19th Winter Olympics - RP thread

[Liventia]

RP thread | XIX OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES
Coville and Neverend, Liventia

This is the roleplaying thread for the XIX Olympic Winter Games, held in Coville and Neverend. OOC discussion should take place in the Olympic Games discussion thread or specific Games OOC thread, as appropriate.

Liventia has hosted the Olympic Winter Games five times: the VII (Neverend), VIII (City Centre), XIV (Neverend), XVI (City Centre/ANCR/Lox Land Island), and XVIII (nationwide), and the Games of the Olympiad thrice: VIII, XIV (both Orean) and XVIII (Schimpol).

VENUES
ICE SPORTS CLUSTER (Coville and Boister):
Coville Curling Club – Curling
Coville Harley Olympic Centre – Ice hockey
Coville Sports Hub – Speed skating (two competitionrinks will be in use at the sports hub: Finals Hall for A Finals and B Finals, and the Secondary Hall for C Finals and D Finals)
Boister Arena – Figure skating, short track speed skating
Boister Flames Ice Hockey Rink – Ice hockey
Coville City Hall – International Broadcast Centre and Main Press Centre

SNOW SPORTS CLUSTER (Neverend):
Stade Grande Olympique – Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony, freeski & snowboard big air (temporary structure on stadium floor)
Neverend Ferrandieu Ski Resort – Alpine skiing, snowboard (except big air), ski cross
Ferrandieu Ski Sports Centre – Freestyle skiing (except big air and ski cross), ski mountaineering
Ferrandieu Ski Hill and Lodge – Ski jumping, Nordic combined (jumping only)
National Biathlon Centre Ferrandieu – Biathlon, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined (cross-country only)
National Sled Centre – Bobsleigh, skeleton, luge
Neverend Convention Centre – Mountains Media Centre

All medal ceremonies will be held on-site. There will be no dedicated medal plaza.

Olympic Villages will be located in Neverend, Neverend–Ferrandieu, Coville, and Boister.

SCHEDULE
The tentative schedule to date is available here.

PARTICIPATING OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
A Kea (AKE)
Afanc Strait (AFA)
Alezian Union (ALE)
Banija (BNJ)
Britonisea (BRI)
Calgasia (CGS)
Crpostran (CRN)
Darkmania (DMN)
Darmen (DAR)
Electrum (ETM)
Holy Socialist Empire of Non-Believers (NNB)
Indusse (INS)
Kelssek (KSK)
Ko-oren (KOR)
Kriegiersien (KGS)
Liventia (LEN)
Mandalanusa (MLY)
- Biyambi (BIY)
- Eraman (ERM)
- Girinatha Empire (GIR)
- Sao Dominggo (SDO)
- Southern Palm Islands (SPI)
Magnus Phoenicia (KWP)
Middle Alba (MAA)
Nightom (KNI)
Osterhalten (OST)
Quebec and Shingoryeo (QUE)
Siovanija and Teusland (STL)
The August Islands (AOY)
The Golden Harp (TGH)
The Kytler Peninsulae (KYP)
The North Polish Union (NPU)
United States of Nova Calania (UNC)
Valanora (VAL)
Vielfaltig (VFT)
Waisnor (WSN)
Zenic (ZEN)

A reminder of the AI policy for these Games, laid out in the host bid
All use of AI direct text output will be prohibited (using AI to generate ideas etc that does not result in the final text output being AI-generated is fine). Please declare any and all use of AI, or risk expulsion from the Games and vacating of results with other athletes promoted, if such unauthorised use is detected.

LINKS
Olympic Games Discussion Thread (OOC)
Olympic Announcements Thread
Host Bid
Games signup/OOC thread
Results thread
Rosters/team information thread

[United States of Nova Calania]

Charlotte Bartoszkiewicz not on the women's hockey roster, sparkling a controversy

Coville, Liventia - Rosters were announced yesterday. Charlotte Bartoszkiewicz, a power forward and hockey pest, isn't on the Lady Tapirs (women's) roster despite she's good enough to be on the top line, sparkling a controversy. Coach Françoise Latrémouille said: " Bartoszkiewicz would be a distraction to the team and her aggressive style of play doesn't fit with the team. " Many fans are unhappy with the decision and wants Charlotte Bartoszkiewicz in the line up. Bartoszkiewicz is the younger sister of Mason and Carson Bartoszkiewicz. Mason is notable for trying, in a group chat, to set up 3 fights to start the game against The North Polish Union at the latest World Cup of Hockey but mixed team Coach Ginette Champoux-Rinfret didn't let him do it.

Preliminary rounds groups are set and the Big Bad Tapirs (Men's) are in group 4 with Valanora, Darkmania, Mandalanusa, Britonisea and the Afanc Strait. Nova Calania, Valanora and Darkmania should qualify easily for the tournament proper. Team captain Shane Krawczyk said: " I don't like our group, Valanora specially, they play clean hockey and it's hard to beef up against them, I don't like playing against them. I'd rather play against Québec or Zenic. " Hockey analyst and commentator Louis St-Martin said: " it would be a good opportunity to bench our toughest guys and insert Kurtis Vanbiesbrouck or Grzegorz Skrzypczak in the line up ". The Lady Tapirs (Women's) have a bye for the preliminary rounds and goes directly to the tournament proper.

Pierre Latreille

[Of the Golden Harp]

The Holy Harps enter their first Olympics in Coville and Neverend in Liventia. Expectations are low, as few winter sports are regularly played on the mainland. Most people don't even expect a single medal for the team.

How many medals will The Golden Harp Get?
7+: 1%
5-6: 3%
3-4: 15%
1-2: 40%
0: 41%

Survey done by the Golden Harpian OC
There are a few bright spots, though. Myra Colter and Llewella Ilbert are two of the top athletes. Myra Colter has won best Golden Harpian Speed Skater 4 times in the past 5 years, while Llewella Ilbert has won best skier in The Golden Harp twice in a row.

Will Myra Colter get a medal?
Yes: 55%
No: 44%

Survey done by the Golden Harpian OC

Will Llewella Ilbert get a medal?
Yes: 52%
No: 48%

Survey done by the Golden Harpian OC
Many look forward to the Summer Olympics, where the Holy Harps can show their might in Soccer and Rugby.

The Olympic Committee of The Golden Harp was asked about their expectations
Interviewer: What do you expect the team to win in their first Olympics?
Fionn O'Laoghaire: I think one medal is realistic. Myra Colter and Llewella Ilber are both great athletes, but historically Middle Alba has dominated our region in all things skiing. We don't expect the, to stop now.

