming the last 2 olympics. But, shortly after great performance that landed Schottia a silver medal in Women's freestyle 4x100m, James decided to retire from competitive swimming. Quick and sudden, this was a decision many saw as rather....surprising to those in international swimming circuit (or rather the Quebecois circle who followed international swimming competitions). Plenty thought she could swim for this olympics and even next one, given that she was still young, at a tender age of 22 back in Centralis. Sure she may have been older, but having more experience would not be something so easy to ignore either. But this matter of being able to compete on high level wasn't the reason why she retired, and people eventually understood her intentions over time.

Shortly after the olympics, Rebecca James was invited by the Natation Quebec on their post-retirement coaching program at Universite de Gaspe. Having never lived abroad before -- holiday and competitions nonebtanding -- she decided to try something different and live for one year in Royal Kingdom of Quebec. The first few weeks in Quebec was weird, with her having to do new things: living somewhere new, learning how to look from and think like her old coaches back home, and getting to establish bonds with teenagers who were no different than her younger self. Fortunately James got accustomed to it fast, and after graduating from the program with flying colours, was hired to work in the national team as their youngest assistant since Ariadne Nells back in 1980 (44 years ago). With her expertise being on short-distance swimming, especially on freestyle, she was asked to help out with the further development of prodigal swimmer in Arlene Lafontaine and other swimmers ready to spread their wings.

It was not too long after

THUMP! Coach James heard the first hit of the backboard by Arlene, which was shortly followed by Julia. It was certainly faster this time around, Rebecca felt, as she watched both swimmers taking the goggles off their eye sockets, before slowly carrying themselves out of the water. While training in the very same pool the last while, Rebecca had noticed that both swimmers were getting closer and closer to the olympic record set in Kytler Bay City 8 years ago. While she knew it ultimately was up to their conditioning the very day of, one couldn't help but feeling really good and giddy about how it may turn out down the road. Being the light of positivity in national team coaching staff, Rebecca James, after all, was someone who looked at things positively than not. Especially compared to his colleagues.

The first thing all three of them did was to turn around and look at the scoreboard, which indicated :

1 Arlene Lafontaine         53.16
2 Julia Onderjik            53.28

'There you go!' Shouted Coach Jame hugging the girls, right next to the pool they just came out of, before finding her quickly-made seat. 'If this continues, you girls, we are going to go long way this olympics!' This left her students in positive mood. While Lafontaine and Onderjik, both very tall, skinny girls who still looked a bit nervous under the constant pressure they would go through in practices.

'You sure we actually hit that, Becca,' Julia said in arguably the most disbeliefing tone one could actually produce when seeing the results. She was rather in disbelief. Not only she couldn't believe that she just hit that number, but also because of how good inconsistent she has been with spurts and exhaustion in times, Julia had to stare into the screen once again and realise that those did not come from her chronic issue with the eyesight. Eventually happiness and smiles would catch onto her later, but for now she couldn't believe it.

'But this is personal best for both of you, so that's a great news!' Rebecca said back to them in the most happy-go-merry way possible for a coach at the point, before slowly putting aside her notebook right next to her slightly awkward athletes, 'I mean you guys can certainly do better by beating the world record while on trials, but that's not the point, right? It's all about progress and that's what it matters.'

'Hope that'll come around, coach. I'm still not feeling all too certain about it right now.' Arlene said, her doubt showing as the 22-year old prospect quickly gave a sigh before her coach interrupted right away. It was true; she wasn't feeling completely on her condition yet and wasn't sure if that'll come around by the time she entered Paripana exactly a month from now. For somebody that dominant and strong of a swimmer as she's been, one took a particularly long time to get back on groove or full condition after being out of it. Life's not been easy on her the last few weeks following the olympic trials and that showed.

It was not that the coach James, the very ray of positivity present in the National Aquatics Centre, would really care about it though., as she quickly decided to turn things around a bit. 'No, no, no. Don't feel bad about it right now, Arlene,' she said. 'You did well, and that's all really matters. Results can come later, but right now, it's all about getting back to the top and you are getting there.' With that words, Arlene calmed down a little bit and nodded to make sure that the coach would not say the same thing over again.
Rebecca knew it would take a while for them to get more natural with their movements when it comes to celebrating a personal achievement or coming close to one, for dealing with adversity and possibly heightened expectations were neither their forte. But that'll come for another time, and forth. 'Alright, let's go now, and maybe grab a meal after showers. See you in 10 minutes, girls.'

[Astyrian Olympics Delegation]

“Good evening, Neu Engollon…”

“And to our International viewers, hello and welcome! You’re watching a NETV 7 Sports Special Broadcast. I’m Karl Demais, and this is my co-host, Magda Wertauer.”

“We’re coming to you live from Aeropag, Paripana, where we’re getting ready to see the Opening Ceremonies for the Eleventh edition of the modern Summer Olympiad.”

“It’s been a monumental couple weeks, Magda, as we watched a lot of the Astyrian delegation struggle to qualify to get here, to Aeropag, just to cross the starting line for the ‘Big Show’ as we’ve been calling it.”

“Certainly has, Karl. Top news for the Astyrian Delegation right now? Papergate. Lots of accusations of errors and foul ups in the disqualification of several Avissian athletes to join the Delegation here in Paripana.”

“Magda, I was able to catch up briefly with the Confederacy’s Minister of Athletics Jean-Marc Koepller, who is also the acting head of the Unified Delegation’s Council. In order to discuss Papergate and other matters..."

"Minister Koepller, how did it come about that you got your position? For instance, why not the Avissian Official, Amilcar Victor, as they are contributing the most athletes?”

“Karl, as you know there were several Astyrian NOC’s, National Olympics Committees, involved in forming the Unified Delegation. The heads of those NOC’s, my peers here in Astyria, decided to elevate me to President of the Council for the Delegation and I accepted. In turn, I appointed some of the other NOC heads to help me in our joint endeavor.”

“Was it due to the financial contribution? Neu Engollon seems to have poured a substantial chunk of the funding into this effort in comparison to the other participating Astyrian nations. Do you think that will continue for future Olympics?”

“That was certainly part of it. Also, due to the fact that our Ministry did a lot of the groundwork organizing, both for this event, and the past Winter Olympics, which was the first actual Unified Delegation debut, if you’ll recall. I don't expect that efforts will continue this way for future Olympics though, as more nations are gearing towards equal contribution, and we think that it will be much more multi-partisan sharing of the burden, both financial and otherwise, in future Olympics.”

“Yes, of course. We did very well then. May I change tacts and ask you about this Papergate issue that is rocking the sports news of the Avissian Union right now...Do you think that you’ve done all you could on your end to get the Avissian athletes into the delegation? Considering their previous medal status. Allegations are that you helped to conspire to leave them out in favor of other national athletes.”

“Um. Well....I’ve discussed this before, but let me just say again...Ultimately, we can only rely on the proper forms in front of us submitted by the Avissian NOC. Which didn’t include the wrestlers and martial artists in question. I have been consulting with my friend, Amilcar Victor, and his staff on this matter to see how we can make things right, and unfortunately, there wasn’t much we could do. Our hands were tied once the final paperwork was sent off to the Paripanans. While the Avissians did have several of the event slots for the Unified Delegation, there was no intentional effort to deny them these slots. There was no underlying conspiracy or concerted effort on our part to exclude them, they just simply weren’t on our radar to begin with. That’s all I have to say on that matter.”

“Fair enough. On a lighter note, how do you think the Astyrians are adjusting as they arrive, and how do you think progress has been so far with qualifications?”

“I think that the Astyrians are doing well at adjusting as they begin to arrive in Paripana from the Qualifier host nations.”

“Some of our people didn’t make it. By that I mean, Astyrians, but I think some Neu Engollians were among them. What do you think of that?”

“It’s disappointing, of course. I won’t gloss over that fact. Not everyone was going to make it and there was a lot of fierce competition to make it to this point. That’s what it’s all about, after all. We knew that beyond the Avissians, a lot of our other athletes from other nations were up against steep odds. The fact that the Glisandians and Yellowsians were able to compete at all after the brutal war in that part of the region...Well, that’s just incredible. Some of them were training in a war zone a mere couple years ago. I’m proud of all of our athletes from all over the region and we only want the best for them.”

“That’s why you have your job, Minister Koepller. Thank you for talking with us.”

“So...that was the interview, let’s get to the good news, shall we?”

“Yes, Magda, we do have some. We will see the Neu Engollian gridiron team compete against Electrum, Ferkas and Vakolicci Haven in their quest to bring medals to Astyria.”

“The same for our women’s rugby sevens team, the Lady Goats, who were beaten in the Qualifying Final in Liventia by Kriegiersien, yet they’d already qualified. We look forward to seeing them in Aeropag.”

“The Astyrian men’s rugby sevens squad will also be moving on. While this Astyrian team has some Zitran and Gaul players, the majority come from our national squad, the Goats, who are world champions in one Cup and are consistently in the top 5 rugby national teams in the multiverse. A lot of hope rests with them.”

“Sal Peralta and Pietro Carazzo will be representing Neu Engollon on the beaches in Paripana after their victories to qualify.”

“We’ll see the Avissian water polo teams representing Astyria, as well as a mixed women’s indoor volleyball Astyrian Unified team of Avissians and Neu Engollians that went undefeated in their qualifying group against Vangaziland, West Angola, Kelssek and Judea.”

