14th Winter Olympic Games :: RP Thread

by **Vilita** » Tue Oct 15, 2019 2:01 am

Dear friends,
On behalf of the governments of Vilita and Liventia, and the cities of Yeaddin and Neverend, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for selecting our cities to host the XIV Olympic Winter Games.

Neverend is no stranger to the Games, having also hosted the VII Olympic Winter Games; for Yeaddin, this is a first. The people of both cities look forward to welcoming you and your athletes to what we are sure will be a wonderful celebration of the Olympic ideal.

For the first time, the Games will be held in two distinct sites in two different regions. With the exception of curling, all non-snow sports will take place in Yeaddin; all other events will be held in Neverend. While we do not wish to set a precedent, we hope the more dedicated resources in each region for the events will prove beneficial to teams, athletes, us as organizers, and the fans.

Once again, we thank you for your trust, and hope you will enjoy the Games.

Jungrii Canopii and Alastiir Surf
Bid co-chairs, Yeaddin

Pearline Jones
Chair, Liventia Olympic Association and bid chair, Neverend

This is the official Roleplay thread for the 14th Winter Olympic Games. Contributions to this thread should strictly be In-Character. Any OOC contributions should be posted in the appropriate Discussion thread using the "Links" Section below.

Information regarding Venues and Locations to be used in your RP contributions can be found in the subsequent posts by the host nations.

Competing Delegations

Amuaplye (AME)
Benjamin Mark (BNM)
Cocoabo Forest (CFT)
Commonwealth Games Federation (CWF)
Banija (BNJ)
Royal Kingdom of Quebec (QUE)
Darkmania (DMN)
Darmen (DAR)
Diarcesia (DCS)
Electrum (ETM)
Free Republics (FFR)
Fujai (FJA)
Gryphonian Alliance (GRY)
Ioudaia (IOU)
Kelssek (KSK)
Ko-oren (KOR)
Kriegiersien (KGS)
Liventia (LEN)
Main Nation Ministry (MNM)
Mattijana (MTJ)
New England (CNE)
Peoples Republic of Xabia (PRX)
Reçueçn (RCN)
Saintland (SNT)
Savojarna (SVJ)
Taeshan (TAE)
Tara and Cambray (TCM)
Teremaran Unified Team (TRM)
Austrakia (ATK)
Falkasia (FLK)
Glisandia (GLS)
Gragastavia (GRG)
Terre Des Gaules (GUL)
Lacetanya (LCT)
Neu Engollon (NEG)
Yellow Star Republic (YSR)
Unified Beretania (UBT)
Valanora (VAL)
Vekaiyu (VEK)
Vilitan Union (VLT)
Tropicorp (TRP)
Turori (TUR)
Vilita (VIL)
West Phoenicia (KWP)

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

LINKS
Olympic Games Discussion Thread (OOC)
Olympic Announcements Thread
Host Bid

by **Liventia** » Tue Oct 15, 2019 2:10 am

NEVEREND, LIVENTIA
Neverend started off as a small ski resort town, but has gradually boomed over the years, and was declared to be a city by an act of Parliament in 2149. Despite its status as a city, Neverend has no currently-operating civilian airport (the Kenneth G Hardweiss World Airport, opened for the Seventh Winter Olympics, has since been turned into an air force base); the closest international airport is a 50-minute drive away in the former national capital of City Centre.

Athletes and officials will fly into the City Centre Patrick Danahue International Airport, named after the late assassinated former Prime Minister, and be provided with transport to the Olympic Village in Neverend. Fans holding Games tickets can choose to fly into Patrick Danahue Airport or Orean International from where free charter coach services, leaving every 90 minutes, will be provided to transport fans to hotels in Neverend. There is also a train service from City Centre to Neverend which leaves every 14 minutes—but for the duration of the Games will be reduced to 7 minutes at peak times, while services from Orean will leave every 11 minutes during Games time.

Neverend, which at a metropolitan area of 281 sq. km is the smallest city in the country, has its own metro train and public bus system, which will be free to all ticketholders, athletes and officials during the Games. There are three major shopping centres in the city, all located within a 15-minute walk of the Olympic Village. A whole host of nightclubs, bars and restaurants are also available in the city.

There is a total ban on outdoor public smoking and outdoor public drinking, including in bars and restaurants. In Neverend, there is a (redundant) specific ban on smoking within 500 metres of an educational institution, and a ban on drinking within 1 km of one. The drugs trade is banned, although casual use is not actively policed. The minimum age for smoking and drinking in the country is 17. Firearms are banned, although athletes requiring the use of firearms for biathlon events are granted a waiver to carry and import their weapons.

VENUES
Neverend hosted the seventh Olympic Winter Games, and has hosted two Winter World Paralympic Games since in addition to a number of Qualifying Events for the Games of the XII Olympiad. The Ferrandieu Ski Resort has also hosted legs on the Alpine Skiing World Cup.

Stade Grande Olympique (Ceremonies, snow volleyball demonstration)
The main stadium for the Games, and will play host to snow volleyball courts for the duration of that demonstration event. The medals plaza will also be on the floor of the stadium, allowing for thousands of fans to attend nightly medal ceremonies.

Neverend Ferrandieu Ski Resort (Alpine skiing, snowboard)
A frequent stop on the Alpine Skiing World Cup, also host to alpine skiing at the VII Olympic Winter Games and both Winter World Paralympic Games.

A part of the resort has been cordoned off to be converted for the snowboard events. Snowboard parallel giant slalom will take place on one of the alpine skiing courses.

National Biathlon Centre (Biathlon, cross-country skiing)
Located at the foot of the Ferrandieu resort and ski centre, the National Biathlon Centre will hold biathlon and cross-country skiing events. It will also hold the skiing portions of Nordic combined.

Ferrandieu Ski Sports Centre (Nordic combined, ski jumping, freestyle skiing)
Upgraded after the VII Olympic Winter Games, the Ferrandieu Ski Centre is home to the National Winter Sport Council.

Neverend Curling Club (Curling)
Home to Liventia's oldest curling club. Medal ceremonies for the curling events will take place here, and not in the medals plaza.

by **Vilita and Turori** » Tue Oct 15, 2019 2:15 am

Reserved for IC Info.

See the Map of Vilita & Turori and the Map of Atlantian Oceania

YEADDIN, VILITA
Yeaddin is located in the Vilitan North-East between the Parra Kala Mountains and the Turviliki Sea. It is generally considered the 5th Largest City in Vilita though it has fluctuated between 4th and 7th in actual size. Yeaddin has a sister city of similar geographical, footprint and population size in Terrarokka with the satellite city of Nusira Lionta between them on the outskirts of Terrarokka.

During Winter season, Yeaddin becomes one of the least tropical major cities in Vilita with cool air from the Royal Quebecois region. As the cool air arrives in Northern Vilita it interacts with the tropical air trapped in the Morata Valley as well as the Parra Kala Mountains shielding much of mainland Vilita from the cooler temperatures. Yeaddin bears the brunt of the force of the cool winter temperatures though nearby cities to the south Nusira Lionta and Terrarokka also have smaller periods of notably cooler climate as a result of the same effect.

Yeaddin's Air Transportation hub is accessible from most Atlantian Oceania based international terminals. Those traveling to Yeaddin from outside of Atlantian Oceania will likely fly in to Alikki-Corra before catching local transportation - either Air, Land or Sea, to get up to Yeaddin on the opposite side of Vilita's Main Island.

Vilitan Law is not well documented nor strictly enforced in the case of minor infractions. However when it is enforced it is typically done so with a preponderance of evidence with the Vilitan Orbital Intelligence Agency (VOIA) permitted to intervene even in cases of petty crime if the accusing law officer so wishes to pursue the event. Major infractions or repeat offenders tend to be dealt with swiftly and seriously. Security and Spotters will be present at each Olympic Venue where it is more likely for such Laws to be enforced even on a first offense. Traditional weapons are typically banned however technology driven weapons which are registered and have the ability to be disabled remotely by VOIA are permitted in some instances.

Yeaddin has been a host city for numerous World Cup, Cup of Harmony, AOCAF, AOHC and UICA final among other competition and as such maintains an appropriate infrastructure to host major sporting competitions.

Venues
Yeaddin will hold the bobsleigh, figure skating, ice hockey, luge, short track speed skating, skeleton, and speed skating medal events as well as the bandy and Ice Racing demonstration events. The Opening Ceremonies will be held at the Lirai Asku Castle and the closing ceremonies will be held at the Kolósaio Vóreios Yeaddin. Medal ceremonies in Vilita will be held at the venue where the medal was earned.

Lirai Asku Castle (Ice Hockey)
Note: Additional Ice Hockey venues will be used outside of Yeaddin and will be specified in the results/schedule thread.

