Games of the V Olympiad - RP thread

[Ferkas]

Athlete In Depth

Republic Sport Magazine

The Games of the Fifth Olympiad are quickly approaching and excitment is building across Ferkas. Speculation is running rampant regarding the national teams chances of bringing home some Gold. Several athletes across many different disciplines are being considered medal contenders. But every Ferkain knows that the main chance for glory is out on that old 400 meter oval. And perhaps no Ferkian track athlete has quite as good of a chance as Kyle Reper, who will be participating in the mens steeplechase.

Kyle Reper, age 24, has some of the strongest credentials of the entire national team, made even more impressive when one considers his age. His journey started in high school. Born in the small town of Urla, Kyle rose to prominence in the prep running scene. He won an amazing 5 national high school cross country titles, set the national cross country record his junior year, and then broke it again his senior year(14:04.1 for the 5K distance). His accomplishments on the oval were no less impressive. Many a track fan will long remember the evening of June 18th, when Reper broke the Ferkian high school mile record, at the same time becoming the first Ferkian to run the mile in under 4 minutes(3:54.7). In high school Reper won national titles in the mile(junior, senior years), 2 mile(freshman, sophmore, junior, senior), 800m(junior, senior), and of course, the steeplechase(freshman, sophmore, junior senior). He also set national high school records in the 2 mile and steeplechase.

His first appearance on the true national scene was during the summer between his junior and senior years of high school. He had qualified to run the steeplechase in the FNTFA(Ferkain National Track and Field Association) National Competition. Racing against athletes several years older and much more experience, Kyle Reper pulled off the feat that many thought was impossible, a podium finish at a high level national meet(2nd place, 8:49.1). It is also worth noting that his performance crushed the previous high school record by almost 20 seconds.

Reper continued his domination when he went to college at East Ferkian State University. His freshman year he was the Eastern Conference champion in cross country, the indoor 3000m and 5000m, and the outdoor steeplechase and 5000m. He placed 2nd at Nationals in the steeplechase. His sophmore year saw a repeat conference cross country win, a 3rd place national cross country finish, an indoor national title in the 5000m, an outdoor conference win in the steeplechase and 5000m, along with another 2nd place steeplechase finish at nationals. His junior year began with a bang, winning the national cross country championship. He followed this up with indoor national wins at the 3000 and 5000. In outdoor he pulled off an amazing triple, winning national titles in the steeplechase, 5000m, and placing 2nd in the 1500m to fellow Olympian Andrew Peters. The following summer saw FNTFA national wins in the steeplechase and 5000m. His senior year was action packed. Begining with a national cross country title, which was followed up with 3 indoor titles in the 1 mile, 3000m and 5000m. His indoor 5000m time was a collegiate record in 13:16.12. In outdoor track Reper won national titles in the steeplechase and 5000m. Both performances were collegiate records, the 5000m in 13:12.03, the steeplechase in 8:09.84.

After graduating Kyle proceeded to disapear from the national track scene. During this time away he trained with legendary coach Bryan Kilster, former record holder and national hero. After more than two years of not racing many thought that Kyle Reper had left the track scene forever. This was most definitly not the case. He made his reappearance at the Dulport University Track Festival, where he was entered in the 1500m and the 3000m. Opinions were split, would Kyle make a strong return, or would he be crushed, swallowed up by the pack?

The first event was the 1500m. The star entry in the field was Andrew Peters, Kyle being but a footnote to what was billed as a national record attempt by Peters. The race that followed was legendary. After the second lap, Reper and Peters had gapped the field and were locked in a fight for the lead. Finally Peters pulled away, shattering the former national record, and edging out Reper by a mere .02 seconds. Everyone now knew that Reper was back, and all eyes turned to the steeple to see what he could run in his premier event. But whereas the 1500 had been a dual of epic proportions, the steeple was a slaughter. Reper practicaly made a mockery of the whole field as he seemed to cruise to his 7:56.42 win and national record. Two weeks later Reper toed the line at the Ferkian Olympic Trials, and easily made the team in the steeplechase, the only even which he tried out for. He is now posed to make a breakthrough. If these games go well for him than he can make the ultimate jump, from the national stage to the elite world stage. Only time can tell if he will make the jump, or fall just short.

Kyle Reper Official PR's

1500M - 3:33.12
1 Mile - 3:49.42
3000M - 7:31.92
Steeplechase - 7:56.42
5000M - 12:50.31
10000M - 27:14.2

[Kelssek]

There were pyrotechnics, of course.

There was a giant bear and a giant owl (the provincial, sorry, national animal of Beaulac) made out of fairy lights. There was music, and dancing, and a big deal made of multiculturalism and inclusiveness and peace, of course.

There were holographic whales, which even the university students watching as part of a drinking game had to admit was Really! Fucking! Cool!

And the march-in, alphabetically by French names, which confused those who assumed every country's name was the same in every language, of course.

Most Beaulac sporting heroes were ice hockey players, and having one of them light the cauldron when the sport wasn't being contested at the summer Olympics seemed a tad silly. So the recently-retired captain of the gold-medal winning men's water polo team from Querzakhi was brought in. Pierre Lacousteau was actually from Roites, the other Frenchie part of Kelssek, so this would be a bit of a masterstroke in terms of half-pleasing everyone in a classical Kelssekian compromise. Yes, that would do nicely, although perhaps adding to the pressure on the water polo teams, which had already been geared up a tad by sports manufacturer advertisements (mostly slow-motion shots of pecs, abs, and water splashing everywhere accompanied by a pat script about not talking about destiny).

Lacousteau touched the torch to the wick, the fire blazed up along it, soaring above to the inclined tower looming above the stadium, lighting the cauldron which would burn for the rest of the Games. This moment was, of course, made the most of with the cauldron catching the flame being exaggerated quite a bit and accompanied by a 15-minute firework display and music specifically composed to move even tough guy types to tears, bringing the opening ceremony to its conclusion.

There would be the usual griping the next morning about not enough English, not enough French, not enough fireworks, not enough sex and violence, that a police officer had been rather rude to the small group of protestors outside the stadium who only wished to express in a calm and reasoned manner that the President of Kelssek was a federalist traitor scumbag, and whatever else the media types picked up on to sell newspapers and fill websites and 24-hour news channels.

All ignoring that it was, all in all, pretty awesome.