“Vizion’s National baseball team went undefeated in their group in order to qualify. We’ll see them churn up the diamond in Aeropag for Astyria.”

“There’s so many individual athletes that will be moving on. We’ll bring you more after this sponsor break.”

“As well, you can look on our website. N-E-T-V dot N-E-G for more information on Olympics schedule and coverage and you can see some more indepth profiles of many of the Astyrian athletes on our sister station, NETV Sports 19. Stay tuned for more…”

[Commerce Heights]

Day −2 results are now available.

[Vangaziland]

One of the more aggressive teams in the Vannish delegation started the Olympics off with a bang. The team named after a subspecies of puma native to Vangaziland beat the Gridiron team from San Llera 36-10. The Vangazi looked strong for such a new team. They have been playing for just over a year together now.

"Part of why I play is to help raise awareness for womens' Gridiron", said Vika Saud in an interview. "Our league is just starting. We hope to build a following. If we can make a run, it will go a long way towards promoting our game."

Saud turned out to be QB Dana Channers's main target for game 1. The WR, listed as second option, picked up 89 yards receiving. Saud is only 5'9, but she makes up for it in speed.

"We aren't really a big team", Saud continued. "But we have a lot of heart. This is the big stage. Our nation has a small delegation. There are only so many chances for us to win."

The ladies got Vangaziland off to a good start, led by their quarterback. Dana Channers has worked scrambling into her game. She was originally a track athlete, in addition to playing a few sports. It's her natural instinct to tuck and run. But she has an accurate arm. She's worked on her pocket game over the past year.

The Red Lions did well throughout Qualifying to get here. It reinforced everything the Vangazi worked for.

"It hasn't been easy building this program", said Coach Jill Veroka. "It's been a rush. But we've got some good women. They're really motivated and talented. Vangaziland has an extensive program of women's sports. So we had a large pool of athletes to pull from."

These girls have scrimmaged together over the past year. As the year went on, the first team was chosen and eventually came together to practice. Coach Veroka had a huge part in selecting the team.

"A football team is not like a basketball or baseball team. There are a lot more pieces that have to come together", said Coach Veroka. "The one thing these girls have is chemistry."

Coach Veroka did well to incorporate the run into her gameplan. Fran Torchia established the run from the HB position. She earned 91 yards off 14 carries. She had one 15 yard run where she cut through the middle and over, through solid blocking. She made her way up along the sideline until she was pushed out of bounds. Torchia rushed for 2 touchdowns and 1 2-point conversion.

Channers hit Saud for 2 touchdowns. Alena Prokov caught the final touchdown for the Red Lions. The offensive line held for most of the game, giving the QB time to make good passes. Channers picked up 9 yards rushing, sticking mostly to the pocket.

Defense did well to hold San Llera to only 10 points. They fought hard to challenge passes and keep pressure on the receivers. They limited the ability of the other team to run.

"We didn't give them space", said Bianca Sanchez, cornerback. "We also didn't get beat. It was a good effort."

The girls look to keep things rolling with their next game.

[West Phoencia]

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Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony and Day 2

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The 24 hour Olympic Sports Channel.

Hosts:

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




The West Phoenician American Women’s Football team started their Olympic Games debut with a shocking start. Letting the nation of Judah walk over them 30-17 at the Olympic Tower.
Not even dazzling new Quarterback edition Tanya Rose-Thorne could save the day as Defensive crumbled within the first few minutes and weren't able to regroup to stop Judah.

The women are the best of the best at home. It will be the first international competition this team is involved in. Old hostilities and grudges from rival national teams will need to be put aside if they wish to progress.

"First Game jitters," Head Coach Sally Ford declared. "There head was more into the Opening Ceremony and the spectacular Opening Ceremony show that we are expecting from the hosts.

Among the support staff attending is Madame Gypsy Wind-Rainbow, a renowned Soothsayer from the city-state of Selene Valley in West Phoenicia. Post match she consulted with the spirits who confirmed if the women played hard they would win the next match.

West Phoenicia prepares to make grand entrance.

Meanwhile The Confederate Kingdom of West Phoenicia was looking forward to marching out onto the world stage. With their purple, red and navy blue uniforms.

Flag Bearer Princess Royal Arsinoe II Gryphon-Bush readied herself in traditional West Phoenicia royal garb. A gold diadem, diamond encrusted with a stunning outfit made from spun gold and silver and matching headdress.
Atop of the pole with the crisp West Phoenicia flag was a solid gold Scorpion, a national symbol of West Phoenicia.

Standing regally behind her 6 of the best female dancers from Terpsichore College of Dance, in simple snow white flowing dresses, deadly nightshade the nation flower entwined in wreaths upon their heads. Each holding two sticks with white ribbons dipped in gold dust.

Behind her stood the quite large delegation. One row of women, than men and so on. A sea of smiling faces and purple dominating the delegation.

Behind the troops of athletes were four buff men, wearing loin cloths, their bodies dusted in gold. Each held an incense urn, perfuming the air with Cinnamon and Frankincense and Musk. Three of the incense products produced in West Phoenicia and exported.

All eagerly waiting for their nation to be called so they could march out like an army bent on conquering.

[Kannap]

Kannapian News Network
Commercial Kannapian flights to Aeropag Closed

With the XI Olympiad officially opening in Aeropag tomorrow, the Kannapian government has found it best to cancel all flights from Kannap to Aeropag from today through the duration of Games. The government declared this news during a statement early in the day on Friday, August 5th. The government assures that there is no immediate threat to Kannapians or the Games, and that this cancellation of flights to the host city and host nation is a simple precaution. The government assures Kannapian citizens that the Kannapian Anti-Olympics Association has been entirely eliminated but reminds citizens to remain vigilant regardless.

It is believed that there are 4,378 Kannapian citizens as tourists in the host nation of the Games, 2,710 of which are there for the Olympics. These citizens were given adequate warning of the cancellation of flights between Kannap and the host nation, so they are okay with being in the foreign nation for the duration of the Games. After the closing ceremony of the Games, flights between the two nations will resume as normal.

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Premier Jeremy Andersson To Arrive in Aeropag

While commercial flights to Aeropag have been cancelled, the Premier is making his way to the nation later this evening. Premier Jeremy Andersson and Vice Premier Logan Andersson are expected to arrive in Aeropag this evening and are going to be in attendance of the Opening Ceremony of the Games. The two national leaders will be housed with Kannapian athletes, per agreement with the Kannapian National Olympic Committee. The departure time of the leaders from Kannap and the arrival time in Aeropag have remained classified. We are all looking forward to the Games alongside our wonderful leaders.

[Todd McCloud]

Vekaiyu in Qualifier-Form: A Success or a Disappointment?
Reporting for V3 News Services, Rin Slakori

ELDURA - As various international fans begin to leave Vekaiyu for their home nations or Paripana, where the Eleventh Summer Games are hosted, Vekaiyu and the Vekaiyun Olympic Council (VOC) assess the outcome of the 24 water polo matches that occurred over the span of 6 days, and attempt to develop some metric of success in order to gauge their own performance. Indeed, all games were reported sell-outs, and aside from a few altercations arising from tension due to cultural differences and stereotypes, fans generally appeared focused on the spirit of the game.

The first few match days went swimmingly, to coin a phrase. The Vekaiyun Women's team managed to cast aside any doubt as they quickly buried the delegation from Ferkas, led by Rin Kesuru and Selvala Useveli, who scored three goals apiece and look to be among the most formidable players across the international spectrum when it concerns women's water polo. The home team dominated in front of a crowd that poured out into the streets. More competitive games were showcased in Provinsk, where the city utilized this opportunity of international attention to showcase events prior to each match, first featuring an aqua ballet routine, then a demonstration on underwater hockey. Calesu, Vekaiyu's most prominent harbor, was not lacking in form either, as the city throughout the matches hosted various frivolities, such as parades and morning information sessions on the history of Vekaiyun aquatics.

"We're just hoping to raise awareness for our sport," star Provinsk player Ankyela Robistroviyey said after one of the demonstrations, which rotated across the four cities during the duration of the qualifiers. "We know it's not a very popular sport across the 'verse, but hopefully if enough international fans can see that we're from a sport that is very competitive and demands a lot of physical fitness, we might just get some interest. Perhaps later on we could even host another international event, this time on underwater hockey. Hey, I can dream, can't I?"

After the first few matchdays, the nation became comfortable with the notion of hosting. To the knowledge of V3 News, no nation appeared to voice concerns over the language barrier between Unonian and Codexian. Most complaints seemed to rest in how far away the nation was or the fact that the nation was occupied by nonhumans. "We can't change that," VOC chairwoman Riyna Yovisktre said during an interview after the close of the qualifiers here in Vekaiyu. "We can't change distances or who we are, so those are moot points as far as I am concerned. What we could change is the level of comfort international fans had while they were in Vekaiyu. And I think we did an excellent job, all things considered. Droves of people didn't get lost in our streets, nor did we have any violence outside of a few altercations involving inanimate objects. Considering the last several summer games we attended involved bomb plots, athletes impaled by javelins, assassination attempts, and threats of nuclear war, I'd say we had a pretty good go of it."