[Magnus Phoenicia]

Before the Games:


Menhit Rahman Appointed Chef-de-Mission for XIX Olympic Winter Games


Empress Polyxena Ballroom; Melbourne-Haven Centralis

The Empress Polyxena Ballroom Plaza was the last of the four grandeur ballroom plazas designed and funded by the Imperial royal family in honour of the emperor's fourth wife.

Aside from the grand opening gala on Christmas Eve, tonight would be the first official event with the Magnus Phoenician Olympic Committee renting the venue to host the special announcement.

The Olympic Committee, in collaboration with the Winter Sport Federations, was ready to appoint a talented athlete as the next Chef de Mission. An an inspiring leader and winner who would take the helm of the ship and guide the delegation throughout the 19th Winter Olympics.

The main ballroom shimmered in colours of the delegation; purple and gold, the coloure draped everything, from balloons and streamers to the very napkins beneath elegant trays of canapés offered by waitstaff to the arriving guests.

Athletes, coaches, politicians, corporate sponsors, and members of the media, all gathered to hear the much anticipated announcement."

Kim Na-gil, President of the Olympic Federation, and Cedric Wyatt, the Minister for Sport and Tourism, stood on stage, introducing themselves and outlining their roles in preparing the delegation for the upcoming Olympics.

It was the kind of speech the audience had heard many times before, ceremonia hooplah, a necessary prelude leading up to the moment why everyone had truly attended.

"This was not an easy decision by any means," Cedric Wyatt said, addressing the audience. "The Sporting Federations deliberated long before making their choice.
Magnus Phoenicia is home to outstanding athletes in Winter Olympic sports. So the chosen individual not only had to demonstrate sporting excellence, but also embody leadership, integrity and grace. As I said it was not an easy task especially with each Federation initially wanting the chosen one to be from their sport. However after a period of compromise they finally narrowed down their choice to an athlete that I fully support. The person leading the delegation at the
Chef-de-Mission will be Menhit Rahman. Please up on stage."


Loud cheers and applause erupted from the guests.

Kim Na-gil, President of the Olympic Federation moved to the podium to speak as Menhit Rahman made her way through the congrautory crowd to reach the stage.

“Biathlete Menhit Rahman name is now written into our history books of Olympic history. She showed a dazzling display of skill, endurance at the XVIII Olympic Winter Games where she returned with not one, but two medals. She is a star. She won a silver in the 10km pursuit and a bronze in the 7.5km sprint. It was a sweet victory for our Biathlon team especially the women as Dolores Matthews also picked up a bronze in the 12.5km mass start. The Biathlon Federation advised me that the last Games was the first time a medal has been secured in this sport by a woman since the XII Winter Olympics.”

“Let us know hear from our Chef-de-Mission for the 19th Winter Olympics. A woman whose
stamina, sharp shooting, and relentless determination has made her a household name among sports fans,”
Cedric Wyatt said leaning into the microphone.

Menhit Rahman expressed gratitude for the unwavering support as she reached the stage and approached the podium. There was a grace in her walk and a maturity older than her thirty years. Her dark copper skin, ultra-short black hair, and intense brown eyes looked more at home on the runways of the Magnus Phoenician states of Bourbon-Versailles, Olympia Hills, and Jacksonia than on the snow filled tracks and firing ranges of the biathlon circuit.

“I would like to express my gratitude to everyone in attendance tonight. I wish to thank the Olympic Committee and the Sporting Federation for their tireless efforts in selecting the right person to lead our delegation to the 19th Winter Olympics, to be hosted in Liventia. It is a honour to be named Chef-de-Mission.

Returning to the nation where I once brought home medals for our country will be an incredible experience. Liventia is a nation steeped in Olympic tradition. I will feel deeply honoured to stand witness as our newest group of winter athletes march into the Stade Grande Olympique, ready to write their own stories and win their own medals.",.

Menhit paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts.

“When I stood in the very medal podium, that hopefully many of our own athletes will, I realised these medals are not just mine; they belong to every Magnus Phoenician who believed in me,” Menhit Rahman declared.

“Every early morning training session, every grueling km in the snow, and every shot I fired was done because of the love and encouragement of my family, friends and fans. If it wasn't for them I would not be standing here talking today. That is why I also think our sponsors who continue to help inspire our athletes in making their sporting dreams come true.”

Menhit paused again as the crowd applauded

""I will strive to be more than just the face of the Magnus Phoenician Olympic team. I want our athletes, coaches, and support staff to know that my door will always be open.

As Chef-de-Mission, it will be my responsibility to guide our delegation and ensure that every athlete is supported in every possible way as they compete on the world’s grandest winter sports stage. I hope to inspire our entire delegation, not only as a mentor and a leader, but as an unwavering source of encouragement and strength…Thank you.”

Cedric Wyatt stepped back up to the podium, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Before the media dive in with their questions for Menhit Rahman, our friends in IT have helped put together a beautiful tribute package. It’s our way of showing appreciation for her accepting this important role. Please turn your eyes to the giant screen behind me.”

The lights in the ballroom dimmed. Slowly, the stirring notes of the national anthem; soon to be heard in Liventia for any Magnus Phoenician gold medalist began to play.

Guests turned their attention to the giant screen, where a tribute video began. It was a showcase of Menhit Rahman’s most unforgettable Olympic highlights. Her pulse-pounding sprints through the snow played in slow motion, followed by flawless, focused marksmanship on the biathlon range. And finally, the crowning moment….. Menhit on the podium, draped in the national flag, eyes shimmering as she received her medals.

The audience begun to applaud knowing the right choice for Chef-de-Mission had been made.

[Valanora]

Valanora Times
Onwards and Upwards

The time is upon us again for another Winter Olympiad and for this edition of the games we head to Liventia, a nation that often is the hosting ground for the Olympic Games, so for those athletes who this is not their first showing they might be going to some familiar settings. However, those individuals will likely be drawn from the hockey rosters, after a new batch of qualifiers a few months ago lead to the selection of athletes that will be representing the Empire here at these games. As was the case for the last few editions of both the Winter and Summer Games, the delegation representing Valanora has grown, a direct response many feel from a higher emphasis and funding from the Vanorian Sporting Council as they look to expand their own influence as well as cultivate higher interest in the games themselves. Others say that the powers that be are simply looking to capitalize on a pair of good showings by the delegations representing the Empire and are hedging their bets that more funding and larger delegations will continue that streak and perhaps even bring home more medals for the nation.