[Virabia]

It's late

[Ariddia]

Small Ariddian delegation all set for Olympics
The Press Association

Most of the athletes representing the Autonomous Communes of Ariddia did not have far to go in order to reach the Olympic Village and then the Stade Olympique in Outineau ; they were, already, temporary or permanent residents in Kelssek. Ariddians working or studying in the country, or Kelssekians of Ariddian descent, they’ve leapt at the chance for a spot at the Olympics. They join the twelve athletes –all gymnasts– who have actually travelled from Ariddia. Some of the latter had never been abroad before. These young gymnasts entered the stadium with eyes wide and shining, conscious of being part of the greatest sporting event on the planet.

Their country’s name starting with ‘A’ in French as well as in English, the Ariddians walked into the Stade Olympique behind the athlete monks of the Archregimancy. The contrast in styles was striking. Donning full monastic robes, despite the warm evening air, the bearded monks were a picture of calm contemplation, unperturbed by the flashes of photographs. Following close behind, the Ariddian athletes had no specified dress code, and had come as they wished – some in tracksuits, others in everyday clothing. Flag-bearer Julien Arakelyan wore a loose white t-shirt with a black and red star on it, and beige shorts, suited to the warm weather. He grinned, clearly delighted, waving at spectators. Some of his compatriots were filming with one hand, while waving little Ariddian flags in the other.

Arakelyan is, not surprisingly, a gymnast, and these are his first Olympic Games. He arrived in Outineau with the rest of the gymnastics delegation five days ago. They are on a tight budget, supported by various donations to the Ariddian Olympic Committee, and they have no money of their own; their home country operates with a moneyless economy. Nonetheless, they have been “out in town”, as he put it in an interview yesterday, soaking in the atmosphere in the host city.

“Outineau is a fantastically welcoming place,” he told our reporter. “You feel this warmth in the city, and it’s not just the weather. It’s the people. They’re friendly, and they know they have a country they can be proud of. All these sights, and culture, and people enjoying life!”

Culture and warmth and enjoyment were very much the themes of the evening, as the opening ceremony unfolded in a brilliant display of lights and pyrotechnics, amidst music set to fuel the general party spirit. Every member of the Ariddian delegation was there to make the most of it, as no Ariddian will be competing on day one of the Games. There will be no need to go to bed early tonight, but on day two, the serious business begins. Kim Claude Chi-gon and Jacques Chanteau make their début in the pool, while the men’s qualifying gets underway in artistic gymnastics.

That, however, is still in the (near) future. For tonight, the athletes were content to enjoy themselves, and relax. None more so than Arakelyan, who, when Archregimancy athlete Fr. Pavel the Swift ahead of him stopped –apparently to tie his shoelace–, walked up and began chatting, with casual friendliness.

Nobody knows what they said to each other. But if the opening ceremony aimed to celebrate diversity, and bring the peoples of the world together, perhaps one memorable image was the Ariddian flagbearer exchanging friendly worlds with Fr. Pavel – the gymnast in shorts and the athlete monk, from very different countries, meeting briefly during the greatest show on Earth.

[Churchma]

CHURCHMA OLYMPICS

Day One Preview: Judo and Men's Artistic Gymnastics
Churchma Sports Inc.

The "Games of the V Olympiad" in Kelssek mark the first time that the Republic of Churchma has sent any delegation to the Olympics. On day one, the Republic will be represented by four different athletes: two in judo and two in men's gymnastics. Here is a quick run down of each athlete, and our prediction of how they will do.

Judo Men's 60 kg
Athlete: Jeremey Wilford
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 59.8 kg (131.6 lbs)
Age: 23 years old
Rank: 0.1
Expectations: Wilford is untested on the international judo scene. To get to the Olympics he upset Marko Reginov in the Region IV Final. By all accounts, he is the underdog in this event. If he pulls off some more upsets (which he is completely capable of doing), then you might expect to see him make the quarterfinals of this event. The first and second round of this event will take place tomorrow morning, while the quarterfinals through finals will take place tomorrow night.

Judo Women's 48 kg
Athlete: Michelle Neal
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 47.6 kg (104.7 lbs)
Age: 17 years old
Rank: 0.2
Expectations: Neal is the youngest athlete on the ten-man judo team that will represent the Republic. Neal, much like Wilford, will be considered the underdog of this event. Her inexperience may also be her downfall, but she is without a doubt, considered a prodigy in the sport of judo. This will be the first of many Olympics that Neal competes in. Just like Wilford, if you see Neal reach the quarterfinals, then she was successful. The women's 48 kg event also is split over day one, with the first and second round in the morning, and the quarterfinals through finals at night.

Men's Gymnastics (Artistic) Qualification
Athlete: Joe Bunker
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 122 lbs
Age: 25 years old
Rank: 0.0
Expectations: Bunker is clearly one of the top gymnasts in the Republic. But unfortunately, it's highly doubtful that he is going to do well in the Olympics. A recent injury to his left hamstring has left him sore, but his willingness to compete is what still has him in the Olympics. Whether or not this guy has a broken leg, he is going to do whatever he can to win.

Athlete: Eric Tharp
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 125 lbs
Age: 28 years old
Rank: 0.9
Expectations: Tharp should do the best of any Churchma athlete on day one. Tharp is an experienced gymnast, and he should advance to the finals of this event. Tharp is in excellent shape, also being a Churchma Navy SHARK (similar to the US Navy SEALs). He is a great competitor, and someday will make a great coach.

[Kelssek]

[TailsPrower]

I take it that its to late to sign up

[Zwangzug]

Team Yugovina was one of only a few delegations that had entered fewer sports, strictly speaking, than the crowd milling behind them. In a fit of bandwagon-hopping, Billy had tried to determine how many such delegations there were for whatever the opposite of bragging rights were, but eventually decided bandwagon-hopping was lame and didn't bother to share his totals. At any rate, they were keyed up in the room before walking in, knowing they'd have little time after Yugovina was called.

The Yaforites seemed to be rousing themselves, and the remaining athletes began to congregate. Hugh seemed either nervous or jetlagged--neither of them a great state to be in, with his event the next day. On the other hand, Sophia and Fern were both ready to go.

"All right, guys, uh...get over here, now," he said uninspiringly. "Unless you want to..." Hugh trailed off, seeing a calculating glimmer in Will's eyes. You could never be funny around the man. He'd use it as an invitation. But over there they got, one by one, and just in time.

For a brief instant, right after the announcer said "Zwangzug" and right before they walked out, Dominic tried to suppress his smile. Then he thought better of it; he was walking out for the opening ceremony of the Olympics! Of course he could beam!