Only one match required police involvement - the much-anticipated Vekaiyu versus Ndaku. Many pundits assumed it would result in a Vekaiyun win, but there were caveats. While Vekaiyu was playing in front of a home crowd, the pressure was off of them as they were guaranteed placement after their 8-5 win over Orion Islands. The same could not be said for Ndaku, which would have been guaranteed a berth with a win over the home team. As we reported earlier, Provinsk Metro Police neutralized several situations and ensured order was quickly restored.

Which leaves us with the aftermath of the competition. Based on conservative estimates provided by the Vekaiyun Bureau of Tourism, some 224,000 fans traversed to-and-from Vekaiyu over the course of the qualifications - a success by any predictions prior to the qualifications. But will this result in more interest in the nation, more opportunities for the nation to showcase itself to the international world and, perhaps just as important, more of a push to see Vekaiyu in more than just Olympic competition abroad?

"I think I can speak on behalf of all Vekaiyuns and members of the Vekaiyun Union that we would enjoy seeking more opportunities to test our skills in friendly competition," Premier of Vekaiyu Ikrisia Levinile said during the unofficial "closing ceremonies" of the qualifying events in Vekaiyu. "Whether one follows particular sports or teams carefully, or could not care less, there is a certain passion which resonates in us all. I believe it does so do to its unifying qualities. We desire to see goodness arise from it, to see communities or nations come together and at one moment witness greatness, setting aside all political and cultural differences in the process, if only for that moment. But it is a gamble. With only one championship or one medal for dozens of teams or competitors, it is designed to break our hearts, and our hearts will be broken. But through the triumphs and sorrows, it becomes an identity. It is an identity that is passed on through generations. An identity that is shared atop high rises or in alleyways. An identity that is forged through many countless moments of heartbreak and nervousness peppered with small glimpses of joy. An identity that can bring complete strangers together.

"I believe we yearn for such things - comradely, respect, and passion. So we take that gamble, every day, and whether we are vulpine, human, or another sentient group of species, we expect greatness. But don't fret - even if glory for one's own team never comes to fruition, those things we yearn for will not be undimmed - we are like that as. For through it all, even the worst of teams have spirit, and that spirit can never be removed nor can it dim our hope for glory."

[The Licentian Isles]

Montfort Inquirer

Licentian Delegation Flies to Aeropag

The athletes that will represent the Licentian Isles at the Games of the XI Olympiad in Aeropag have flown out from Abingdon International Airport today, to prepare for the begininng of the games and the opening ceremony.

A delegation of around 500 athletes will represent the Isles at the Games after the qualifying events organised by the Paripana Sporting Council resulted in some highly rated Licentian teams not getting the opportunity to compete in the Olympics. Though this has caused some controversy amongst the nations competing the Olympics, the Licentian athletes have generally been accepting of the strategy, considering the short notice at which the PSC had to take over hosting due to Ilyseum withdrawing their hosting bid at the last minute.

During a press conference prior to the departure of the Licentian delegation for Aeropag, chef de mission Alice Pratt announced a number of items regarding Licentian participation in the Parade of Nations during the opening ceremony. Firstly, she announced the outfits that Licentian athletes would be wearing during the opening ceremony. Male athletes will be wearing kilts in traditional Licentian tartan (coloured cyan and gold), while female athletes will wear cyan dresses with a gold sash.

Pratt also confirmed the rumours that women’s 400m hurdles runner Mirren Scott would carry the Licentian flag during the parade, having been elected by her fellow athletes. The 36 year old Abingdon native, who qualified through the Aeropag Athletics Test Event to earn her place at the Games, beat out golfer Autumn Grant in an allegedly close run race. Scott, when reached for comment after the plane landed in Aeropag, said that she was “incredibly proud to be representing the Isles, and looking forward to competing at the Games”.

During the press conference, Pratt was asked repeatedly about what medal targets OCLI had set for the Games, and refused to comment, saying that that was an internal matter. However, it is expected that the main targets for Licentian athletes to win medals are in canoeing/kayaking, rowing, sailing, water polo and rugby sevens.

A Spotlight On - Adam van Oord

During the Games, along with coverage of the Licentian athletes competing each day in Aeropag, the Montfort Inquirer will be looking to the day ahead by focussing on a single athlete competing the next day, looking at their background and their hopes for the Games.

The only part of the Licentian delegation competing in the preliminary rounds for the Olympics will be the men’s football team, led by centre half Adam van Oord. The 23 year old’s youth makes him seem like an odd choice to captain the side, but Caelan Hamill’s decision is immediately justified when you see van Oord on the pitch. He demands respect from his teammates, marshalling a strong Licentian back four that you would never guess were all older than him, based on the way they defer to van Oord.

The 23 year old was born and bred in Abingdon, which may influence the way he behaves on the pitch. He acts like a typical Abingdonian, with a very loud voice projecting around the pitch to his teammates, and no holding back, whether that be in the tackle or in arguments with opposing players. Despite this, he usually manages to avoid getting carded; his tackles are well-placed, and there tends to be a teammate to pull him back if things are getting too heated.

Having grown up a season ticket holder at Gardiner-Stewart Stadium, playing for Abingdon Celtic, the Licentian champions, is a dream come true for van Oord.

“I used to watch every Celtic game with my father when I was a kid,” van Oord said in an interview with the Abingdon Evening News at the beginning of last season, “so to have the opportunity to pull on the green-and-white shirt every week is a dream come true for me.”

When we interviewed him prior to the Licentian delegation flying to the Olympics, van Oord stated, “I never imagined I would have the opportunity to captain my country, so to be taking this team to Aeropag with that armband in my case is a great honour, and I want to prove that the gaffer [Caelan Hamill] was justified in his call.”

The Licentian Isles have been drawn in Group B for the men's football, and start their campaign against Electrum at Holmes Stadium in Columbia. Coverage of the match can be found on LBC Sport One, with build-up beginning at 12:30pm LST, and kick off at 1pm.

[The Serbian Empire]

Beograd Journal Letter To Editor
Kannapian Government Paranoid?

I can't remember a country being more paranoid about terrorism than the Kannapian government cancelling all flights between their country's airports and Aeropag. Not even those Albanians putting bunkers every 100 meters were this paranoid. And Enver Hoxha was terribly paranoid as a leader for Albania. Hoxha was the biggest coward this side of the Drina! The Serbian delegation looks mildly paranoid, but outright reasonable when compared to Kannapian government officials. At least looking like office workers won't raise any attention. Barring their own citizens from flying in after a certain date is a whole different matter. What are they doing? Trying to get people to watch the Games on TV? Go drink your beer, Premier. You won't see Kannapian athletes beat our Serbs.

Serbian Nationalist Ratko Panic

The Serbian Sporting News
Opening Ceremony Uniforms

The uniform for this year has been updated to where all athletes will be dressed like M.I.B., Men in Black from some intelligence agency. The reasoning behind this is to maintain a professional image in ceremonial fashion. Being too gaudy in color choices will only encourage the Gregoryisgodistanis to nuke us or so many believe. This involves stereotypical attire for being on Wall Street or in the Beograd Stock Exchange.

A sample of the female outfit is in the link. The male uniform is straight out of the movie Men in Black.

The rules for apparel outside of the competitions and ceremonies has been loosened to a business casual style of clothing rather than a mandated uniform. The only thing recognizable that is mandated is a hat that has the Serbian flag on it.

[Wray]

Taken from Cartersburg Herald, Weekend Edition

Top of the Class

S-J Barrett is just 19, but has already been making waves in national and international athletics. Mary-Ella Howe caught up with the young star at Mount Harlen College

It's a breezy Tuesday afternoon in the idyllic college town of Mount Harlen, the wind through the trees accompanies the murmur of campus life. Situated 130km North-East of Albion, Harlen has always inhabited a universe of it's own: as I drove in, there was everything a town of 20-something thousand needed, a supermarket, cinema, a collection of homely restaurants, a sports complex - in fact, there's rarely a need to leave this town. Harlen has always existed in this blissful isolation - the main boulevard is chequered with varying architectural designs, whilst the town hall at one end still bears the markings from the 10th anniversary of it's erection: 1902.

The college, situated in the western portion of the town, bordered by the main street on one side, and the flat expanse of the River Keeley, is equally as venerable - the main building was constructed in 1899, it's associated buildings came in waves between 1900 and 1940. The central quad is surrounded on all sides by tall white-brick buildings, with cross-hatched windows - in the middle is a wide green, on it sit a handful of students, sitting and talking. I've only been out of college for a few years - this scene is comfortingly familiar to me.

I'm meeting S-J Barrett outside her Hall, which is located off the main quad through a maze of snickets and throughways. After almost getting lost twice, I emerge through an archway to a smaller grass quad, surrounded by similar white-brick buildings - on one side is a set of glass doors, entrance to the Hall, with RIVERSIDE HALL, 1971 embossed across it. In true student fashion, someone has left a rug on the grass with textbooks scattered across it. At this very point in time, no one is about - some afternoon lectures are in progress, and it makes for a calming scene.

The first thing, of many, that surprises me about Barrett, is her stature. She's tall, as is the trend of athletes, perhaps even pushing 6ft, but she holds herself remarkably casually. She wears flip flops, a pair of grey cargo shorts and a heavy black hoodie with RIVERSIDE printed on it, again, this time in bright orange letters. Clearly her allegiances aren't all green-and-white. She wears her hair equally as casual, tied loosely in a pony-tail over her right shoulder. We shakes hands and she smiles smoothly. In our opening exchanges, she speaks softly, hands buried deep in her pockets. This is certainly not the posture which would typically associate with an Olympic athlete.