Regardless of their motivations, there is little doubt in the Empire that the popularity of the Games has grown in recent times, as more and more eyes are on the events with television and streaming ratings having soared over the past few editions. Perhaps this is in response to the better results by the athletes at the Games, as Vanorians do flock to a success story, or merely with larger delegations there have been more friends and families invested in the event itself but the numbers have shown a nearly twenty-five percent rise over the last two Olympiads compared to previous editions. It is widely expected that those numbers will continue to be as high or perhaps even climb higher in the upcoming games in Liventia, particularly for the curling and ice hockey events as those two sports have quite a bit of popularity in the Empire. With ice hockey ranking second among Vanorians when they are asked what their favorite sport is, it is no big surprise that that event will draw the highest amount of eyes while curling remains something of a very popular hobby across the Empire.

With around two dozen new ice rinks opening up around the Empire across the last five years, it is no big surprise that hockey and curling are also where a lot of fans in the Empire are expecting medals of some sort despite what is expected to be quite high levels of competition in those sports. The women's teams in both sports are receiving byes straight towards the competition proper while the men's teams and the mixed team in curling will have to take part in a pre-qualifying group stage ahead of the games proper to ensure their participation in the games proper. With Zenic, Quebec, and The Kytler Peninsulae in the men's curling group, it is going to be a difficult task for the team but the belief is there that they can get past this first hurdle and ensure their participation in the games themselves. The official team rosters are expected to be handed in to the proper officials and listed on the VSC website by the time of the first pre-qualifying games taking place and fans of the EHL will be waiting in anticipation to see which of their favorite players make it to the national team roster.

Looking through the rest of the delegation, the real other hopes for medals will also be coming on the ice as the speed skating qualifiers brought out some of the best of the competition. Thorbjørn Stoen on the men's short track and Synnøve Kalberg on the women's short track in particular look to be in good standing to be bringing home a medal as they both won their qualifying heats to represent the Empire. They are not the only names to look out for though as there are quite a few medal hopefuls among the speed skating, as the renowned Vanorian pace will be put to the test on the ice and we will see if it like the track meet in the Summer Games where the best of the best in the rest of the world can overtake the best of the best from the Empire. What will be interesting is who will be the surprise face from the delegation who comes out of nowhere and is in competition for a medal, which has been a trend for Vanorian delegations across the years. Nevertheless, the excitement is starting to brew in the Empire as the countdown to the Games continues and the VSC look to make their selection for the flag bearer for the opening ceremony in the next day or so.

[Zenic]

"Chilly today."

"Yup, that's winter for you." The eye rolling from the Emperor could be heard across the Empire. "Every day you make a remark like that is a day I regret being benevolent." The Consul slapped the Emperor on the back and chuckled. "You love my humor. Even if you don't, the anger at them keeps you warm in these chilly times." Regrettably, the Emperor could not deny that. "Speaking of chilly weather, why are we standing outside of an airport so early in the morning?"

"We're seeing off the first batch of Winter Olympians, Your Majesty," the Consul answered. Just then, the Emperor's mind refreshed and he remembered that several events in the Summer Games had qualifying events before the Olympics. Thus, the same was expected of the Winter Games. "Which events are going through qualifying right now?" Consul Justo pulled out his phone and scrolled through his notes. "Ice Hockey and Curling are the main ones but we're also seeing off some figure skaters, skiers, snowboarders, luge teams and speed skaters. All in all, somewhere between a fifth and a quarter of our delegation." The Emperor raised his eyebrows in awe. "And what's the total delegation size?"

"330." Now the Emperor raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Why is it so large?" The Consul looked over at the Emperor just as the first batch of Olympians began to walk onto the tarmac to board the plane to Liventia. He leaned over to whisper "We sent a smaller delegation as a test for our first Games. We're probably sending over a full delegation to the next Summer Games now that we know we can handle it." The Emperor continued his surprised expression until he remembered where he was and regained composure. He could not afford to look so shocked for so long in front of the dozens of cameras and reporters. With this many, it felt less intimate than the Summer Games and more of a diplomatic peace mission that would determine the fate of the world.

"Look alive, it's show time," the Consul muttered under his breath as he slightly ribbed the Emperor to focus. "Best of luck up in Liventia. We will be cheering you on," were the only words out of the Emperor's mouth for what seemed to be the next hour or so as he greeted the Olympians, the coaches, the ancillary staff, and more. Eventually, the last member of this initial entourage boarded and the leaders of Zenic were ushered to a safe location to watch the flight leave for the Tempalia area of Rushmore. The Emperor massaged his sore right hand as the flight left the ground.

There was going to be a LOT of handshaking in his immediate future, wasn't there? Time to prepare.

[Ko-oren]

After skipping the 18th Winter Olympics for internal reasons, the Green, Blue, and Yellow is back for edition 19. As a quick recap, our delegation took home five medals in the Games before that: a bronze in men's ice hockey, a silver in men's 1000m speed skating, a silver in men's alpine skiing, a gold in women's skeleton, and a gold - and an Olympic record - in men's 5000m speed skating. A fairly random haul that's exemplary of a not thoroughly structured delegation with little planning, underfunded academies, and a lot of talent falling through the cracks.

So, with Ko-oren getting an impressive 19 medals at the 18th Summer Olympics, proving that the new academy system did have its upsides, it looks like 'Olympic and Individual Sports' are here to stay. You might have seen the full title of our national committee: the KCOIS, led by Metan Johsidhen, which stands for the Ko-orenite Committee for Olympic and Individual Sports. That betrays a little bit about our previous failures in the Games: small medal hauls, missing editions, etcetera: the focus was fully on team sports, which has proven successful for our little archipelago in the past, with countless deep runs in World Cups, Bowls, Championships, and so on, but it has always prioritised the big field team sports over other events - of which the Olympics are full.

Realising that not everyone is made for team sports, and that looking for only one 'type' of athlete - someone who works well in a group, with vision for their position and others' positions, with eye for a ball (of various shapes and/or sizes), and with the speed and stamina for small bursts and sprints during a one-to-three hour period - means that there's a lot of talent that could realise its potential. That taps into Ko-oren's other big interest: cruising through a landscape - so an young but impressive canoeing, orienteering, and running scene is the frontrunner for our 'Olympic and Individual' success. Here to add more is a massive delegation, spearheaded by an ice hockey team that keeps being so close to WCOH glory and a huge group of cross-country skiers (because that is, in effect, cruising through a landscape again).