People back home wouldn't necessarily realize that he'd won his bet with Ivan on the correct French pronunciation of "Zwangzug", granted, but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

[Quintessence of Dust]

A brief RP in the style I usually hate, which I am going to claim is totally not because I owe Fanboyists and RP and have been spending my time on that, but is instead an homage - an homage - to Margaret Atwood, considering the provenance of the hosts. Does Kelssek have an Atwoodian avatar? Dunno.

Selected scenes from the Olympic Village

"Don't say it," Alicia Storey - Quintessence of Dust's first ever Olympic summer medalist - yelled into her pillow. "Don't say it. Don't say it."

"Ok, I'm going to say it."

Muffled screams. "Please. Don't say it. If you say it, death will come to you."

"Look, one more time, then I'll go to bed."

Muffled screams.

"You know, you could stand to get more into the mood for this. We're in the qod-damn fencing team - this is, like, the one cool thing we get to do."

Jaide paced a couple of doors down the corridor, and found a new room. She took a deep breath, hoisted her sabre across her shoulders, and launched herself threw it with a flying kick, instantly waking all of the athletes in the room (and presumably making those of them who'd seen Munich soil themselves).

"MY NAME IS INIGO MONTOYA! YOU KILLED MY FATHER! PREPARE TO DIE!"

As screams echoed down the corridor, Alicia groaned, harder, into her pillow.

* * * * *

Momoko Koumura stumbled into her room, messily. She had a vague recollection, possibly, that she might at some point have some - judo, was that a thing? - to do, but for now the most important thing was sleep. No, that couldn't possibly have enough vowels. She needed sleeeeeep...

Closing her eyes with her shoes still on, she was under as her newly tinted hair hit the bed. But it wasn't quite the peaceful blackout she'd been hoping for. Instead, images of sparkling polar bears, a thousand feet high, swum across trailing skylines in her eyelids. Fuck. No, that couldn't possibly have enough vowels. Fuuuuuuuuck...

* * * * *

There were three breakfast halls for the athletes in the Olympic Village. One was reserved for cyclists and swimmers, and consisted, essentially, of an enormous vat of scrambled eggs surrounded by hundreds of hotplates of every combination of carbohydrate known to man (or elf, or bear). The general noise was one of sucking and slurping as the road cyclists and medley swimmers poured calories down their throats ahead of the first day's tests.

At the Quodite table, a couple of Ad'ihani cyclists had briefly exchanged friendly words with Zhein Wei, with memories of the Tour of Ad'ihan. Swimmers from other delegations tittered as Joost "Super" Friis walked by: the overhyped wunderkind of yesteryear, he had one only one medal in Aeropag, and that in a relay race in which his teammate put in a very fast leg, considering he had to swim back and stop Friis drowning.

The second breakfast hall was for the gymnasts. It served celery, rice crackers, rye sticks, and judgmental pictures of the athletes' mothers, with optional captions scalding such motivational messages as, "If you put on weight, I will stop loving you as a person". The highly competitive atmosphere had been somewhat leavened by a communal spirit of bonding achieved through the pinning of a sign saying "I am a tool" to the back of a certain gymnast whose national newspaper proclaimed him the "best gymnast in the world". There was much pointing, laughing, and gazingly solemn at pictures of pudding cut out of faded magazines secreted under pillows like nasty porn stashes.

The third breakfast hall was for all the other competitors. Quintessence of Dust's wrastlers, the surprise success package of the team's Aeropag delegation, have cornered the sausage tray; it really went downhill once someone suggested they started chanting "Plus de fromage!"

Meanwhile, the Quodite sailors - generally considered the most internationally amicable of the mostly rather isolated delegation, given the nature of their sport - were exchanging Rejistanian octopus recipes with a variety of international sportspeople - why, even an Ariddian and an Archregimancian...Archregimancite...Archregimancese...monk were sitting aside one another while Tom Rasmussen explained how essence of lemongrass really added tang to a sautee of psychic celaphopod.

* * * * *

When Momoko Koumura woke, she began piecing together bits of last night's puzzle. Broken glass in one shoe, some sort of bird? - possibly? - in her hair, something absolutely unmentionable in somewhere also pretty damn unmentionable. This made the fur on her tongue, pounding headache, gripping nausea, and realization that she had less than 45 minutes before her first round bout, pale in comparison.

It was only as she bundled herself, showerless and attacking herself at random with a comb, into the lift, that she found the note she'd written, scrunched up in her, no, that's definitely unmentionable. She uncurled it. "Wait until after the opening ceremony lights show before hitting the drank." 'After' was underlined three times, with a smiley face in front of it.

"So," she said out loud, to no one in particular. "That's where I went wrong."

[Qazox]

<<<QBC.com/The Games of the Vth Summer Olympiad>>>

QOC buckles under B-Ball Demands.

The QOC has improved the playouts to be given to the Men's basketball team, by giving 4000 Zaqs ($2000) per victory and a mininum of 180,000 Zaqs ($90,000) upon reaching the medal round. If the team reaches the Gold Medal Match, the payoff will be 30,000 Zaqs ($15,000) to each player. The remaining payouts will stay the same. The womne's team will receive the same amounts of payouts, while the other athletes in the Qazoxian Delegation will receive 16,000 Zaqs ($8000) per gold; 10,000 Zaqs ($5000) per silver and 4000 Zaqs ($2000) per bronze. Each victory, excepting the basketball teams, will payout 1500 Zaqs ($750); for the remaining delegation.

Group Sport Schedules finalized
Men's Basketball: (top 2 advance)
Carpathia and Ruthenia
OFF
Vaarshire
Virabia
Cosumar

Women's Basketball: (top 2 advance)
Delaclava
Veikayu
Combined Team
BYE DATE
Landau Institute

[Delaclava]

DNBSports.com

Olympics: DOC's Making a Different Program

This year, the Delaclava Olympic Committee seeks to make a difference in the community with the Making a Difference Program. There are two different parts to the program.

The first part involves the DOC itself. Each year, they will come up with a shortlist of foundations based on nominations made by citizens online. People will then vote on the shortlist. The third-placed foundation will receive a donation of 500,000 Karsikas, the second-placed foundation will receive a donation of 750,000 Karsikas, and the top vote-getting cause will be granted one million Karsikas. Each shortlisted foundation will still get 100,000 Karsikas, and each foundation receiving both a nomination and a second will receive 50,000 Karsikas.