Parra Kala Sliding Complex (Bobsleigh, luge, skeleton)

Yeaddin Ice Centre (Ice Hockey, Figure Skating, short track)

Kolósaio Vóreios (Speed skating, Bandy Finals, Ice Racing)

Eelandii Sportropolis (Bandy Hub, Ice Hockey)

by **Commonwealth Games Federation** » Tue Oct 15, 2019 10:30 am

Commonwealth Games Federation agrees on unified delegation for the Winter Olympiad

Banijan and Quebecois sporting executives shake hands

QUEBEC CITY, ROYAL KINGDOM OF QUEBEC- In a historic announcement today between the Olympic Committee of Banija(OCB), the Banijan Commonwealth Games Council(BCGC), their Quebecois counterparts, and the Commonwealth Games Federation at-large, it has been established that the Commonwealth Games Federation will be sending a unified delegation to the upcoming 14th Winter Olympic Games, to be co-hosted in Liventia and in Vilita. It has been an announcement that has been a long time coming, and indeed, showcases one of the major goals of the Olympic Committee of Banija in recent years- to send a joint Commonwealth delegation to the Winter Olympiad, in order to drum up interest for the delegation and the athletes both for Banijans inside and outside the country, and to deepen the sporting bonds among members of the Quebecois Commonwealth, who share a heritage in all having, at one point, their head of state being the predecessor of the current Quebecois monarch, Regent Christine II.

We here at this magazine spoke to the Chairman of the Olympic Committee of Banija, Ousman Kaba, about this development at its announcement in Quebec City. "This was something that has been the goal of our own Olympic Committee for quite a while." Said Ousman Kaba. "As many of you gathered here today know, Banija has long had an interest in making something like this happen. This is a tough logistical operation to pull off- the amount of approvals needed to make something like this succeed are stagggering. Lots of bodies that need to be consulted, even governments, from lots of different nations, and within our own two nations especially. But the fact that everybody we seemed to talk to has shown great support for this idea, showing support for concept, is absolutely overwhelming. I am glad that I have been able to work alongside my great Quebecois friends, this great men and women, in order to further tighten the bonds between the Kingdom of Banija and the Royal Kingdom of Quebec."

After Ousman Kaba stepped up to talk, it was the head of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Quebecois national Leon Park, who spoke next. "When the Olympic Committees of both Banija and RKQ brought this idea to me, I was immediately in favor. This is a world that, increasingly, has so many things competing for your attention. It is a good idea to innovate, to try and re-capture the imagination of your populace. The Commonwealth Games have been a tradition that has had a great impact throughout the Quebecois Commonwealth. This is a great opportunity to showcase the type of talent that the Commonwealth Games has on display, in order to renew interest in the competition around the Commonwealth. We feel that the Games are in a good place- they get solid ratings on television, and are well attended usually by the host nation. But sitting on your laurels in an area like this is something that is a poor idea. We must continue to innovate, and we believe that this innovation, this one-off for these Winter Olympic Games, will spark extra interest in both right here in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec and in the Kingdom of Banija, and will spark extra interest both in the imminent Winter Olympiad, alongside the future Commonwealth Games."

The next person to speak, was the head of the Royal Kingdom of Quebec's Olympic Committee, Benoit-Antoine Charteris. "While this was absolutely a process to make this a reality, the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, alongside the Kingdom of Banija under the guise of the Commonwealth Games Federation, is ready to make a serious impact on the upcoming Olympic Games. We appreciate the ability to use the Commonwealth Games Federation as the moniker for this joint delegation- this is something that will be beneficial to all involved. And the support from the rest of the Quebecois Commonwealth over this has been overwhelming. The Quebecois Commonwealth, the political organization, has shown strong support for the initiative, and in a meeting with representatives of each national Commonwealth Games Committee(or equivalent), there was unanimous support in a move for this to go ahead. While this is a Quebecois and Banijan delegation, this is one that deserves the support of the entire Commonwealth. We are sending world class athletes from right here in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec to compete in these games, and we almost certainly expect our athletes to do well."

The process was not understated by Charteris. The Olympic Committees, after coming to an agreement, had to take the agreement for the approval by the Commonwealth Games Federation, which took a vote of the national committees. While there ended up being unanimous support for the move, there was no guarantee, especially since the delegation would consist only of Quebecois and Banijan athletes. There was rumored to be opposition from a few other quarters, including South Detroit. But ultimately, when it came to a vote, none of them opposed. This was not a surprise. The Royal Kingdom of Quebec, for obvious reasons, is the big name in the Commonwealth Games Federation, as the center of the Commonwealth, historically, culturally, and financially. The Kingdom of Banija holds sway, but of course, are a distant second. But when the two agree on a proposition, it is rare that the Commonwealth Games Federation would stand up to both of them, and they did not.

There is a delegation of 250 entries. The vast majority of these athletes, of course, are from the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, which makes sense. While RKQ and Banija have similar population sizes, Banija does not have winter, which strictly limits our ability to supply athletes for the Winter Olympiad. Fortunately for the Banijans, however, extensive connections with various Banijan migrant populations have allowed it to pull athletes from places like Equestria, or Qasden, or elsewhere, who would have otherwise competed for Banija to compete under this joint banner. Former Banijan medalists, like Mohammed Kolley, Koba Kujabi, and John Nampoza all return, all looking to medal at a second Winter Olympiad. And the athletes provided by the Royal Kingdom of Quebec all really pack a punch. Both of Quebec's curling teams are early favorites to earn medals, as the nation sports a superb curling program. Star athletes like figure skater Jong-Kwan Cha highlight the Commonwealth delegation outside of Banija, and the Commonwealth Games Federation, with 250 entries, stands to get in on the real action when it comes to making an impact on the medal table.

This unique entry will certainly make these Winter Olympic Games a fun one to watch.

by **Diarcesia** » Tue Oct 15, 2019 8:47 pm

Diarcesia is a tropical country with no snow-capped mountains and nowhere else to experience subzero temperatures. How in the world is it in a Winter Olympics? Indoor rinks, that's why.
- Anonymous

ARCESIUS - Following what it considers as a successful debut at the 13^th Summer Games in the Free Republics, Diarcesia is now prepared to take the next step in its involvement in the Olympics by joining the 14^th Winter Games, jointly hosted by Vilita and Liventia. "After the return of our esteemed athletes from the Summer Games, our committee went right away to work on refining our processes for our subsequent delegations. We discussed the things that went well, those that didn't, and what we can do better. I am fully confident that in our next outing, our future representatives will be given ample opportunity to hone their craft and prove themselves to be able to demonstrate the capabilities of the human mind and body," said Tom Cole, president of the Olympic Committee.

Diarcesia being located in the tropics with nonexistent natural snow and ice cover did not deter it from sending its delegation comprising 81 official entries, all among the top men and women in the rink-based skating sports, curling, and ice hockey. While these are considered less popular than tennis or fencing, they have a sizeable following and the ice hockey league, as an example, has been operating for many years.

The sendoff ceremony in Arcesius is met with much fanfare, with some of the major streets closed to accommodate the crowds and the procession, culminating in addresses made by the Heptarch-King Adrast of Chiyginia, Archon on Sports, and the Monarch Phlegomy.

The athletes will be present in Vilita and Liventia over a span of 16 days.

by **Amuaplye** » Tue Oct 15, 2019 9:31 pm

House of Commons
Sydney, Amuaplye
March 1, 2019

Despite being dissolved, the weary, tired, and overall now apathetic MPs walked towards their office, and all sat down for an underground meeting. The Speaker, more weary, tired, and apathetic than any other (other than Chuikov himself, having been thrown out of office due to an assumption), walked up to the podium, and sat down.

"Welcome, everyone, to the first Session of the Schmidt Parliament. As we have been dissolved, you are all now considered Independents until further notice. You will be allowed to sit wherever you like, however, a seating chart will be made later. However, we shall proceed with the first topic, the future of Amuaplye. With the rise of terrorism post-Leonard Perry, the crackdown of rights under Mr. Schmidt, among others. Anyone wish to start?"

A man, no older than 40, stood up.

"I am Jonathan Greer, a former MP for the SPA. The emergency is justified, but the means are completely inadequate. The Prime Minister does not have this power. This resolution shall be rightly ignored, as, according to the Amuaplyean Declaration of Rights, Article 1, Section 1, Bullet Point 1, 'The Prime Minister has no right to dissolve the High Court or Parliament, unless an election has been called.' This makes sure that an incident like this cannot happen. I have found nothing else wrong with Sections 3 and 4, but, also according to the same section, a few bullet points later, states that, quote, "In the event of the firing of an Ambassador or Cabinet member, the Prime Minister must nominate a new candidate within the month."

Another man by the name of Robert Griswold stood up. "Yes, but this is outdated. That first section was amended in 2002 under Prime Minister Wayne Scott to add another reason, that being, in case of an emergency like the one we're in now."

"It still goes against our democratic ideals and will do more harm than good. Any other nation on Earth would not crack down on civil rights just because of the work of 6 men. There's another nation who had attacks with twice the frequency, and they're still going strong. What gives us the right to do this?"