So, as for medal chances for the Dragonflies at these 19th Winter Games, look for the likes of Helwilg, Rozodhisendin, Shadoruden on the men's side, and Parkumaudhen, Emealin, Zhuhtohgun on the women's side. Beyond them: there's Barganuldhen and Togalihadhen in the biathlon, a 'fun little' curling team, Dhowihareshen and Saupaten in short track speed skating (with Saupaten carrying our flag!), and Prudhomme, and Woodner in long distance speed skating, and hopefully a positive surprise in alpine and freestyle skiing, but those aren't disciplines that we expect much out of.

If you're wondering "where did they get those athletes from?" simply look towards the northeast. Its mountains now have a modest group of ski resorts, though in potential there's a lot more that could be done there, if it weren't for the fragile ecosystem that Ko-oren famously protects so fiercely. For more around the year low temperatures and icy conditions, there are islands further off the northeastern coast that have always dabbled in these events, and it's the broader northeast that's enjoyed a bit of a population surge given huge information-based industries and companies from there that made the area into the fastest growing region of Ko-oren - both in population and in GDP - while the entire country is already going through a boom.

Emealin is from those islands, specifically from Avimoren. Half of the ice hockey is from those islands as well, while the cross country skiing contingent is a little more universal: Parkumaudhen is from Iduloren, located right in the middle of the country, but with some access to the western mountains: less hospitable than the northern ones but they'll do for the discipline. In fact, there are plenty of skiers from around there: Torondhen from Zerora, Zhuhtohgun from Ilohbonu, and so on. That doesn't mean that growing up there is the only route to the Olympics: flag bearer Saupaten is from... the tropical southeastern islands, but via her studies in the north, she still made it to the list and then some.

[Banija]

Banija shows 'full-scale' investment into winter sports with first ever full delegation to the Winter Olympic Games

COVILLE, LIVENTIA- The 19th Winter Olympics are coming up, hosted in Liventia- the ultimate Olympic country, as we all very well know. And Patrick Zervos, the Olympic Committee of Banija Chairman, has announced a successful push to send a full delegation to the winter games- something that the Kingdom, which notoriously lacks winter weather, has never done. "It has always been something that has been possible- but only if we invested from the ground up." He told reporters back in Busukuma. "This time around, we decided to invest from the ground up- make long-term investments in winter athletes. So much of the inability to train, the dedication to back a wide range of athletes, is what makes the difference at the Olympics. Banija is capable if we are focused and driven- and now, under my leadership, the Olympic Committee is focused and driven. We've got a full team here- and success is very, very possible."

While in the leadup to the Games, we will dig further into exactly how the Zervos-lead Olympic Committee has put the country in a position to succeed in Liventia, some of the team qualifying events are getting ready to start. Over the course of 2 weeks in the leadup to the Opening Ceremony, qualifiers will happen in the following competitions- ice hockey(men's and women's), curling(men's, women's, and mixed doubles), and various figure skating, speed skating, and skiing competitions. But up first, are ice hockey and curling.

The men's ice hockey, in particular, are where Banijan eyes are at. Banijan men's ice hockey is not really that popular, but there is enough skill on the team for maybe a surprise run at a medal. "The team has had consistent, yet limited, success in the World Cup of Hockey." Said a Banijan TV analyst. "World championships, notoriously, are not great indicators of Olympic success, but I truly think that this team can, at minimum, make the Olympics proper, and then qualify for the knockout stages on top of that." Said the analyst. "It'll be the team sport that gets the most attention, of course- and a potential big run can maybe get us some sort of team sport star. We shall see."

Women's ice hockey and curling will be curious competitions to watch as well. Much more random, but- hey, we'll see if team Banijans can make a run. At least, these guys know the immediate goal- the standard is always qualifying for the Games proper. Can they do that? It's rather unclear. The women's team should be favorites to qualify, but the curling teams... Maybe less so. What a platform for the sport curling would have if they had some sort of run out here, though. Right?

[Siovanija and Teusland]

RBC Sports

Coverage of the 19th Winter Olympics

The Seven Wonders of Siovanija & Teusland Winter Sport

A long long time ago, youths from the most prominent families in Stelburg’s aristocracy had the excitement of getting to embark on a ‘grand tour of the Empire.’ When the young sons and daughters of the Counts and Dukes that made up the Imperial Court reached about the age 22, they bid ‘auf wiedersehen’ to Stelburg and headed by train usually to the port of Felsenkirchen, boarding a ship headed to the colonies of the Teus Empire.

From there, the routes varied - some headed directly to Prinz-Eugens-Land, the closest colony, while others left it for the return voyage and went to the farthest-out Crown realms of Selatjaya or the Ferdinand Islands. Many skipped the barren rock of Sankt Konrad in its entirety for, well, obvious reasons. The return trip was always the same - a boat docking at the major Siovanijan port of Trkev, a trip to Vlaikograd by train, and then the final return leg to Stelburg. By this time, for the young future dukes and duchesses, about a year had passed - they had grown a lot and seen much of the Empire. They were considered ready for both marriage and to take on more responsibility within their demesne.

At this point, you’re probably wondering ‘what does this have to do with RBC Sports’ Olympic coverage.’ We’re getting there, don’t worry. The era of the grand tour began really in the late 1600s, as the Teus Empire rapidly expanded its colonial holdings, but it truly peaked in the early 1800s as rail transport became more common, and so did steam ships. As the journey became more and more accessible, it also became ingrained in popular culture. No other work had such influence on the metropolitan Teus view of their Empire than Reinhard von Krutenau, the future Herzog von Pomen. The Duke embarked on the grand tour at age 22, and upon his return in 1807 published a collection of his journals from the trip titled ”The Seven Wonders of the Teus Empire.”

The wonders covered attractions both man-made and natural, and offered a guide for a prospective tourist: Departing from Stelburg, the Cathedral of St. Georg was the first stop - the most grand man-made building in all of Teusland, and the home of the Pope of the Teus Catholic Church. Its spire was, in that period, the tallest building in all the Empire. After departing Felsenkirchen by boat, one would pass other wonders such as the Ryugagasaki Castle in the port of Ryugasaki, the Gjoll Jungle in Prinz-Eugens-Land, the tropical islands that now make up the Penlangor National Park in the Selatjaya Sultanate, and the Golden Palace in Balramabad, the capital of Sanjab. Upon return to Siovanija, the Jaromirgrad palace in Vlaikograd overlooking the lakes made his list, and the final wonder to pass was of course Mount Danneberg - where the Teus imperial house had their ancestral castle high in the mountains and the place from which they took their name. While von Krutenau passed by many beautiful buildings and landscapes, these were the 7 that became the core route of many tourists.