The other part involves the performance of the athletes. Each athlete and team has picked a cause that they will donate to. For each bronze medal an athlete or team wins, their corresponding foundation will receive 250,000 Karsikas; for each silver medal, the corresponding cause will get 375,000 Karsikas; and for each gold medal, the champion will get 500,000 Karsikas for the charity of their choice. Considering that the athletes themselves will receive this amount personally for each medal, this will be a great help for these charities.

Listed below are some athletes/teams and their choices:

Grimsley Kotchner, archery: Rebirth Foundation - "This foundation helps orphans and abandoned kids find adoptive parents, and vice versa. This cause is very special to me because I was adopted at the age of 13. Without this charity, I wouldn't have gotten the loving parents and family I have today, whom I will be forever grateful for. I will forever be in debt to the foundation, and this is the least I could do."

Alize Corvin, athletics: Olive Branch to the Animals - "I'm a vegetarian, and animal rights are very special to me. Unlike many animal-loving nutjobs, this foundations isn't too intrusive, they do a great job of informing people of the facts without being too annoying. But they need a lot of help, and hopefully my donation will."

Darren Giles, Albertina Iniesta, Rocco Davis, Will Goggin, and Milos Tavich, tennis; Matthew Daniltsin, athletics; and men's football team: Scarlet Eagle Foundation - (Giles) "Albertina and I have already donated our Scott Cup winnings to this foundation, which helps out the families of the Sellek Christian Academy massacre victims. Everyone in that community is still rebuilding, and they need a lot of help." (Daniltsin) "My step-brother was one of the perpetrators of this massacre, and although I'm not responsible for that, I still feel terrible that it happened. I could understand why these families could be angered at me, and I want to make it up to them."

Janine Koran, wrestling: Kidnapping Victims Foundation - "My mother was kidnapped in the last Olympiad and wouldn't be released unless I medaled. It seemed like a ridiculous expectation by those bastards, but I managed to do it and my mom was released. But they still haven't caught the kidnappers, and I want to be able to nail them for what they did."

Simon Sepulveda and Antoinette Sepulveda, gymnastics: Delaclava Armed Forces - (Simon) "Each day, these people put their lives on the line for the sake of our nation, not to mention the lives of our allies. They value the lives of the many far above their individual lives. They never get enough credit for their service, and Antoinette and I are always willing to help out."

Look out for the DOC's shortlist soon! The voting will be on the website, and anyone can vote! YOU can make a difference!

[Churchma]

CHURCHMA OLYMPICS

Basketball Preview
Churchma Sports Inc.

All of our normal readers from within the boundaries of the Republic understand that basketball is one of our top sports. But this article is for the international readers out there; for the ones that do not know how important basketball is to our country. We are extremely proud of the men's and women's team that will represent the Republic. Coming home with anything other than a medal from either team would be considered a major let down.

Men's Basketball
The all-star Churchma Professional Basketball League team will be coached by the famous Derek Mosbey. Coach Mosbey and his staff put this team together with the top 12 players in the CPBL. By the end of this tournament, Derrick Singley will be a household name around the world. This physical specimen has dominated game after game in the CPBL- winning the MVP award each of the past two seasons. Look for Singley to average at least 25 ppg during the Olympics. The team also features sharp-shooter Zach Dayton. The 6'4" shooting guard shoots lights out, and will be good for at least four of five three pointers every game.

Churchma quite possibly drew one of the toughest groups in the Olympics. There isn't a single bad team in the group. Four of the five teams are considered "top-tier" teams by nearly every international scout. The only game that even might be considered an easy win, would be Churchma's first game of Olympic play, against New Rockport. Look for some very fast and physical play from the Churchma squad, as we expect them to make it out of group play and into the quarterfinals, semifinals, and even championship of this tournament.

Group 6
Delaclava (1.0)
New Rockport (0.5)
Taeshan (1.0)
Jesselton (1.0)
Churchma (1.0)

Schedule
Matchday 1- Off
Matchday 2- New Rockport
Matchday 3- Taeshan
Matchday 4- Delaclava
Matchday 5- Jesselton

Women's Basketball
The women's team is led by their power forward, Claire Reece. She comes in at 6'0" and can dominate in the paint or from outside. She is the most experienced player on team, and has played the last eight seasons in the WCPBL. Her name is known nation-wide as the top women's player in the country. Look for smooth point guard Regina Schell to be the one distributing Reece the ball. In the past three seasons in the WCPBL, Schell has averaged 10.2 points per game to go along with 9.3 assists per game. You won't find another point guard that distriubtes as well as she does.

What might hurt this team is their lack of experience, as well as lack of international play. This marks the first time in history that a women's Churchma basketball team will leave the country and play another country's all-star team. Regardless, this team should do extremely well in their debut.

Group 7
Churchma
Kosovoe
Seven Castles
Jasĭyun

Schedule
Matchday 1- Kosovoe
Matchday 2- Seven Castles
Matchday 3- Jasĭyun

[Sorthern Northland]

The Sports Pink
Sorthern Northland's Olympic paper

Going for gold

Following a spectacular opening of the Games of the V Olympiad in Outineau, Kelssek the first events are just hours away. In our final totally not at all generic preview The Sports Pink has a look at five possible gold medals for Nordlande du Sorthe. In a bid to avoid simply just looking at the cycling section of the Nordlande du Sorthe delegation we've decided to look at five potential medals from five different sports. Though admittedly the first sport and probably most important goal is in....

Cycling

Arguably every one of the Sorthern cycling entrants can be considered to have a good chance of standing on a podium at some point during the Games. There is one cycling event where a gold is more important than any other however. Since Fran Ventoso crossed the line in Columbia at the Third Olympics claiming Nordlande du Sorthe's first Olympic gold medal and setting cycling firmly on course to become the national sport the road races have been the most keenly awaited Olympic events for Sortherners.

Whilst Allison Pryor somewhat satisfied the Sorthern thirst for road racing gold in Aeropag, that the men's race saw Daithí Meallan 'only' win a bronze medal perhaps goes some way to showing just how important an event the road races are for Sorthern sport.

Allison Pryor has the ability to retain her medal, or if she fails her team mates have the ability to keep it around a Sorthern neck. They need only look to the Sorthern team at the Fourth Olympics however to realise just how difficult a task is. For the men the plan will be to deliver either Meallan to a higher step of the podium or finally get Mike Caverndash onto it in his final race. Caverndash though has endured terrible luck on the road in his previous two Games however, so Meallan may well be the better bet.

Football

For many Olympic football is somewhat of a watered down lesser tournament with many nations sending B teams or under-23 teams to the tournament. For Nordlande du Sorthe football has been a key goal at previous Games with the full team being sent, to rather little success. Football remains a key goal for the Olympic Committee of Sorthern Northland with a nominally full squad once again being sent.

