Games of the X Olympiad - RP thread

[Welcomzia]

Welcomzia's Medal Chances

AM: "Hello, and welcome to the final part in our series where we investigate the main areas where our great nation has a chance of Olympic glory. Alongside me is yet again Keith Brown. Keith, as we go into the final part of our series, be honest. Do you think Welcomzia can finish in the top 25% of the medal table? It's a lot to ask for a debuting nation".

KB: "Hmm, that's a tough one Alan. I think we have a chance, but it's certainly not set in stone. We wouldn't be anywhere near the top 25% if it weren't for the sizable amount of athletes participating. It's going to be really close, we shall see in due course".

AM: "Well, the opening ceremony will soon begin, the Olympics are very nearly apon us. It's going to be a crazy, action packed competition that's for sure". "Anyway, back on subject let's review our final batch of athletes, starting with tennis".

Name: Pat Holmes
Events: Men's tennis singles and doubles, mixed doubles

Pat Homles is the national champion beating Dwayne Wagner in a fantastic comeback, 4-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4. Wagner will be his partner in the doubles event, where they'll have an outside shot of winning a medal. However there is no doubt that the singles is Holmes's best event. He will undoubtedly be hard pressed for gold against the great Lord Gregory of Gregoryisgodistan, but he still has a chance.

Name: Adrienne Crawford
Events: Women's tennis Singles and doubles, mixed doubles

Crawford is another very strong Welcomzian tennis player. Her furious backhand will surely help her as she has a good chance for gold in all three tennis competitions she's participating in. She has been the #1 for three years now, but shares a great partnership with Marianne Burns, with whom she has a chance of a medal in the women's doubles.

Names: Pat Holmes/Adrienne Crawford
Event: Tennis Mixed Doubles

These two are both national #1's and share a good partnership which will surely help their quest for gold. They are both looking for a medal in their respective singles event and look to grab another here. The two are in fact related to each other as third cousins.

Name: Donncha Bannon
Event: Men's triathlon

Bannon came second in the June Triatholan Open earlier this year, losing out to Zillmeric's entrant, but this year seeks revenge. The 22 year-old has plenty of talent but has a bad attitude and can be very hit and miss. However he has improved since the triathlon competition, and it will be interesting to see how he does with even more competitors against him in the Olympics.

Name: Agnes Klein
Event: Women's Triathlon

Klein will look to secure a medal after her recent rise to stardom. She didn't qualify for the triathlon open earlier this year by this late bloomer has been training hard and now has a decent chance whilst competing internationally. She is a very good swimmer more than anything else and will look to use that to her advantage.

Names: Hannah Cortez/Marta Allison
Event: Women's Beach Volleyball

Beach Volleyball is very popular in Welcomzia, especially among women, due to all the beaches and the warm weather. These two have been training together for the Olympics for months and have become great friends in the process. The two have formed a deadly duo and have a good chance of a medal.

Name: Pedro Sanchez
Event: Weightlifting Men's 69kg

Sanchez may be small in height but his massive muscles more than make up for it. He bought his own weight set aged 17 and he uses them at least an hour a day. This health freak is extremely fit, arguably the fittest weightlifter representing Welcomzia at the games.

Name: Ralph McBride
Event: Weightlifting Men's 77 kg

McBride is a very competitive weightlifter and loves the sport. He weighed 85kg last month but went on a diet so that he'd be eligible for the 77kg, an event that he has a higher chance in. He now weighs only 250g below the maximum. He has a decent chance in the event and would love to win gold.

Name: Peggy Gutierrez
Event: Weightlifting Women's 63kg

Gutierrez is only 19 and is definitely a youngster to look out at the Olympics. She has great strength for a 19 year-old and is one of the rising stars of the tournament for Welcomzia. She'll look to add to her collection of youth medals.

Name: Melody Gonzalez
Event: Weightlifting Women's 75kg

Gonzalez has risen through the weight categories very quickly over the past five years. The 24 year-old stands at a massive 6"3 tall, making her one of the tallest ladies at the Olympics. She has had phenomenal strength since a young age, frequently beating older boys at arm wresting in school.

Name: Leon Young
Event: Men's 84kg freestyle wrestling

Leon Young is the brother of shooter Mona Young who's also competing in the Olympics. Leon Young is an experienced wrestling who is very sneaky and clever whilst wrestling, always choosing the right moves for the right situation. Young will have a decent shot at Olympic gold, something he's craved for a long time.

Name: Bernice Owens
Event: Women's 48kg freestyle wrestling

Owens got diagnosed with appendicitis last year, which put a dent in a rising star's career, as she missed the national wrestling championship. However, exactly 12 months on this talented star is ready to do battle yet again at the Olympics for Welcomzia.

Name: Ryan Terry
Event: Greco Roman Men's 55kg

Terry is only 17 years-old, but he is very committed to becoming a wrestling legend, and the way he is going, you wouldn't put it past him. He is very skilful and strong and has always dreamt of being in the Olympics.

Name: Guadalupe Torres
Event: Greco Roman Men's 66kg

Torres was born with a rare condition that stops you from putting on weight. However, he has recovered and the 26 year-old has the grace and agility of a professional gymnast. He is very strong and will be a real force at the Olympics.

Name: Nick Lopez
Event: Men's Golf

Nick Lopez is a fantastic golfer who excels on par 5's the most. Lopez has a fantastic drive and approach shot, although his putting can do with a bit of work. Apart from that he is a very complete golfer who rarely gets anything worse than a bogey out on the course.

Name: Becky Graham
Event: Women's Golf

Graham has recently recovered from the tragic death of her father and is rearing to get back out on the course. She has great accuracy and her putting is excellent although the power in her shots isn't too great. She has a strong chance of success especially after hitting a hole in one in her last competitive tournament, a rare achievement in golf.

AM: "Ok, that concludes our special medal review, coming up soon is the opening ceremony, we'll see you the.. From me Alan McAlister and Keith Brown, goodbye.

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

20:00, August 12, 2019
Grand Palais
Quebec City, Capitale-Nationale

The arena was sweltering hot. The 2 minute point has passed, and a brief 'halte' was called by the referee to give fencers approximately one minute of rest, before coming back for the one last touche. It was the final bout of the national championships, the final event of the 2018-2019 fencing year. With many of the spots still up in the air ahead of olympics, which were to be held in a year's time, this was a very important competition for those who were looking to either seal their spot or make a run for it. The olympics, unlike in commonwealth games, were not selected in trials unless there were maximum 15 ranking points gaps between 2 fencers. Men's Fleuret was of this case: Gweon Joon Yi was left with a great chance to jump over at least 3 fencers ahead of him in rankings with a win, while a loss would force him to take his luck at olympic trials for either third or reserve spot. Pierre-Luc Gibson, on the other hand, was guaranteed the spot and was fighting for the sake of defending his last national title, which he won over 24-year old Ha Rhim Han from Quebec City.

With a minute and one point left in play, intensity was buzzing all over the final piste as they entered the final break. This was the matchup everybody's been looking forward to- The clash of the old and the new. Yi, fresh off the three-peat at the Junior Nationals earlier this year, was known as the future leader of the Quebecois fencing while Pierre-Luc Gibson was on his last national championships as fencer before the Olympics. Gweon Joon Yi was at left end, talking to his coach Ji Won Woo about how to penetrate through his opponent's garde, while Gibson sat by himself, drinking a bottle of water while waiting on the other side.

This was the match of contrasts and similarities. The bout's been close from beginning, with both sides trading points. It was very hard to gauge who was better or worse in it either: Both had distinctively different style of fencing, and were masters at theirs. Gibson was a left-hander whose technical proficiency was unparalleled in country, while Yi had his strong footwork and unpredictability making him a highly lethal, spider-like fencer. With such closely-contested fencers, it was of no surprise that the score was 14-14, leaving it up to one final point for the winner to score.

Both of them also had their own stocks on the match itself and its significance. Yi knew the gold at here would qualify for the Olympics to make some big difference and gain experiences before coming back for the Pierre Savoix Cup and next Commonwealth Games. The 16-year old was already ranked high enough to be considered for it, but with his relative inexperience, coming away with the win was essential in guaranteeing his spot at the olympic team. Otherwise he might not be able to get his spot on the olympic team due to the fact that there were 3-4 fencers around his ranking range of 2-9 who were lot more experienced, meaning that they were more likely to be considered by the FQIE for the olympic trials.

Gibson understood the feeling his opponent had in his mind, as he stared at Yi talking to his coach and trainer about staying calm. Ironically enough, this was also the position that the 38-year old Gibson had to go through 16 years ago. The Haida Gwaii native, then coming off the 3rd consecutive QIS individual title, had to go through a series of grueling match against Radim Mörátáán and Ilya Sedov in Semifinals and final at the Quebecom Centre, Attawapiskat. It didn't come off easy in any means, but he worked through the opponents' deficiencies and pulled impressive wins after wins to land him a spot in national team, which were followed by medals after medals in international competitions since then.

Life is a cycle, Pierre-Luc thought to himself, as he silently put his gears back on. Nothing more than repetition of what's happened to you, happening to others. This thought, as he got older and older, came to him even more. Gone were days when he was guaranteed to win every competition after competition: those days were already upended by strong competition from both younger fencers in and out of Quebec, and every bout was a sign that he won't be fencing forever as he'd like to believe so.
And now, with the fencer less than half his age challenging him, Gibson felt as if this was a deja vu. The era, 20 years of dominance by this generation of fencers, might be on its end after all. Everybody from that "Golden Kids" generation were gone: It came when Felix Ahn's forced to retire 4 years ago after a car crash that affected nerves around his neck. This then was followed by series of retirement on other anchors of the team: Sergei Miromanov also retired for Men's Epee, while on foil came Yannick Ahn and Michel Lalonde-Putt. Only 2 fencers remained and they won't be back after the Olympics (which they already qualified for): Gibson himself and Marcel Cody-Yi.

Shortly after, he heard the passing of 1-minute mark for the break and slowly headed out of the resting spot.
"14-14, one more," Pierre-Luc Gibson muttered as he entered the piste. The last point of the National Championship Finals of the Men's Fleuret (Foil) was a minute away and it was his turn to score again. He would've cheered himself up if it was other occasion but somehow he wasn't in mood for it. It was as if he just wanted to get this over and done with. He didn't know where this was exactly coming from, but assumed that this was the sign that he's close to his career-end.

The two fencers stood behind their own lines, placing themselves in loose en garde position. The referee shouted in his hoarse voice, 'En Garde, Pret, Allez' and the final round began. It wasn't a long round- in fact way shorter than expected of fencers of this calibre. It was Gibson who attacked first: He stepped forward, gave himself a little bit of acceleration and lunged forward. His opponent, knowing the gap below his left arm, quickly parried on a Septime and went for a riposte. It was something that Yi struggled to do all through the bout, even after trying all he could. Yet everything seemed to work on his favour this time- the foot distance between the two were much closer this time, and with the flick Gibson's defence was successfully penetrated.

The Red light flashed on his mask and a beep went for a second. Yi lifted his mask and arms up, before sliding to the end of the piste. Gibson, bitter about his last charge, slowly looked around and sighed while he watched Yi celebrating the victory with his coach and father. For long the young star of the National Team, he was now out of the podium by another promising star in place. This was what the Quebecois fencing needed for years: the change in fleuret. Yet this was all still new to Gibson, and he was left drained by the reality, as he shook hands with the referee and then heavily-smiling Yi.

The Champion has fallen.

---

Olympian Profile I: Pierre-Luc Gibson

Name: Pierre Luc Daniel Schreier-Gibson
Hometown: Haida Gwaii, Manitoba
Born: August 12, 1983, Montreal, Montreal
Commonwealth Teams: 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018
Event: Fleuret (Foil)
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 185 lbs
College: MA in Political Science at Farrer University (2006), BA in Political Science at Queen's University (2005)
High School: Mount Kiefer Secondary School, Haida Gwaii
Coach: Fabio Tiraboschi
Family: Parents: Honore Gibson and Dana Schreier, Siblings: Janice Gibson-Paek and Riley G. Segal, Wife: Coralie Watson, Kids: Emily, Lee and Rene Watson-Gibson
Hobbies and interests: Human rights issues, photography, marketing, cannabis
Most people would be surprised to know that: I fluently speak 7 different languages- English, French, Korean, Haida, Spanish, Italian and Tsimshian
Favorite Movie: High in Skoke
Favorite TV Show: Frente a Frente
Role Model: Olivier Orádzi. He was one of the best in the world when I was young and I always admire his persistence and mentality whenever he's at the piste.
Current Quebec Ranking: No. 2
Current Commonwealth Ranking: No. 3

---

Honours:

• 2018, 2015, 2013, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005 QCIE Senior World Cup Champion
• 2003 QCIE Junior World Cup Champion
• 2008, 2009 and 2015 Xavier Sekwihonelteni Trophy recipient as Manitoba's professional athlete of the year
• Three-time QIS All-Quebecois and Champions (2003-05)
• Four-time OUA Champions (2002-05)

---

• Commonwealth Games Teams: 2018 (Individual- Silver, Team- Gold), 2014 (Team- Silver), 2010 (Individual- Gold, Team- Gold), 2006 (Individual- Gold, Team- Gold)
• Senior Commonwealth Championship Teams: 2019 (Team- Silver), 2018 (Individual- Gold, Team- Gold), 2017 (Team- Silver), 2016 (Individual- Gold, Team- Silver), 2015 (Individual- Gold, Team- Gold), 2014 (Individual- Silver, Team- Bronze), 2013 (Individual- Silver, Team- Gold), 2012 (Individual- Silver, Team- Gold), 2011 (Team- Bronze), 2010 (Individual- Silver, Team- Gold), 2009 (Individual- Gold, Team- Gold), 2008 (Individual- Gold, Team- Gold), 2007 (Individual- Gold, Team- Silver), 2006 (Team- Gold), 2005 (Individual- Gold, Team- Gold), 2004 (Invididual- Bronze, Team- Gold), 2003 (Individual- Silver)
• Junior Commonwealth Championship Teams: 2003 (Individual- Gold, Team- Gold), 2002 (Team- Silver), 2001 (Individual- Silver)
• Cadet Commonwealth Championship Teams: 2000 (Individual- Bronze), 1999 (Team- Silver), 1998

---

Personal: One of most distinguished fencers in Quebecois fencing history, Gibson's career was the one that started quietly. Gibson watched a fencing championship in television when he was a 7-year old and says he begged his mother to let him take up the sport. Gibson's mother, Dana Schreier, looked up fencing clubs in the local area and found the Haida Gwaii Fencing Club. The family showed up to practice on a Monday evening, met then-National Fleuret team coach Olivier Orádzi, and started to fence for the club.