Those wonders described the beauty and different vibrant cultures of the Teus Empire of the time. Since then, many similar lists have been created in this country: the seven most beautiful mountains, seven cities to visit, even the seven best Teus breweries. With the Winter Olympic Games soon to be upon us this year, we thought there would be no better way to explore this concept than to come up with a list of the Seven Wonders of Winter Sport in Siovanija & Teusland.

Everyone knows that, when it comes to sporting pursuits, the hearts of our country belong to the winter games. Siovanijans and Teus alike flock to the ski hills in winter time, or to frozen ponds and rivers to play hockey. To meet a citizen of this country who doesn’t know how to skate would be unthinkable, and it is simply a fact of life here that our cold and snowy winters breed this sporting passion.

Not only do we play winter sports, we also watch a lot of them. Ice hockey is without a doubt the country’s most popular sport - in big cities like Stelburg and St. Jakob, but also in small towns like Altona and Trkev, the local hockey club is a centre of community and its supporters grant an almost religious reverence to their chosen club. Sports programming featuring downhill or cross-country skiing always gets good ratings, and ski jumping is probably the biggest individual sport in the country. Winter athletes are heroes and celebrities at home, figures that the next generation of athletes looks up to.

If someone wanted to come to Siovanija & Teusland and discover our winter sports story and passion, where would they go? That is the question our editorial team asked ourselves in coming up with a list of the seven wonders of Siovanija & Teusland winter sport. Obviously, the most popular sports will get their dues here - two hockey arenas and one ski jumping mountain make our list. But there are also curling venues, a famous downhill ski hill, and… well, we won’t give it all away in part 1! We considered both historical and cultural importance as much as modern relevance, and in our writeups will provide an overview of the history, importance to its sport, and modern-day situation of each location. With most of the locations situated deep in the Mittelgebirge mountains, we won’t go in any order of which to visit - but starting in Stelburg and ending on the way back to that city seems to fit the overall spirit of von Krutenau’s writing.

At RBC Sports, we can’t wait for the Olympic Games to get under way - and we will bring you all of our coverage of the Games as well as this special series! The Games are getting started very soon with preliminary events, which will include the national hockey teams in action: to our athletes, the nation is behind you!

[Crpostran]

Vector image of a rubber chicken, COA logo (credits to Dantopia).
AI-generated image for the opening ceremony uniforms, solely for aesthetic purposes.
https://www.curling.ca/2023mixeddoubles ... 24x734.jpg (Curling image)
https://cornellbigred.com/images/2025/4 ... format=jpg (Ice hockey image)

[Liventia]

Day -6 results can be found here.

[The August Islands]

Augustøyer debut on sporting stage

The Winter Olympics in Liventia may be the nineteenth iteration of the event, but for the August Islands, it marks a debut on the international sporting stage. The quiet archipelago has been nought but a blip on the international radar before this month, and yet even the first day of competition brought with it glory, drama, and pain.

The Games proper don't even begin until next week, but such is the scale of the event that numbers need to be trimmed in order to fit everything in to the timeframe. Such as it is, then, that the ice hockey teams from the islands, as well as the mixed curling pair of Mads Skaar and Anja Satter, made their own little pieces of history. For our curlers, it was a debut to forget. Though competitive in their opening games against pairs from both Siovanija & Teusland and Mandalanusa, Skaar and Satter couldn't find the killer shot to put away their opposition, and two defeats will make qualification for the main event extremely difficult.

Our ice hockey teams, meanwhile, fared somewhat better. The men received a baptism of fire in a back and forth match against Nightom, with both sides giving no quarter. In the end, three periods couldn't separate the teams, bringing the game to overtime. The old adage that there's no substitute for experience held true in the end, though, as the Islands' oldest player, winger Ernst Jansen, was the man to score the winner. Tough tests lie ahead in a six-team group, but with two points on the board and the top three qualifying, it's a bright start.

As for the women...well, that was a different story entirely. Since taking up training camp in Byggby a few weeks before travelling out for the Games, the team has built a confidence and - dare we say it - arrogance. Any fears this would be misplaced were allayed early on in their game against The Golden Harp, as Sigrid Rusten fired home within three minutes. Two more goals would follow in the second period, whilst the "Valkyries", as the team have named themselves, spent the third period almost toying with their opponents. Hopefully there won't be hubris to follow, but this victory does serve to put the Augustøyer on the sporting map.

[The North Polish Union]

Curling

Lacey Joyner/Varg Earl (BRI) 7–6 Leopold Janek/Ludmiła Leśniak (NPU)

The Union mixed doubles curling team lost a tight competition to Britonisea by a single point in the final end. At least the women's hockey team managed to triumph over Britonisea so these two nations could at least have a split decision in their faceoff on this opening matchday.

---

Men's Hockey

The North Polish Union 3–4 Magnus Phoenicia

Goals:
Gorski (Schulz, Freud)
Hrybanač (Czerwinski, Kappel)
Kappel (Petrikonis, Kamienski)

The men's hockey, fresh off a visit to the Round of 16 in their second appearance in the World Cup of Hockey, lost their debut Olympic match by a single goal. It's one where the top line got a hot start with the opener, a beautiful wristshot from Radek Gorski, and Hrybanač added a second (which was his and Czerwinski's first points as national team members) to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. After that their opponents found a groove, outscoring the Union 3-1 over the following periods including a go-ahead goal with 1:35 remaining that gave them a slick victory. This team is too good to stay down for long and will hope to get back on track in the reminder of the preliminary games. They have, in fact, only once won an opening game in any of their international competitions, an inconvenience that they've refused to let get in the way of success.

---

Women's Hockey

Britonisea 0–1 The North Polish Union

Goal:
Frischenschlager (Stachiewicz)

What a defensive grind from the women, a complete contrast to the men's game. Barbara Frischenschlager put a slapshot home midway through the second to open (and close) the scoring after a failed cleaning attempt from Britonisea's trapped fourth line was intercepted. The real star of the show, though, was goalie Maryla Papryczka, who played a perfect game to earn her team the win.