I figure this is the right place to start. It's been three weeks since Barrett finished third in the Women's 400m at the Olympic Qualifying event in Aeropag, thus securing her place at the Games themselves. I asked her about this experience.

"It was pretty cool, pretty crazy too. This is the first time they've brought in qualifying, so there was no precedent of how we would go about it. I was here still, we had two weeks left in our semester, but the WAF gave me dispensation to go. I had to take my books with me. It was certainly a fun experience, spending time with all the other guys and girls, it was the first time I'd spent significant [time] with the rest of team - we had a lot of fun [...] The athletics was only a small part of it, I felt."

We've exited Riverside and now walk along the path by the playing fields, which separate the college from the river. It's on these fields where Barrett does most of her informal training. She points out to me the various landmarks she uses to guide her runs - 10km three times a week, down along the river, up to the boathouse, around, back down to the tennis club and back to Riverside.

"Training is a big deal for me. I've been training properly for the best part of 5 years - when I first got serious about athletics, perhaps 14 or 15, I wasn't a big fan of training - I was probably a bit lazy" She laughs. "My coaches told me - "you've got the skill, you just have to put the effort it" - I like to think I have put the effort in."

She certainly has. Barrett is currently the top-ranked women's 400m runner in Wray - outpacing former Olympians and national champions - all at 19 years of age. She holds the U23 national record, as well as the collegiate record. I ask her how she deals with the competing pressures of being such a prized athlete and being a dedicated college student.

"It's not easy, that's for sure. I'm exceptionally busy, even for a college student. My typical day will be training early in the morning, breakfast, morning lectures, then either afternoon academic commitments, or a double training session. If I had a lecture or tutorial, it'd just be a regular training session before dinner. That's excluding time in the gym or the pool, too. It's pretty relentless, but I manage to get everything done - just."

"When things get tough, it's quite difficult to manage. I had to study for my finals whilst in Aeropag - although they're only 1st Year Exams, and don't count towards my final grade, I wanted to make a good impression, so finding time in between races to study was very important. I managed to do some on the plane, and in my room - my room mate, Em[ily Dale, fellow 400m runner] was very sweet about it, she gave me all the space I needed. The WAF are also very considerate, and allow me to be slightly malleable with deadlines because they know I'm busy with school. Some of my lecturers are less forgiving, which is weird."

Barrett is at the end of her first year at Mount Harlen College - the semester has just finished, but it is typical for students to remain at school for a few days afterwards - not for partying, Barrett stresses, but for tidying up. As it traditional with the first year in college, Barrett does not yet specialise in her degree. But she is thinking deeply about what she wants to do.

"I'm thinking about Physiology for my major, perhaps Biology. Something which might be applicable to running. I've enjoyed doing Dutch Studies, and Geography, but stuff like physiology will serve me well whilst running, as well as afterwards."

She seemed quietly confident in her abilities as an athlete. I reckoned it came with the territory of actually being one of the top athletes in the country. But she maintains a permanent sense of perspective on her skills which is refreshing to hear from a competitor of her stature.

"I know I'm a good athlete - I've been told that, and told myself, all my life." She says as she looks at me directly with her cool blue eyes. "I'm extremely thankful for my gift, and I'm aware of the impermanence of it - it's one of the things they drill into you at the WAF, so you've got to seize the moment - give it your absolute best at every opportunity, because if you don't, someone else will. Where will that leave you?"

She possesses a serene sagacity about her life and her pursuits, set way beyond her 19 years. She spends several seconds before answering questions, eyes fixed on the ground as she processes my words. For a 19 year old, she displays immense mindfulness. I ask if this helps her compete.

"Absolutely. When you're out on the track, it's important to not let the occasion beat you. I've competed in some pretty heated atmospheres, that's for sure, and it's only going to get tougher with the Olympics, but you've got to remain clear in your head. The 400m is a deceptively long distance - it takes the best part of a minute, and for every single second you've got to be on it, otherwise it slips. [...] When I run there's nothing in my head, I just focus on the rhythms and the finish line. I think it helps me."

I enquire as to her thoughts of going to the Olympics. She says nothing at first, but rather smiles.

"It's...it's exciting. I'm excited. Tell me a year ago I would be going to Aeropag and I would have told you where to go. It's been a whirlwind year and the Olympics is the final stage. Qualifying was a bit nervy, the thoughts of going to the Games weighed on me a bit, but once I got through the heat and then secured my place I was able to relax and look forward to the Games. I really enjoyed the final, probably the first ever race I've smiled at the beginning and the end. To come 3rd amongst such quality athletes was truly fantastic."

"Obviously the Games mean so much more than just a race. It's about representing your country, which I'm so proud to do. Sports holds a special place in this country and I'm so pleased I can be a part of that. Being in the green-and-white means a lot to me - I love representing this country doing something I love."

When asked what her Olympic aspirations were, she answers quickly - she's clearly thought about this. "Getting there is enough for me. Considering the amount of work and effort that I've done, that everyone has done, to make it this far is fantastic. As far as I can see - although I'm sure the WAF will disagree with me - making it alone is good enough. Obviously I want to do as well as possible, to get as far as possible, but I know how tough the competition is, the atmosphere, the conditions - it'll be difficult. But I'm looking forward it. It'll be a formulative experience more than anything - anything else is a bonus."

We've come back into town. She points out where she has her lectures, where she gets her lunch, where she hangs out with her friends. Throughout our encounter, she is keen to remind me she's just a student. She has many of the appropriate mannerisms, including a slew of friendly nods and smiles to her associates as we walk down the main boulevard. She still mangles her phrases, sometimes, like a typical teenagers, scattering plenty of 'ums' and 'likes' amongst her more profound thoughts.

"My family is very important to me, still." She continues. "My parents live just outside Albion, I go back when I can. My mum is a huge inspiration to me - she's worked harder than anyone else to get me where I am today. I can't thank her enough. My dad was the one who originally got me into running, he was an avid club runner. He was effectively my first coach. I've got two younger siblings, Brad is 14 and Lisa is 11. She says she wants to be a runner like me - I reckon she could be better, I've seen her run at school."

Barrett is completely at ease with her surroundings, and I can imagine this will extend to the track. Her calmness and clarity fascinate me thoughout our interview. It is very difficult to believe that she is just 19. I ask what it's like to have success foisted on someone as young as herself.

"It certainly makes for a mismatch when my friends talk about what they're doing over various breaks - working, studying, relaxing, when I have to say 'I'm going to the Olympics!'. I don't know whether I'll ever get used to it - perhaps as I get older. But for me, it's what I do - there's not a lot more too it. I'm a runner, I run, I just happen to do it on a certain stage, I guess."

These parting words reveal a lot. Running is Barrett's existence, her lifeblood - so it comes as no surprise the attitude she takes towards it all. She was not sure how the Games were going to go for her - 'anything can happen' she said flatly - but what I'm sure about, and what the world will soon see, is that this is a girl born to run.

[Mattijana]

Mattijana Arrives In Style

Mattijanan athletes arrived at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Aeropag in preparation for the first day of competition tomorrow. They were typically colourful with some crazy freestyle dancing and the national colours proudly displayed on their clothes and flags. The outfits worn by the athletes are shown below:
Women's Outfit:



Men's Outfit:



Niko Molotnikov was the flag-bearer. The 26 year-old who won Mattijana's first ever Olympic Gold in the trap-shooting was in typically happy mood and gave the flag a good waft as he made his lap of honour around the stadium. He is one of the favourites to win again in Aeropag.

The decision to go with something a little more jazzy than last time out was made very quickly and easily after it was made clear that "something reflecting the national spirit was required." Some of the nation's leading designers got to work and came up with these stunners. Away from official business, Mattijanans will wear their team tracksuit as worn during qualification and travel. It is hoped that the colours will not cause blindness or international disapproval.

[Electrum]

Centralis Herald - Sports Section - Kate McNamara

Olympics: Both familiar and unfamiliar territory ahead

It's both a familiar and unfamiliar feeling, coming back into the Olympics. After the dust settled in the qualification, where some Electrumite teams failed to qualify, and other athletes as well, notably Turkana Rizvi who won the silver medal in the 800m at the last Olympics, we're all revved up once again for two more weeks of the multiverse's best spot. Even those dastardly anti-Olympic Kannapian groups threatening Kannap, despite still not having exactly explained why they hate the Olympics so much, are still around. Old foes from farflung nations such as Vekaiyu, the Serbians, the Astyrians are still around, and with more nations this time round, it's going to be a heck of a lot more competitive than the previous editions.

It is true that we shouldn't expect the same level of results that we have enjoyed in the past two Olympic Games. Indeed, we did host both of the previous Winter and co-hosted the previous Summer Olympiad but it is undeniable the role that home-support plays in events. No longer are the crowds filled to the brim with a blatantly partisan crowds, instead it will be the Paripanans (?) playing that role. Indeed, this is also the first Summer Olympiad in a very long time that wasn't held on Rushmori soil, one would have to go back to the Krytenian games -- so there's even less support than before. We will be returning to our roots in our role as just another nation, but perhaps we shouldn't be despairing.