"I concur. It is a horrible and wretched thing to do, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And this is a desperate time, Mr. Greer. People are dying out there. Property has been damaged. After all, had that Sydney car bomb plot succeeded, it would've killed hundreds, if not thousands of people, caused approximately 1 billion dollars in damage, and paralyzed the government for possibly months."

"Still isn't going to solve the problem. In fact, I say that the problem is going to get worse due to this maneuver. This is not the way to solve the problem. Institute guards, give more money for mental health services, ban certain materials and weapons like ammonium nitrate or certain types of assault rifles unless you have a license, literally anything other than turning this nation into a dictatorship. This is not how you solve a problem like the Olympiad Bomber, Mr. Griswold."

Yeaddin Airport
Yeaddin, Liventia
October 15, 2019

The shiny Airbus A380 slowly approached the runway, decked out in Amuaplye's national colors, Red, Blue, and Yellow. The whine of the engines slowly died down as the landing gear hit the runway.

The plane, whose call sign was "Amuaplye One", was probably only one of many international flights touching down at the time, after all, Amuaplye wasn't the only country participating, and there were almost certainly a lot of people going to watch the games unfold.

It took a long time to park at one of the gates, and once they did, they breathed a sigh of relief, as they had arrived safe and sound, leaving the events of last Olympics behind them. They were in a foreign land now, where they will be safe, its borders like an impenetrable fence, where one couldn't be targeted.

First out of the plane was Frankie Bradley, Amuaplye's first medalist, and Deputy Prime Minister. He was a cross country skier, more specifically, in the Men's 30km Skiathlon. He was noticeably weaker than last Winter Olympics, as the injury to his legs had taken a severe toll on him. It wasn't clear on whether he would win another medal for his nation.

He was followed by Elbert Romero, the replacement of disgraced athlete and terrorist Leonard Perry. When he exited, all eyes were upon him. He was cautiously looked over, as if when Perry disgraced his name, he disgraced the sport with him.

The rest of them all left in a random order, on a first come first serve basis, as they all fanned out across the airport, and onto multiple buses, who all converged on the Amuaplyean Olympic Village.

One one of the buses, Bradley just happened to sit next to Romero. Frankie did feel at least a small amount of animosity, as Romero, to him, seemed like a surrogate for the team member that betrayed him out of jealousy. However, he had to push those feelings aside, as they would all be together for the time being.

Bradley's train of thought derailed as he hears Romero trying to get his attention. "Mr. Bradley-"

"Just call me Frankie, please."

"OK, but, I... don't really feel comfortable in my position, after the actions of the guy before me. It's like he took the sport with him here."

"It'll be fine. Just... don't try to kill me if you lose." Bradley said with a slight smile on his face.

Romero chuckled, though it was forced, as he didn't find his joke funny. However, before they could continue, they arrived at their destination. The two silently left the bus, and entered their rooms, relaxing for the night.

by **West Phoenicia** » Tue Oct 15, 2019 9:38 pm

Thomas Jarwood, WP Sports

The Winter Olympics is rapidly approaching, enthusiastic West Phoenician athletes are anxious to fly out and compete for the Empire in front of West Phoenicians and the world.
This will be the fifth appearance for Team West Phoenicia. They have attended 3 Winter Olympics and 1 Winter Paralympics.
So far the Winter Paralympics has been there best medal haul where they had a result of 23 .Gold. 11.Silver and 9.Bronze, whilst competing in Neverend, Liventia.

This time athletes are hoping for a much more fruitful outcome to make themselves more competitive with their Summer Olympic Games counterparts.

Medals obtained at a Winter Olympics:
Gold: 7
Silver: 14
Bronze: 4

West Phoenician Minister of Olympic Sports Baroness Flora Freeman whilst announcing the delegation that will head off to compete at the XIIII Winter Olympics were some of the newest brightest and most talented winter athletes West Phoenicia has seen.
For too long Winter athletes had taken a step back while the Summer Olympians took all the limelight. This will now change with these games.
Lack of funding, second rate training facilities and understaffed and overworked coaches were a number of reasons given for West Phoenicia's mediocre performance.
Since the XIII Winter Olympics in Prescott, Electrum, significant changes were made, especially in areas where the nation hopes to stand a chance to obtain a medal.

These included;

• A $40 million dollar Trey Berri Speed Skating Arena, (named for the first West Phoenician to bring home a gold medal in speed skating ) it was built in the snowy city-state of Druidia. It consists of a 400-meter skating track surrounded by two international-sized ice sheets and is itself surrounded by a 442-meter running track. It is also the home base for both the men's and women's Druidia Ice Hockey teams.

• The $100 million Yule Island Sliding Complex and Resort project was built in the city-state of Yule Island. The Sliding complex consisting of Bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton tracks used for training and events. And an attached resort with two 4 star boutique hotels, shopping district and health retreat.

• Melbourne-Haven Ice Stadium, at a cost of $40 million, the stadium has a capacity of 12,000 and is the training ground for Figure Skating and Ice Hockey. It is also the home stadium for both men and women's Ice Hockey city-state Jackson teams for the West Phoenician National Ice Hockey League. As well as International and National Ice Skating and Ice Dancing championships.

• The West Phoenician Ice Block Curling Centre, with a capacity of 3500 people and a cost of $11 Million. Designed for the Winter Games Curling events and training of the curling teams. It will host both International and National Curling events. And is located in Holly Heights, Yule Island; West Phoenicia.

• The Druidia Freestyle Skiing Centre and Snowboarding Park received $20 million to upgrade facilities and expand facilities. With the added funds it increased seating capacity to 5000 for freestyle skiing and 7000 for snowboarding. It added newly constructed gyms, massage rooms and two cafes. Not only will it be used to train freestyle skiers and snowboarders, but will continue to host national and international events.

• The 13,000 seated Blizzard Ski Jumping Stadium Complex constructed venue in Valhalla Ports, the capital city of the West Phoenician city-state of Western Norse Territory. The multi-purpose venue helps train West Phoenicians for both Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined events. As well as using the facilities for national and international events due to their inclusion of normal hill and large hills, allowing it to host both events. 30 minutes drive will take you to Drum March Hollow Complex, where an injection of $10 million in funds has helped improve the Drum March Hollow venue for the biathlon, cross-country skiing, and the cross country skiing portion of the Nordic combined events. As well as upgrading ski chalets to lure tourists and holidaymakers to the area to take part in skiing, tubing and other snow friendly activities.

• Yule Island Alpine Centre was built and upgraded at a cost of $60 million to host and train athletes in all the Alpine Skiing events. In addition, a number of hotels and it's only shopping district were created. The venue is not only used for training facilities, but also a venue to hold Sporting events. Plus a resort complex that is open all year round.

• 25 new coaches and 20 assistant coaches have been hired to train alongside and bring out the best in the winter Olympians in preparing them for the Olympics.

Baroness Flora Freeman expressed excitement with all the upgrades and newly built facilities as well as the increase in the coaching staff.
Winter Olympians no longer can complain of inferior facilities, plus the venues will be a great benefit to the nation by bringing in increased revenue for the nation by hosting more national and international events. The West Phoenician Minister has made it clear, those reasons can longer be used as excuses for pulling in medals.
With a lot of money spent to improve the nation's chances, athletes are encouraged to make use of all facilities during the lead up to the games.

by **Fujai** » Wed Oct 16, 2019 12:09 am

16 October, 1420 SM, Neverend, Liventia.
Bulletin from the Fujansk ski jumping team, by Valhildur Hammaren for Fujansk Idrottsforbund

Some weeks ago, after a ferry trip from Fujai to Tara Cambray and a gruelling flight from Wahkiakum International Airport, the Fujansk delegation to the 14th Winter Olympics arrived in Liventia and Velita. The world-class ski jumping team, led by the charming Aina Folkestad and friendly yet aloof Hildegunn Påssen, has been practicing at the Ferrandieu Ski Sports Centre in Neverend since arriving to prepare for qualifications. Up and coming Asle Tharens and seasoned veteran Sindre Lerum have found themselves facing qualifications even before the dual opening ceremony takes place. While nothing can live up to Vesterbakken in the hearts of Fujar, the ski jumpers are excited to learn from the great diversity of knowledge that they've already been experiencing at the Olympic Village.

We at Fujansk Idrottsforbund (Fujansk Sports Union) have prepared brief introductions to our ski jumping team, who carry the hopes of all Fujar with them as they compete at their first inter-regional Olympic Games.