[Zenic]

"Why are they called brooms when they act more like squeegees?"

"For the fifth time, tradition. They started using actual brooms when the sport was invented and then they built dedicated equipment once it became an established event. Are you really so bored that you can't retain that answer?" Consul Justo Felipe had decided to drop by the Ministry Block since his schedule had cleared today. He was lounging about in Deputy Minister Heung Soo-min's office, unwinding after several meetings regarding international relations, education, and more. Felipe was tossing a stress ball into the air and catching it with one hand while reviewing the Olympic results on his phone with his other.

"Split results in the mixed curling. A close loss to the Kytlerians followed by a solid win against Indusse. Nice. What are their names again?" Heung paused his paperwork to look over at his cheat sheet: a spreadsheet with each athlete's name grouped by the event they specialized in. "Tristán and Azahara. They're our mixed specialists. Our men's and women's teams should start their qualifiers soon as well." Felipe nodded as he continued scrolling through the, at the moment, manageable results.

"Wow. The men and women ice hockey squads did well," Felipe noted with a hint of pride. "Indeed. A win over Electrum with half of your squad and a stroll against the Alezian Union with the other half is pretty impressive. Motivation is a powerful drug." Heung finished filling out the documents he was working on and placed them into the outgoing rack for an assistant to pick up later. He deserved a small break right now. "And before you ask, the men need to finish top 3 in their group while the women need to finish top 2 to make the Olympics proper. Looks like a few nations were unable to send full delegations so the folks over in Liventia had to get creative with their solutions."

Heung stood up and carefully performed some stretches to shake his body awake and to get some exercise that wasn't walking from one office to another. Though, in a few days, he would be meeting his step goal every day during his stay at Liventia. It will DEFINITELY be a welcome change of pace. "All right. I'm good to go. The night is young and no sense in wasting my youth with sleep."

Felipe stood up and put his phone away. "That's my boy; The Empire awaits."

[Indusse]

OOC: The Image that has been used is AI Generated.

[Magnus Phoenicia]

|| Sports ||


2025 | Winter Games Special Edition

Olympic Hero or Headache?

Diana Chasseresse | Magnus Phoenician Sport's Influencer

One of Magnus Phoenicia’s golden children of winter sports, 29-year-old cross-country skier Lee Hak-Kun, is set to return to the world’s biggest sporting stage with high hopes.

The reigning Olympic champion in the Men’s Cross-country Skiing -Sprint Classic, Lee Hak-Kun has been selected to carry the national flag at the opening ceremony of the 19th Winter Olympics, taking place in Liventia.

Announced Tuesday by the Magnus Phoenicia Olympic Committee after a secret ballot vote by all athletes in the Winter Olympics delegation it will mark a career high for Lee Hak-Kun who stunned the sporting world with his surprise gold medal victory at the XVIII Olympic Winter Games.

Gregory Norris of Snow Magnus Phoenicia, the national Federation for snow sports has spoken high praises for the athlete, announced not only will Lee Hak-Kun return to compete in the individual sprint classic, but has also qualified for the Men’s Team Sprint Free and the Men’s 4x7.5km Relay.

Lee Hak-Kun is ready and primed to chase a rare occurrence with Winter sports for Magnus Phoenicians; back-to-back Olympic gold.

“Being named flag bearer is the greatest honour of my career,” Lee Hak-Kun gushed at a press conference following the announcement.

“In addition to winning my gold medal this is a moment I’ll never forget. I’m here to represent the pride and strength of Magnus Phoenicia. I thank all my fellow athletes who stepped up and voted me as your ideal choice. I will lead us as we match into the Stade Grande Olympique in Liventia. I thank the Magnus Phoenician Olympic Committee for having the faith in me to perform such a noble task.”

The response was met with the flashing of camera lights from various media outlets in attendance, especially those from the VibrGold Global Network Corp which is now the biggest News and Social Media organisation in the empire.

The day could only just keep getting better right? Well no.

Just hours after the flag bearer announcement, clips began circulating online from an interview
Lee Hak-Kun gave in 2020 to a contentious sports podcast hosted by Rebel Ricky.

In the segment, Lee Hak-Kun appeared to mock athletes from non-traditional winter sports nations, suggesting they were “just here for the photos and sponsorships.”

“Skiers from countries with no snow?, Come on,” Make it make sense. They train on fake snow and think they’re Olympians. It's like getting a dolphin to take part in all three parts of a triathlon. Sure they are fine when it comes to the swimming, but after that they are screwed.”

Rebel Ricky than asked Lee Hak-Kun about women in Winter Olympic sports.

“There will always be a place for women in Winter Olympic sports. We have Ice dancing and Figure skating that display poise and grace fitting for that gender. But the Biathlon features guns which are unladylike. Skeleton is considerably dangerous, running then jumping head first onto a sled traveling at fast speeds is dangerous even for men. Speed, danger and minimal control is not a good mix for women. Then there's other sports like ski jumping and certain freestyle skiing disciplines. I think commonsense would suggest they stick to the safer events.”

Which is ironic as women contributed to 13 of the 25 medals won at the XVIII Olympic Winter Games. Which he would know about if he spent more time thinking with the brain in his head and not judging people based on their genitalia.

The remarks, largely overlooked at the time as he was only an up and comer and not a medalist, They have now resurfaced and have ignited a firestorm of criticism from athletes, officials, and fans. Many whom are calling on the Magnus Phoenicia Olympic Committee to reconsider his role as flag bearer.

The Olympic Committee issued a carefully worded statement reminding all athletes of their responsibility to uphold the Olympic spirit of inclusivity and mutual respect.

Olympic Federation Vice President: Lord Maximillan Saintè III confirmed the committee is reviewing the matter, but stopped short of announcing any disciplinary action or if changes will be made.

“We are aware of the comments and are engaging with Lee Hak-Kun. Our focus remains on ensuring our athletes represent Magnus Phoenicia with dignity, respect, love and drama free."

Lee Hak-Kun has not issued a formal apology, though a close source say he is deeply regretful and plans to address the matter publicly before the Games begin.


Follow our Winter Games coverage for more updates on Team Magnus Phoenicia and the latest Olympic drama.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

RBC Sports

Coverage of the 19th Winter Olympics

Wonder #1 - Stelburg Eispalast

“It’s the heart of hockey in this country,” says Erhart Kuhn when we ask him what playing at the Stelburg Eispalast means to him.