There is a great deal of hope and optimism, especially from the EOC involved in these games, and Electrumites will be keen to showcase their talents to the world yet again. Indeed, in a controversial decision, the EOC has pumped money more into the sports Electrum has been traditionally good at, and not equally to other sports like in previous years. EOC Chairman Maximillion von Trier said that, "Now that we don't have our athletes competing at home, it is not viable to invest equally into all sports -- we must only focus on those we have a better than good chance of winning a medal." Understandably, that led to considerable consternation and outrage from all corners, especially from the national federations of Aquatics, Athletics and some other team sports, who would lose out to the sports Electrum was traditionally good at: Equestrian, Fencing, Taekwondo and Sailing.

The new refocus on these sports reflects a shift in thinking for Electrumites -- how to build on that legacy and success that comes from hosting two Olympic Games. Despite the funding changes, a lot of athletes are still confident in their abilities. For example, Electrumite Taekwondoin Deepali Patil, who has won two gold medals in the previous two games in the Women's 57 kg event said that, "I'm not so worried about these funding changes. I'm an athlete, and for my sport, you don't really need individual coaches for each athlete anyways, you only improve through practice and your own hard work. If we need help, I can just ask the team coach."

Deepali Patil is just one of a few Electrumite two-time gold medallists who want to make it a three-peat. Other athletes, such as the women's fencing team, fellow taekwondoin Toby Golde and tennis doubles team Sonya Gredello and Rosa Levinsky are all in the hunt for their third consecutive gold medal. It remains to be seen with the passage of time just how well their bodies will hold up to the strain, but they are already Olympic heroes for even managing to come this far. New heroes will also be born in these Games too, perhaps a gold medal will spring from nowhere from Boxing, the Modern Pentathlon or other such sports in Electrum. Though there is some unfamiliar territory ahead, now's not the time to be anxious for our athletes, but excited for the times ahead.

Kate McNamara is the lead journalist for the Centralis Herald at the Olympic Games. The Herald, in conjunction with Network ENN are the host broadcasters for the Olympic Games. She is part of an expert team that will be reporting on the Games of the XI Olympiad, joined by tennis expert Ameerah Gauchi, basketball expert Gilbert Halliday, soccer expert Stewart Faraday, and sports journalists Reece Duffy, Enver Hassan, Kimiko Shigaraki and other retired Olympic athletes

[Free Republics]

The Republican and East Sanctii representatives stepped into the car to travel to the meeting with Vakolicci leaders. The car ride seemed like it took forever, though it did not actually take anywhere near as long as it seemed. Finally, they arrived at a flower garden where they were to meet President Delbrathin and the other two delegations. When they arrived, the Vakolicci delegation was already waiting for them. Georgius Catiotus, the sole East Sanctii delegate, led the way, greeting the Vakolicci representatives. He was unsure whether to make small talk or to get straight to the point, so he waited to see which way the hosts wanted to go.

Elsewhere in the Greater Vakolicci Haven, the West Sanctii representatives joined Liam, Daniel and Alyana in the vehicle. As they traveled to their destination, Andreas and Leva introduced Prince Ioannes and Deputy Prime Minister Polus. The 7-foot plus basketball legend, the cornerstone of the great Sanctii team that won the IBC three times in a row, had remained loyal to his older brother King Petrus XX rather than side with his younger brother King Andreas in the intra-family feud that had split the Kingdom of Saintland in two. But even though he stood out physically, nobody stood out more than the Deputy Prime Minister and leader of Feministvs Sanctvsterra. Censorina Polus's blonde hair was left uncovered and her dress was relatively revealing by Sanctii standards, but not especially revealing by the standards of most nations. This allowed her beauty to be on full display.

The appearance of Censorina Polus was in sharp contrast to that of Leva Fadius, whose head was covered and whose body was equally covered. A survivor of the genocide of "intellectuals" and their families carried out by the regime that called its nation "Slave State", Leva had once been captured by Vakolicci slavers and sold to Andreas Fadius. The two of them had fallen in love almost at first sight and Leva had eagerly converted to the Church of Saintland to win the affection of her master. At first, she had converted merely to make Andreas happy, but eventually she had come to embrace her faith and the security that came with it. Even as Feministvs Sanctvsterra had set about reforming Saintland, Leva had chosen to remain a housewife, by the side of her husband who had fast become one of the stars of the [West] Sanctii National Soccer Team and an important diplomat within the Royal Diplomatic Service. The two of them had remained loyal to King Petrus XX, whom Andreas had idolized while he was growing up, despite their own personal politics being slightly more on the traditional side as compared to their King.

After they had finished the introductions, Andreas and Leva spent the rest of the car ride catching up with Liam. At one moment, Andreas reassured Liam that he wasn't there to convert them to the Church of Saintland and he wasn't about to help anybody steal anything from the Vakolicci treasury. Seemingly an eternity ago, Andreas had left Vakolicci territory in the middle of the night with Veleik Nicholls and the two of them had given the Republican military direct access to the Celerian royal treasury, which had unwittingly led to the downward spiral of the Free Republics in recent years. The influence of the Republican military had driven their politics further and further toward the extremes, eventually leading to the election of men such as Reino Kulseth and Kaleb O'Reilly as the Consuls of what was once a free and genuinely great nation. Andreas had deep regret for that foolish mistake he had made years ago, a mistake that Veleik tried to atone for, likely at the cost of his life. Andreas wanted to make a deal that would ensure the security of the Kingdom of Saintland and provide for defense against the Free Republics and the so-called Holy Kingdom of Saintland and he was hopeful that he could get Liam and the other Vakolicci representatives to agree to a deal...

---

The uniforms for the Republican delegation at the Opening Ceremony remained a closely guarded secret until the last possible moment. Finally, the Republican athletes received their uniforms, less than an hour before the Opening Ceremony was scheduled to start. They were surprised to discover that Republican men would wear standard Republican Army uniforms, with the exception of the military officers within the delegation, who were to wear their full military uniform during the Parade of Nations. The women, however, were surprised to find that they were to wear the same uniforms that the Cheerleading Squad of the former Republican National Soccer Team had worn back in the day. Several women among the Republican delegation, which numbered well over a thousand and was to be, by far, the largest ever to march in an Opening Ceremony in Olympic history protested and demanded to wear the men's uniform instead but the cBot who had delivered the uniforms quickly made it very clear that they were going to wear the cheerleader uniforms and they were going to march in the Opening Ceremony.

However, even at this late hour, the Republican delegation still had not received word from the Olympic organizers as to whether or not their registered injury replacements and their athletes who had failed to qualify, a group that numbered several hundred in total, would be permitted to march in the Parade of Nations. The Republican delegation was under very strict orders to refrain from participating in the Parade of Nations at all if any of their members, including those whose participation remained in question, were prohibited from marching with the delegation. Should that happen, they were unsure whether or not Consul O'Reilly would order the entire delegation to go home, but they were certain that the "Opening Ceremony" shown on Republican television would be the version they had filmed two weeks prior in the Free Republics rather than the one taking place in Aeropag if the Republican delegation was not permitted to participate in full but they remained hopeful that the Paripanans would tread lightly rather than anger Consul O'Reilly yet again...

[Commerce Heights]

To: Kaleb O’Reilly
From: James Burdick
Subject: Matters regarding the Games of the XI Olympiad
Encryption: Quadruple Rot13

Of course I understand that the threats you have made are completely false. You’re not an idiot; you just play one on television. As such, you should in fact be capable of comprehending the credential policy which AEROC previously communicated to your Olympic committee, including the maximum allocations for athletes, officials, and reserves. I suspect you may even be competent to understand that any action from your Olympic committee with the intent of bringing the Olympic Games into disrepute will result in its immediate suspension. Believe me.

James Burdick
Deputy Chairman
Aeropag Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games

[Free Republics]

To: James Burdick
From: Kaleb O'Reilly
Subject: Your Incompetent Handling of the Games of the XI Olympiad
Encryption: None

James,

Let me make this very clear to you: Either my entire delegation, including athletes that failed to qualify and all of my athletes, officials and reserves, will participate in the Opening Ceremony or I will withdraw my entire delegation from the Olympics.

Kaleb O'Reilly, Consul, Federation of Free Republics

OOC: To paraphrase something the host said to me a few months back, if you're letting your roster quotas get in the way of somebody wanting to RP something in a certain way, then your priorities are horribly wrong.

[Qasden]

Qasden
Athletic News

---

AeropagXI Report- Qualifiers Recap

---

After a week's worth of brutally challenging qualifiers in RK Quebec and Paripana, 5 teams, along with a few Qads in Athletics events, have made their mark and punched their tickets to Aeropag. To recap, here are some of the more "notable" events TQ participated in.