Manager Caio Meback though has described it as “experimental” with a fourth successive failure to get past the second round of the World Cup. A number of young players will be given chances, which considering the under-21's disastrous performance in the recent Di Bradini Cup might not be a good thing. In a bizarre call up Vitaly Ivanov has a place in the squad after being found by Meback in the metaphorical wilderness. A member of the Di Bradini Cup 11 winning under-21 squad he had been hailed as one to watch. Such has his career failed to materialise since then however that most within Sorthern football thought that he was playing in Jesselton rather than Nethertopia, where the ROFL side he plays for, Ratos Island Seaside, very much are.

In Aeropag it was left to the women's team to carry the football torch for Nordlande du Sorthe, a run to the quarter-finals being the start of the end of the ban on women playing senior level football. Since then the likes of Siobhan Ní hÓgáin and Eulàlia Marxuach have gone on to become stars of the senior team. With players on the women's team ranging from SFL Division One side Corcaigh players to players from SFL Division Three's Little Greece Olympia however, the strength in depth necessary to challenge for a medal has to be questioned.

Handball

Handball barely existed as a sport in Nordlande du Sorthe at the time of last Summer Olympics. The sport however almost out of nowhere though has since become a popular niche, something done no harm by finishing in second place at the eighth Handball World Cup. A fairly impressive performance considering it marked Nortdlande du Sorthe's international début in the sport. That tournament saw Terry Anraí bamboozle the multiverse with his handball skills and become a star almost overnight. He'll be looking to lead Nordlande du Sorthe once again to a final, and this time leave it with a gold medal. A number of women players in the Handball World Cup squad also gives the Nordlande du Sorthe a good base to make an assault on the Olympic podiums with both sexes. Though not a member of the of the Handball World Cup squad, Luisa Suárez has been identified as the key women's player with some going as far as calling her better than Anraí.

Triathlon

Perhaps it's the bike leg of it, but triathlon is immensely popular in Nordlande du Sorthe. It is though perhaps the weakest of the sports that the Olympic Committee of Sorthern Northland claims are the most likely to yield medals. In the men's event Aleix Argerich looks like the only member of the team with a realistic shot at the medal, Musko Lauzirika and Daniél Mac Craith perhaps kindly be said to be here for the experience, or unkindly be said to be in Outineau to make up the numbers.

For the women, Lakshminarayanan Ganapathiraman likewise is either here for the experience or simply to make up the numbers. No doubt a relief to the poor sod who announces the medal winners name during the ceremonies. Mairéad Ní Bhirn and Sabrina McCarthy should both be hopeful of returning home with a nice bit of shiny metal.

Perhaps unsurprisingly for a Nordlande du Sorthe delegation the cycling leg of the race will well and truly be where the race is won, should it be a Sortherner standing atop of the podium.

Modern Pentathlon

For a nation where the ruling class like to play themselves as part of the working class, whose national anthem urges comrades to come rally, and where show jumping is seen as a 'sport' for upper class tosspots and ponces, modern pentathlon may seem a slightly strange sport for a key medal aim at the Olympics.

Indeed, it's almost an unknown sport in Nordlande du Sorthe. Ask Sortherners what Valeriya Polyakova actually did to win a silver medal in Columbia and a gold in Aeropag and very few will be able to tell you. In fact such is the ineptness of Sétanta Ó Cleireigh, Tadgh Mag Uidhir and Fionnuala Ní Lhongargain, Nordlande du Sorthe's three pentathlon entrants that aren't Polyakova, that they may struggle to tell you.

Despite that though Polyakova is Nordlande du Sorthe's most successful non-cyclist summer Olympian and a deserving carrier of the Sorthern flag at the opening ceremony. Her fellow pentathletes in the Sorthern delegation may have next to no chance of impressing at these Games, but she certainly and is as likely a source of a medal as any Sorthern athlete. Cyclists included.

Meet the Athletes

Name: Koldobika Ibaiguren
Event (sport): Men's road race (cycling)
Hometown: Portuezki

How did you get into your sport? “It's difficult not to in Portuezki, everyone there loves cycling. Every year we have a race up a local hill called Mina Muino, which translates as hill of pain. It's about four kilometres long and has sections up to twenty-five percent in gradient. Even as a teenager I would be winning that race and it made me dream of being a professional. Even in professional races I don't think I've ever done a harder climb than the Mina Muino though!”

What's the best thing about being a top level athlete in your sport? “Being able to get away with wearing lycra and having shaved legs.”

And the worst? “It's great to be able to race in and visit so many different places by being a cyclist, but actually travelling to and from races can get very tiresome.”

What are your aims at the Olympic Games? “We were slightly disappointed that we were only able to help Daithí [Meallán] to a bronze in Aeropag, so we'll be looking to improve on that. To win a medal myself would be amazing but Daithí and Mike [Caverndash] are the team leaders, so I will do all I can to help them win.”

[Adihan]

Flagbearer Taric leads charge for opening day medals

Outineau, KELSSEK— Ad’ihan's Jérôme Taric will lead the Combined Team's medal hopes on the opening day of the Fifth Summer Olympics here.

The 20-year-old, who won two gold medals in biathlon at the Fifth Winter Olympics in São Jorge, will be gunning for gold in the men's 10 metre air pistol shooting event, and is the Combined Team's best hope for medals in Outineau — he is entered in every shooting event, the men's triathlon, men's race walks, and the men's canoeing events.

His top female counterpart, Pearline Jones, is also in competition on day 1 in the women's 10 metre air rifle event.

On opening day, the Combined Team's cycling delegation will make their showing with Tour of Ad’ihan champion Samuel Chapman and leading Liventian Jimmy Gilchrist leading the five-man team expected to finish with at least two top-ten showings in the men's road race.

The team's six archers — three men from Liventia and three women from Ad’ihan — will also be in action in their ranking rounds; along with Carson Shaw, Stanley Craven and Sebastian Lee who will take to the pool; the trio of women's sabre fencers from Ad’ihan; and Liventia's one-time world champion field hockey team will make its first appearance of the games.

The Combined Team's chef-de-mission, the Liventian sports minister Irwin Johnson, has set a target of at least six golds and six silvers and a total medal haul of at least 15 medals.

Interview: Jérôme Taric
BCL: Great job in São Jorge! Three medals, and you're now the most prolific Ad’ihani Olympian.
Taric: Yes, thank you. I enjoyed myself a lot in São Jorge. I was just having fun, doing my thing, and the medals were just something special.