Kuhn, aged 32 and playing in his second Olympic Games, is a veritable legend of hockey in Siovanija & Teusland. The centre, born in Stelburg, grew up dreaming of playing for local club Stelburger SC. Early in his career, he developed a reputation for his incredible wrist shot and a big frame which enabled him to be quite a physical player. He was part of the Goldhorns’ lineup for their three-in-a-row World Cup of Hockey triumphs, including a pivotal role in the World Cup of Hockey 42 Final. At home, he has played for the local Stelburg club for all of his career - meaning that he has always called this special building home.

Originally built in 1929 with a capacity of 10,000, the Stelburg Eispalast has been historically considered one of the ‘Cathedrals of Hockey’ in this country. Stelburger Schlittschuhclub (skating club), better known as Stelburger SC, had been one of the nation’s premier ice hockey clubs in the early post-Great War era. They first started play outdoors on a surface built on the grounds of Sanssouci Palace in the east end of the city, before moving in 1910 to the Krutenauer Eishalle closer to the city centre. The Eishalle was destroyed by a fire in 1928, however, and the club sought to build a new arena closer to the downtown core.

The 1920s had been a bit of a lost decade for the Stelburg outfit, but immediately upon the stadium’s completion in 1929 they managed to take a league title. The Stelburger Zeitung at the time wrote of the new arena that it ‘captured the spirit of this game that has so taken over our city… you can certainly see why the crowd is attracted to the spectacle when played in a building like this one.’ Over the next decades, mixed in with their long-standing rivalry with Altonauer SC, Stelburg became one of the most important clubs in the country - and its arena viewed as a centrepiece of the national sport. Saturday night hockey in Stelburg was treated with almost religious reverence, and the Eispalast with its old wooden arches and glass windows was the alter.

Through the years, the Eispalast was home to not only hockey - figure skating competitions have been held here, boxing matches, and of course concerts and political rallies as well. But never did it shine so brightly as when the black-gold coloured jerseys of the club affectionately nicknamed ‘the Kaisers’ took to the ice - and since the building’s opening, they’ve captured the Strauss Cup as national champions a further 20 times for a grand total of 28. 14 of those were won on home ice. The parade route from the front of the Eispalast to the Nationalplatz in downtown Stelburg is lined every time with crowds of fans ready to honour their club. The arena was upgraded over and over again, finally settling at a capacity of 25,000 and the largest hockey arena in the nation.

Erhart Kuhn smiles as we sit in the furthest back row of seats in the stadium. “Those banners are pretty,” he says, nodding at the 28 championship titles for the home club - 4 of which he’s been a part of in his career. “But I always get something special out of those ones.” In the north end of the arena they hang - World Cup of Hockey 40, 41 and 42.

When the Goldhorns spent 6 years as the most feared international hockey team in the world - including a streak of 40 wins in a row during a 60-match unbeaten run - the Stelburg Eispalast was once again the nation’s heart. While many of the most memorable matches of that run were played overseas - all of the Finals, indeed, were held abroad, and many of the memorable rivalry games against Savojarna and Valanora also took place on foreign shores - it was always special when the Goldhorns came home. Whether it was the 4-1 win over Graintfjell to open the WCoH 40 campaign, or in fact the first-ever international game the Goldhorns played, a 1-0 win over Quebec at home at WCoH 35, the stadium was always full and the atmosphere incredible.

The biggest international game played here, however, was at the junior level. Siovanija & Teusland never hosted a World Cup of Hockey in the glory days, but we did host the 14th World Junior Hockey Championshp - and went all the way to the final, eventually defeating the team from Donnacona 6-5 on home ice. Another Olympia, Evgeni Tomic, played in that game: “I’ll never forget the atmosphere. The whole game you could feel the stadium was with us, it was like having a power-play for all 60 minutes. There was no better place to win that game than Stelburg.”

You never forget a trip to the Stelbug Eispalast. While hockey in Siovanija & Teusland was born on the frozen ponds of the countryside - and don’t worry, we’ll get there a bit later in this series - it grew into a national obsession in historic places like the Stelburg Eispalast. When there was a debate in the 1990s about tearing the old building down to replace it with a new build, the fans protested for 3 days until the government declared it a heritage site: this building will stand forever. The cool air, the scent of popcorn and bratwurst and beer, and the roar of the crowd when the Stelburger SC come onto the ice - those are things that never disappear. To understand our love of hockey, you must come to the Stelburg Eispalast.

[Of the Golden Harp]

The Golden Harp (TGH) 2–2 Kriegiersien (KGS) (4–3 SO)