/\/\ Men's Basketball /\/\

While in Ottawa, Qasden's U23 men's basketball team went up against Vettrera, Vangaziland, and Krytenia, in Group O4. At the start of the group qualifiers, the Vans earned a victory over Vettrera, before being defeated in their next 2 games.
Aeropag? ✖️

/\/\ Women's Basketball /\/\

The Women's Basketball Qualifiers saw the Vans take on RK Quebec, Thatius, and the Licentian Isles in Kingston. 3 challenging matches later, Qasden took second in K5 with wins over Thatius and TLI.
Aeropag? ✔️

/\/\ Men's and Women's Association Football /\/\

The Vans' football teams took on Cosumar and Estogium in Round 1 of the qualifiers. While Cosumar topped Qasden's men's team 1-0 in T.V. City, the women's squad squeaked past Estogium 1-0 in Port Harston. However, after matches in the said countries, Cosumar finished just above the men's, while the women's were crushed by Estogium in the 2nd leg.
Aeropag? ✖️

/\/\ Men's Handball /\/\

In handball, Qasden was put to the test against TLI, Kelssek, Vekaiyu, and Cosumar, while in Quebec City. Though the Vans lost their last match in the preliminaries, TQ was still able to qualify, finishing 2nd.
Aeropag? ✔️

/\/\ Men's Hockey /\/\

Hockey, something the nation is pretty meh at. However, in a group with Valanora, Arioslavia and Judea, the IceVans managed to clinch 2nd place in Montreal. Wins over the Arioslavians and Judeans, as well as a draw with Valanora, helped secure TQ a spot in the next round.
Aeropag? ✔️

/\/\ Men's Rugby Sevens /\/\

In RS, the Vans had to defeat Kriegiersien, North Eurasian Unified Sporting Team, and RK Quebec. Despite 2 big wins over the Québécois and NEUST, a solo loss to Kriegiersien sunk Qasden's chances of reaching the finals.
Areopag? ✖️

/\/\ Women's Beach Volleyball /\/\

The Rae/Lilac duo were sent to California City, where they had to face Soara/Apretti of Vilitan Union and Dúëniäsa/Kamariiä of Paripana. 2 matches and 2 losses later, the Qads were immediately set packing for T.V. City.
Aeropag? ✖️

/\/\ Men's Water Polo /\/\

In this event, the AquaVans took on Drawkland, Mapletish and Krytenia in Goose Bay, RK Quebec. After our first 2 games in GB, a 1-1 record made our final match vital for progression. Once the end of our match with Mapletish arrived, a narrow victory was in our favor.
Aeropag? ✔️

/\/\ Women's Water Polo /\/\

Back in Goose Bay, our women's team was drawn into Group G3, consisting of Drawkland, Serbian Empire, and San José Guayabal. Unfortunately, these AquaVans were not as lucky as the men's as they fail to finish in the top two of G3.
Aeropag? ✖️

/\/\ Men's Baseball /\/\

Qasden's baseball team were automatically sent to Aeropag, but not directly to the Olympics. First, they had to play in the test event/qualifier, where they went head to head with Vangaziland, Mapletish, and Electrum Unified Team in group 5. After an astounding 24-2 victory over EUT, the Vans failed to win against the rest of Group 5, but still placed high enough for progression.
Aeropag? ✔️

That's all for now. Can TQ's qualifying squads be able to medal in their Olympic debut? Or will T.V. City have to wait for the Winter Olympics? Stay tuned, stay updated, and stay alert for our next Olympic Report, straight from the city of Aeropag!

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

Royal Kingdom of Quebec Delegation to stay on luxury cruise ship (+Accompanying Ship) for Aeropag Games

Prince of Calania, the ship for Quebecois "Olympic Family, Friends and Supporters",
on cruise near Valanora last June.

Georges-Simon Kang

MONTREAL, ML - They often say that the olympic village is like a small enclave where all the actual actions take place, from people of farthest parts possible meeting each other to jackrabbits flying all around the village. So what if this happens on a smaller scale, but with lot more familiar groups of people on a really small space? On top of that, to spend a week or two trying to get there while being middle of the ocean?

Right. You probably heard of the latest idea proposed and then actually executed by the RQOC over last 4 years.

With just a day left before hundreds of Quebecois men and women head to Aeropag, rumours have surfaces that the Royal Kingdom of Quebec delegation, in both athletes and coaches, will be staying on a cruise ship in the port of Aeropag, not so far from the Olympic Tower where all the actions and other athletes will be taking place. Right next to it, a second and much larger liner will be anchored alongside during the games and provide lodgings for those whom the RQOC termed (and meant only for themselves) as the "Olympic Family, Friends and Supporters".

When asked earlier this year about the plans, the RQOC vice-president Alizée Thariwiennes, previously told the Gazette (Article : RQOC prepares something big, ahead of the Parapana Olympics) that Team Quebec planned to house itself in a rather different living arrangement to ensure maximum privacy and security. While the security has never been the problem in Paripana, where the International Olympics Committee is housed right in *cough* Olympic Tower, Aeropag, what happened in Kytler Peninsulae was still fresh to the most Quebecois' minds so this turned out to be a pretty quick, nonbrainer for them.

"As far as I know from what I've heard so far, We'll have 2 cruise ships in the Aeropag docks." Alexander Nikopoulos, the captain of the cruise ship True North, told the Gazette. "There'll be one with the national team athletes and their staff members, and the other for olympic people. These are only two we've heard of so far, when it comes to the ships with any olympics delegation." When asked on what exact dock they will land, Mr. Nikopoulos declined to comment, stating that it's not up to him to tell at this point.

The ship housing the athletes and the staff members will be the smaller of two, 166,669 GT "True North" operated by Imperial Pacific Cruises, which bills itself as the "Leader of Luxury Cruising, for everybody." The ship's capacity at 1,750, it had its most recent cruise in the Salamantic Ocean and will be housing roughly 1,000 peoples during the Aeropag Games.

Despite the massive ship drawing the attention of people, the Quebecois authorities have made sure to keep low details about the journey- until they arrive in Aeropag after a week of fun and hardship (Editor's Note : Not that it'd work in a modern era where social media keeps everyone connected, so I don't know how effectively that will be ). In one part they're still staying mum about the cruise ship. Rachael Williams-Beaumont, a spokesman for Royal Quebecois Wrestling Federation, declined to confirm where the nation's both wrestling teams will stay in Aeropag. She listed security as the reason for not disclosing the exact location or even mode of transportation, but said that it is absolutely important to provide space for those who work to earn their spots.

"We don't stay in village because we feel like we need more space to not just prepare, but also to enjoy the time they have with their families," Williams-Beaumont told the Gazette. "They've spent last 4 or more years to get ready to compete and represent not only Quebec, but themselves, so it is important to take the best care of their privacy, health and of course time spent with their family ad friends."

He said RQOC, along with its affiliated associations, picks up the costs of the lodging, an expenses that would be covered primarily by games organisers if players stayed in the village. When asked if this could possibly pose financial challenges for those involved in this arrangement, he said that it would be fine: "No matter what, the financial plan for this arrangement's been tested time after time and is entirely payable in immediate future."

A RQOC spokesman declined to specify the plans, saying it will be released on the very day of departure for the Quebecois delegation. Those who will be part of it already received information about the arrangements, he said, but they have signed an agreement to provide it the confidentiality until time comes.

In the meanwhile, the "Olympic Family, Friends and Co." will stay on the cruise ship Prince of Calania operated by Namdo Cruise Lines. The company listed the 275,000-ton whale's capacity at 5,000 guests. It's one of the largest, if not the largest, cruise ships in the Multiverse active in operation. While the Aeropag organisers confirmed the ship's presence for those of the Olympic family (which is more or less strictly for those in the Quebecois side of matters), they did not say much in order to keep itself from further spotlight, with security concerns hitting the last 2 olympics particularly hard.

A company spokeswoman for Namdo Cruise Lines declined to give information, saying it was bound by contract not to disclose details.

[Commerce Heights]

Day −1 and Day 0 results are now available.

[Ferkas]

Gridiron Dominates in Olympic Opener

Ferkian Team Continues Qualifier Successes

Between the Uprights - The Official Magazine of the Ferkian Football League

(Aeropag) After advancing easily through the qualifer stage the Ferkian gridiron team opened regular Olympic competition in a convincing fashion today. The men crushed the Astyrian Unified Team in a convincing 43-17 showing to establish the very early lead in Group 2.

Grant Herring lead the way offensively as stout offensive line play gave him plenty of time to do what he does best - air it out from the pocket. Throwing for four touchdowns - two of which were longer than fifty yards - Herring set the pace for an offensive that just wouldn't let up. Dwayne Mitchellson caught two of those touchdowns - one a short crossing play from the seven, the other a deep pass which saw Mitchellson use his speed to get past the secondary - en route to his 11 reception, 139 yard day.

On the ground running backs James Kellington and Marcus DuPree established a reliable, if not overly remarkable, running game. DuPree showed off his speed on several occasions, stretching out the field a bit and beating the defense around the edges. Meanwhile Kellington again showed that he is one of the FFL's leading power rushers.

Although not quite as dominant as in the group stage, the defense also showed up big several times. An Astyrian drive early in the second corner ended up in a pick-six as corner Gershwin Almond jumped what was otherwise a well-aimed pass by Astyrian QB Colin Renaud. Almond evaded a tackle and broke another before reaching the open field and eventually the end zone.

In his post-game comments Head Coach Adam Caine noted "We had a series of great performances in the qualifiers and our guys are ready to go. I think those extra games helped us a ton. We are a rookie team internationally so it's helpful for our guys to get a few games out of the way before the big show. Helps sort out the nerves, give the feel for things."