BCL: JACOT has entered you in a lot of events here in Outineau, aren't you worried about burnout?
Taric: I'm an athlete at the top of my game. Now, I'm not saying this just because I don't want to get on their bad side but I'm really grateful to the COIA and JACOT for allowing me this chance to show my talents and skills in different events to the world.

I'd say with my background in biathlon, shooting's still my best shot at a medal. I'm looking forward most to going out on the water in my canoeing events though. I've been working really hard on that and I hope I can really surprise people.

BCL: Who are your main competitors here?
Taric: Well within our delegation I'm really looking forward to see what Pearline Jones can do. We have a little bet on who can win more medals in shooting. Shooting's her main event while mine is biathlon so she does technically have the advantage there.

I've been reading a lot of these athlete profiles in the foreign press. A lot of nations are putting emphasis on the cycling. Sorthern Northland and Delaclava as always, and Zwangzug. They aren't my competitors directly but I'm cheering Sam Chapman and the boys on against them.

BCL: What is the best thing about being an Olympian?
Taric: All the tough training aside, being able to visit all these different locations for competition and training is great. As a winter sport athlete the mountains you see are just breathtaking, in more than one way. And as a summer sport athlete the great metropolises are always fun to spend time in.

[Todd McCloud]

Vekaiyun Athletes in the Parade of Nations
Reporting for the V3 News Network, English Edition, Floria Irusuveli

The 258-strong Vekaiyun team moved down to the planned route for all nations to take as they greeted the cheering crowds of those privileged to purchase tickets for this event. The all-vulpine team was a sight to be seen, as various fur markings and hues created a colorful array of athletes. Adding to the color were their uniforms, as the men wore burgundy sport coats with white pants and the women wore simple red dresses with black vests, stitched in common Vekaiyun peasant symbols.

Each athlete held a small Vekaiyun flag, adding to the festive nature of moment. These flags paled in comparison to the enormous one held by flag bearer Ikrisia Sulevire, the seventeen year old swimming phenom who is predicted to perform at a medal level in all events she is entered in. She smiled and has a distinctive hop in her step as she appeared overwhelmed by the enormous gathering.

"It was by far my proudest moment as a Vekaiyun," she said in English after the parade. "All I could think was don't drop the flag."

As the camera stops to allow the group to slowly pass, vulpine athletes turn their attention to it and wave their hands both to the crowd and to the camera. Various athletes hold up different posters written in Unonian script, from “Win!” to “Hi mom!” Cameras held by female boxer Yva Nokalestro and male runner Seri Valekastre captured the sights from their own vantage points, paying extra attention to the crowds and other athletes who appear as if they want to burst from their own skin in excitement.

Amidst the running and the jumping from the vulpine faithful coupled by cheers and random shouts, two of the male wrestlers, Vanse Lovisteru and Vinsent Pikera rush to the front and grab the svelte Ikrisia Sulevire, picking her up and setting her on their shoulders as she waves the huge flag back and forth, obviously proud of their nation. The moment lasts for only a few seconds, though, as officials diffuse the situation by coaxing them to set her back on the ground in a classy and smooth manner.

"Yeah, maybe it was a lapse in judgment," Vanse commented. "But as a nation, we have gone through so much. I can't help to feel a little bit of pride, even if out of place."

[Todd McCloud]

Olympic Preview, Day One

It is clear from the excitement in and around the vulpine athletes of Vekaiyu that those competing would certainly enjoy a jump-start in the Olympics, though Vekaiyu is only competing in less than half of the events scheduled for the first day of competition. This is mainly due in part to Vekaiyu’s refusal to compete in any shooting competitions, stating that such skills should be reserved for military purposes only and not for sport, a statement issued by Vekaiyun Premier, Selvala McEva.

While Vekaiyu has opted to not perform in certain matches, Vekaiyuns will nevertheless be enthralled at events which their nation will partake in. Below is a short preview of what we can expect from these athletes as they embark on the worldwide competition!

Weightlifting—Women’s 48 kg
The very first performer from Vekaiyu is a young female from the outskirts of Fek. Iseli Lisetere, the daughter of a farming couple, will compete in the woman’s 48 kg weightlifting competition. She will attempt to use her small size as a benefit to this competition. While it is understood vulpine females do not advance much past 48 kg, she weighs in at 46.8 kg. It was hoped she would be able to gain a little more weight for the competition, but, as her coach has stated, “the extra kilogram will come from the Almighty.” Thin and wiry, she spent most of her days on a wheat farm, helping her parents daily by bailing wheat, planting, and tilling. Surely she will impress as the first Vekaiyun ever to compete in an Olympic event!

Swimming—Men’s 100 m Breaststroke—Heats
Two vulpines - Stapen Ilevistre and Lavano Huseveri – will represent Vekaiyu in this event. It is believed the two swimmers, each from Soveri, should have no problems with advancing in their heats. In the two seasons Stapen has competed under Igalsus University have proved him to be an elite swimmer. Lavano, also hailing from the same university, is a bit of a dark horse in this competition, but certainly has shown fire in his efforts. The nation will be tantalized by the talents of these two individuals.

Swimming - Men’s 400 m Individual Medley
Star swimmer Yamano Viri, from Eldura, will team up with the fairly unknown Verulo Kiseristre, a freshman from Kudelki University who shows spirit and promise. While Verulo is fairly old as far as athletes from Vekaiyu are concerned, at age 24, his skills have not dimmed with age. The results from these heats could be among the most surprising events from day one.

Archery – Ranking Round
Another event which could be surprising for Vekaiyuns is the archery competition. While it is known Vekaiyu does not have a strong team for such events, the athletes in the competition will demonstrate strong spirit and bring honor to their nation of green. Vekaiyuns who made it to the games will be cheering them on as they look to match up with the other competitors from different nations.

Gymnastics (Artistic)—Men’s Qualification
It is no secret that the vulpine body allows for high dexterity and sleekness essential for the articulate movements and grueling pace required for the sport of gymnastics. Vekaiyu did not disappoint in sending top gymnasts from their nation to compete in these games. An all-star squad consisting of Stapen Skilusi, Ehjy Uvves, Enlil Vosteru, Yiisu Reveseri, Yiisu Besatera, and Kaslo Nuveru will look to amaze the world and show just what the vulpine body is capable of!

Glory and honor to all dear athletes who compete in the name of Vekaiyu!