A four-time Junior Commonwealth medalist, Gibson's career skyrocketed. An all-around athlete, Pierre-Luc competed on his high school's volleyball and rowing teams for all 4 years and began his fencing career as Gaels fencer after winning silver medal at Commonwealth Junior Championships the very summer earlier. He graduated in 2005 with bachelor's degree in political science, leaving behind legacy of Foil success in Cornwall with 3 individual championships and a national championship banner, the latter of which happened in his graduation season marked by the Thundering Three of (Felix) Ahn, Gibson and (Marcel) Cody-Yi.

Following graduation, he went on to make history, winning countless championship titles and medals, including 6 medals in Commonwealth Games and 15 gold medals in Commonwealth Championships. Gibson was the top-ranked fencer in the Fleuret category of the Commonwealth rankings in the conclusion of 8 years, and is currently ranked 3rd in commonwealth rankings.

Gibson credits his coaches with greatest influences on his career: "Fabio has been there through my career and gave me the steps and directions to allow me be the fencer that I am right now. Thirty years I've fenced under him were there as marks of personal success not only as a fencer, but also a human being."

[Ficiscia]

FNSN.fc Olympic Games: What to watch

The Games of the X Olympiad in Electrum and New Gelderland are just around the corner, and we on FNSN.fc give you the perfect Ficiscian schedule for each day so that you won't miss the highlights for our nation! Here comes the big FNSN.fc WHAT TO WATCH guide for the following weeks. All events with Ficiscian participation get broadcasted on Tele Ficiscia 2 or 3. Other events can also be broadcasted on TF4 or teleficiscia.fc/sports. Expect more exact guides on what to view as the games progress!

DAY 0

WATER POLO MEN - Ficiscia is taking on The Sword Bloke in the first competition of the Olympics that our nation will participate in. Don't miss this historical moment!

OPENING CEREMONY - Decathlon star Perko Sjastrum will be the first ever to carry the green, white and black banner into an Olympic stadium. See the Ceremony live on TF2.

DAY 1

WATER POLO - Due to the internal quarrels in the Ficiscian Aquatics Federations, the Water Polo team will be the only female competitors in Aquatics and our biggest hope for a water medal. Watch their first game against Drawkland live on TF3.

BASKETBALL - The Ficiscian team just returned from IBC19, finishing 4th in their group shocking a Top 10 nation, and is looking for revenge in Electrum. Frenline Delpha will be our first opponent, live on TF2.

DAY 2

CYCLING - On the road of New Gelderland, the first real medal hopes for Ficiscia come up. The Men's Road Race will be broadcasted in full length on TF3, with TF2 showing all the highlights when team captains Tertius Celer and Michaelis Derarus attack the podium!

CANOEING - In the Men's K-1, Iunius Fluvi belongs to the world's best and will look for a good time in the heats. Live or delayed (depending on the Cycling) on TF2, fully live online. Following, Janna Gunnarrsen in the women's C-1.

DAY 3

CYCLING - One of the best hopes of Ficiscia is starting in the women's road race. The whole team is looking to push 26-year-old Antiqua based Insolana Evelina Juvitsaska to the gold medal. Servilia Minora and Clovia Miscomana are capable of a surprise as well. Full broadcast on TF3, highlights on TF2.

FOOTBALL - Ficiscia's men U23 team is making their first appearance against Drawkland. The nation's most popular sport will be shown on TF2.

DAY 4

CANOEING - Women's C-1 semifinals will be broadcast on TF2. Norja Janna Gunnarrsen is expected to still be in the competition and stated her will to go to the finals.

CYCLING - Former track cyclist Franciscus Maiori and Road Race captain Tertius Celer are hoping for medals. Especially Celer is among the medal favourites and can be watched on TF2.

DAY 5

CYCLING - As in all cycling competitions we have medal chances in the women's time trial with Sextia Eccarta and Clovia Miscimana. Live on TF2.

FOOTBALL - The more successful women's team can be seen for the second time in the games against Quebec. Watch the black and white girls live on TF3.

DAY 6

BADMINTON - Sergius Divico, the national champion, is playing his first of two group games as well as the second mixed game together with Janna Grinnwall live on TF3.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL - Janovs/Monomos and Feroca/Cithara are making their first attempts on Olympic sand in the Women's Beach Volleyball Preliminaries. Channel determined based on other events.

We will give you more information on the following weeks later on.

[Electrum]

Olympic Stadium, Centralis

The newly constructed Olympic Stadium, a massive behemoth, and the largest stadium in all of Electrum hosted a crowd of 100,000, filled with cheering fans from across the multiverse in anticipation for the opening ceremony. As always, the weather was just perfect -- the air was slightly damp, but crisp from recent showers, but it all cleared just before the ceremony started. The floodlights weren't lit today -- instead, spotlights of all colours whizzed around the stadium. It was the jewel in the Centralis Sporting Precinct, the sporting mecca of the entire nation, the CSP playing host to the indoor volleyball, soccer, tennis and aquatics, all in the same area. Just across the Olympic Stadium on reclaimed land which was formerly industrial were the Media Centre and the luxurious athlete's village, filled with apartments, boutique restaurants and more. As a helicopter buzzed overhead, a large circular projection appeared on the ground. A drumroll was heard.

The whole orchestra started playing too. (OOC: This segment is similar to the beginning of Melbourne's Commonwealth Games OC)

Ashford. A twelfth of the circle illuminated with photos from the first ever Summer Olympics. As the city names appeared on stage, they were shouted by people in the audience.
Querzakhi. Another twelfth illuminated.
Columbia.
Aeropag.
Outineau.
Lasft.
Emberton.
Orean. The shouting of the names, and the orchestra started to speed up in anticipation.
Zube.
Kytler Bay City.
Nassau Bay...

Centralis!

The stadium roared when they yelled "Centralis!" The floodlights turned on, and the entire city turned their lights on. Various landmarks across the city, including venues such as the Centralis Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Centralis Town Hall, Newton Beach and others lit up in blue, red, yellow, green, white and black. Colours of the Olympic Estoile symbolising togetherness. The celebrations spilled onto the mighty Eridanus River, a river that cuts the city of Centralis in half and the subject to much international controversy in recent times. The mighty river snaked it's way through Terranea, from Austroslovakia, down to Rio Oscuro, the great Lake to the west of Electrum, down towards Centralis, spilling out into Bittern Bay and the Endemien Sea. Thousands of people lined the banks of the river, as projections of the Opening Ceremony were broadcast all around it. Boats and canoes sailed down the river with sailors from different nations and in the old River Canal quarter, firecrackers were already starting to go off and the foreign sailors were welcomed with Electrumite delicacies, toffee green apples, fries with satay sauce and pavlova, meringue topped with cream and fruit.

Back in the stadium, the screens were showing celebration outside as the performers were getting ready for the show of their lives. The lights softened again, as the stadium turned a moody blue. A small boat appeared in the middle of the ocean. In it were a captain, two deckhands, and dozens of passengers packed like sardines on the deck. The captain was one Benjamin Lazarus, a famous person in Electrum history for being the founder of Electrum. His tales of triumph against all odds and settling in a foreign land were going to be retold tonight for the wider multiverse. A large thunder was heard, and the orchestra started playing an emotional piece, the performers on the ground holding large blue banners, representing the ocean held them up higher -- the sea level was rising. There was panic on the boat as men, women and children tried to duck when a large wave tried to swallow the ship whole.

One of the deckhands spoke. "Captain, sir, we're losing speed. We should turn back. We're not going to survive in this storm." The captain, having scraggly white hair turned around and said, "We are NOT going to return back to war and famine. Have you lost sense of what we're doing this for? We're doing this for the children..." The settlers were escaping from a far off land, whose name was unimportant, where a civil war, pestilence and misery were strife. After another wave had hit, the captain said, "I know what we can do. Take charge of the wheel while I open up the sails. The captain went out and climbed up the mast in the windy and treacherous conditions... and with a knife he was biting onto, he took it out and started to cut at some ropes. Gradually, the sails became larger and the boat picked up speed, finally managing to move. The other deckhand spoke, "Land at 43 degrees true..." and then a blackout.

The centre stage of the stadium was now reshifted to a river and land setting, the mouth of Bittern Bay, and the site to what would become Centralis. Benjamin Lazarus climbed up to the peak of what is now known as Alphonse's Hill and proclaimed, "This is the site of our new city." He ordered the men to collect lumber to start building, the women to start gathering food and to cook food, whilst the children ran amok not knowing what was really going on. But the adults came back fruitless, the only available wood, palm trees, were flimsy, and all the women could find were berries. Lazarus looked across the river, and he spotted what looked like natives. They were staring intently across the bushes. He called the natives over, and traded blankets and clothing for food and shelter. This started the agreement which would allow settlers to build, whilst always accommodating the native people. This agreement, built on trust and friendship would grow stronger, and nowadays, these 'natives' are now called by their proper term, the Indigenous peoples of Electrum. Over time, the settlers, with help from their Indigenous friends went their separate ways and traversed and explored the land mass. Some went as far as what would become Euran land in the future, with the Hamilton region being gained for Electrum after some instability in the region.

We pay respect to the traditional owners of this land, members of the Wharangai Nation, and extend this acknowledgement to other Indigenous people present...

This marked the beginning of a new segment.

Introducing... elders of the twenty-seven recognised Indigenous groups of Electrum. 27 elders made their way to the middle of their stage, where they proudly showed an interesting part of their heritage. The Kale Islander tribe elder brought a small Margaret doll, a nod to their tradition of worshipping Margaret. Another tribe elder brought a didgeridoo, another lit a small camp-fire and so on. Then, one by one, they unrolled a piece of fabric and positioned themselves. The piece of fabric represented a small part of Electrum, and once they were all together, a larger shape of Electrum formed. Underneath, children duct taped the gaps, and together a large Electrum fabric was formed. Each of the individual pieces, again, had an individual symbol representing the tribe. A booming voice was then heard ... let's hear some of the creation stories of Electrum. Now, performers went on top of the stage to act out the various creation stories of different areas of Electrum.

The Great Lake. The lake, in the middle of Electrum was said by some tribes formed by a blue dragon. It was slowly dying before it came to rest in the mountain area of Prescott. The local tribes in the area were said to feed the dragon before its final days, and as a last gift, the dragon turned itself into a large lake. Kale Island. A large goddess Margaret pointed at the ocean -- then out of nowhere, a volcano erupted for days and days, until Kale Island was formed. Agri Delta System. The great snake Yolngu, one day swallowed the moon. A great warrior, Ciantha hacked at the snake, where it spit out the moon. The various pieces of the great snake formed the delta system near Agri. Hamilton Deserts. In the unforgiving, harsh deserts to the north of Electrum, two ancient tribes fought it out. The blood that resulted was so much that the whole area dried, from a fertile area into a desert. Bittern Bay. The bay of which Centralis was centred on was formed by a large troll with a very long face biting the land, in retaliation for being bullied by ghosts.

The stage transitioned again, this time a steam-punk like city arose from the centre stage, representing Centralis in the middle with cheerful, upbeat music streaming across the booming speakers. While the stage was changing, the large screens inside the stadium showcased the progress of the Olympic Torch progress throughout the nations, travelling across the wastelands of Gregoryisgodistan, with The Lord Almighty holding the torch, then other images were spliced in of athletes from all the participating nations holding the torch in their nation. Then, a live shot was played, with the torch coming from the often-forgotten East side of Centralis, currently at Newton Beach.

The arena was once again divided into different sections, this time representing the different geographical regions of Electrum, with Centralis in the middle. Large oil wells and mine shafts appeared all over in one section, representing the burgeoning mining industry in Electrum. Infrastructure projects were the norm just a hundred years ago, as the nation leaped forward and modernised. The first oil pump exploded, with a black liquid spilling out everywhere. This was the southern province of Culver. Meanwhile, gold and silver were found in the nation's hot, dusty and windy north -- the frontier lands, representing Lyoness and the two mining territories. To the West was Fairmont, with its large mountain slopes and redwood trees, perfect source of wood. In the south-west was Parkleigh, with its pristine beaches and stunning natural geography (large rainforests) and bordering New Gelderland. The fifth province was Deltan, to the far East with the Agri Delta system providing the agricultural lifeblood for the nation. Finally, the sixth segment represented the islands, and the Kale Island territories. There, tribal leaders practised traditions still performed to this day, including a traditional fire burning ceremony, the smoke of which caused some of the crowd to cough, and sacrifices for Margaret, including putting (already dead) chickens into the large pot.

The representatives of the six regional groupings of Electrum converged in the city in the middle, and signed an agreement to federate to one nation. Before, these settlers went their separate ways and forged their own identities in different regions, but now they came together to become one again. The name "Electrum" was chosen, for the mythical alloy of gold and silver, coming from the nation's north, and providing the many riches both in the past and today. This was the Constitutional Convention, but before the agreement could be signed, a large "BANG" was heard. Another one rung. And another one. The representatives looked up. Suddenly, there were no more people working to Electrum's north. Instead, a large mass of refugees streamed in from Electrum's north -- representing the large inward migration which boosted Electrum's population from just a couple million to forty million today. Where were these refugees coming from? Electrum's northern neighbour, Eura.