Asked if there were any players he really wanted to highlight after todays game, Caine pointed out a player who many may not have noticed. "Bryant Kearns, our tight end today. He had some great blocks out there, really helped with that when we needed him to. But he is a versatile guy, that diving catch he made early in the first quarter to convert a third down really stuck out to me. That was early enough in the game that it could have gone either way and I think those sorts of plays help set the stage for the whole thing."

The team will next face off against the Electrum Unified Team, who won a narrow 17-16 victory over The Greater Vakolicci Haven. A win in that game will likely see the team through to the next round, regardless of the outcome of the final game against The Greater Vakolicci Haven. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs encourages fans to be careful light of the ongoing tensions between the Ferkas and The Greater Vakolicci Haven after several Ferkian fans were killed at the hands of unruly fans from The Greater Vakolicci Haven during a football preliminary. Should any spectators in Aeropag require assistance from the Chancellery Kingdom they are urged to contact to the Ferkian embassy immediately by phone or in person.

[Hannasea]

Posted on the popular sports blog "He's Had An Absolute Holocaust".

Hannasean Olympic Hopefuls Series: Edition 1, Exit Pursued By A Bear
posted by DeleteOnSight

In our ongoing series, we look at the Olympic prospects of athletes representing the Hannasean Federation. With so few medal hopefuls, we've chosen some different metrics by which to judge them. Today, we ask the question: which athlete would be most likely to survive a rabid bear attack?

Edit: Following user comment, we have edited this post to clarify that in no way is this post implying that bears will actually attack our delegation during the Olympics, and although questions remain about whether PSC has made adequate preparations in such an eventuality, we believe there is no more than an 85% chance of random bear attack during the Games.

It's every athletes' dream, to walk out under their flag at the glamorous Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics. But then - tragedy strikes. A bear attack!! Who will survive?

Very unlikely to survive a rabid bear attack - Esme Mayes

The Hannasean sprinter is safe from bear attack at the Olympic Ceremony, but only because she won't be there. At the Iqaluit Athletics Qualifiers in Iqaluit, in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, Mayes failed to progress past the first qualifying round in either the 100 m or 200 m track events. While she spoke afterwards of her pride of competing, it's just not realistic to think that someone so slow could outrun a bear in full flight. Were she a hurdler or long jumper, she might be able to outjump them, but for a sprint specialist, it's not good enough. Missing qualification may have been a blessing for Esme, because if she'd actually come to Aeropag, her running strip would surely be being used as toothfloss by a ravenous ursine by now.

Somewhat unlikely to survive a rabid bear attack - Delta Osborn

The penalty corner specialist has the potential to be one of Hannasea's Olympic stars, as scoring a few goals in the field hockey may be all the small, 47-person delegation can truly hope for. There's just one thing standing between Delta and Olympic glory: her obvious vulnerability to rabid bear attack. Scouting reports have noted this technical deficiency in her play since coming out of high school, but so far she's done nothing to correct it, instead concentrating on completely useless skills like developing a drag-flick shot and an excellent feint to her left side. Every time the ball is taken out to the top of the D, defenses cower in expectation of a fast shot being snapped off by the 22-year old midfielder - but for many, it's just a matter of time before she succumbs to what seems an almost inevitable fate at the paws of a hungry grizzly.

Somewhat likely to survive a rabid bear attack - Megan Hampson

Co-captain of the artistic gymnastics team, Megan has a secret weapon when it comes to surviving the bear attacks that so many fear will ravage the Hannsean Olympic delegation: at just 4'10", she's the smallest member of her team. That means that should a bear burst in during Olympic qualifying and head straight for the delegation in their black-and-gold outfits, it will be faced with five larger potential choices of snack. Callous as it may be, but by throwing herself behind her larger teammates, the teenage balance beam expert could well survive. It might take two or three of her friends to sate the bear's appetite, but it's difficult to believe that even the largest polar bear could be hungry for snacking on a gymnast after guzzling down all five teammates. Nonetheless, Megan will be on alert while on her own in the Olympic Village, and may want to seek out a roomshare arrangement with a larger - and perhaps, lightly seasoned - roommate.

Very likely to survive a rabid bear attack - Joanna Bloodworth

Easily the safest Hannasean competitor will be Joanna Bloodworth. The archer, of 1/4 native Hannasean ancestry, who wore a traditional tribal dress in her appearance at the Opening Ceremony, leading to her trending on Hannasean social media, made it through the ranking round of the women's individual archery. Tellingly, when the pressure was really on - she faced a shoot-off for a ranking place with Rebecca Dy of the Pederal na Republika ng Pilipinas - she won, showing that even when staring down the slobbering maw of an onrushing bear, she'll keep a cool head and notch another deadly arrow to her fiberglass recurve bow.


Comments (47)

5. flumm0x

Natalee Wallance? She could shoot the bear.

8. KeyboardWRRR

@ flumm0x bro are you retarded bro ur such a retard bro bro wtf an air pistol wouldn't stop a bear bro lol bro wtf bro lol bro lol

26. totally_not_a_sockpuppet_of_allie_dunn

can bears swim???

47. MetaNarrativesFTL

What the fuck happened to this blog...

[West Phoencia]

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Olympic Games Day One Recap

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The 24 hour Olympic Sports Channel.

Hosts:

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


Mars Attacks

Quarterback Jacob Mars was the star of the West Phoenician Men's Gridiron team.

By the end of the match West Phoenicia and Free Republics were tied on 17-17. Pushing them into overtime.

Not wanting to face the same loss their female counterparts in their first match the team pulled together for a massive offensive dubbed "When Mars Attacks" the manovoure was successful.

The decoy was taken down by the opposition while Mars sneaked by and was able to score a touchdown for the West Phoenician side.


Devlin Carter: " West Phoenicia does it best when it comes to using decoys. Was a so so start that needs to improve when it comes to tackle Ethane and Free Swiss States.

Princess Stephanie Sunbury: "I have my prayer beads out for our match against Ethane. I believe they will be our biggest competition in this pool."


Genevieve Horton: "Archery also started today. I was hoping for some better results."

Devlin Carter: Early days yet. Looking at it overall, all our men have moved on with a bye. And as a Team we go up against Eonstar for the ability to move forward. I predict we will but it would have been nice to be further up the ladder. Women did a little worse with 2 progressing with Franky England having to defeat Adele Marksen (RKB). Franky is the weakest link forcing West Phoenicia to go up against Eastfield Lodge to continue. "

Princess Stephanie Sunbury: "I have a joke. Why was the cyclops male cow angry?"

Devlin Carter: I'm gonna hate the response, but why?"

Princess Stephanie Sunbury "Because Franky England was able to hit 1 bullseye!"

[Kannap]

Kannapian News Network
Athletic Outfits for Opening Ceremony Announced

While the Kannapian National Olympic Committee, athletes, and government officials have all known what the Kannapian athletes will be wearing at the Opening Ceremony of the XI Olympiad for months, it is just now being announced to the public. The statement from designer Matthew Harrison, who designed the women's outfit, has been released today: "I wanted to signify purple as the color of choice since it is my favorite color. We opted not to go with the national color of Kannap, which is green, as is traditional for the Opening Ceremony. We wanted to be the change, we wanted to wow the audience, we wanted to break the norm. We believe we'll have done all of the above by having the women wear purple dresses rather than green dresses."

Another statement came out today from Bradley Vixon, who designed the men's outfit for the ceremony: "When I first spoke to Matthew Harrison, he expressed to me that he wished for our athletes to be different this year from normal years. He did not want the athletes wearing the traditional green uniforms that they usually wear during the Opening Ceremonies. So he decided that the women would wear purple dresses, I believe he said that was his favorite color or some nonsense. I went to Premier Andersson and expressed our wishes about the athletes not wearing green and he approved. I, being the sole person in charge of designing the men's outfits, decided that I did not want the men wearing purple as much as I did not want them wearing green. So I asked the Premier for his favorite color and that is when it was decided that the men would wear pink."

Women's outfit:


Men's outfit:

[Britonisea]

www.bitc.com/news
Britonisea's International Television Corporation - Official broadcaster of the XI Olympiad

ALL THINGS BRITONISH BEFORE THE GAMES START!

TARGET

Based on the smaller delegation; Based on the increased amount of nations;

4 GOLD MEDALS
6 SILVER MEDALS
4 BRONZE MEDALS

Medal Count: Either those medals above or 10 medals in total. Preferably 17 medals.

It is expected that the teams coming in to Aeropag won't attend the ceremony as they prepare to do their best at the games - and they have come to deciding that it's best to miss it. However, Britonisea will still have a large delegation going in to the stadium which will be great to watch. As Britonisea starts with "B," we will be the 12th country to enter the stadium out of a rather large 87. Meanwhile, Estogium will come out 24th later tonight at the stadium. Our flag-bearer, Jason Hall, has pulled out of the role as it is sited that he should rest ahead of the games for personal reasons. Instead, the 1.91m, 100kg male, rugby sevens player Leonardo Matyas to represent the country.

LEONARDO MATYAS, RUGBY SEVENS MEN'S IS OUR FLAG BARER!

Britonisea's men's rugby sevens team qualified to the Olympic games during the Liventian qualifications. They managed to reach the quarter finals - which gave them an automatic qualification to the games in Aeropag. In the quarter finals, though, Kernansquillec beat us 19-17, which wasn't much of an embarrassment but more of a sad one.