Aina Folkestad
Pronouns: she/her
Events: Women's Individual Normal Hill, Women's Individual Large Hill, Women's Team Large Hill
Age: 29
Hometown: Uthavn, Austhalvøy Fylke
Favorite color: Pastel green

Asle Tharens
Pronouns: they/them
Events: Men's Individual Normal Hill, Men's Individual Large Hill, Men's Team Large Hill
Age: 21
Hometown: Keiserholde, Keiserholde Fylke
Favorite color: The grey of clouds just after a snowstorm

Hildegunn Påssen
Pronouns: she/her
Events: Women's Individual Large Hill, Women's Team Large Hill
Age: 27
Hometown: Keiserholde, Keiserholde Fylke
Favorite color: The orange of the Keiserholde T-bane

Kiri Winding
Pronouns: she/her
Events: Women's Individual Normal Hill
Age: 31
Hometown: Strafsund, Landsvall Fylke
Favorite color: Sky blue

Liv Møy
Pronouns: they/them
Events: Women's Individual Large Hill, Women's Team Large Hill
Age: 30
Hometown: Pelshus, Arenreid Fylke
Favorite color: The yellow of a morning sun on the fields outside their childhood home

Renée Hopen
Pronouns: she/her
Events: Women's Individual Normal Hill, Women's Team Large Hill
Age: 24
Hometown: Bertranslaug, Mastrøms Fylke
Favorite color: Pomegranate

Sindre Lerum
Pronouns: he/him
Events: Men's Individual Normal Hill, Men's Team Large Hill
Age: 36
Hometown: Almoren, Elsøra Fylke
Favorite color: Lavender

Stig Bollen
Pronouns: he/him
Events: Men's Individual Large Hill, Men's Team Large Hill
Age: 29
Hometown: Lindskrona, Arvallen Fylke
Favorite color: Crimson

Torgeir Asvann
Pronouns: he/him
Events: Men's Individual Large Hill, Men's Team Large Hill
Age: 25
Hometown: Jaktdalen, Vesthalvøy Fylke
Favorite color: The rough purple of juniper berries just after a frost

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Wed Oct 16, 2019 9:16 am

Somewhere at Neverend..

At a cramped large airplane similar to an Airbus, Jessica Madden and her girlfriend Charlie were soaring through the skies above Main Nation Ministry, as Jessica's band was doing the usual routine of casually waiting or messing around. "I never been out of the nation before. This is a bit exciting to me." Charlie said to Jessica, as Jessica was lounging back as much as the seat could allow it. Thank god, multiverse traveling only took a few hours. "Don't worry, Charlie. We coming here for a vacation. So what if we being stalked by the security teams, since there are demons that had replaced some of the athletes? We just going to have fun in the snow." Jessica said, letting Charlie be relaxed at the vacation she is going on with Jessica and her crew.

Jessica's relationship with Charlie have been private, though she did reveal it to some people. Yet, the Leader already knows since he saw it as obvious. However, no one outside of Main Nation Ministry knows about it. And the ones that knew had their skyscraper burnt down, because they also happened to post a deepfake video of Princess Keller Harrington. A major public relations that had Dorbi Truman bending backwards to assure tourists and visitors, but it was mostly dismissed for now.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the plane will be going through a rift. You can expect major turbulence." the intercom said, as Jessica put her seatbelt on. "How are we going through this rift?" Charlie asked Jessica as the plane started to shake. "It's actually harmless. A lot of planes go through it and they go unscathed. Something about how the multi-verse works around here."
"How many people travel from Main Nation Ministry?"
"Oh Charlie, be lucky that I managed to get you that pass. Rarely anyone travels outside of Main Nation Ministry, unless they are a part of some athletes or traveling to WorldVision. Or for a special ocassin, so the Leader can show off some fancy suit he has."
"Isn't the Leader traveling also?"
"Yep. At least, we don't have to deal with him. He's already feared, but I can still kick that ass of his."

As the plane passed through the rift, the nation of Liventia was visible from the plane windows. "There it is. Liventia. The winter games to relax and hang out." Jessica said to Charlie, as she leaned back and smiled. Jessica wasn't planning on performing with the band. It was mostly a simple vacation, though she still had the instruments packed, if a majority of the band was interested.
"Hang on, where are we landing? I don't see an airport?" Charlie said, as Jessica noticed that despite the snowy climate, there didn't seem to be a proper airport. "I can help with your bags. As long as someone sends a bus."

by **Kriegiersien** » Wed Oct 16, 2019 10:34 am

The Kriegiersien president surprised with another curious message on social media platform chirper.

„Each of our athletes who wins a silver medal at the Olympics gets a statue of himself build in Schoenwetter. In silver. A big one. We have won bronze so often and Gold, everyone can Gold, but silver, that is the greatest. Tactics, you know, reaching the final and losing it, letting one pass, but not more, that is art. Real art.
Make Kriegiersien second again!!”

Most Athletes shrugged this news of, speed skater Ellie Lyons said: „If I reach the second round I am happy enough, I am not thinking of medals“.
Biathlete Norbert Nude shook his head. „I will not surrender a Gold medal for a statue. What a B..“

Head of Mission Susan Nicols tried to be diplomatic.
„Our athletes are mature enough to make their own choices. But I think going for the statement the President gave some weeks ago „Win it all!“ is also a good idea.“

by **Ioudaia** » Wed Oct 16, 2019 12:52 pm

Ski Jump Area, Ferrandieu Ski Sports Centre, Neverend, Liventia

Matan ben Utz slid to a stop at the bottom of the hill, thinking, That wasn't half bad! Do that tomorrow and I'll qualify! Done practicing for the day, he lifted his goggles, and turned to leave. Just as he was about to push off for the locker room, he spotted a TV crew heading his way. He muttered under his breath. "Ah, shit! Couldn't they have waited one damned day?"

He watched as a cheerful young man led an older guy with a camera up to him. "Hi, I'm Myron Daniel, from Pentapolis Broadcasting Network. We'd like to interview you about tomorrow's quals!"

"Oh, OK." Matan managed to keep a neutral expression and avoided rolling his eyes. Hopefully, this will be short.

Myron got set up, counted down, and started into his sportscaster spiel. "This is Myron Daniel, reporting from Neverend, Liventia, where I'm interviewing Matan ben Utz, Ioudaia's lead-off athlete for the Fourteenth Winter Olympics, and sole ski jumper.

"Matan, how does it feel to have the whole of Ioudaia's opening day all to yourself?" He pushed his microphone closer to Matan's face than the Matan really wanted.

Pasting on his best smile, Matan tried to BS his way through an answer. "It's an honor, of course. It came as something of a surprise when the schedule was announced, but I'm definitely not going to turn down the opportunity." It's a fluke of the scheduling, you moron.

"How do you feel about tomorrow's jumping?"

What, no creativity? "Pretty good. I expect I'll qualify. There's few skiers than in the last Winter Games, which works in my favor. Some of them are really good, though. I expected that; ski jumping is a new sport for us, so it's not like we have generations of experience behind us like some of the other delegations do.

"Like I said, I feel pretty good about tomorrow's jumping. My practice jumps here have been very smooth, very fast, with good distance. After that, I'll have to see how everybody else does, and take it one jump at a time."

Myron seemed to hesitate for a moment; Matan scored it as a tiny victory. Gave all the easy answers to all the stupid questions. But the inevitable came at last. "That's great to hear! One last question: if you could give one piece of advice to Ioudaia's future ski jumpers, what would it be?"

Blink. Blink. Damn, he got me! "Um, I'm going to skip the obvious one, 'practice, practice, practice', and go right for the important one: you need perfect form at takeoff, and you need to keep your form perfect while airborne. Get that, get the distance, get the win. That's it."

Myron turned to face into the camera. "I hope all our young ski jumpers got that key point. Thank you, Matan, and now back to the studio."

by **Unified Beretania** » Wed Oct 16, 2019 9:05 pm

Albavona Capitol Sentinel

Athlete Bios: Ykaterina Kostrikova, Kaylynn Reese, Skyleigh Paramour

After Unified Beretania's unflattering and uninspired showing at the 13th Winter Olympics, nearly costing Unified Beretania National Olympic Comittee President Anita Haney her job, Beretania's best and brightest winter athletes look posied to once again make a loud statement on the international stage. Today we look at the top three womens athletes to watch, and tomorrow, we'll preview the top three mens athletes. Without further ado, here's the top three womens Olympians from the Unified Beretania delegation to watch and why:

1. Ykaterina Kostrikova
womens figure skating

Ykaterina Kostrikova has superstar name recognition across Unified Beretania. That's because her mum is Anastasia Kostrikova, a household name as a former Olympic gymnast. Now the next generation of the family has manifested Olympic dreams, Ykaterina (@Kit_Kat101) has an excellent chance to make a name for herself.

Her coach is the Beretanian legend Stephan Chang, a gold and silver medal Olympian in the sport. Chang coached Jenna Singh in the 12th Winter Olympics. Singh failed to medal, and Chang took a break during the 13th Winter Olympics.

"I like to work with the elite top tier skaters and make them Olympic ready. I think Ykaterina is easily the most polished figure skater I have ever worked with. Where Jenna failed eight years ago is with her confidence, but I'm here to say that Ykaterina has confidence and assurance in abundance. The raw talent and skill she has is exceptional," Chang noted.