The six regions were swept away as more and more people entered the stadium. There was some impassioned debate during the Constitutional Convention, but the person who would become the first Prime Minister of Electrum, Albert Burns (of which the city of Burnton was named after) had what was described as one of the most impassioned speeches anyone had ever heard, imploring the others to accept the refugees from the Euran civil war in an act of mercy - explaining that the settlers that came to Centralis by boat just a few dozen years ago were escaping from that same situation. With Burns' speech, a vote was held, and a majority were in favour of accepting the refugees. Then, Burns' last minute addition to the constitution, mandating pacifism and an anti-war stance was also accepted. Finally, the Convention ended, resulting in the creation of the nation of Electrum. The anthem, "Oh Electrum!" was then sung, with the audience participating. In a nod to their southern neighbours, the New Gelderland anthem was played as well, with a fairly large Gelder contingent singing along as well. There was then a minutes silence for those who passed away at the last Olympics, as a result of stampedes, and also for those who had fallen during the Lasft Baseball-Softball terrorism attacks, where terrorists shot athletes because of the Olympic Council's decision to remove baseball and softball from the Olympic programme.

Finally, swirls appeared on stage, as all of the props were packed up again. The large screens in the stadium turned on once more -- broadcasting the progress of the relay torch. This time, former Sports Minister, Nina Spring, who, along with most of her fellow party members, lost her seat for the Liberty Party in the last election was the torch bearer. She was one of the instrumental planners for the Olympics. Suddenly, she yelled at the camera, "The Olympics would be NOTHING without me, you UNGRATEFUL fools!" The audio was suddenly muted as the guards protecting the torch ripped it off her and gave it to the next person who was jogging along, Rosalind Corby, another former minister. She smiled at the camera -- the camera stood in place as she kept going, before it faded away... Ladies and gentlemen, would you please start applauding for the start of the Parade of Nations! A large roar could be heard across the city as the Olympic Stadium got ready to meet the athletes which would wow the multiverse for the next three weeks.

The first delegation to come out was Acronius, then Alphatheta, then the Archregimancy... and so on. The Opening Ceremony followed in the usual alphabetical order, skipping over Electrum and New Gelderland. Large cheers were given out for nations of some significance to Electrum, including for Eura, the Brits, the Electrum Diplomatic Offices (who appointed Gertrude Pullman as their flagbearer, infamous for being the representative for the EDO in WorldVision), Gregoryisgodistan, Izmedu, Quebec, the Swordeans and countless other sporting nations. Other nations that got a large cheer include the former Olympic hosts as well. The athletes from each nation were given approximately one and a half minutes to enter, before the next nation was announce (give or take depending on athletes numbers), but overall it took around ninety minutes for the sixty or so delegations to make a lap of the stadium, and sit in a specially reserved area in the stands. When nations were called out, they were called by their English names, and then different scenes from their nations would come up on the large screens in the stadium. The scenes that were chosen had special historical or otherwise significance to the nation. Reserved for the penultimate position were the fellow co-hosts, New Gelderland. There was much acclaim from the Gelders, with their flagbearer Griffin Chase, competing in the cycling events. Finally, the Electrumite delegation came out, all decked out in the national colours - gold and silver, of course to the biggest cheer of them all. The flagbearer was Cylene Andrikopolous, who won bronze in the 4x100m women's freestyle relay, and set an Olympic record for the women's 100m freestyle, winning the gold medal at the young age of just sixteen.

There was to be one more segment before the speeches and the opening. A quick check on the screens revealed that the torch was now almost at the stadium, crossing the river. This was the song and dance segment, and the two most recent WorldVision winners, the Britonish Mya Richardson and Kalosian Lucia Edin. Edin first sung "Kalosianë Amurë" (Song here). With the olden style music, Broadway-like dancers came on stage and did tap dancing. It was a fun short song to start the section. Up next was the Britonish Mya Richardson, who would sing "Resplendency," an upbeat song specifically created for this opening ceremony, available here, music here.

Then, those two singers, Edin, Richardson were joined by representatives from the Electrumite WorldVision song contest, third placers Eliza Nord, Alice Howards and the band Monday's Child, as well as Nocturne, Matty P, Pelissa Pisera, Jane Baker, Tim Symons, and Kane McDermott came on stage and performed a medley of three songs. The first was an electronic-style music, willing athletes to go Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Daft Punk). The song was composed by Kane McDermott and Matty P, known for this style of music.

The next act to come was a surprise -- Gertrude Pullman, the oldest athlete for Electrum at ~70 years old (no one really knows) who was sitting in the athlete's stand, and competing for the Electrum Diplomatic Offices went on stage, and they all sung her classic WorldVision song, "All the Young Girls." Pullman was specially invited by the ceremony organisers to perform, as she is a well known symbol of Electrum throughout the universe, known for her songs as an old lady bashing against youth. Performers went around the arena, throwing handbags and fake-tasering each other, as a nod to Gertrude's antics, and the third and fourth lines about voting in the last verse were changed to how the Pullman sisters were going to defeat 'all the girls' in the women's table tennis team tournament. Finally, the ten musical acts performed one final song together, the Eliza Nord-composed song during the last Winter Olympics, "All the Silver Athletes".

Composer and Lyricist: Eliza Nord
Tune: "All the Silver Athletes"

All the Silver Athletes

All the silver athletes (All the silver athletes)
All the silver athletes (All the silver athletes)
All the silver athletes (All the silver athletes)
All the silver athletes
Now accept the silver

You don't need gold, you don't need bronze
We do it the Electrum way
You did your very best, but now they wanna give
Cause another person had beat you
You're up on bronze, But your down gold
Don't pay them any attention
Cause you tried your best, for a cycle
We can't be mad at you

Chorus:
Cause we're already putting a silver-medal on you
We're already putting a silver-medal on you
Don't be mad that you were nearly the best
We're already putting a silver-medal on you

Wuh uh oh uh uh oh oh uh oh uh uh oh
Wuh uh oh uh uh oh oh uh oh uh uh oh

Chorus

You got silver on your neck, you're not a train wreck
At least you're better than the multiverse
Looking up, it ain't what it seems
They care more about your think
All that glitters ain't gold, they sold their souls
They only go down, it's foretold
Cause your second best
Now you're gonna be blessed
Cause next time you're gonna improve

Chorus

Wuh uh oh uh uh oh oh uh oh uh uh oh
Wuh uh oh uh uh oh oh uh oh uh uh oh

Chorus

Wuh uh oh uh uh oh oh uh oh uh uh oh
Wuh uh oh uh uh oh oh uh oh uh uh oh

Don't take it personally, of your loss
You're the best in the world
One performance is nothing, what you deserve
Is something so much more, you need to
Improve, and prove everyone wrong, to go infinity and beyond
Silver's still a great metal
But I know the one you want,
Everyone wants the gold
But at least you got silver

All the silver athletes (All the silver athletes)
All the silver athletes (All the silver athletes)
All the silver athletes (All the silver athletes)
All the silver athletes
Now accept the silver

Wuh uh oh uh uh oh oh uh oh uh uh oh
Wuh uh oh uh uh oh oh uh oh uh uh oh

Chorus x2

Wuh uh oh

The singers danced quite provocatively, exactly the same as in the music video that Eliza Nord produced (OOC: Just look at the video...). Gertrude Pullman, the elderly lady, was extremely shocked and stormed out halfway through the song. The male performers laughed as they did the quite silly dance, but some conservative commentators on the Electrum social media networks were already complaining how 'pop-like' the Opening Ceremony had become. With the song and dance portion out of the way, all the singers and performers left the stage. On the large screens, the torch was just a kilometre away from the Olympic Stadium. As the torch got closer and closer to the stadium, the more cheering there was, with many people unable to get into the jam-packed arena lined the streets for a glimpse of the torch. The Euran-appointed security guards kept a close eye on the runner as they continued.

Now, was just a blank blue-coloured stage in the middle. In separate cars, dignitaries started arriving. Present were Governor-General Julia Wunderlich, Centralis Lord Mayor Andy Simons, Prime Minister Nick Wood, the current minister for Sports, Senator Andrew Harris, Jonathan Mercer and Sally Lines, the NGOC and EOC Presidents, Liam Pierce, the Bid Chairman from New Gelderland, the Olympic Council President, and Electrum Olympic Joint Parliamentary Committee chairperson, and former Prime Minister, current leader of the Labour Party, Opposition Leader Cynthia Suarez. Due to a technicality, Suarez was an invited dignitary despite being ousted from the PM role just a few months ago in the Rio Oscuro dam affair, as the reams of Olympic legislation passed hurriedly when the Electrum bid was accepted included one such provision which invited Suarez. In addition, all the speakers were invited to speak, with the government being blocked by the EOC from interfering with the Opening Ceremony -- some say due to recent small budgetary cuts to the Sports Ministry budget.

First up to speak, in order of precedence was Julia Wunderlich. She had a fairly normal speech, but dragged on for ages. The single parent of two daughters was randomly selected as the Governor-General, so in this international event, she boasted that fact once more. Then, she applauded the athletes. Next up was Prime Minister Nick Wood, who said much of the same, congratulating their athletes for their hard work in qualifying for these Olympics. He then had a bizarre warning, explaining that not all nations were meant to win medals like Electrum, and that they should just let the magic happen for the Electrumites. There were some boos from the international athletes as he sit back down. Next was the Minister for Sport, and the Conservative Party senator, Andrew Harris had a blatantly partisan speech. He said that it was only the Conservative Party that could keep the Olympics on schedule, under-budget and create a larger legacy for Electrumite sports and tourism. He attacked the left wing for not understanding the great good that the right does. There were even more boos than before.

Up next, and already twenty minutes during the speeches segment was the next person in the table of precedence, Opposition Leader Cynthia Suarez. Athletes... the reason you are here was because of the LABOUR government. We were the ones that bid for this event, along with New Gelderland, but those nasty Conservatives want all the credit! Well I'll tell you now, what Olympic legacy are they creating, when they are cutting funding for the sports ministry! You should be ashame--. Nick Wood stood up and took the microphone, and said, take that back right now Cynthia! Tempers were still high after the snap election which caused the downfall of the previous government due to an international incident. The Centralis Lord Mayor stood up and separated the two, before giving a quick soundbite as his speech: "Please, we're not all crazy politically like them!" The Olympic Council President passed his turn, and the three Electrum-New Gelderland Olympic Committee members getting worried, all stood up and spoke to the microphone together (wanting the ceremony to end more quickly) and thanked the athletes for making their way to Electrum. Bid chairman Liam Pierce stuck around and reminded athletes for the football, and those competing in New Gelderland that events for them started in two days, to allow them to use tomorrow as travel time. He sat back down. All the officials were ushered away in their cars and driven off the stadium -- they would then come up to their own separate corporate boxes booked for the Olympic Games for dignitaries, heads of state and so forth. Julia Wunderlich stayed back to administer the oaths.

On behalf of all the Olympic athletes, Gelder athlete Henry London, who is competing in the Men's Decathlon event. On behalf of the referees and judges, tennis chair Lisa Trinh, of Electrum would participate. They both pledged allegiance to the Olympic values. The Olympic Estoile flag was then raised in the Olympic Stadium. Julia Wunderlich, having the honour of being Electrum's randomly selected head of state, declared the Games of the X Olympiad open!

At that exact point in time, on screen, the torch was about to enter the arena! The moment everyone had been waiting for had finally arrived. Carrying the torch into the arena was tennis legend Peter Oaker, the man who secured funding for the then-new Centralis Tennis Park, former president of the Electrum Lawn Tennis Association, and former tennis prodigy. He passed it onto Mary Bishop, who won silver in the women's 30km classical event in the X Winter Olympics in the Free Republics. She then passed it on to Thom Thant, the person who would be the one to light the cauldron. One small, thin cauldron and a wide, stout cauldron were present. Thom Thant is a recently retired skiier who won the ultimate event of the X Winter Olympics, a gold medal in the men's 50km classical event, the longest and most demanding of all the Winter Olympic events. He took the torch as he ran a final lap of the stadium, went towards the middle where the two cauldrons were and lit them both. Finally, the Games of the X Olympiad were commencing! The wide, stout cauldron was to be sent on a freight plane later that night, where it would be flown over to Nassau Bay, The other one, would stay on the roof of the Olympic Stadium, staying in Electrum.

Once the two cauldrons were lit, there were large celebrations. House parties across Electrum and New Gelderland continued into the night with a fifteen minute firework display across the city, and in the stadium as well. The Eridanus river, which flowed through the city was vibrant and colourful, with various lights and spotlights shining over the clear river. The symbol of the Olympic Estoile was also raised to the top of the stadium as well. Although the men's water polo, and indoor volleyball, and the women's basketball had already started, the games had well and truly begun now... What would come next was the world's best sporting events the multiverse had ever witnessed, from sports as diverse from shooting to the modern pentathlon, from equestrian to gymnastics, boxing to taekwondo, as well as the classics, athletics and swimming.

---

This is your cutoff for Day 0 for the Games of the X Olympiad. Results for the three team sports will be out shortly, as the roleplays and rosters have already been marked.

[The Serbian Empire]

The Serbian Sporting News

The opening day of events was more an underwhelming prelude of the Serbian delegation's performance. However, this time tomorrow will be the Olympiad debut of Orihime Matsuzaka, an athlete from Japan who has become a naturalized citizen of the Serbian Empire. Radovan Pejic also provides a viable shot at a medal himself in the Men's 400m Freestyle. The women's water polo team is a viable contender as well but they'll only be playing their first game. Mila Vranac's a dark horse candidate to win a medal in the Women's 100m Butterfly, but tomorrow's just the qualifier and heats. The finals are on day 2.

The results of Day Zero

The women's basketball team won 72-69 against Nova Anglicana, but the team is made of college students from the University of Nis, the championship team from the SCAA Women's Basketball Championship. Not exactly inspiring against much higher level competition. The other efforts from the men's water polo team and men's volleyball teams are underwhelming and resulted in losses.

[Swibia]

Swibian Olympic Bulletin

Welcome to the first Swibian Olympics Bulletin for the 10th Summer Olympics.

We've got a great team coming into this Olympics, still riding high off the back of some fantastic results from the last one. As a reminder, we won several medals at the last Olympics, including Niall Collinson with a Gold in the Men's 50m Rifle Prone, Gunnar Crofts and Camron Wetmore with a Silver in the Men's Tennis Doubles, William Shakeshaft with a Silver in Men's Heavyweight Boxing, Chris Ballard with a Bronze in the Men's K-1 1000m Canoeing and last but not least, Darrin Plumb with a Bronze in the Men's Marathon.