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THE BRITONISH WILL COME IN COLOURED LINES; MINUS THE HATS AND STICKS!

The Britonish team will be coming in with style. Britonisea, like other countries in the Opening Ceremony, will be wearing suits when we show ourselves to the world. For the Britonish team this year, we will be coming out in seven colours. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Pink and Purple to emphasise how free we are as a country and how we express ourselves in it. The men will wear lovely suits and the women will wearing dresses that correspond to the colours also. Unlike the photo, we will not have the flowers, the hats and the sticks either. Britonisea will be entering 12th, and so we need to be remembered. Each group of colour would walking in pH order, with the reds going first and finishing with the purples. Eventhough this is not shown in the picture, on both the women's and men's backs, the Britonish crosses will be shown in the colour of their clothing. eg, a red suit would mean red crosses.

Eventhough the roster hasn't been released, it is expected it will be available by tomorrow 19.00 UTC+1.

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Day -1: Archery is going well, nearly all our athletes have a bye.

[Electrum]

OOC: The Centralis Herald's entertainment section is usually more tongue-in-cheek compared to other sections and is not as serious.

Centralis Herald - Entertainment Section - Alexandra Dupree

The Opening Ceremony: The Fahshin

The Olympic opening ceremony is perhaps the most zaniest, bizarre and outrageous part of the Olympic Games that at least the public will get to see. It is a showcase of a nation's culture, or a showcase on just how much money they can throw at the event making a theatrical production which is worthy of the senses, and worthy of my eyes. I will be looking with a keen eye on the Opening Ceremony, especially at all the different outfits that each of the nations are bringing to the Olympic Games. Perhaps it is the most enjoyable part of the Olympic Games for me, seeing at the laughable costumes and outfits, and generally speaking, each nation's costume designers have an awful sense of colour selection. Let's go through some of the released costumes now.

Dunnes

I don't know what's worse, the pin-striped green-and-white blazer or the yachting style shorts and what they call 'electroluminescent panels'. Those stripes are far too small to matter, and will look very ugly on the television -- all of those colours merging together and jumping around on the television. Avert your eyes lest you want to keep getting distracted by the off-christmas-lights jumping everywhere. Ares Sportswear calls it an 'intersection of fashion and technology' and their costumes as 'literally brightest'. I call it cliched and lost all meaning. Who literally even uses the adjective 'literally' to describe anything anymore?

North Eurasian Team

The men are literally wearing floral shorts and red shirts called 'Go Hard or Go Home'. May as well pack your bags and go straight home, those are some serious fashion crime being committed right now. Except for your nation's name, no other words should appear on the costume. It just looks tacky and really bad. Luckily, they're redeemed by the women's side, sporting a contemporary free-flowing red-blurple dress which looks very pretty. However, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them and a twenty year old on a gap year journey to rediscover themselves in some exotic nation.

West Phoenicia

Finally some good! This really surprised me, but the West Phoenicians are head and shoulders above the rest so far. The appealing yet underutilised purple being used by both genders, a really coherent, classy style. Perhaps the tiara is a bit much, but you can't really do much. Their real aberration lies with their flagbearer Princess Royal Arsinoe II Gryphon-Bush, who is wearing a diamond encrusted golden diadem with a royal, golden dress. Just too much gold, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone felt inclined enough to steal the princess' diadem. I mean, it's just sitting on top of her head for the taking. If I were near her, I'd grab the diadem and run off with it.

Licentian Isles

Apparently their national costume consists of blue-and-cyan tartan or cyan dress with a gold sash, reflecting their nation's colours. There's something quite off with the tartan. You'd expect it to be a traditional colour like say black, or red, or green. But these guys just didn't get the memo about what tartan's supposed to look like. Nonetheless, their women's outfit is clean and elegant.

Mattijana

You really can't criticise Mattijana women too much here. Their women's dress shows a classy gradient between yellow and green, reminiscent of a lime. Nice and summery and vibrant. The men, well, perhaps the green suit is just drab. It's a really kind of off-green that's just totally wrong and looks technocolour when it shouldn't. Also their ties are too long. You can see it poking through. Things poking through just screams poor design.

The Serbian Empire

Just all black. Really plain and no colour. The men are looking like secret agents what with their glasses, and their women, they look more like flight attendants than actual athletes. Just look at that way that cravat-cum-scarfe goes over the entire neck. We're not flying in the air ladies (alright, maybe you are in the diving or in the gymnastics)! The outfits just don't make sense to me.

Kannap

Apparently they consulted their top politician on colour choice. Because if you wanted to know about the world's latest fahshin trends and what's in style, it's to ask some middle-aged politcian. Well, they've chosen purple and pink. The lace on the women's dress is old school but inoffensive. The men's pink, is very brave and perhaps would have been acceptable to me if I had a good mood today. But I'm not in a good mood today, I have a bad mood. The Centralis Herald called me up at 1am and asked me to write an article on this, and they didn't even pay for me to go to Aeropag! I'm just here in my pyjamas and.... well anyways, yeah. Too unconventional for my liking.

Britonisea

They're going out in colours! What an awful gimmick really. They're going to have to maintain some level of regimentation lest those colours mix, thus ruining effect! All it takes is just one aberrant athlete to stuff it all up. Better luck next time.

Electrum


Very drab and boring. Although I have to commend the use of those bowler hats, it's just very clean with no flare at all. Perhaps we should aspire to be like the West Phoenicians, and introduce a colour or two. Although at least this is much better than some of the other options that we've seen.

Looking ahead:
Deepali Patil, a two-time taekwondo Olympian, has been announced as Electrum's flagbearer. An unusual choice since not many nations choose Taekwondo practitioners as their flag bearer (except for Hannasea's Marchand, who totally stole our idea and thunder in choosing a female taekwondo-in as our flagbearer). Patil has won two straight gold medals, and is hoping for a third-gold-in-a-row.

Alexandra Dupree is Centralis Herald's resident entertainment/fashion/gossip reporter, and has been to every WorldVision song contest since Electrum debuted thirteen editions ago. Dupree is also disgruntled that she wasn't invited to Aeropag, but she's reminded that she's not a sports journalist, and that the Olympics are about sport.

[Fluvique]

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Fluvique disappoints in the start of the Olympics

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The men's football olympic team lost 1-2 on its debut in Aeropag2016 against Eonstar, in the Alesanka Park Stadium, in the first matchday on the Group D. . Previously, for the same group and in the same scenario, San José Guayabal defeated 2-1 to Ferkas. In search of recovery, Fluvique will face Ferkas on Monday, at 6 pm.

Eonstar played better in the first few minutes, more dynamic and tidiness in the treatment of the ball, and had its chance with a break of Blake Perilet, saved by Van Aalst ater an exit in time to anticipate the definition. Fluvique managed to perturb with the runs of Teo Calmwater for the right side; the defender of Alkanter Central had two good chances, frist wit a shot that hit the outside of the network, and then with a touch that went off the right post.

Within an equal development, Nick Auze also was close, but a defender cleared the ball when he was in front of the goalkeeper and, similarly, Alexe Kedzierski saved the Fluviquean goal when Deus Hammer was ready to face Van Aalst. Improving through the minutes, the national side finished the first half in better shape.

At the start of the second half, André Villeneuve was nearly to score the first Fluviquean goal with a shot from outside the area, but the ball hit the crossbar and went out. Eonstar recovered and took the lead at 20' minutes, when Nemo Runner had space in the penalty spot and defeated Van Aalst with a powerfull shot with his left foot. Shortly after, Pete Rainfall had the second for the team in black and blue, but the Fluviquean goalkeeper saved the face-to-face.

Carusso made offensive changes, but Eonstar increased the gap with a header of Lucifer Dark, after a corner kick from the left. The game was almost over when, in the third minute of injury time, Ricky Bertens scored the 1-2, thanks to a personal move, avoiding two players and placing the ball between the legs of the goalkeeper.

It was a misstep in the debut, a fall that put doubts in the group stage and the chances of the white foxes to advance to the next round. It also was the first defeat of a national side in an Olympic group stage.

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Good performances in archery

The first day of competition left a broad smile for Fluviquean athletes. The best result was in men’s team, where in the ranking round the tricolor team finished 10th and qualified to the 32nd-finals. In women’s team, Fluvique was ranked 13th. In individuals, the best performance was of Eric Millward, (13th), while Dan Mattie (41st) and Bastiaan Irwin (85th) qualified to the 128th-finals. In the women's side, Robin Israel, Shelley Amédée and Nadia Hannes also qualified and their dream is still alive.

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In white, red and beret

Finally the secret was revealed and the Fluviquean outfits were announced by the Royal Olympic Committee. Male athletes will use white suits, with waistcoats and ties in red. For female athletes, the Olympic Committee has presented entirely red dresses. All the athletes and staff will also use yellow berets, which will be thrown to the stands or exchanged with other athletes as a present of good will, sportsmanship, peace and friendship between nations of the multiverse.

The Prime Minister, August Moine, will be present with her husband at the ceremony and the Minister of Sport, Kevin Arriola. Her Majesty the Queen Eugenie, decided to not attend. The flight of Fluviquean Airways landed in Aeropag yesterday and it's expected that Mrs Moine visits our athletes for a few minutes prior to the ceremony.