The road to Yeaddin has been a long and trying one, wrought with painful setbacks. Ykaterina suffered for years with anorexia, to the point that it almost derailed her career and took her life. She's battled valiantly, though still struggles with her eating disorder. Years of therapy and an estranged relationship with her mom have taken a toll. She says Chang was a life saver. He saw the potential in the her, and was very sensitive to her trials. He was there every step of the way as a coach and as a friend, giving her the support she felt she had always been missing. He helped her through her fear and doubt, and gave her hope for a bright future.

"I was in a really dark place, and I kind of still am. I'm going to channel my pain on the ice in Yeaddin into something beautiful and something great. I'm going to put my heart out there for everyone to see. I want to inspire and show everyone that no matter what your past is, you can transform all that pain into an incredibly positive expression," Kostrikova reflected.

These Olympics are a blank canvas for Ykaterina to bare her soul. This is not just an opportunity to compete as an athlete, but also to heal as a person. That is priceless.

"I just want to step out of my mum's shadow. I am much more than my mum's daughter. I am a great athlete in my own right. Two generations of Olympians, that's an accomplishment though," Ykaterina recently wrote on her social media accounts.

2. Kaylynn Reese
womens freestyle skiing

Dubbed "Special K" by her devoted fans, Kaylynn Reese is a gold medal Olympian (12th Winter Olympics). Reese (@RealSpecialK) recalls the moment when she earned her nickname with great fondness. It was at nationals two years ago, and she had just been crowned national champion. Her fans errupted into an impromptu chant of "Special K" that lasted several minutes.

"At that moment, I realized that I had the best fans in the world. I instantly liked the nickname and I rocked it on social media. I'm really blessed to have so many great supporters and I can't wait to get out there and make them all proud," Reese said.

The year after Reese was crowned national champion, Annie Albertson won the championship at nationals. Albertson's (@TheAmazingA) equally fervent fans gave her the nickname "Amazing A" in the same manner.

There's no love lost between the two rivals, both of whom have qualified for the 14th Winter Olympics. Reese and Albertson are known to take sharp barbs at one another. Their respective fanbases have even become embroiled in massive social media wars on a number of occasions. Ultimately the debate about who's the best Beretanian women's freestyle skier will be decided on the slopes, in the Olympics. The rivalry alone is worth the price of admission.

Less than a month ago, Reese was the recipient of the Beretanian National Council of Black Athletics Sportswoman of the Year award. Reese is half black, half white. She was honored for her contribution to the advancement of womens sports and her extensive charity work.

"She's an amazing athlete and an even better human being. It was an incredible honor to present such a deserving person this award," commented former Olympic gold medalist and Beretanian National Council of Black Athletics president Sheena Jacqueline Baker.

Two national titles and an Olympic gold medal have set the stage for Kaylynn Reese at the pinnacle of her career.

3. Skyleigh Paramour
womens alpine skiing

Skyleigh Paramour has thus far been fruitless in her two past Olympic campaigns. Yet at the national level, she is a superstar. She's the defending national champion, graced last year's cover of the video game Becky Stevens Pro Skiing, is a four time national champion and two time Olympian amoung a long list of accolades.
This is the last chance for Paramour (@SkyHighSkyleigh) to win an Olympic medal as she skis off into the sunset. She recently announced that she will end her career following the 14th Winter Olympics. Paramour plans to settle down with her new husband, Steven Coors, and start a family.

"It's been a hell of a career, and the girls just coming onto the scene are phenomenal. It's their turn to shine," remarked a cheerful Paramour.

This marks the third high profile retirement in Beretanian women's skiing this Olympic cycle. Britnee Britton retired early as the seventh ranked female skier in the nation shortly after the 13th Winter Olympics to pursue a lucrative MMA career. Britton (@GreatBrittonMMA) peaked as Elite Fight Series womens bantamweight champion, proving it a wise choice to abandon her skiing career in favor of kickboxing and mixed martial arts.

Then, Becky Stevens announced that she'd be hanging up her skis at the end of the 14th Winter Olympics as well. Stevens (@BeckyOnSkis) became a media darling and fan favorite due to a severe knee injury prior to the 12th Winter Olympics, making an improbable comeback just in time to compete in those Olympics. Steven's hasn't earned an Olympic medal either, but is highly talented as well. Realistically though, it's Paramour with the best shot at medaling this time round.

So the nation's eyes are on Paramour as she makes one final attempt to bring home an Olympic medal and make her country proud. She's made some adjustments since the lat Olympic cycle, in hopes they will be the advantage that makes the difference.

Paramour has added meditation to her daily routine in the waning days of her career. She also indulges in yoga and takes nightly ice baths. She cut red meat out of her diet, then became a pescatarian, and reports that she's felt the best that she has ever felt in her life after making the dietary changes. She says it's not reinventing herself, but rather reaching the best version of herself.

"I think I realized a little too late in my career that you have to balance the physical, mental and spiritual. I was all physical. 100% physical. It's not all about being fit. It's about having the proper attitude too. It's about being focused and centered. I needed to be balanced, and I think I've finally reached that point."

by **Teremaran Olympics Delegation** » Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:24 am

One Month Prior
Ministère de L'athlétisme
1er Arrondisement
Paritte, Gaul

“We need to divest ourselves from the Teremaran Olympics Delegation. This unified thing is bull-fucking-shit! It’s getting us nowhere and wasting our resources boosting up athletes from crap nations that have no business representing the region…”

“Like…?”

“Like Gragastavia.”

“Like what’s wrong with Gragastavia?”

“Well, besides the fact that they smell...um, diff...horrible...They smell horrible! Like camels! I said it. And they always bring those damn camels to everything, every event, and they treat them like people...But...but they also are considered a suspect, maybe hostile power. They’re allied with the Falkasians, who politically oppose us in the region at almost every turn, and…”

“There’s like a small puppet regime in the north supported by Falkasia, Jean-Bernard. A good part of the rest of the country is given over to the GLO...Islamic radicals.”

The athletic ministry deputy official was on a roll, and looked like he had no intention of stopping. They were in the Minister’s office having a special meeting to prepare for the upcoming Olympics in a month. The newly installed Minister, Alec Beaumont, was quiet as his deputies debated, but that was his usual state during these affairs as he continued to take bearings and read personalities.

Jean-Bernard practically spat out as he pointed,
“You’re only supporting my point there, Luc! Are we supporting Islamic radicals?”

“I doubt it. They have other things going on…”

“I’m off track here. We don’t need to support all these other fly-by-night Teremaran athletic programs of nations who don’t share our interests. It is only at the cost of supporting our own athletes and undercutting our own programs and we have very little to show for it, so far.

“We’ve earned some medals.”

“Some. Much less anyway than if we fielded our own independent delegation to the Olympics. We need to get out of this trainwreck...Now!”

Beaumont smirked at that, finally speaking,
“You better than most, Jean-Bernard, should know that even if everyone up to the President included agreed with you, that it’s just too late. The train has kept rolling and we’re a month out. There’s no way we could organize to scrape together an independent delegation at this juncture. We would also mightily piss off some of our allies in the region, even if we could, who are counting on us. This unified delegation has kept the region stronger and kept relations at a very, well...let’s say decent clip over the last few years. I couldn’t justify to the President and the legislature that we jeopardize that for our own national pride. You have to look at the bigger picture, man.”

“All due respect, Minister, but I don’t think that the bigger picture should include us indirectly feeding money to the Falkasian, Yellowsian, and Gragastavian government agencies...sports related or not.”

Minister Beaumont sighed before speaking.
“Jean-Bernard, if you understood more about regional stabilization, you would be the Foreign Affairs Minister’s problem right now, not mine. Because of who your father is, I can’t fire you, but I can do many things short of that. Stay after the meeting so we can talk. And just to be clear, I think the Falkasians are footing as much, if not more, of the bill than we are. Also, the Neu Engollians are probably contributing more than all of us, much of that coming from private funding…” He looked at each man and woman in the office, holding their gaze for a second, “...None of that leaves this room.”

[RP from Terre des Gaules]

by **The Transmondian Commonwealth** » Thu Oct 17, 2019 9:09 am

Marcy Sutter Neon, director of logistics for the New England Olympic delegation, was strolling through the Olympic village in Neverend in a stylish khaki trench coat. The feathers and carved bone beads braided into her straw-colored hair suggested that she was from a world with a relaxed attitude on racial and cultural issues. In the strictly white nationalist worlds, you couldn't wear feathers in your hair because it was considered barbaric; in the obsessively sensitive worlds, you couldn't wear them because it was seen as cultural appropriation. In more laid back parts of the Commonwealth, they were in style lately. Some people followed Wampanoag tradition, but others (like Marcy) just used any kind of feathers and wore them any old way.