All these athletes and more are back for this year's tournament. Already we've had some cracking results. On Day Zero, before the Opening Ceremony, the Women's Basketball team beat the Wray (WRY) team 81-60. The team, which reached the Quarterfinals at the last Olympics, is looking to beat that record and get to the Semis or even further this time round. The match was close, but in the second half the women managed to establish a clear lead over the Wray team, culminating in the victory and putting them top of the table for Group F after Matchday One.

Elsewhere on Day Zero, the Men's Indoor Volleyball team beat the Gregoryisgodistan (GGS) team in what remained a close-run match throughout. Fortunately, Swibia just grasped it, giving them the vital 3 points and putting them third in Group F.

On Day One, we're going to see both Matchday One for the Women's Indoor Volleyball team, and for the Men's Basketball team. The Men's Basketball team also managed to reach the Quarterfinals last time round, and the Women's Indoor Volleyball team reached the Octo-finals, so it looks to be an exciting day of matches whilst we give the Women's Basketball and Men's Indoor Volleyball teams time to recover.

[Kaboomlandia]

Kaboomlandian Olympic Roundup: Day 0

Phoenix lose heartbreaker to Acronius

The Kaboomlandian women's basketball team blew a late lead Friday night and lost 88-86 in overtime to Acronius. The team had played well, but were simply unable to finish Acronius in the dying seconds. It is the first-ever Olympics for the inexperienced Kaboomlandians, but their enthusiasm carried them to within inches of a victory. Late in the fourth quarter:

"Kaboomlandia is buzzing late. Down 79-78, long ball...three points! Acronius heaves the ball downcourt...alley-opp...TIE GAME!"

The Phoenix never recovered and lost after a buzzer-beater at the end of overtime.

Kaboomlandia beats Aristians in water polo

On the other side, Kaboomlandia beat the Aristian Republic 9-7 in water polo Friday, as a late goal by the Aristians was called back and allowed the Phoenix to gain confidence and score two straight goals in 47 seconds to win. The team is now placed third in a strong group with Cosumar, Semarland, and Britonisea.

[Gregoryisgodistan]

Lord Almighty Gregory Carries Flag Into Olympic Stadium to Thunderous Applause

Last night in Centralis, Lord Almighty Gregory himself carried the Gregoryisgodistai flag into Olympic Stadium, with his fellow athletes all behind him, and received thunderous applause. The Gregoryisgodistanis in the stands bowed to their One True Lord, while the others simply cheered him loudly. Never before has God himself entered a stadium in Electrum for the Olympics, so it was truly impressive.

Gregoryisgodistan was supposed to be preceded by The Greater Vakolicci Vakolicci Haven, marching under G for Greater, but at the last minute, the Organizing Committee decided to have the Vakoliccis march under T for The, in between Taeshan and United Kingdoms of Zacklantis. This was done to avoid another diplomatic incident at the Opening Ceremony, similar to the several that occurred between the two nations in Kytler last year, that ultimately led to multiple deaths and the banning of the Gregoryisgodistani anthem. So Gregoryisgodistan entered in between Frenline Delpha and Izmedu. Some unknown fans of some unknown country decided they did not like Frenline Delpha's new letterboxed flag and decided to letterbox the rental car of the head of the Frenline Delpha Olympic delegation. Electrumite authorities are looking to catch the criminal, and if he turns out to be Gregoryisgodistani, we will execute him along with his family. Letterboxing cars is not something we tolerate in Gregoryisgodistan. It is considered vandalism, especially when done to a friendly nation like Frenline Delpha. This action, if it indeed came from our fans, is truly unacceptable and they will be punished severely. But we do not know who it was yet, it may not have been a Gregoryisgodistani. But in light of incidents at past Olympic Games, we felt best to clarify our government does not condone that sort of thing.

Anyway, our women's basketball team was in action yesterday as well and fell 76-60 to Britonisea, a not too unexpected result. Although Gregoryisgodistani athletes have a history of performing better than expected, our women's basketball team is just not very good. We came in there with the hopes of losing by less than 25 to a Britonisea team, and sure enough, that's exactly what happened. Mission accomplished. Now let's at least try to win one game this pool stage.

Our men's volleyball team also fell, in four sets, to Swiba, but at least managed to win one. They were also not expected to do well, so this is not too problematic. The first game of the water polo pool stage was also held yesterday, but Gregoryisgodistan does not have a water polo team. Also, is there really any other kind of stage in water polo? It all takes place in a pool. It's not like there's a field stage, a court stage, an ice rink stage, a track stage, or a boxing rink stage. It's all a pool stage. Next thing, they'll be saying there's something other than a knockout stage in boxing. No, that's all there is. Apparently the schedule makers were smart enough to figure that out. That's good.

But the highlight of yesterday's Opening Ceremony, other than Lord Almighty Gregory entering Olympic Stadium, was when they showed him on the giant video screen carrying the Olympic torch through Gregoryisgodistan. They chose him, out of all the people to carry the flag through our Glorious and Holy Nation, to be on the video board, because he alone is our God, and he alone is the Lord Almighty. Good for the Electrumites.

Coming up today, Loyal Friend of Lord Almighty Gregory Guaya Beans Are Dumb and Loyal Friend of Lord Almighty Gregory Death to King Petrus XX May He Be Beheaded Off With His Head will compete in the heats and semifinals of the men's 100 m breaststroke, with the finals to come tomorrow. Loyal Friend Of Lord Almighty Gregory Guaya Beans Are Dumb will also compete in the heats and final of the 400 m freestyle along with Loyal Friend of Lord Almighty Gregory Nuke Saintland And Kill King Petrus. They will both have an opportunity to win medals, hopefully. Maybe they will even be gold and songs of "Lord Almighty Gregory" will ring out through the Swimming Place.

Competing in the 400 m medley heats and final will be Loyal Friend of Lord Almighty Gregory Guaya Beans Are Dumb, in yet another event, as well as our first look at the Enemy Crushers, specifically Enemy Crusher Bellyfloppy Fatty. It will be a miracle if Enemy Crusher Bellyfloppy Fatty even makes it to the final, yet alone wins. He is just too fat to swim very well. Maybe he will propel himself through the pool on his fat. Who knows? But that should be fun.

On the ladies side, Lord Almighty Gregory's 38th Concubine will compete in the women's 100 m butterfly, which has heats and semifinals today, but not finals just yet. She is a concubine and will probably not win a medal, but you never know. Anything can happen. No Gregoryisgodistanis compete in the women's 400 m IM, the first event to award medals, so they will not win the first gold, unfortunately. Nor are any of them competing in the 4x100 IM relay, so there's that, and that's that for swimming.

There is also more water polo, which we don't care about, and more basketball, this time the men's. Also volleyball, this time women's. But the biggest medal hopes of the day come in judo, where Slave Beater JU2439UA9S8FDU will compete for the men and Lord Almighty Gregory's 433rd Concubine will compete for the women in their respective weight classes. Slave Beater JU2439UA9S8FDU has a much better medal hope, but again, this is the Olympics. Anything can happen, so don't be surprised if they both win. But in any case, Gregoryisgodistan's best judo medal chances come in higher weight classes, like with Enemy Crusher Fatty Krusherz. We will just have to wait and see what happens here.

Tomorrow, action starts in New Geldrland, but with very few medal events. In events we are strong in, there will be the archery ranking rounds, but no medals will be awarded just yet, only rankings, seedings, and deciding who goes through further. We also have the finals in two shooting events, the Men's and Women's 10 m air pistol. Gregoryisgodistan has two athletes more than capable of winning a medal in each of those, all current soldiers in the most Glorious and Holy Military in the Multiverse. Those should be fun. There are also a lot of heats and qualifications for our athletes, including some with medal hopes, but none can win medals tomorrow. Only shooting and that's about it. Plus a few more things in Electrum, mainly swimming and judo.

But for now, let's focus on today and worry about tomorrow tomorrow. And let's get us some medals!

[Barunia]

Hi, I'm Greg McCullum in BNN's Porthaven Studio, and you're watching our coverage of the tenth olympic games. In a moment, we'll show you some of the highlights of a fantastic opening ceremony, but first, let's have a look at some of the television you can expect to see over the next two weeks. We'll start our live coverage at ten pm Barunian time and take you right through the night to nine in the morning.

Starting at nine we have a special morning show for you, with our olympic heroes joining Penny and Davo on the couch for a chat, and that will be streamed live from New Gelderland with crosses to our Electrum studio.

Then we'll show you a repeat of most of the night's action, so don't worry, you won't miss anything, you don't have to be up at 3 in the morning to see your favourite event because we'll bring it to you from 9 to 6 every day. We promise to bring you every Barunian in action during these games.

At 6 o'clock we bring you Gold Rush, a highlights programme featuring every medal event from the day's play, before the fun begins at 7:30 with John and Klaus in The Cauldron, for an irreverant and hilarious take on all things Olympics.

Finally, there's just enough time for the Games Show, which will introduce you to our host cities, our athletes, and the upcoming events for the day.

All that will be happening each and every day, right here on BNN Sports. Do stick with us now, as we relieve the wonder that was the Opening Ceremony of the tenth Olympic Games."

[Fluvique]

Men's Waterpolo
Historic triumph of the White Dolphins
Frenline Delpha (FND) 6–10 Fluvique (FLU)

The Games of the X Olympiad officially started for the Fluviquean delegation. Were the boys of the waterpolo team which achieved the first smile of the tournament after win 10-6 over Frenline Delpha, in the first match of the Group. In a tough game, the national team was always the winning team until the final quarter. There, Frenline Delpha had a 3-0 run and changed the score from 3-5 to 6-5.  Fortunately the reaction came and Fluvique, in the last three minutes, reverted the score to reach the 10-6 definitive and giving the squad a very feasted victory. The goals were of Fred Korrie, Bart Clyffe, Lans Lester (x2), Liam Ward (x2) and Greg Lincoln (x4)

Women's basketball
Hard defeat of the women's team
New Gelderland 82–59 Fluvique

Debut and defeat. Hard defeat for a team with some good players and a touching heart. Perhaps the atmosphere, playing against the home team, and the first match in the Olympics was too much. However, the white team was losing 38-31 at the end of the first half.

The match was decided in the last chapter, when New Gelderland took advantage of the physical decline of the giants to widen the gap. The team of Ghank made a huge effort and equalized the score (41-41), in the early third quarter and, even, was five down (53-48) with a double of Blythe Dorine with seven minutes to go. But New Gelderland hit the gas, and exhibited a stifling defense to kept the victory, more bulging than the game itself, but well deserved.

Men's volleyball
The Long Ones assured a positive first journey

The men's volleyball team won 3-0 over Eura in the first matchday of the Olympics. The team coached by Miguel Angel Jantje achieved the victory in one hour and twenty minutes with sets of 25-16, 25-23 and 25-22.
Fluvique started with Mario Cayden, Arsène Maurice, San Kasmir, Garret Stij and Walter Cedric.

The successors of The Long Ones originals wrote the first page of this history. Half of the stadium was covered with tricolour flags and the Allez Fluvique resounded all the match, with a few drums and a lot of colorful. Without doubt, the fans will try to help them in their dream of glory.

Tomorrow

With a sold-out, the match between Fluvique and Elejamie will be clearly the highlight of the first day. The expectations at home are huge and all the world eyes will be watching the young Fluviquean players.

[Todd McCloud]

Vekaiyu Participates in Parade of Nations, Re-enacts First Olympic "Gaffe"
Reporting for V3 News Services, Rin Slakori

CENTRALIS - The Vekaiyun delegation had to wait roughly eighty minutes to appear in the stadium, perform their lap, and take their reserved seats in the decadent Olympic Stadium, dressed in a blue hue to represent the churning seas, no doubt to represent the tumultuous beginnings of the plucky pilgrims that would later settle Electrum, named after a "mythical alloy of gold and silver". The Vekaiyuns did not disappoint. While the variety of fur markings and colors were dulled from the aquatic hue, they were at least a contrast against the black formal suits with red trim and a single red stripe lining the outside leg of the pants worn by the men, and the simple simple red dresses with black vests, stitched in common Vekaiyun peasant symbols worn by the women.

The some 550-strong Vekaiyun athletic delegation took photos and waved various signs in Unionian, which included the now-commercialized "Vekaiyu!" written in modern Unonian script against a green background, similar in style to the various banners used by the Vekaiyun nation over the past several years. The flag-bearer, Ikrisia Sulevire, was once again overshadowed by the great Vekaiyun Star centered against a crimson background and thoughtfully surrounded by young jaku tree branches as depicted on the Vekaiyun flag. She waved the banner proudly as the screens played a quick video of some Vekaiyun historical highlights, namely, St. Aiya and some of the early Vayan Catholic saints, through the Vekaiyun campaigns in Dveria and the trade leagues, to the present day, with The Vekaiyun Union formed via the guiding hand of Vekaiyun Premier Ikrisia Levinile, who emerged on the screen (played by an actor, because world leaders are far too busy for acting out scenes, of course) after the bitter 2010 Vekaiyun Civil War, the 2012 fight for Listonia, and the deciding contest against Dveria in 2014.

During the Fifth Summer Games, Vekaiyuns were criticized for having two athletes run to the flagbearer and hoist her on their shoulders. No official statement was made, but Olympic officials ordered them to set her back down and walk appropriately. This year, the two same athletes - Vanse Lovisteru and Vinsent Pikera - performed the same event by running from the back of the delegation and picking up the small 4'10'' flagbearer as the Vekaiyun faithful cheered on. This time there was no immediate rush to stop the two wrestlers from picking up the swimmer, and she used the moment to wave the banner higher.

"I always wanted to do that again," Sulevire said after the event. "The humans are so much taller than we [vulpines] are - at least a foot or so. And we can't walk down in stilts."