[Tarrentum]

"Well I can't say that was fun at all." Hugh Mori said to his fellow shooting teammates as he walked back into their lodgings. The whole team had been out to the shooting range venue but failed to see one of their number advance.

Jax Brocci was right behind Mori. "Well Hugh, this is our first Olympics."

"Who cares!" Mori retorted. "Shooting, is shooting, is shooting. I don't care where we are at, that plainly sucked."

"Well, the rest of us need to refocus our efforts then." Tarrentum Shooting Team captain Cesare Itala spoke up after seeing the rest of his men wallow in self pity. "Let's take a breath and realize that some of us have more competitions." He looked directly at Mori.

"Yeah, yeah." Mori replied while digging into a tub of ice cream.

"What's all this damnable commotion?" a voice said coming out of the bathroom.

Itala turned to see one of Ecci brothers, Kyle or Walter, he couldn't tell. "Hey...ummm...Ecci-"

"Walt."

"Thanks. Hi Walt, didn't mean to disturb your time on the throne."

"Yeah well hopefully Kyle and I do better then your sorry asses." He turned and walked back to his room as soon as he was done.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence...d-bag." Itala said. "Look let's just go out to the practice range and work on our targets tonight."

"Alright, alright. I'll call Stefano and Antoni." Hugh replied.

"And I'll be ringing our shotgun boys, Adam, Vince and Gregori. LET'S DO THIS!"

[Akbarabad]

Moderate beginning for Akbarabad in the Outineau Games.

(Akbarabad Press, AP): Judo offered the brightest spot and the only remaining medal hopes from the opening events for Akbarabad. There was no repeat of Jawad Karim's memorable effort of winning of a gold medal at the very first event of the São Jorge Winter games. Instead, we have to make do with Najmul Bari and Maisha Syed who both have now progressed to the quarterfinals of their respective events, beating strong opposition from the Fujisawan Territories and Jasĭyun. Both nations have a strong pedigree in this event, so it is no small achievement. Both judokas are now ideally placed to go on and earn a medal later in the day.

There was less success in the other events, maddeningly so in the case of shooting. Farihah Akbar finished fourth in the Women's 10m air rifle while Salim Akbar just missed out qualifying for the final round for the Men's 10m air pistol finishing ninth. All our competitors have unfortunately been eliminated from the first fencing event, the Women’s Individual Sabre with only Rumana Parveen progressing to the third round. The sailing and weightlifting events are hardly worth mentioning, as we were never likely to be particualrly strong or even competitive there.

[Bears Armed]

The delegation from Bears Armed (or from "Ours-armés", as the Games' organisers were calling their nation for this occasion...) made their way out of the arena from the Opening Ceremony, in which they had marched -- in between the delegations from Osarius and Qazox (both of whose names had been used unchanged…) with female ‘super heavyweight’ boxer Harrla Marrla o Redwood as their flag-bearer, but several of them were still craning their heads around to look at the gigantic image of a Bear that was a part of the site’s decorations.

“It’s a good omen, that, hrright?” murmured one Ursine athlete.

“Or maybe it’s just to commemorate the fact that we came top in the table of medal-winners last time around, eh?” another replied.

“Could be, I suppose, but in that case what would the Owl be for?"

"Might he symbolise ‘Wisdom” to the locals, the same as it does to us, perhaps? Hr’rmm, I wonder whether they revere the other members of the Seven Holy Helpers too?”

“Good question, that: Hr’rmm, maybe somebody on the RouteMaster’s staff would know…”

[Cassadaigua]

Olympian of the Day: Melissa Kleinman, Shooting

Followers of Cassadagan team sports have certainly become familiar with having a representative blogger provide their insight on the team and the tournament in which they are participating as a whole. In the Olympics, things are not so easy because there are a lot of events and there are a lot of athletes. So the Cassadagan Olympic Committee has opted to ask one of us to report from Outineau, and usually it will be someone who had medaled during the day, or if no athletes earned a trip to the podium, an athlete who’s effort impressed will get to be the lucky one. I will start by letting you know how honored I am to be in Kelssek for the Olympics. There are so many world class athletes here, and you see all of the flags of the nations participating. That is one of the first things that occurred to me, the flags. Some are simple like ours, like Kelssek’s. Then you have some that look like they are more of an artistic picture then a flag, like Todd McCloud, but they are all very special to their own unique nation. As for the athletes, there are many stories that can be told. Some have made it to Outineau and overcome amazing odds to be here while others were destined to be here as soon as they were born thanks to being part of a historic or otherwise gifted athletically family. Personally, I am not one of those rags to riches stories, but my position on the team wasn’t gift-wrapped from childbirth, either.

Today I competed in the 10m Air Rifle. When I woke up this morning, I was a little nervous, but I soon felt better when I picked up the rifle. This is nothing new to me, those targets are the same distance, and the rules of the event are the same, so there is nothing have to do to achieve great things here that I do not do at home. I was well aware of the presence of the other great shooters, but I didn’t look at them in awe. Instead, I chatted away with Corri (Pelletier) who is also representing Cassadaigua here. She too was confident, and she also put together a great round, and finished 7th overall. Since there is very little room for error here, it was important for me to get off to a great start, and I was able to do that in the first round. One miss in the second I shrugged off, usually that is fine. You have to be able to do that because that one miss might become another and take you out of contention. In the final, I was second best, and I can live with that. I have earned a silver medal I will cherish forever, and Corri is happy as well. We have more events, and more chances to win. I would really love for Corri to medal here as well.

We did pick up a bronze today too as Allie Fitzpatrick got herself a bronze in weightlifting within the 48kg bracket. I will not pretend that I know Allie, as we have never met; nor will I pretend that I can lift even half of what she did. Ok, well maybe I could lift half of it, but I am really proud of her, perhaps we will meet and be able to talk about things at some point while we are Outineau. There were some other events, but I am not going to report on every single score, that’s what the internet and newspapers are for. It’s been an honor to blog for you today and hopefully I will see you around soon. Go Cassadaigua!

[Churchma]

CHURCHMA OLYMPICS

Rough morning of opening day for Churchma
Churchma Sports Inc.

The morning of July 13th probably won't be known as the day Churchma struck the world by storm. As a matter of fact, it probably did just the opposite. The Republic was represented by two athletes this morning: both in the sport of judo. Getting out of the first round would have been great, as they would have been able to continue on in the fifth summer Olympics, but neither athlete was able to make it past their initial competition.