The New Englanders had only requested a small amount of space in the Olympic village because they planned to come and go by portal, keeping a lot of their people and equipment lodged in a sparsely inhabited world where it would be out of everyone else's way and it would not add to the strain on Neverend's local resources and lodging. The portal was in an unobtrusive little building that did not stand out from the rest of the Olympic village. A team of technicians were checking to make sure they had it set up right before anyone tried to come through. "You don't think people will notice this space is too small for how many of us there are in Neverend?" one of the technicians asked.

"What are they going to do about it if they notice?" said Marcy. "We don't need to keep it a secret that we can travel between worlds. We just need to keep it a secret how the technology works."

"What if the locals start checking passports or something? You don't think they'll get annoyed that we're not going through customs and getting our passports stamped?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we find it."

by **Liventia** » Thu Oct 17, 2019 1:48 pm

LIVENTIA OLYMPIC ASSOCIATION
CLASSIFIED, IMPORTANT
RE: INTERNAL PROTOCOL, XIV OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES NEVEREND

Dear all,
Please note the following internal protocol relating to the XIV Olympic Winter Games. This protocol is to be followed by all employees and athletes accredited by the Liventia Olympic Association, even in public dealings.

1. Any nations taking part in the XIV Olympic Winter Games in Yeaddin, Vilita, with no athletes in Neverend, shall not be referred to as taking part in the Neverend Games.
2. These nations will not form part of the Opening Ceremony march-in in Neverend.
3. No reference, public or otherwise, shall be made to the fact that Saintland has not sent a delegation to Neverend, despite taking part in Yeaddin.
4. Liventian athletes and officials taking part in the XIV Olympic Winter Games Yeaddin are to have no contact, except where required by the rules of your sport, with athletes and officials from Saintland. This is a long-standing matter of Liventian law, and we expect our athletes to abide by Liventian law.
5. No reference shall be made to Saintland in any correspondence relating to the XIV Olympic Winter Games Neverend.
6. The correct terminology to specifically refer to the Neverend Games is the 'XIV Olympic Winter Games Neverend' (although "Neverend Games" is acceptable colloquially). Likewise, when referring to solely the events in Yeaddin, please use 'XIV Olympic Winter Games Yeaddin' or 'Yeaddin Games'. The '14th Winter Olympics' or 'XIV Olympic Winter Games' will be used to refer to the joint hosting between Neverend and Yeaddin.
7. The Olympic Village in Neverend is an accredited zone only. Officials and employees without correct credentials who enter the Olympic Village are liable to have their accreditation to the entire Games revoked.

Thank you for your co-operation.
Pearline Jones
Chair, Liventia Olympic Association
Chair, Organising Committee for the XIV Olympic Winter Games Neverend

Day 0 cutoff
Day 0 results for Neverend are here. The scorination window remains open; all RPs after this point count towards Day 1. Vilita will scorinate with RPs counted up to this point.

by **Recuecn** » Thu Oct 17, 2019 1:57 pm

The entire Reçueçian delegation to Neverend could have fit comfortably on a single bus to ferry the team there from City Centre. Despite the fact that besides the hockey teams, only the bobsledders--eight in total--were going to be competing in Yeaddin, Reçueçn was still sending more athletes to Vilita on the whole--only 27 were in here in Liventia, about as many as there were on a single one of the hockey teams.

Of course, once you counted the coaches, trainers, support staff, not to mention the equipment, the delegation couldn't fit on just one bus. So the snowboarders, alpine skiers, and Nordic skiers split up.

On the bus with the alpine skiers, everybody was getting along famously. It turns out that when you take a bus full of young twenty-somethings, all of whom have a whole slew of shared life experiences and passions, they click pretty much instantly. Any competition from qualifying for the Olympic delegation had been left behind now--the athletes knew they had been picked and were full of nervous excitement for the next few weeks. They knew they had something else in common as well--they were some of the best in the world.

Reçueçn might be minuscule, but its mountains and its skiing were some of the best in the world, bar none. The environment created was one which Reçuecians had a natural leg up in alpine sports without them even noticing it. It was normal to go skiing--it was what you did for fun. So it was only natural that these mountain-dwellers would be very competitive at it.

Possessing this knowledge in the back of their minds went a long way toward relieving the incredible stress that was part and parcel of representing your entire nation at an event with the clout of the Olympics. There would be a couple days before things got rolling for the alpine skiing portion of the games, and although practice did a lot to keep one busy and keep one's mind off things, there were rules about equal access to the slopes and things like that, so you couldn't count on spending all your time that way.

Madeleine Lecerf was the one who had been chosen to carry the Reçuecian flag, purple, gold, and red, during the opening ceremony. At present she had fallen into a bit of daze, just mentally preparing for that moment--it would be happening this evening! It was hard to believe it was already here. It had taken so much to get here, and none of it had felt guaranteed along the way, but more and more things had kept falling into Madeleine's lap. There was only a single event she would be participating in these games--the women's downhill--but she was good at it. The best in the nation, according to the qualifiers. And if you asked the nation, she was the best in the world. Madeleine wasn't sure about that, but the accolades and enthusiasm had kept coming and she had begun to go viral in a small way, as newly discovered Olympic athletes often do. This had culminated with her being given the honor of carrying the flag for the Reçuecian delegation at the opening ceremony in Neverend.

The pressure, then, was there. Madeleine couldn't imagine any higher honor she could receive, and then she would have to wait 12 days--almost two weeks--to show if the trust confided in her had been worth anything at all. Two weeks of waiting and anticipation, then a brief moment of truth, and then--and then what, elation? Victory? Defeat and dejection? Would success feel empty? She had regarded all the competitions at home merely as stepping stones. It was all just part of her journey towards what appeared to be an unattainable goal--Olympic gold. But now, a the bus rolled closer and closer to Neverend and to the Opening Ceremony, this was all finally becoming tangible. Madeleine had idolized this moment and this place for so long. Would experiencing it knock it off its pedestal?

She would have time to wonder and think about that. She would not actually find out for a while yet. She had time to brood, to overthink--or maybe to prepare. Madeleine resolved right then and there to make the most of her time while waiting for her event. She knew she would be training hard all day, every day--that was part of the expectation for an Olympic athlete, and her coaches would make sure of it--but now she chose yet again, as she had already chosen so many times to do in her career this far, to double down and put in the effort. Second best would not be good enough.

Madeleine thought of the flag she would carry that night. It had honored her. Now it was time for her to pay that back.

by **Kriegiersien** » Thu Oct 17, 2019 3:08 pm

Albert Art
Welcome to my “A few minutes” Podcast. I am Albert Art and today I am joined by Tiberius Frank Former, Dr. of philosophy, art, sport, meteorology and technology and Depp Jones, Head of Mission for our Kriegiersien delegation in Liventia and former Ice Dancer.

We want to discuss the coming Winter Olympics. It is for the first time, as far as I know, in two different nations. Isn’t that a challenge for the Organizers?

Dr. Tiberius Frank Former:

They will have to adapt their rules and their processes to this new situation.

I guess it is also a challenge to the organisers. I have to remind you about the Games in Zube and Kytler Bay City, when the organisers were unprepared and took a long time to prepare. It was a huge task and they also paid with many difficulties.

I think this year the Games in Neverend and YEADDIN will be even bigger. There will be an Olympiad to create a new Olympics in the Vilita. I think it’s a challenge for both.

There may be additional problems for the Olympic Games. One, this year the weather is not going to be that good. That will mean less people going to the Games, which is going to affect people.

Another problem for the organizers will be the large number of competitors, most of whom are going to be from out of Liventia. It will be impossible to find enough people….

Albert Art
..but we want to talk about our team. The Kriegiersien delegation is different this time. No Zombies, very few Cyborgs, Robots, whatever you call them… There are also nearly only humans in the delegation of such a multicultural, divers society. Is this a trend? Do we have to worry? Do we have a racism problem? In sport or in the community altogether?

Depp Jones:

We have to be humble to the Kriegiersiens, and acknowledge their work is just that.

And as a last thing, a word to all my fans. I know there have been rumors. Some say they can't wait to see what the game is, others claim it isn't worth your time.

I've read everything and can tell you now. If you are a fan of the Kriegiersien, this is for you.
And if you're not a fan? Then you are one of the few people who haven't gotten this far. That is enough to piss me off.
Now, for a message to our fans, and to all you Kriegiersiens…
You are the best. No joke about.

Albert Art
Err.. hm...the Kriegiersien team has only a few Top Stars. There are many, for international level, average athletes at best, who doesn’t seem to be able to win medals. Can Kriegiersien stay a Top 10 nation this way?

Dr. Tiberius Frank Former:

It will be tough for Kriegiersien this time and that seems the most realistic scenario, they have some major issues that will need addressing. However if they can keep pace over the next 5 days, they must start to look more and more dominant, there will be plenty of challengers in this Top 5.

Kriegiersien could win a lot of medals, maybe a 3rd or even 2nd place with more Top 10 finishes. But it will not look exactly like the last time.