The Vekaiyun athletic delegation continued walking alongside the edge of the field, finishing their lap and taking their seats. There they would remain until the end of the show when they were dismissed to return to Olympic Village where luxury apartments and various restaurants awaited them. But what stuck in the minds of the Vekaiyun faithful was the incessant bickering between party leaders in Electrum as they fought to claim responsibility for bringing the games to their home nation. specifically the ruling conservative group and the submissive labour group. Much like the various political parties in Vekaiyu, they have their distinct differences, but the Vekaiyun system does not allow for elections of a Premier, perhaps equivalent to the Prime Minister position held by Nick Wood. The in-fighting was short, but it inspired athletes to draw contrasts between the Vekaiyun style of government and others.

"I think our system is better," Ika Uleveri, an annual favorite for the Women's Heptathlon, mused. "But it depends on who is leading, I suppose. It would be nice to change leaders without starting a civil war, if we would ever need to change one, you know? I like having representation in [the Vekaiyun legislature]. It's promoted a lot of synergy between the provinces."

Last year's gold medal winner in the Men's 100m Butterfly, Yamano Viri, was more critical, adding, "it is an embarrassment to see leaders from the same nation fighting in front of international cameras! They should have set aside differences for this moment." When asked if Listonian Premier Stapen Evesuni's outbursts from two years ago were also appropriate, he changed his tune. "Well, it was a stressful time. Listonia is better for it."

"I didn't understand all the words, but the people singing and dancing seemed to have fun doing it," gymnast Leina Uverilsetrese commented when asked about the catchy 'All the Silver Medals' song. She then laughed, remembering how the Vekaiyun Olympic Council (VOC) suggested giving plastic medals to all fourh place finishes last year. "I guess silver is better than plastic."

Continue to stay updated with V3 News Services as we march toward early events that are sure to be a thrill for Vekaiyuns everywhere! Like, did you hear Vekaiyu won their opening match in men's waterpolo? No? Well, you did now! They won!

[The Archregimancy]

IT'S A CONSPIRACY!

The Olympic Vlog of Fr. Vasily the Heavily Accented


Is outrage!

Are organisers of Tenth Olympiad already engaging in the anti-Orthodox conspiracy?

The answer is clearly being yes.

We were not doing the participating in Ninth edition of Olympics in protest at constant undermining of Monastic Olympic participants via vast anti-Orthodox conspiracy, but now were are being back - nonetheless under the protesting, is what I am saying - in hope that nations of Ordinary Reality are being more open to needs of Orthodox monastic delegation.

Already some are asking if this is being big mistake - biggest mistake, perhaps, since dreadful mistake of doing the attempted engagement with Western schismastic heretics at so-called Council of Florence.

<spit>

Just be looking at dreadful Olympic opening ceremony. Was there snippet of Orthodox liturgy? No. Instead there was being dreadful provocative dancing by woman called Eliza Nord in intentional failed attempt to distract brave monastic athletes from life of contemplation and prayer. False sense of security they were doing the lulling by having monastic athletes enter as third delegation in clear reference to glorious Holy Trinity, but this was only being subtle plan to force monastic athletes closer to stage where Nord whore and dancers was doing the shaking of what I believe some are calling booty.

Then there is scheduling of Olympics. There are being no events involving monastic athletes until day 2 of competition, which is surely being sign that organisers are doing the suggesting that Orthodox monks are the second class of citizens instead of being full participants in Olympic Games.

At least in this Olympics team are not doing the being forced into... <shudder> ... mixed housing, which is being part of Satan's plan for destruction of multiverse in the final days, and hosts have even been providing team with small Orthodox chapel in Olympic village.

But I am not being fooled. Opening ceremony Nord whore incident is clear sign of where organisers intentions lie, and on them my eye it will be doing the keeping, let me be doing the assuring of you.

[Kannap]

Kannapian News Network: Breaking News

Anti-Olympic Protests in Kannapolis; 426 Dead

---

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Protester during the protest

Protests occurred today in the capital of Kannap against Kannapian participation in the Olympic Games. This is the first year that protests have actually occurred in response to the Olympics. In the past, people have been very outspoken on social media in regards to their anti-Olympic sentiment, but this is the first time that physical actions have taken place to show public displeasure towards the sporting event.

Police quickly responded to the protesters by closing roads and keeping the protesters in a small square near the center of the capital city. The protesters responded peacefully and did not attack the police officers who were simply doing their jobs. Within an hour of the protests beginning, the Kannapian military had been deployed to handle the problem. The military swiftly arrived and took out the problem by firing their weapons into the crowd of protesters. Witnesses from the buildings around the square say that the soldiers appeared and blocked off all routes that could have been used to escape the square. The witnesses said that the protesters tried to escape down some side alleyways, but you would see the protesters disappear and then you'd hear gunshots before seeing the protesters pour back into the square from the alleyway.

Witnesses say that some of the protesters started to bang on doors to the buildings that face into the square and that some people allowed the protesters in while others kept their doors locked shut. The witnesses say that the buildings that allowed protesters in were entered by soldiers and more gunshots were heard from within. After about thirty minutes, witnesses say, the gunfire stopped and it appeared that all the protesters were dead.

The final death toll is 426. That is all 400 protesters and 26 other civilians that tried aiding the protesters. The Kannapian government has released a statement regarding this incident and says that this should be an example to all citizens that protests will be handled swiftly and abruptly. The Premier also wished good luck to all Kannapian athletes competing in the sporting events upcoming.

We will not release any names of the witnesses here, but rumor exists that all witnesses to the protest and events thereafter will be executed later this evening.

[Izmedu]

THE VODIZNAD CHRONICLE

Borjas' Editorial Blog: Special Olympics Coverage
Day Zero: Tentative Success
Written by Borjas Serifovic with additional contributions by Igras Milic and S.L. Ivanovic

CENTRALIS – I wonder what is must be like for viewers at home to view the Olympics vicariously through a TV screen, how that experience compares to being on the foreground of the Olympics, to be in one of the co-hosts' soil and live through the Olympics in person. Its' grand scale has often been discussed, and I and my fellow editors have obviously predicted the Olympiad to be massive. However, seeing and experiencing the events washes away any sort of perspective building that may have been developed. Humongous is an understatement to describe the sheer scale of something so multiversal and so expansive. There's a certain awe being in Centralis experiencing the games that I doubt will not be replicated in the TV screen, and something I will likely never experience in a long time ever again.

It is Day Zero of the Games of the X Olympiad and a lot's happened, despite the official Day One not even happening yet. The opening ceremony, which I'll go into depth later in, was a pure delight to watch in person in the Olympic Stadium's rafters. However, the real highlights were in the first set of matches, in Men's Water Polo and Women's Basketball, marking Izmedu's first sport matches in an international setting. To sum up short, this Day Zero has gone on better than I had personally been expecting, and has given hope to Izmeduan optimists of our success in the games. Here's a rundown of today's events, starting with indeed, the opening ceremony.

Opening Ceremony

What can I possibly say about this ceremony that hasn't already been said by the many Izmeduans buzzing on social media? There's a lot to absorb in such a short space of time, and I'm still reeling from the hype of seeing so many things happening in such a contracted space of time, not including the parade of nations. To perhaps start, the initial part on the history of of Electrum was fantastic and beautifully staged, inciting emotions in the crowd and yelps of excitement as we saw Electrumite history beautifully recreated on the stage. A truly beautiful first half and historical showcase, immense kudos to the one responsible for this, a job well done. The part focusing and honoring the indigenous peoples and cultures of Electrum was particularly executed well, for there's just a certain happiness to see the nation extoll all of its cultures in such a positive, proud light. I cheered and followed the crowd as appropriate, and stayed silent as the arena stood in a minute's silence for those who, to my knowledge, died in a terrorist attack in the previous Olympic games. Even if I do not know them, my sincere condolences to their families and friends.

To much more cheerful things, the parade of nations was a delight to watch from the audience as well, and I could not helped be warmed as the crowd cheered as our delegation was called forth, a small group of Izmeduans, our delegation, towed their way towards their designated positions as Finka Jankovic held the Red, Green, and Blue up high for the world to see. For at least a few seconds, those watching at home for all nations saw the Izmeduan flag billowing about proudly. However, none of the cheers could rival those received by the Electrum and New Gelderland delegations.

Next up was the entertainment and music section, which from what I hear managed to break Izmeduan social media just from the sheer hype it generated. This seems surprising, but considering the names that performed, Lucia Edin and Mya Richardson from Kalosia and Britonisea respecitvely, the strong social media reaction was par for the course. These two singers are from the WorldVision Song Contest, one in which Izmedu consistently participates in. Both were clear standouts for sure, but there was something about Mya's song that was infectious, despite the 'Resplendency' for me being an odd choice for a song title. We then transitioned over to an act performed by all of the Electrumite WorldVision contestants, including a certain Gertrude Pullman. A bit crowded, and that All the Silver Medals song was a bit messy, but the energy was otherworldly.

The Opening Ceremony, after all of the pomp and festivities, seemed to sort of dovetail with some oddly, politically charged speeches. However, that didn't kill off my enjoyment of the festivities from earlier, and the organizers down there did an excellent job in re-energizing the arena from those loud boos once the torch entered the Olympic Stadium. Once the cauldrons were lit, that's the sign that the Olympics would begin in earnest. All in all, a moving, excellent opening ceremony, spoiled by some unnecessary speeches in its tail-end, but it was an unforgettable experience unlike no other. With that out of the way, it's now time to get to the real meat of day 0. Izmedu's first two matches in the Olympic Games.

Men's Water Polo Matchday 1: Welcomzia vs. Izmedu (8-8)

Going into the match, prognostications for the Izmeduan Men's Water Polo team weren't good up against a much more well-trained and well-rested Welcomzian team. Our water polo team comes off as inexperienced due to its newly-formed nature and the lack of domestic league experience and one of the premiere Izmeduan players and most reliable goal scorer, Jakov Zoric, seemed to show subtle signs of physical exhaustion as he touched down with the Izmeduan delegation before the game. The odds were somewhat stacked against us, an uphill battle and a certainly difficult battle to overcome, but not an impossibility for us to stand a chance.

The end result was Izmedu's first Water Polo game ending in a tie, with great thanks to Mislav and Matko both respectively performing great defense and offense respectively in a very tight and fast paced game. The intensity of the game was realized in the first period, where the Welcomzia team easily got on the offensive and scored 2 goals against a somewhat weak Izmeduan defense during the first period of the game, with Izmedu remaining at 0. Our goalkeeper, Divorin Zivkovic, was unable to unsuccessfully block a clearly well-trained Welcomzian offense, with the first goal of the match going to Julian Klein, unexpectedly launching the ball at a distracted Divorin as the ball shadowed around the offense, going from player to player that it was hard to tell exactly who it even went to. The result was a first goal with a lane kept wide open. The second goal, though with a much more tighter defense game than earlier, went to Welcomzia once again, this time from the efforts of Orlando Freeman.

The second and third periods were a resurgence for the Izmeduan team, with the Welcomzian team putting up a pierce fight as luck and a sudden boost of morale came through the Izmeduans' side. The second period easily saw three goals from the Izmeduan side being scored, two of which are claimed by Matko Jerkovic and another, unexpectedly, by Jakov Zoric, while the Welcomzians responded by with an additional goal, putting up the score to 3-3. The third period saw an equally stronger performance from the Izmeduan offensive, with Ognajan Ivanovic, Mislav, and Antun Pavlovic penetrated the Welcomzian defense through a mix of concentration and speed, the ball snaking through the Izmeduan players treating it as a hot potato. The Welcomzians scored another two goals in the third period, with Sheldon Perry and Alfonso Henderson scoring goals against a shaky Izmeduan defense. It was 6-5 going into the final period.

The fourth period was more of a battle of wills, with goals being traded until the Welcomzians mauled the Izmeduan defense at the last two minutes of the match, with two goals from Julian Klein, Sheldon Perry, and Alfonson Henderson that made up the difference to each time an Izmeduan made a goal. By the last 30 seconds, the game was at a deadlock, it was 8-8, and it would remain that way until the bitter end. I caught Ognajan, the team captain, post-game, asking him in-depth what went on in the game and his thoughts on the performance, as transcribed by myself with hesitations in natural human speech edited out for clarity.

“That game against Welcomzia is truly something else. Leave it to the Olympics to provide a first game that's intense. That Welcomzian offense is otherworldly to be in when you're in that position, trying your best to defend Zivoric but there wasn't anything we could do. Luckily, our offense was equally as strong, if rough around the edges. That Brad Malone, he's an amazing goalkeeper, and I have to admit, I'm surprised we're able to score that many goals even with the amount of missed goals we had. If there's one thing the Welcomzians are, they're well-rounded offensively and defensively. I wouldn't hesitate for our teams to play again. On the whole, I think the first match went great. We went in, inexperienced and looking certain to lose, but through some luck and tenacity, we got it to a draw. We can definitely do better, but for a start? It's not bad.”

Next up I cover Women's Basketball, recounting it through the two junior editors I sent to watch the games, Igras Milic and S.L. Ivanovic, s I was unable to physically be there due to the Men's Water Polo match.

Women's Basketball Matchday 1 – Izmedu vs Eura (75-58)

Want a surprise that'll certainly wake you up as the Olympics begin in earnest? For the first Women's Basketball, we were up against Eura, a team that's shrouded in mystery, and Izmedu won with a 17 point margin. Major contributors to this victory were Aleksandra Stankic and Ljerka Bozenic, charging forth an Izmeduan offense that would help propel Izmedu to the lead during the first two quarters of the game. Like the Men's Water Polo, the Izmeduan defense was shaky, allowing the Eurans to garner some points as Tanja Adamic missed opportunities for Izmedu to reclaim the offensive side. By halftime, the score stood stood 48-36 in the Izmeduans' favor, with the second quarter being dominated by a Euran rally of both their offensive and defensive, matching the Izmeduans from ball to ball as the scores held steady.

The final two quarters would prove to be much the same, except for a slightly stronger Izmeduan offense that would throw in strategic and successful 3-pointers that would help widen the gap that Eura would almost close in at a couple points, but tonight's game would be in Izmedu's favor as the combined efforts of Aleksandra, Ljerka, and Petra Vukoja continuously scored consistent 2-pointers, and as mentioned earlier those clincher 3-pointers and effective rebounds that would secure victory. The Izmeduan defense also got itself together in the game's second half, effectively closing more opportunities for the Eurans to score even though there were still clear holes that could be exploited. At the match's end, the score stood 75-58, as Petra Vukoja would score the last two points of the game at the last 15 seconds.