Jeremey Wilford faced Leo Moyer from Asteran in the Men's 60 kg Judo first round. Fans quickly realized that Wilford was outmatched by the stronger and more experienced Moyer. Wilford was up on his feet for 36 seconds before Moyer quickly shot in, grabbed Wilford around the waste, and threw him to the mat. Moyer then straddled Wilford, before he put him in some sort of a head-lock. Moyer won by submission at 0:49. Wilford was knocked out in the first round, and he will not be competing for the rest of the Olympics.

Michelle Neal represented the Republic this morning in the Women's 48 kg Judo event. Much like Wilford, Neal was outmatched by more experienced competition. After Neal receieved her first penalty at 1:15, it seemed she lost some of her focus. Her competition (Rosalind Arellano from Sargosse) took advantage of her mental breakdown, and scored a ippon to end the match. Neal is also done competing in the fifth summer Olympics.

Day one is not over for Churchma, as they have Joe Bunker and Eric Tharp competing in Men's (artistic) Gymnastics. Tharp is considered Churchma's best athlete that is participating in any activities on day one. Look for him to do extremely well today in the qualifying round.

[Sargossa]

Olympic Report


There are few things quite as baffling as an Olympic opening ceremony. In the Sargossan papers the next day pictures seem to show some kind of nativity scene rudely interrupted by an enormous, glowing polar bear. Presumably it was some kind of tribute to the nation that topped the medals charts at the last summer games. The owl couldn't be explained. All in all there wasn't enough English or fireworks. There was barely any sex to speak of and the local police could certainly have been a little bit ruder. Not that Sargossa's Olympic chief Luís Ortega said any of this to the assembled local dignitaries. He'd long learnt to nod and smile in all the right places, regardless of the fact he'd no clue what anyone had said to him.

Still there was two rather good pieces of recent news. Firstly the Football Federation had finally agreed upon a squad to send to Kelssek. After a group stage exit four years ago the FSS had scrapped plans to field a domestic based squad or an Under-23 side or the Dog & Duck's second eleven and were instead going to bring the big(ish) guns to town. Meaning maybe, just maybe, some rosters could finally be unveiled.

Secondly the opening ceremony was over and done with so maybe we could get down to some actual sport. Well, fencing at least. Not that we're going to be too snippy about fencing, what with Juliana Contreras going through two rounds. When she's out, then will be snippy. And they'll be no knocking of judo either with Aeropag bronze medallist Rosalind Arellano safely through her two rounds. Nothing wrong with shooting either, Fernando Olivas actually finishing right at the top of the 10m pistol qualification despite not being Somewhereistonian. The women's keelboat though, that's just silly.

[Kelssek]

Day 1 B results posted

[Quintessence of Dust]

The New Cleethorpes Enquirer
"No such thing as psychic animals" declare blood spattered skeptics

Dr. Dorothy Doubtit, Chair of Pissed Up Skeptics, the noted Quodite civil society organization, today issued a public statement insisting that recent reports of a variety of animals capable of psychically predicting sporting results were "wildly misleading". Dr. Doubtit, who spoke from a podium at a New Cleethorpes press conference festooned in plucked feathers, bone fragments, and sliced tentacle segments, said that "there was simply no question" of "octopi, parakeets, squid, or anything else" predicting the results of the pending Fifth Summer Olympics in Outanabout, Kelssek. "Our rigorous scientific testing has concluded that all such claims are unverifiable," said the knife wielding Dr. Doubtit, with what appeared to be an eye stuck to her blood soaked apron. "It's science."

According to Erika Hagen-Magen-Schagen, official historian of the society (whose foundation precedes the very existence of Quintessence of Dust as a nation, and which has recently opened branches as far afield as the Baltic States), Pissed Up Skeptics has a history of involvement in international sporting events. Skeptics armed with protractors and compasses launched a pitch invasion during a Cup of Harmony game with Estresso Intenso in order to disprove allegations that the opposition were practicing ritual magic; the organization devoted over 1,000 personhours to trying to investigate the phenomena during World Cup 44 in which the entire national football team suffered mass hallucinations during a game against The Holy Empire; and their official newsletter traded repeated claims of outrage and infamy with the venerable Fr. Vasily during the most recent Winter Olympics.

Recent weeks have seen nations from around the world summon all manner of mostly non-sapient lifeforms claimed to be able to predict sporting results or give teams good luck, leading to numerous denunciations by the rationalistically inclined Skeptics. With rhetoric increasing in the run-up the Fifth Summer Olympics, arguably the biggest single event in the international sporting calendar, the "directness of our rebuttal has increased somewhat", said registered Skeptic and Olympic silver medalist Annie Sundberg, while loading a shotgun.

[Sorthern Northland]

The Sports Pink
Sorthern Northland's Olympic paper

Cav: I didn't want stupid Olympic medal anyway

Climbing off his bike and into the broom wagon roughly half-way through the Olympic road race Mike Caverndash stunned cycling fans by clearly muttering “The Olympic road race is stupid and I didn't want the medal anyway”.

For a man used to success it proved to be a bitter end to a glorious career. For what seems an age gold in the Olympic road race has appeared to be Caverndash's biggest goal. In Columbia he was denied it after being forced to retire from the race following a huge crash. In Aeropag it was stray badger than ended his chances. In Outineau it remains to be seen whether it really was a lack of desire, or simply if his legs had gone.

In Columbia and Aeropag though his team-mates were able to counter some of the disappointing of his failure to finish with Fran Ventoso storming to gold and Daithí Meallán winning bronze at those two Games. Where he had failed in Columbia and Aeropag, a team mate was able to succeed. In Outineau, they also failed.

With Caverndash out of the race the onus from a Sorthern perspective fell on the shoulders of Daithí Meallán. A bronze medal winner in Aeropag he looked in good position to improve upon that as he got himself into the group of riders who would go on to contest the medals at the finish line. John Williams and Jack Robavlin of Sibirsky and Zwangzug both managed to further distance themselves from within the small leading group to claim gold and silver by seven and four seconds over bronze medal winner Ales Taav of Delaclava and Professor Luiz Alberto Edilásio Caberne of the Landau Institute. Meallán finished on his own in fifth seven seconds down on Taav.

Nordlande du Sorthe's road racing directeur sportif admitted the result was a huge disappointment but claimed that the women's team are well prepared to restore Sorthern cycling to winning ways in a couple of days time in the women's road race. Mariñelarena was also forced to deny claims that he'd tried to kidnap Ales Taav and arrange for him to be given Sorthern citizenship in a desperate attempt to salvage a medal from the race.