If Kriegiersien were to win 2/3 of the medals in Yeaddin and Neverend, then you could say that this is no longer true!

It will be the perfect formula for Kriegiersien this year, keep the same amount of athletes as in Prescott. But the athletes will look a lot more powerful now, with the increased strength of the Kriegiersien team.

Albert Art
Increased? So you think they are better now?

Dr. Tiberius Frank Former:

I have been to see what kind of numbers we have at a club.
We have a better club today from what I remember but I don't count by experience. You don't know.

Albert Art
Aha… Mr. Jones, Nudity is mandatory in Kriegiersien. At the Olympics they are using jerseys of course, but many are even training at home under these .. harsh conditions. That makes them tougher, harder, better say advocates. Others are not staying in Kriegiersien because of that and are leaving to other nations to train there. Is that an advantage or disadvantage?

Depp Jones:

It's one of the few Kriegiersien laws which protects minors. And by the way, it does not apply to foreigners – the legislation does not apply for foreigners. Therefore it does not matter how long you were there, or your nationality, because you get to keep all your privileges as long as a Kriegiersiens doesn't have a problem with that.

Albert Art
I … thank you both for…. no useful answers at all! For Violets sake....
I am sorry dear listeners, please come back next time, when we talk about the danger of climate change, with less stupid and confusing guests. :evil:

[ooc]This was done with the 'help' of Talk to Transformer, after a 'tip' in the OOC thread[/ooc]

by **Gryphonian Alliance** » Thu Oct 17, 2019 5:22 pm

GRYPHONIAN ALLIANCE QUALIFIES 2 SKI JUMPERS AT NEVEREND XIV

THE GRYPHONIC DELEGATION SECURES 2 PLAYERS IN QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEN'S NORMAL HILL.

The Gryphonic delegation to the XIV Winter Olympic Games started off promisingly today with 2 skiers surpassing the qualifying cutoff for Men's Normal Hill Ski Jump, with Lastu Minuette placing 42nd out of 63 participants with a score of 100.5. Nyarlo Hothong also qualified, placing 50th with a score of 96.5. Unfortunately, our third skier Guten Bye did not pass the cutoff of the top 50 scorers, placing 57th.
Tomorrow we'll be seeing the GA delegation competing in Women's 7.5 km Sprint, Curling, Men's Luge Singles, Women's 3000m Relay and Women's 500m Short Track Speed Skating Prelims, and Men's 1500m. The day for the GA athletes will wrap up with the finals for Men's Normal Hill Ski Jump.

by **Ioudaia** » Thu Oct 17, 2019 5:47 pm

Ski Jump Area, Ferrandieu Ski Sports Centre, Neverend, Liventia
Day 0

Matan ben Utz pumped his fists as he coasted out after his second jump. No reason to check the leader board, I'm in! He pushed off with his poles to get clear of out-run for the next jumper, and unconsciously glanced up at the points table. He nodded to himself. Right in the middle. Could have been worse.

As he made his way off, he spotted that Pentapolis sportscaster again. He dug in his poles and pushed off, accelerating to meet him. Myron Daniels hustled to get himself and his cameraman in position, and introduced himself to the TV and webcast audience just as Matan skied up.

Impishly, Matan didn't even let Myron ask a question. "I think I did pretty well. Not only did I qualify, I finished in the middle of the pack. I don't know what that says for my chances tomorrow, but I'm going to give it my best shot." There! All the stupid sports questions out of the way.

"That's great to hear!" Myron Daniels looked genuinely pleased. Maybe he hates asking the stupid questions as much as I hate answering them. "What did you think of your competitors?"

"In complete honesty, I barely noticed them." Matan risked a smile; hopefully Myron wouldn't think he enjoyed being interviewed. "I'll have to take a look at the results..." In fact, Matan needed a few seconds to really study them. "I can't say they're too unexpected, but there's always a certain amount of the unexpected to jumping. Nothing ever goes just according to plan.

"I didn't finish that far off the leaders, so if my jumps go well tomorrow, I should have a chance at a medal." I think.

Myron wrapped up the interview. Matan hesitated, then decided to put off asking him about the stupid sports questions. That would be better saved for after the tomorrow's contest.

National Biathlon Centre, Neverend, Liventia
Day 1, Start of the Women's 7.5km Sprint

Kyra Glezos took another deep breath as she waited for her start time. Why am I so nervous? I got a silver in pursuit last time! I can do this! Focus! She shifted her weight, tried to visualize the perfect start.

OK, there goes Hermine! Looks like she's gaining on the woman ahead of her! "Go! Go!" Kyra whispered; Hermine Reut would have to hear her encouragement by force of will.

Her teammate Avda looked over at her; Kyra gave her a thumbs up, and got a big grin as a reply. Yeah, we're all nervous. This is it. Last two years of training come down to this. But it's just another race, and the shooting's routine.

She glanced up at the clock, tensed, and counted down to herself. "3...2...1...Go!" And she was off, her motion taking over from her worried mind. Let my muscles remember, and just follow them.

by **Kelssek** » Thu Oct 17, 2019 5:49 pm

The lead ramper held up the marshalling wands in an ‘X’, the pilot set the parking brake, and the chartered Air Kelssek Celestar Ce551 came to the end of its ten-hour flight. This was not the only one, since the Kelssek Olympic Committee had allowed accredited media and a number of diplomatic officials to come along on their charters as long as their employers paid up. But it was the first half of the delegation to reach Yeaddin, and well ahead of the plebians on scheduled flights still shuffling their way through the passport line in Alikki-Corra.

The KOC had provided each athlete with a convenient range of nationalist paraphernalia; in addition to a team uniform there were small flags, pins, bottles, and a gym towel. An advance party of delegation officials had been the first ones in to the units designated for Kelssek. Quickly asserting wall space before other delegations who might be in the same buildings could, they put up flags and motivational posters about the ideals of Olympism and to not-so-subtly remind athletes they are representing the nation and should therefore be nice to other people. A banner in the main entrance proclaimed in both official languages, “Pride, Excellence, Solidarity”.

The athletes arrived, began Snappring their rooms, commenting on the fluffiness of the duvets, and climbing on the large Olympic Estoile in front of the buildings.

“Is it too early, or is it too empty?”

“The officials are always going on about how all countries ought to be in the Olympic Village... but if we get the hot tubs to ourselves it’s not such a big deal.”

Brianna Meekinson, by now a grizzled Olympic veteran, chipped in. “Kinda misses the point if you don’t meet anyone new or from somewhere else, right? It’s a bit sad if the fans get to mix and mingle more than we do.” Prescott had become very familiar after going there three times, but she was still glad for the novelty of Yeaddin even if she now had to find a new favourite cafeteria spot.

Across the courtyard they could see another delegation arriving.

"Look, friends!" she pointed, to emphasize the point.

by **Diarcesia** » Thu Oct 17, 2019 7:32 pm

Kelssek wrote:Across the courtyard they could see another delegation arriving.

"Look, friends!" she pointed, to emphasize the point.

"It feels like we're in a completely different world. I never thought snow would be this beautiful!"

"Yes, until you have to shovel it out of your yard. Wait..."

The woman who replied paused and beckoned her group to pay attention to the other side of the courtyard. This group of Diarcesians, about 10 of them (the others have gone to unpack their belongings in their quarters), all wear deep red jackets, with a lynx rampant decorated on their left chest, and black thick trousers. They meant to meet with five other Diarcesians here, though they haven't arrived yet.

"This time it's really no mistake," Harry Smith of the ice hockey team said, gesturing around the courtyard and the group in the distance. They've been finding their way around the Olympic Village for fifteen minutes at this point. "See? Look, other athletes! This is where we'll meet the curlers... Should we go talk with the foreigners while we wait?"

The others nodded, so Harry started walking towards the delegation of Kelssek, his back to the others as they follow.

"Hello there. We were wondering where the others are: we must have arrived really early," Harry began.

"We are ice hockey players from Diarcesia, it's good to see you," Tara Johnsdaughter, the one who has experience shoveling snow from her house, happily continued.

by **Kelssek** » Thu Oct 17, 2019 8:28 pm

Bronwyn laughed. "And we're the Kelssek hockey team. Hope you're not in our group or we can't be friends."

Immediately, she wanted to kick herself. Bronwyn could feel Briana Meekinson glancing at her disapprovingly - or at least she thought she did. Bronwyn was used to dumbing herself down and hiding her intelligence because it didn't do to be too clever at her high school, a habit she'd been trying to kick but fell back into if she wasn't careful. Around Briana Meekinson, not knowing which teams you were about to play was not cool at all. As a young newbie on the Olympic team, she wanted the living legend of Kelssekian hockey's approval more than anything.

Well... not more than anything, a gold medal would do nicely. She tried to save. "Diarcesia's pretty warm mostly, isn't it? But I'm sure you all must have good infrastructure. Professional leagues? Stuff like that?"

by **Diarcesia** » Thu Oct 17, 2019 9:46 pm

Bronwyn laughed. "And we're the Kelssek hockey team. Hope you're not in our group or we can't be friends."