Reflections on Day 0

Suffice to say, day 0 came out better than anyone expected, and for us, it is an unqualified success to come out of the day with a Basketball victory and a draw in Water Polo. Optimists are understandably hyped and excited as the first set of games proved that the Izmeduans can stand a chance. However, it is important to remember that this is not a time to get cocky, for the two team sports played today only represent a part of the entire delegation, and it is only day 0 after all. An important adage to remember is that a victory today may mean a loss tomorrow. Our competitors today can come back tomorrow with their own victories, while we may be nursing great losses not only in team sports, but perhaps also in Aquatics, Archery, and everything else we are participating in this Olympics. In short, the excitement and taste of victory is good, but we cannot let it drown us in a development of ego.

As I got a close look at the Olympic debriefing as Day 0 went to a close, the head coaches of the Women's Basketball and Men's Water Polo know the pitfalls of victory all too well. Suncica Babic, the Women's Basketball head coach, tells me, “I want this first victory to be everything, but one must remember that one game does not define a team, even if we let one game's performance cloud our judgment. Ultimately it is luck and energy that gave us the victory over Eura. What we gained today can almost certainly be lost tomorrow, but tonight, we will celebrate and hope for victories in the future, and prepare ourselves for great losses should they arise. This is a good first step towards something we hope to be great, but the road will be tough, and who knows what our destination is. We can only hope for the best.”

Tomorrow sees Day 1 of the Olympics with the debut of the second half of Izmedu's sports teams, namely Women's Water Polo and Men's Basketball. Both teams are perhaps just a bit more trained and experienced versus their Day 0 counterparts, but largely are considered to perform the same. Hopes are raised after Day 0, but expectations are still unknown in regards to exactly how they'll perform. Regardless, we are hoping for good things from them, as the eyes of multiverse are upon them tomorrow.

Borjas Serifovic is one of the lead writers and editors for the Vodiznad Chronicle and was assigned the task of writing special coverage for the Games of the X Olympiad. This is the second of many news posts detailing personal coverage of the Olympics through its end, and will provide intimate looks, interviews, and stories of the athletes and committee. This will coincide with the regular coverage offered by the Vodiznad Chronicle, which will provide real-time statistics, cover the Opening and Closing ceremonies, as well as every game that Izmedu participates in.

As part of a special deal to increase readership during the Olympics, the Vodiznad Chronicle offers a specialized subscription plan that gives full, exclusive access to Borjas' Olympic Editorial Blog as well as other coverage from Vodiznad Chronicle, ranging from on-the-dot news updates, to personal editorials, as well as access to potential guest articles from athletes.. You will receive real-time updates, be entered in raffle to meet the Izmeduan flagbearer, and have access to all 'premium' articles related to the Olympics until its end. For a one-time payment of IL995, you will gain immediate access to 100% coverage of the Games of the X Olympiad beyond the regular coverage we give.

To buy your subscription today, please visit: http://www.vodiznadchroicle.iz to order today.

[Welcomzia]

Day 0 Review

AM: "Welcome to the first review of the Olympic Games as the opening ceremony got under way earlier today".
KB: "And what a spectacle it was. Keneth Gracia was the flag bearer for Welcomzia, in what was a spectacular opening ceremony. It had lights, fireworks, everything. However, there were events starting. The men's water polo and indoor volleyball teams started their campaigns, as well was the women's basketball. Let's take a look at what happened now."

Men's Water Polo:

Welcomzia vs Izmedu

Welcomzia went into the game as strong favourites, but Izmedu put on an excellent show, playing way above their level. Their manager Karlovic led the team very well, and his good tactics certainly helped them in the match. Welcomzia raced into a 2-0 lead after the first period, but Jerkovic put on a masterclass performance with two goals plus one from Zoric to make the score 3-2 to Izmedu. Welcomzia's Sheldon Perry dictated proceedings from there as Welcomzia drew level, and eventually went ahead near the end of the game, before ruthless Izmedu attacking made it 6-5 going into the final period. An Alonso Henderson double and a Julian Klein wondergoal then put Welcomzia 8-6 up with minutes on the clock and Welcomzia sure of victory. However there would be one last twist in this tale as Antun Pavlovic scored a late brace for Izmedu and they held the favourites to a surprise draw.
Final Score: Welcomzia 8-8 Izmedu

Standings: Group F                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vekaiyu                                    1   1  0  0   11   5  +6    2
2 Barunia                                    1   1  0  0    9   6  +3    2
3 Izmedu                                     1   0  1  0    8   8   0    1
4 Welcomzia                                  1   0  1  0    8   8   0    1
5 Eastfield Lodge                            1   0  0  1    6   9  −3    0
6 Eura                                       1   0  0  1    5  11  −6    0

Women's Basketball:

Welcomzia vs Eirelia

Welcomzia went into the tie as underdogs but they played fantastically in this match. The score was 9-22 to Eirelia after the first quarter but after that Welcomzia, led by Kim Patterson really pulled it together. Cathy Brady and captain Nichole Douglas wrecked havoc for the team in black, making the score 31-40 at half time. Whatever the half-time team talk was, it seemed to work as Welcomzia upped their game defensively, despite more possession from Eirelia. Eirelia were however still in the lead with just one minute to go, the score 67-71. Step forward Alicia Wilkins, the 18 year-old starlet came of the bench and scored two three pointers to give Welcomzia the victory, the second of which came seconds before the buzzer. Welcomzia's players jumped around in joy, after their great comeback. There is now light at the end of the tunnel for the ladies basketball team in terms of making it to the knockout stages. If they beat the teams seeded 5th and 6th, they'll have a chance to finish as one of the best third placed teams at the very least.
Final Score: Welcomzia 73–71 Eirelia

Standings: Group A                                  Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Lymantatia                                 1   1  0   77  53 +24    2
2 Izmedu                                     1   1  0   75  58 +17    2
3 Welcomzia                                  1   1  0   73  71  +2    2
4 Eirelia                                    1   0  1   71  73  −2    1
5 Eura                                       1   0  1   58  75 −17    1
6 The United Kingdoms of Zackalantis         1   0  1   53  77 −24    1

Men's Indoor Volleyball:

Cosumar vs Welcomzia

Indoor Volleyball isn't very popular among men in Welcomzia, and that was evident today against a much better Cosumar side. Welcomzia are only the fifth seeds in the group so don't have much chance of qualifying for the knockouts, and this certainly didn't help their cause. Cosumar showed their dominance in the first set, winning 25-15 despite a strong start from their opponents. In the 2nd set Welcomzia did what they pretty much set out to do at the start of the match, win at least one set. They prevailed 26-24 in what was hardly a dominant performance, but enough to win. In the third set 26 year-old Kolo Muckelroy wrecked havoc for the team in blue, as they won 25-15 again. The final set summed up the match, Welcomzia putting in a spirited performance but ultimately Cosumar had too much skill and stamina, in what was a 25-18 win. In the end Welcomzia tried their hardest, but sometimes that's not enough. They can however be proud that they won a set against superior opponents.
Final Score:
Cosumar 25 24 25 25
Welcomzia 15 26 15 18

Standings: Group E                                  Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Ethane                                     1   1  0    3   0  +3    3
2 Vekaiyu                                    1   1  0    3   0  +3    3
3 Cosumar                                    1   1  0    3   1  +2    3
4 Welcomzia                                  1   0  1    1   3  −2    0
5 The Sword Bloke                            1   0  1    0   3  −3    0
6 The United Kingdoms of Zackalantis         1   0  1    0   3  −3    0

AM: That concludes our day 0 review. We got 1 win, 1 draw and 1 defeat. Join us next next time, where there'll be lots more events to review. Until then, goodbye".

[Britonisea]

Currently writing an RP about the Opening Ceremony, though it won't be ready soon.

Our Performance is certainly Resplendent!
-Round Up That Round!

Men's Water Polo

Group E
Semarland (SEM) 12–7 Cosumar (COS)
Aristian Republic (ARS) 7–9 Kaboomlandia (KBM)
The Serbian Empire (SRB) 4–13 Britonisea (BRI)

  Group E                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Britonisea                                 1   1  0  0   13   4  +9    2
2 Semarland                                  1   1  0  0   12   7  +5    2
3 Kaboomlandia                               1   1  0  0    9   7  +2    2
4 Aristian Republic                          1   0  0  1    7   9  −2    0
5 Cosumar                                    1   0  0  1    7  12  −5    0
6 The Serbian Empire                         1   0  0  1    4  13  −9    0

For the start of the Olympics, we have done very well. I know it's isn't good to jinx it, but we might as well get excited before our dreams our crushed. Last year in Zube and Kytler Bay City, the only medal Britonisea won was Baseball, a gold, only to find out that didn't count because it was a demonstration sport. Back on the topic, our performance was truly Resplendent today as we won all of our four matches placing Britonisea in the top three for every group so far. Although this may change in days to come, we must still have hope! We went against The Serbian Empire today and it was certainly an easy match. Four to Thirteen? The Serbian Empire played like it was a meet at the local lido. Jokes aside, Britonisea gave the Serbian Empire a quite hard time and I am sure that the Serbian Empire tried their hardest, especially as this is the Olympics, something very important. However, Britonisea is looking very strong in this list and probably the most wanting to win a medal at these Olympic Games. Semarland and Cosumar also had a bit of a gap seeing Cosumar losing their match. Looking at Cosumar, I didn't expect that at all. It's a shame really. Next up we had Aristian Republic and Kaboomlandia. Kamboomlandia did very well in this match and even though there was a very close ending the the game, it ended with the nation who performed the best winning. Congratulations go out to all the winning nations.

Women's Basketball

Group F
Swibia (SWI) 81–60 Wray (WRY)
The Greater Vakolicci Haven (VKL) 76–65 Vekaiyu (VEK)
Britonisea (BRI) 76–60 Gregoryisgodistan (GGS)

  Group F                                  Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Swibia                                     1   1  0   81  60 +21    2
2 Britonisea                                 1   1  0   76  60 +16    2
3 The Greater Vakolicci Haven                1   1  0   76  65 +11    2
4 Vekaiyu                                    1   0  1   65  76 −11    1
5 Gregoryisgodistan                          1   0  1   60  76 −16    1
6 Wray                                       1   0  1   60  81 −21    1

So, this result is quite interesting. It seems as though Gregoryisgodistan wasn't as powerful today as they usually are on the international stage. We did not expect to win this match at all. Why? Because Gregoryisgodistan is very good at sports in comparison to Britonisea but this is only an anomaly in the tens of matches we've played against them. I think we need to prove ourselves to Gregoryisgodistan more by playing against them more often. Hopefully, we can show that we are as good as them. Luckily, this should happen after Hollande Rudy pumped hundreds of millions in sports for Britonisea. Moving on swiftly, we look at Swibia, who is the group's leader, against Wray. Wray, a nation I don't really know. But I do know Wray more than I know Swibia and I thought that Wray played a better match today regardless of the final result. I enjoyed watching the match between Wray and Swibia because both nations are quite strong minded and I think that each nation wanted to win their first match. It looked like Swibia just had the upper advantage today, commiserations for Wray of course! Finally, we look at The Grater Vakolicci Haven and Vekaiyu. Now I am more fimiliar with VKL however I do know that VEK, Vekaiyu has a great representation in the Olympics, once being in the top four in the final medal tally. That is something they're aiming for this Olympics. Of course, Britonisea is looking to push them out the way a bit.

Men's Indoor Volleyball

Group C
Britonisea (BRI)                            17  25  25  25
Lymantatia (LYM)                            25  17  23  17

Schottia (SCH)                              19  25  13  25  15
Electrum (ETM)                              25  17  25  11  10

Mattijana (MTJ)                             26  25  21  15   8
Kannapian National Delegation (KAN)         24  23  25  25  15


  Group C                                  Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Britonisea                                 1   1  0    3   1  +2    3
2 Kannapian National Delegation              1   1  0    3   2  +1    2
  Schottia                                   1   1  0    3   2  +1    2
4 Electrum                                   1   0  1    2   3  −1    1
  Mattijana                                  1   0  1    2   3  −1    1
6 Lymantatia                                 1   0  1    1   3  −2    0

In this round, Britonisea had a lot of trouble but not as much as Kannap. Britonisea managed to beat Lymantatia after four sets whereas Kannap managed to get Mattijana out in five, going to a decider set. Against Lymantatia, Britonisea struggled in the first set as it looked like they would beat is quite easily after that disappointing eight point defeat. However, the Britonish Team looked as though they buckled up their ideas and managed to win the match from one set down. And did this with ease too. We have Electrum, the hosts unless you didn't know, too in our group and they played Schottia. It was a pain to see Electrum losing the first match, however, Schottia played a very good match. They did have to go to a decider set of which Schottia won with no problems. Electrum did well in their first set, taking it away from Schottia in a flash. They went downhill from there to be honest. Moving on to the final match of this group, Mattijana had a chance against Kannap, or "Kannapian National Delegation" if you want to be smart. Kannap, however, managed to win from two sets down which shows determination. Well done to Kannap and we hope to see more great play from all these nations.
Right, tomorrow, we still stick in Electrum where the first six gold medals will be announced, let's hope Britonisea can get a good slap of those. Especially the four gold medals available in Aquatics.
That rounds up today's round up in Round Up that Round!

[Schottia]

'So what do we actually have to do?' Chloe asked Rebecca James, one of the sprint swimmers, with whom she had recently been conversing. The Schottic athletes were all dresses in their finest green and white, anxiously waiting for their turn to enter the stadium. 'I think if I get anymore excited I might actually explode!'

'Just do lots of smiling, lots of waving. Oh and most importantly, make sure you don't get left behind.' They both laughed. 'No but seriously...' Rebecca went on, her countenance changing suddenly. 'We have one and a half minutes before the next delegation is announced, and if you are overtaken by the flag barer of the nation behind you then you technically become a member of that nation for the purpose of competing.'

'Really?!' Answered Chloe eyebrows raised in shock. 'But I get distracted really easily, and always end up lagging behind!' She glanced back at the delegation from Semarland. She couldn't, of the top of her head think of any prominent female footballers in their side.

'Chloe, I'm joking...' Rebecca said, waving a hand in front of the young winger's face, as she stood staring back at the Semars. 'Relax. But in all seriousness, I think they will get a bit grumpy if you drag your heels.' Rebecca, who competed for her nation over several distances was one of the nations best medal hopes, and had picked up silver at the 200m freestyle last time round in Kytler Bay City.

'Oh God!' Chloe ran her hands through her hair and looked to the ceiling. 'I, like, actually believed you there for a second. I was trying to imagine how I would look in red and yellow.' Chloe and Rebecca had struck up a friendship over the past couple of days in Centralis, having found out that they were both based in the same country.

'It could have been way worse.' Rebecca answered smirking. 'Imagine you walked too quickly.' The young swimmer pointed the top of a red and white Santa hat poking up in front of them. 'I don't even know if I could swim dressed like that! Do you think they change before they take part in their individual events?'

'Don't know.' Answered Chloe with a shrug. 'I only know that their football team play dressed in Santa suits. Port Christopher have played them before... Oh! actually I think they played in Santaclausisgodistan a couple of years back. In the Runner Cup.' She went up onto her tiptoes looking around for one of the Christopherian players in the Schottic delegation. Technically part of Schottia, the West Pacific territory did not have its own Olympic Committee and still competed under the Schottic flag.

'Arie! Arie...' She shouted attracting the attention of Aredhel Neil, a very attractive 24-year-old midfielder from the town of San Marco, who was pleasant enough, if not a little competitive for Chloe's liking. 'Come over here a sec...'

'Oh hey Chloe.' She said, as she shuffled through the throng of bodies. 'How's it going, you alright?' Aredhel was with Tony Uist, a striker who had until recently been her teammate at Blue Coast.

'Yeahyeahyeah, good thanks!' Chloe smiled in reply, absentmindedly failing to ask how she or Tony were. 'I was just telling Rebecca here that you guys have been to Santaclausisgodistan. Is it, like, as nuts there as you would expect?'

'Uhm, yeah...' Said Aredhel, as if trying to recall some distant memory, which was a little uncomfortable. 'I remember it being a little hard to concentrate at times.' The Christopheran was infamous for down playing things, especially her own performances.

'That's a bit of an understatement!' Interjected Tony from just over her shoulder. 'You know that feeling, when by Boxing Day, you're just a bit sick of turkey and Christmas music?' Rebecca and Aredhel both nodded vigorously, while Chloe slowly shook her head in bemusement. 'Well, for me, it was kind of like that feeling in a perpetual loop.'

They continued to chat for a few minutes until they were alerted to the fact that Schottia were up next. Chloe's breath was shaky as she nervously exhaled, trying to rub some of the sweat from her palms, against the sides of her trousers.

'LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!' There was a loud, yet familiar voice a few metres ahead of them, which brought them all to attention. 'Tears will be shed, blood will be spilled; but by the end of these twenty-two days, we will, all of us, be fundamentally changed.'

Standing at the head of the delegation Chloe noticed Jaun Vereeni, the Trampolinist she had spoken to at the airport. He was stood with one hand firmly placed on his hip, and the other holding the Schottic flag aloft, like some triumphant warrior at the scene of his conquest. It was easy to tell from a cursory glace at the faces of the other athletes, that this impromptu address was wholly unexpected.

'Words cannot describe the immeasurable pride I feel, having been given the honour of being your flag barer.' He appeared to stop before wiping a tear from his eye. 'And when we enter that stadium, I will lead you out as not as fellow athletes, but as brothers and sisters.'

As Vereeni continued to deliver his words, in his usual floral and over the top manner, Tony walked up behind Rebecca and Chloe dazed, utterly lost for what to say. 'Any clues as to what this is all about?' He asked the young women.

'Unfortunately not.' Said Chloe without turning round. 'I met him at the airport on the way over here weirdly enough; I think he's just a bit of a free spirit. His name is The Great Vereeni, or something like that.'

Rebecca nodded. 'Jaun Vereeni. He is meant to be a very good gymnast.' She added. 'Apparently he is pretty much self-taught. His mother was an Acrean gymnast, she trained him from a young age. He's already won everything domestically that you can imagine.' She turned back to Tony and Aredhel making an impressed face. 'There was an article about him on SBC website.'

Out in the stadium it was like nothing the first time Olympians had ever seen before, the 100,000-seater arena. The place was a wash with an array of colour from the multitude of competitors from all corners of the multiverse, as the twinkling of flash photography was almost mesmerising. For those athletes who came for sporting disciplines, which were traditionally less well supported, they must have been utterly intoxicated by the scene which confronted them. At least Chloe played in a 48,000-seater stadium in Nephara every other week, at least she and the other footballers had some experience as to what this was like. She already felt like something of a fraud by being here. The Olympics weren't for people like her, who had already played at the world cup, who played in front of big crowds week in week out. They were about people like Rebecca, or even Jaun Vereeni, who trained their entire lifes for this. In less than two weeks, their involvement would be finished and she knew there would be a good chance that this would be their last Olympics.

As Schottia completed their lap and joined the other athletes, Chloe felt an overwhelming sense on emotion, and one that she was not prepared for. In truth, she was barely even listening while Nick Wood made his speech. It wasn't that she didn't care, far from it. However, the humbling experience of being here, at this second, in the Olympic stadium, had the 21-year-old absolutly lost in her emotions. All the preparation that had gone into these events was phenomenal, she only prayed, that she would have enough in her to be able to make her family proud.

[Wray]

I started writing this this morning, then stopped and went to play rugby. I subsequently smashed up my hand which means I can only type with one hand, which is less than ideal and thus really difficult to type at any sort of speed. As a result this RP is incomplete and much shorter than it would be - I'd also discuss more aquatics, rowing and athletics, but I want to have something down. I might edit it and complete it if I feel so inclined, but we'll see.

(The camera pans along to a TV Studio, with a large semi-circular table on a raised platform. The desk itself has a Wray flag lit up in LEDs. Behind the table is a series of glass panels with the Olympic Stadium in vision, illuminated against the night sky. The entire set is bathed in green and white light. At the desk sit a man - Shane Kellock - and a woman - Sarah O'Mahoney. The lights come up.)

SO'M: Hello, Good Evening and welcome to the Opening Ceremony of the X Summer Olympiad, here in Centralis, Electrum on WTV. The Ceremony is little under an hour away, so in order to squeeze even more programming in, Shane and I will be joined by a raft of guests to preview the Olympics through unashamedly green-and-white tinted glasses. We're promised quite the show for the Opening Ceremony, although not a lot has been disclosed - there'll be plenty of history, plenty of music and plenty of vibrant jingoism, but isn't that what the Olympics is about?

SK: It sure is Sarah, in this day and age of international boundaries crumbling all around us, it's nice to retreat to your own colours for a month of unabashed nationalism, veiled behind the mask of international sport. It gives big countries the chance to flex their muscles and remind everyone to keep up their interest payments, whilst it gives countries like us the opportunity to quietly impress - what's Eura's 3 billion compared to our 23 million? Well, we actually earned more medals than them at the IX Games, 39 to 36 - a little basic division tells you Eura wins one medal per 81 million people. Wray, on the other hand, win one medal every 589,000 - very reputable. More homely. Gives Plus, if you ignore the ranking system based on Golds, then Wray came 4th in the Medal Table.

SO'M: Thank you Shane, that was wonderfully arrogant and particularly jingoistic. But yes, when looking back at Wray's Olympic Pedigree, over 60 medals at 2 games so far, you can't help but feel a little expectant this time round. Obviously swimming will be Wray's number one priority - those first six days will look to make up the bulk of Wray's medal haul. To discuss all things pool based, we bring in Cartersburg Herald Sports Writer Alicia Denyson. Alicia has worked on numerous sports, including covering cricket and football, before becoming the Chief Olympic Writer two years ago, which involved covering swimming. She spent two months at the National Performance Centre for Swimming in Cartersburg over the Spring and has since released a book, Inside the Machine, detailing the history & process of the institution. Alicia.

The camera switches to the entrance to the studio, where a bespectacled woman in her mid-40s enters to applause. She takes a seat at the desk to the left of Kellock.

SK: So, Alicia, what's the 411 in the pool? Should we be getting excited?

AD: Well, yes. Reasonably. It should constitute the largest portion of Wray's medal haul, as you say, and the obvious candidates for bolstering that haul are the 'Golden Duo', Matthews and Spencer. My call today would be to look at Spencer as the major threat - not saying that Matthews won't be right up there - but the way Grace has been training, holding herself, I'm very confident she can do something special. She's already got five Olympic Medals, I could see her getting 2 or 3 pieces of silverware this time round. Matthews is still good for a shout, but the men's freestyle division is extremely competitive and anything could happen on the day.

SK: There are a few unfamiliar names in the swimming roster, so could you fill us and our viewers in on the new-comers?

AD: Sure. I think that the variety of names speaks volumes for the NPCS and swimming in general in Wray - it's competitive - that there can be a whole new batch of athletes coming through, all who can challenge for medals. The most exciting name on the list would probably be Jamie Giffen in the butterfly, he's absolutely enormous, tremendous through the water and just so powerful. He's torn it up at the NPCS, all the coaches say he's the one to watch. Other than him, for the women, Laura Perry is very promising, a good breaststroke swimmer who's rapid out the blocks and extremley fit. Charlotte Cummings, also in breaststroke is also strong - so expect a medal from either of them. Both of them would be great! Ed Gottschalk is strong, Devon Moore, Rebecca Koen, Dan Wyard, Ella Austin - the list goes on really.

[NOT COMPLETE]

[Ficiscia]

FNSN.fc Olympic Games: Two historical moments for Ficiscia go down

In general perception, the Olympic games start with the opening ceremony. However, there were already things happening on the afternoon - for example the Men's Water Polo preliminaries against The Sword Bloke. Ficiscia, never having competed in international sports before, was not going into the game as a favourite, but did manage to beat their opponents with 5-4. It was a dramatic game decided by the speed of Ficiscian forwards and their efficiency, as The Sword Bloke had much more chances and lead the game for a long time. However the final minutes saw a spectacular fast break ended by the only 19 year old Andreios Pacus with a skillful shot, followed by the 5-4 winning goal by defender Igor Jaruskis. Goalkeeper Antonius Cavius was elected Man of the Match later on as he stopped a few miraculous shots by the opponent strikers. A special mention deserves the Ficiscian Center Iunius Mercator who played the last minute of the first half with a sprained wrist to avoid having to leave the game for his inexperienced counterpart Petrus Andrini in an effort helping his team to survive a penalty. Mercator's return is unsure, but doctors said the first assumption of a sprained wrist is wrong. The next opponent in Men's Water Polo is Zackalantis, who lost 11-5 to Taeshan yesterday.

THE SWORD BLOKE 4-5 FICISCIA

Ficiscian scorers: 6' Unicio 1-1 / 13' Mercator (Penalty) 3-2 / 19' Lentullus 4-3 / 22' Pacus 4-4 / 24' (23:47) Jaruskis 4-5
Man of the Match: FIC #1 Antonius Cavius (GK)

Taeshan (TAE) 11–5 The United Kingdoms of Zackalantis (UKZ)
Benjamin Mark (BNM) 9–4 Krytenia (KRY)
The Sword Bloke (TSB) 5–6 Ficiscia (FIC)

  Group A                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Taeshan                                    1   1  0  0   11   5  +6    2
2 Benjamin Mark                              1   1  0  0    9   4  +5    2
3 Ficiscia                                   1   1  0  0    6   5  +1    2
4 The Sword Bloke                            1   0  0  1    5   6  −1    0
5 Krytenia                                   1   0  0  1    4   9  −5    0
6 The United Kingdoms of Zackalantis         1   0  0  1    5  11  −6    0

Later in the evening, all Ficiscian athletes, including the Water Polo players who made it back to the stadium in time, were walking behind the flag bearer Perko Sjastrum in a marvellous opening ceremony. Dressed in leathery, shining black dresses with a few silver highlights and stylish green lines next to them, designed by the nation's leading creative Tarcus Naerva, they drew a loud cheer from the round. Especially the basketballers made themselves quite a few new fans with their behaviour at IBC 19, especially after the mutual consolation efforts between fans and players after the deciding losses against Welcomzia and Vaugania. The most impressive moment certainly came when they stood together in the middle of the stadium and shouted "SUMUS FICISCIA! HIC PRO VICTORIA! CITIA ET FORTISSIMA! SEMPER FICISCIA!", the traditional fan chant of the nation.

FICISCIANS TOMORROW

Aquatics - 100m Breaststroke M (Tertius Cato) and 400m Individual Medley M (Carolus Minor). Both hardly will have a chance to survive the heats but will give their best shot. Broadcast live on TF2.

Aquatics - Water Polo Women (Drawkland vs. Ficiscia) The women are expected to do better than their male counterparts, and due to some errors and drama in the Aquatics Federation, no other women could go to these games. This will change for Olympics XI, but this year, you won't see other girls in the water.

Basketball - Men's Preliminary (Frenline Delpha vs. Ficiscia). The only Ficiscian team so far to receive international experience is back. The core of the team is the same as in IBC 19, so expect a fight by the guys!

Volleyball - Women's Preliminary (Ficiscia vs. Shytysle). The Insolani-dominated team takes on Shytysle and hopes for the best. Experts prognosed them to survive the preliminaries, so don't miss their first attempt!

[Ferret Civilization]

The opening for the Olympiad was certainly new to those on the Ferret delegation, especially since they were the smallest of of the others in more ways than one. Only totaling five, while only four of them being in any sort of way by definition athletes, they simply followed the delegation in front of them, since the one behind them could pretty much go right by them without much trouble. For them the excitement came all from them, with no fans or fellow Ferrets anywhere, since this was only suppose to be a test to see how involvement in sports and events like this would work out. They were also the last of the testing phase of this sports interest experiment before The Colony decided to take a full effort in things. For now it was the same old just try to learn what they could and have fun, winning was still secondary and not important at all.