Tara instinctively tensed, and she couldn't tell if anybody have noticed.

She's got some fire in her, Tara thought. She can tell immediately that their personalities clash. In sharp contrast to the heat of the jungles around Kinborough, Tara is actually more of the introspective type and more comfortable when fully concentrated in one thing. Despite that, she has no problem interacting with other people: it only takes somewhat more conscious effort to maintain.

"Diarcesia's pretty warm mostly, isn't it? But I'm sure you all must have good infrastructure. Professional leagues? Stuff like that?"

"Hm. Well, my country straddles the equator, at least the mainland, so no chance of winter. Someone had the idea to build indoor skate parks and the sport caught on shortly after. Enough for a professional league, at least.

Our league has a women's and men's division. My team is the Helion Sticks, and Harry here belongs to the Point Wolves. I got to a couple of international tournaments before I went here. It was a bit of a struggle, to be honest, but we pulled through," she shrugged.

"What can you tell about Kelssek? I have watched the Summer games, and your country did quite well."

by **Teremaran Olympics Delegation** » Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:02 pm

Al-Duhaba, Gragastavia
The Academy Club

“Olympics.”

“Again?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t we have them last year?”

“Yes, but there was no Habiba Shamoun.”

“Oh, is she carrying the flag again?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

Two men sat across from one another, their faces buried in newspapers, as a pair of cigars burned slowly, perched in an ashtray on the coffee table between them.

They were silent for a few moments more, then one of them shouted, “Habiba Shamoun!”

“What about her?”

“Habiba. Shamoun,” one said, folding back the corner of his newspaper to look at the other, “She’s our solution.”

The other folded his newspaper back as well, “Solution for what?”

“She can’t be a figure skater forever. Where do astronauts, war heroes, and-or Olympians go after they retire from being astronauts, war heroes, and-or Olympians?”

“Infomercial salesmen?”

“No,” the first said, shaking his head, “We send them to congress.”

The other looked at him incredulously. “You want. To send. Habiba Shamoun. To congress.”

“Well, Tibrak sent a camel to congress last year. A figure skater can’t do much worse of a job.”

“You’re telling me that Humphrey is doing a bad job? He’s always on time for every session, and he always votes for the party line. Give him another year or two, and he’ll be party whip.”

“But he’s a camel!”

“A camel that’s done a better job than you!”

“Oh, to hell with it,” the other sighed, “If you want Habiba Shamoun to stand for congress, then she can run for congress. It’ll look good in the papers, I guess. They’ll sing our praises for inclusivity. Do you know if she even votes for our party?”

“What’s that got to do with it?”

“She’s young. She probably still thinks ideology is important.”

“Maybe,” the first said, “Do you know where she went to school?”

The other flipped through his paper, “Says here Al-Duhaba University.”

“Of course she did,” the first laughed, “Everyone in this country went to Al-Duhaba University.”

“I went to Maqhab.”

“Of course you did,” the first said, rolling his eyes. “But Habiba Shamoun. It’d be quite an achievement if we had her in the party.”

“I don’t see why. Compared to the opposition, we’re leaps and bounds ahead of them. We have twelve of the fifteen women on the floor.”

“Out of 329.”

“What qualifications does being a figure skater give one to be a member of congress?”

“I’m sure she can skate around that issue.”

The other scoffed and said, “I’ll tell the party to assemble a dossier and we can go from there.” He flapped his newspaper, opening it to its full extent once more and buried himself in black and white lines on the page.

“See that you do.”

[RP from Gragastavia]

by **West Phoenicia** » Thu Oct 17, 2019 11:07 pm

Before the Games:

Congress, Melbourne-Haven, Jackson, West Phoenicia,

Eddie Roxi-Indi, leader of the West Phoenician Socialist Party and Ms Violet Hungary of the West Phoenician Diversity, Love and Rainbow Party both used their question time to condemn the outrageous spending of the Ministry of Sports and the Government as a whole in regards to the Winter Olympics.
Both, while sharing similar ideals, were often opposed to each other in their attempt to claw supporters away from the other. However, today both oozed arrogance during their speeches.

"Millions of dollars have been spent to improve and construct multiple facilities around the nation to help train up our winter Olympians who up to now have performed poorly at the Winter games.
While I support our Olympians, the money could have been better spent in other areas like Education, Health and Welfare."

"New venues and facilities were not needed to boost the performance of our Winter athletes. The nation already had these venues in place, and our winter athletes still performed poorly, we cannot blame the venues.
Investing in new infrastructure was not the issue, while they may appear more beautifully designed and have more amenities for athletes and the public, less money could have been spent by upgrading the existing venues.
It would have been more appropriate to keep the existing venues and invest in coaches and equipment, that is the goal to improve our athletes so hopefully they can perform better."

"There are many nations who enter the Summer and Winter Olympics who do not have the funds that West Phoenicia has. They do not have the coaches we can afford to hire, nor glamorous venue to train in, yet they pull in medals and often have a higher medal count.
The Diversity, Love and Rainbow Party values our athletes who are leading examples on the World Stage in sports and many have transformed into great ambassador for the nation. We call on the West Phoenician Olympic Committee to punish athletes who embarrass the nation with lifetime expulsion. We also applaud the Olympic Committee for sending an equal number of men and women, but more needs to be done in greater representation of minorities and LGBTI+ athletes. We also encourage deeper vetting of athletes, a great way to save money would be sending the best of the best and not just a full delegation that meets the NOC quota of entries per event. That would open up a lot of funds that could be used elsewhere."

"Stop wasting money where it is not needed and invest in other areas. We agree with the leader of the Socialist Party, that more money needs to be invested in public schools, public hospitals, public transportation infrastructure and environmental issues to battle against climate change." Violet Hungary said.

In a rare move, Rev. Trevor Meadows of the far-right Prohibition Party agreed on only sending the best and called on the Olympics Event Committee to stop funding drunkenness and debauchery by renting out venues during the games to celebrate sin and vice. It put a stain on the good reputation of West Phoenicia and cheapens our athletes.
He supported cutting back on sports that failed to deliver, and only focus on what was within reach of a medal. However instead of not sending anyone at all for sports we don't excel in, reduce the number of athletes being sent for those events until they start pulling in the wins.
However he did slam Ms Violet Hungary for requesting quotas based on people's sexuality, stating this is about sports not sexual attraction, who someone goes to bed with needs to remain private. Having quotas on the number of homosexuals athletes is outrageous, and the idea should be dismissed as a crackpot.

Meanwhile Hon Helena Rice, Minister of Education and Dr Kiri Alfred, Minister of Health rejected the words of members of the opposition that education and health needed extra funds.

"Health and Education already receive higher than average funding from the government. There are no real complaints or strain on either system. The Ministry of Sport deserves the funds the government allocates them, and these ministers who are complaining need to understand The Ministry of Sport allocates only a small percentage from the government, the remainder come from donations and private sponsors.
These new venues are not a waste of money. They can help bring in tourist dollars when we hold competitions here, plus many sporting clubs and high schools will benefit from the use of these venues and facilities. The left needs to do their homework before they condemn something that will not only help out athletes, but also our communities and economy in throng run."

While there were heated words in the government in regards to funding. The one issue all could be in support of was support for Team West Phoenicia. Many members of the government would be joining other citizens as they head off to
Neverend, Liventia and Yeaddin, Vilita.
These Winter Olympics have caused a lot of upset and confusion among many citizens making the journey.
The two Winter Olympics hosts were not even in the same region! Many fans were torn as to which sports to prioritise as it would be next to impossible to travel to and fro from each city unless one was part of the jet set.

Government officials and members of the Royal family are splitting their time between both nations to ensure they show no disrespect and favouritism.
With two Opening Ceremonies announced, Emperor Glenton Gryphon-Bush II was rumoured be attending Neverend for the Opening Ceremony and for the span of the games while His Second Wife Empress Alotta would be appearing in Yeaddin alongside the Prime Minister.
It will be the first time that West Phoenicia would not march with a full delegation due to the split. Citizens who were lucky enough to snap up Opening Ceremony seats are being encouraged to shout extra loud in support.

Gold medal winning figure skater Angelika Lipinski, decorated as the top West Phoenician female figure skater, was voted in as flag bearer for the West Phoenician delegation for the Winter Olympics in Yeaddin and Neverend. At 25 she will be looking to scoop up another medal at these games.
For the Opening Ceremony she will march in the Yeaddin Opening Ceremony.

The West Phoenician Olympic Committee has nominated Freestyle Skiing — Men's Moguls skier Auric Le, who took silver in the event at the last Winter Olympics Games will march in the Opening Ceremony in Liventia. Both have promised to make the nation proud as they march out with other nations.

14th Winter Olympic Games :: RP Thread

14th Winter Olympic Games :: RP Thread

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