Euan Niklas walked partially backwards looking at the new Olympic team that they made up, compared to the others it must have been pathetic. Mark Aðalsteinn and Flannán Dorit were busy pointing around at all the decorations and everything else that was set up for this opening event. Pryce Cormac was busy looking at all the other delegations and Ainsley Eurig was looking at him. "Well this is exciting isn't it?" Euan had to shout over the cheering crowds of the other delegations homelands.

"Yes, it is!" Pryce shouted back, that was the most conversation they had during the opening event since they all silently agreed not to try lose their voices shouting over the crowds. All the other delegations had their own way of having fun and celebrating, that was one thing that was noted right away by all of them. Perhaps when/if they got more numbers they could find their own ways of having fun too, but for now curiosity got the better of them. Though the speeches the event leaders and others of importance gave was something new to them, for they were not used to such sort of infighting.

"Maybe it's just a them thing?" Ainsley commented herself to the small team, "Yeah, cultural differences and what not." Euan replied before they all focused back on the speeches so not to be rude in any way. After the opening event was over they stayed in their little group as the other delegations went about their business. "Well, we have a lot of time to spare before you all are in your events." Euan started as the rest of team looked at him, expecting him to add more leading to a small awkward pause. "So go out and enjoy yourselves, practice, whatever, just try not to get hurt or in trouble." The team looked at each other staying quiet, "Well, figure it out, have fun, I'm going to watch the other games." Not surprisingly for them they all ended up sticking together and enjoyed watching the other delegations play in their events and watching the celebrations within the city together. After all, they had a lot of time to do such things like that before they had to play in any events themselves. Eaun spent some extra time writing down as much as he could about the different places, delegations, peoples, cultures, and so on from what they could figure out as a team.

[Electrum]

This is your Day 1 Cutoff

With six medal events today, just who will win the first medals and get a start on the medal tally? Find out now... maybe listen to some Opening Ceremony music while we're waiting for the results?

EDIT: Ethane's post will be accepted for Day 1

EDIT 2: Results are up! Also, the cutoff for tomorrow has been moved.

[Ethane]

All In:
A programme set up by the Ethanian government to coincide with the Olympic games was set up. Well what was this for? This programme was set up, for all those people who wish to know, to induce a sense of involvement in the events that were happening so far away. They were to create a sense of involvement for all those people who would never be good enough to qualify for these events themselves through local events in many towns and cities across the country.
The hope was that, through these events set up across the country, new athletes would be inspired to work towards the dreams of participating in the Olympics, pushing them to strive to be the best, and up the game of Ethane on the international sporting stage. Many other initiatives had taken place across Ethane, the one during the rugby world cup and the IBS X being especially poignant and successful. However, the Olympics were so much different. Such was the range of sports played at the Olympics, and the much higher participation of countries in the Olympics, that it was hoped that the Olympia 1 Ethane initiative would have a much greater impact on sports participation rates in Ethane than those of its predecessors.
Many people were expected to attend these events throughout Ethane. Many of the cities in Ethane would be using their parks to house large screens of a similar size to those that are present in cinemas in Ethane to show many of the more popular sporting events at the Olympics, especially focusing on the sailing events, which are especially renowned in Ethane, due to the high quality of sailors that Ethane tends to create, but also many other sports, which the government especially wanted to increase popularity and participation rates in, due to their decreasing popularity rates and participation levels, which were damaging the selection pool available for the Olympics. Also, coupled with the events on large screens, many cities and towns would be hosting their own Olympics events in the parks, which was aiming to encourage youth to get off their computers and tablets, and get out into the real world, and to get fit, making new friends as they go, and having a little bit of friendly competition with prizes at the end. This was hoping to catch many teenagers, who felt rejected from society, to get the involved in the cities events, and create heroes and inspirational people for other youths to look up to and aspire to be.
Many people felt this wouldn't work, that people wouldn't turn up, that people would think that these events are a waste of time and avoid the place where these events would be taking place. Many people felt extremely negatively about the fact that the place where they enjoy to take their dog for a walk, because of the peacefulness and tranquility of the area, would be taken over by this large screen, and a bunch of rowdy teenagers, who would be running up and down, and disrupting the peaceful aura of their favourite hang out. This view was not widely expressed though. Most were positive about the increased government investiture in the sports, and were always wishing for more teenagers to be involved in the events of their local communities in a positive way, which is why many people saw this proposal with glee, parents are especially.
Many people will be turning up to these events, hopeful for an exciting day ahead. All we have to hope is that these events are enjoyable for those attending, that the weather remains beautiful and fresh for the remainder of the Olympics, and that those sports in which we are trying to encourage further participation in will see a boost in the months and years after the Olympics, and that these youths will be inspired by our heroes at the Olympics, and aspire to be like them in the future. And finally, we have to hope that those participants at the Olympics will find success in their areas of expertise, and will be inspired by the support of their nation to do well, and inspired to win, and continue to participate in further events.

[Mattijana]

Mattijanan Barmies to take their portable party to Electrum

Despite a fairly youthful start to international sport, Mattijanan supporters are beginning to establish themselves as some of the worlds most lively fans. The recent success of the NS Iced Runnings sliding tournament held in the Mattijanan Central Alps was clear evidence of this newfound love for sport with thousands making their way to the competition and creating a fantastic atmosphere. Indeed the noise when Izara Alina took Mattijana's first medal in international sport was deafening and many proud Mattijanans stayed up for a rather long time that night.
The Olympics bring a very different challenge to the country with the popular Hockey and Football leagues very much in the limelight alongside the almost legendary sport of tennis, where Alex Dimitrianov is very much the subject of the home fan's adoration.

National Minister for sport Julian Petrov said that he was totally overwhelmed by the nation's attitude to not just watch spor,but to play it and credits the country's incredibly safe nature as the reason why fans are prepared to travel to events without fear of trouble and can take their party atmosphere along with them without fear of suspicion. A stable financial state gas is also a possible cause as unemployment is incredibly low and means that supporters have the money to travel and support their passion for sports.

Hockey captain, Katarina Lubitz, was also forthcoming to praise the support from her home country. "Even the day I arrived, I've seen Mattis all over the place, which is great for the team, so we're really looking forward to playing here."
In fact, even those who couldn't make the journey have strongly supported their team. The streets of Petrovijanka have been decked out in green and yellow and a screen erected in the central square for supporters in the city to watch their country compete. These are expected to draw in large crowds and could be repeated in other Mattijanan cities.

Hockey Players and Footballers ready to play

Mattijanan Hockey player's have their first match tomorrow and will have some tough tests ahead of them. However, supporters and staff are hopeful of some good results and perhaps even a medal or two. Meanwhile, footballers will be warming up for their first matchday with Frenline Delpha amongst those facing the Marbalansk (so named after the spherical symbol on the national flag.
Targets for Mattijanan athletes are not ambitious, but do involve getting a couple of medals and that in a debut Olympics would be a fantastic achievement.

[Greater vakolicci haven]

Sporting round-up
[u]Liga Dal Havaerne, Umtala Liga, Premessa...but first up, your Olympic news, with your sporting round-up host, Jesper Remone![/b]

Hello and welcome to sporting round-up: the highlights show you can't afford to miss.
It's been a disappointing opening day for the Haven today at the Olympics, with only one singular bronze medal coming home from the action, under controvercial circumstances...Laura Strelesna can give us more on that.

"Yes I certainly can," a voice was heard to say as the camera panned to a rather stern-looking woman in her mid 50s. "One thing you'll know if you watch a lot of Vakolicci swimming is the strength of the Lucy Turnv first push. It's what tends to make her so successful in domestic competition, it was pretty goog last year...it was actually pretty good in another event where she unfortunately failed to progress from the heats. Let's take a look at it in the relay...no marks for guessing what's up."
The screen cut to the image of the pool, and to the thousands of Vakolicci fans cheering over-enthusiasticly as a Vakolicci swimmer came in to home: the team was sitting second in the relay so far.
Turnv readied herself, and kicked...the camera zoomed in closer to her as she did...making the hand wrapped around her ankle clearly visible.
"Well the identity of the cheeter still remains to be seen, I understand that Havenssport have submitted a cheeting complaint to the IOC. But Turnv finished in a personal best score on her second length, and well...3rd isn't the worst result we could gain. Back to you, Jesper."

"Thank you Laura...concerning scenes indeed. And scenes accessible from anywhere in the world, thanks to Havenssport's decision to broadcast the entire Olympics free and live over the internet. Is that even legal you may ask...I really don't know, I doubt if they do either...but if it is or isn't the website you want is HTTP://olympics.havenssport.vkl

In other news, Vakolicci basketball has worked out how to play, both the mens and womens teams were victorious on their opening day, the men helped in no small part by Navaharin nos Curadi. As we all know, the Velsturman sports authority has chosen not to participate in these games, but this doesn't seem to apply to Navaharin. He's 9 feet 3, fast as lightning and scored an astonishing 6 baskets today.

In addition, water polo...that sport we're weirdly good at...well thee mens team defeated Wrey 14-8 in defence of their gold medal last year, helped along by 4 goals from centre Julius Racchels. This is proof that water polo is seriously unpopular around the world: the Haven doesn't even have a league in this sport...maybe it's time we set one up?
But anyway, it's clear that the unchanged team will be hoping to retain their medal for another year and bring them back to Iros for a similarly violent party as last year.
And while we're on the subject of violence, Havenic striker Demit Cronan has informed us that the fact that most fans have been unable to bring guns into the host nations, the trademark Havenic hooliganism has not ended. The enforcer went on to say that he looked forward to 'making the real fireworks happen' promising 'a show you will never forget.'

[Zillmerilic]

Zillmerilic Sports Nightly

Looking Forward to Day Two

Tez: Welcome back Zillmerilic! I'm Tez, and I am with my co-host, Xiao. We are happy to be back with some exciting updates for the upcoming days. But first, a recap of what is going on... Xiao.

Xiao: Thank you Tez! In case you have been under a rock for the last few days, the Games of the X Olympiad have started! We have our 19 athletes, which we will cover as they compete. Thus far, we haven't had any athletes in any games, but that will change today! On Day 2 of the Olympics, Zillmerilic will have two Merilics facing off against hundreds of competitors. The events to watch tonight will be the First Round of Golf and the Archery. Tez, can you tell us about our athletes?

Tez: Certainly! In golf, we have our young, but skilled and hardened athlete Zancher Konz. Lets take a look at some interesting information about him

Name: Zancher Konz
Hometown: Zillmerilic City
Age: 24
Sport: Golf
Average strokes: -8 from par
Hobby: Skydiving
Accomplishments: Zillmerilic National Champion three years in a row since beginning of tournament, Collegiate captain all four years, Zillmerilic College recognized him as Athlete of the Year... twice, two championships in the College Champions Tour and two second place finishes
Play Style: Aggressive and consistant

Xiao: As you can see, Konz is highly regarded in the golf world of Zillmerilic. He is actually raising funds to start a golf team for the clusters of elementary schools around Zillmerilic City. His passion, besides golf, are the kids he works with. Konz is a highly skilled golfer and will probably do quite well for himself. His prowess and skill rival that of some of the best. I, for one, am excited to see how he does in this first round. There are quite a few of competitors in this area, each nation could have up to three athletes, so there are quite a few he will be pitted against.

Tez: Our other athlete to watch in Golf is Amanda Triz. She is her own force to be reckoned with. She actually went to college with Konz, and played with him for two years. They dated during that time, but are now friends. Triz is quite the golfer, holding at least one trophy from every women's golf championship in Zillmerilic. She has dominated the field and is shaping up to be a tremendous threat to the women in the Olympics. Lets see her profile...

Name: Amanda Triz
Hometown: Trenzo
Age: 22
Sport: Golf
Average Strokes: -6 from par
Hobby: Drawing comics
Accomplishments: Won every major tournament in Zillmerilic, Holds the record for lowest score at the three elite golf courses in Zillmerilic, Women's Captain in college as well as 4 championships at the College Champions Tour
Play Style: powerful and accurate, but can tend to play it safe

Xiao: Our Golf team looks strong, even among the copious amount of competitors. We wish them the best of luck and we will be watching and cheering for them. Now onto our last competitor for the day... His name is Zack Zander. Zander is our only Archery competitor. While many of you are saying, "When did Zillmerilic start doing Archery?" We are saying, "When did Zillmerilic start doing Archery?" We are on the same boat here my friends. In fact, we don't even know much about what will be happening during the competition with archery. What we do know is that there will be a round of ranking today. Hopefully Zander will be able to hold his own. Tez did some digging on our athlete and was able to come up with this Profile for him...

Name: Zack Zander
Hometown: Mt. Zourvinel
Age: 38
Sport: Archery
Hobby: Physics, Hunting
Family: He has a wife of 18 years and 5 children ranging from the ages of 1 year old to 17 years old
Accomplishments: 8 Zillmerilic Archery CHampionships

Tez: So you see, we don't have too much information on him, or his sport. In fact, we found that Zillmerilic only has one archery tournament in the nation, and that tournament is every two years. Xiao and I think that the only reason Zander is at the Olympics is because he has won that tournament since HE started it 16 years ago. I think the best we can do right now is two things... 1. Cheer him on with as much vigor as if we knew his sport and 2. Learn his sport as we watch him, hopefully, dominate the field! Lets all have some pride in our athletes, surely Zillmerilic wouldn't send athletes we didn't think could do well.

Xiao: With this all said, we recognize a few of our rival Nations from previous competitions. One that we will be on the lookout for is Welcomzia, Electrum, and Ceni. We have had quite the competition going with all three of them. I think we all look forward to the Tennis tournament, but more importantly, the Triathlon. Welcomzia and Zillmerilic have repeat athletes that have faced off before, and I would venture to say that this will be quite the reunion. Lets keep our eyes out for how they do in other events as well.

Tez: We will be starting to keep track of how our athletes do and if we receive any medals, but since we have yet to compete or finish any medal rounds yet, we do not have an update to bring you. But we will be back tomrrow to update and introduce you to our competitors.

Tez & Xiao: Goodnight Zillmerilic and Go Polar Bears!