20:00 1st
The first ever Olympic Games for the Golden Harp is about to begin. Expectations are low, but there is faith in the team. Can the Holy Harps get their first international hockey win, captained by flag bearer She’alti’el Strong?
18:45 1st TGH 0-1 KGS
A disastrous start as the puck is turned over by Kurtis Valentine, right to the center of Kriegiersien, who shoots the puck, but it bounces off the rim, right to the left wing of Kriegiersien, who doesn’t fail to get the puck past Oliver Whittemore.
15:30 1st TGH 0-2 KGS
The Holy Harps try to find an attack, but they cannot get a foothold on the other side of the ice. Mickey Caulfield skates down the ice to the goal, but the puck goes wide. Kriegiersien’s goalkeeper gets it, and passes it down the ice to their right wing who easily slides it past Oliver Whittemore.
Oliver Whittemore gets substituted off, and Edison Botwright comes on
12:00 2nd TGH 1-2 KGS
The Golden Harpian defense drastically improves as Oliver Whittemore comes off, and Edison Botwright protects the net. This allows the attackers to focus on scoring a goal, which is achieved by an incredible distance strike from Dash Orr.
19:00 3rd TGH 2-2 KGS
The Holy Harps continue the pressure on the attack, and shot after shot seems inevitable. Phoenix Waterman takes the puck from Kriegiersien’s right defender, and fakes a shot, but passes to Lael Pilgrim who shoots it into the open spot of the net.
00:00 3rd TGH 2-2 KGS
The Holy Harps send it into overtime with an incredible performance. This will be their first chance to prove they are a relevant, and dangerous team internationally. The seemingly impossible feat, is now within reach.
00:00 OT TGH 2-2 KGS
The Holy Harps survive all of overtime. Not a single shot on goal for Kriegiersien, who couldn’t stop the wide array of shot opportunities, but it didn’t matter, as none of them went in to clinch the victory for the Holy Harps. Time for the shootout. Perhaps the most nerve racking moment in Golden Harpian sports history, except for maybe the CLECSC final Vs Eucrates.
TGH 1-0 KGS
She’alti’el Strong sprints down the ice, he prepares his shot, and… it rockets past the goalkeeper putting the Holy Harps up in the shootout.
TGH 1-0 KGS
Now Kriegiersien has a chance to respond, can they equalize?
No they cannot. Edison Botwright sticks his leg out, and the puck hits his leg pad. No goal for Kriegiersien.
TGH 2-0 KGS
Flannan Donoghue now is up to shoot, and he does it with ease. Top left, unreachable for the goalkeeper. Perfection.
TGH 2-1 KGS
Kriegiersien has another opportunity to score. An excellent fake, and the puck goes past Edison Botwright into the goal.
TGH 3-1 KGS
Kurtis Valentine has an opportunity to bring the Holy Harps one step closer to history. He dribbles the puck slowly, and fakes a slip similar to what happened to him against Elejamie, but this time he only fakes out the goalkeeper, and puts it into the net.
TGH 3-2 KGS
Kriegiersien needs to score, or the Holy Harps will put the game to rest. Their center hits a solid, not excellent, shot to put the puck just past the line before Edison Botwright can get to it.
TGH 3-2 KGS
Shaw Hyland has an opportunity to bring the Holy Harps to the brink of victory, but the puck goes I’ve the crossbar, onto the glass, and the sound echoes through the arena.
TGH 3-3 KGS
Kriegiersien has a chance to equalize. The shot hits the left post, but rebounds into the net.
TGH 4-3 KGS
After a long think, Phoenix Waterman will take the fifth shot. He dribbles the puck at a rapid pace, too fast for the goalie, and puts it past the line with ease.
TGH 4-3 KGS
Everything is on the shoulders of Edison Botwright now. A save, and the Holy Harps make history. The Kriegiersien attacker starts by going to the right, Botwright follows. The attacker fakes left but stays right, but Botwright reads it well. He is right there when the puck is shot, and the Holy Harps win! For the first time ever internationaly!
-
The Holy Harps win! A historic victory that will last in the minds of many for decades. And opening match victory and two points in the group. Incredible.
-
Edison Botwright will be the main goalkeeper from now onwards.

[Crpostran]

Scenes from Crpostranian social media, MD-6

Thumbnail from https://cornellbigred.com/news/2025/3/1 ... n-3-2.aspx (Hockey pic)
https://img.apmcdn.org/3c2714bbdb04fb16 ... urling.jpg (Curling pic)

In the Twitter/X pic, used a meme template, original pic on https://www.onmanorama.com/food/feature ... -dish.html

[Liventia]

Day -5 results are available.
As a reminder, the next scorination, for Day -4, is on Monday – not tomorrow.

[United States of Nova Calania]

Nova Calania beats Valanora!

Coville, Liventia - Nova Calania's Big Bad Tapirs (Men's hockey) started off the hockey tournament with a 2-1 win against Britonisea. Both teams were scoreless after 20 minutes of play. Nathaniel Boissonneault-Gougeon was on a 2 on 1 with Shane Krawczyk midway in the 2nd period. Nathaniel Boissonneault-Gougeon passed the puck to Krawczyk who scores. Britonisea tied the game 4 minutes later ans the score was 1-1 after 2 periods. Britonisea was penalised for hooking early in the 3rd period and Paul-Émile Rabouin scored a power play goal when he tipped Kaleb Schmaltz's shot past the goalkeeper. The final score was 2-1 Nova Calania.

Just an hour before the match against Valanora, Nova Calania's chef de mission, François-Pierre Brasseur, released a press release saying Tristan Presseault and Cédric Mailloux both have been suspended by the team for off ice behaviour. No further comments was made. Head coach Walter Krawczyk had to modify his lines. He didn't want to touch to Line 4, so Kurtis Vanbiesbrouck was inserted into the line up and skated on Line 3. Zhi Yu Zhou was promoted to defensive pair 2 and Ryan MacBean was inserted in the line up, on defensive pair 3. Paul-Émile Rabouin shot to the net in the 1st period and Marco Kjærstad makes the save but he doesn't controls the rebound. Louis-Alexandre Gratton takes the puck and passes to Félix Beausoleil at the blue line who shoot and he scores. There was some traffic in front of the net and it looked like the puck had eyes! The score after 20 minutes was 1-0 Nova Calania. No scores in the 2nd period and it was still 1-0 after 40 minutes of play. Midway in the 3rd period, Killian Bellefeuille was on a 2 on 1 with Paul-Émile Rabouin. Bellefeuille couldn't pass the puck because it would have been intercepted and he shoots but the puck goes behind the net. Bellefeuille goes himself behind the net and he battles for the puck with Isak Haug. The puck slides to the corner of the ice, Paul-Émile Rabouin takes it and passes to Louis-Alexandre Gratton in front of the net. Gratton shoots in the top corner and it's a goal! 3 minutes later, one of the two Nikolais scores assisted by the other Nikolai to reduce Big bad Tapirs' lead. The Calcuttas pulled their goalie with a minute remaining, and Xavier Guillaume scored an empty netter. The final score was 3-1 Nova Calania. During the game, we learned more about Presseault and Mailloux's suspension. Videos of them partying at a gay night club in Coville and looking drunk surfaced on the web. It's unsure when it was filmed but they're suppose to be at the olympic village at all time. Coach Krawczyk announced they're still suspended for game 3 and line up will remain unchanged from game 2.

Pierre Latreille

[Magnus Phoenicia]

A four-win, five-loss record in the Round Robin stage of the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, hosted at the Neverend Curling Club, shattered the dreams of dozens of curling fans, especially considering how well the pair played during the preliminaries, where they topped their group.

Now, the dynamic duo are back for the XIX Olympic Winter Games, taking on other talented curlers in the mixed doubles and their goal is not to come home empty handed.

Coincidentally, the Games have returned to Liventia. But this time, players will battle it out at the Coville Curling Club; a fact that suits the superstitious pair just fine. They hope a change of venue will bring good blessings from Fortuna; Goddess of Longevity of Life, Abundance, Fortune and Good Luck in addition to her son Audax; a minor God of Daring, Risk, and Lucky Breaks, who rewards those with courage with incredible luck.

Gary Abdullah, now 42, from the Mammoth Rivers Territory, and Piper Charles, 36, originally from the state of Titania, are both fueled by memories of their previous heartbreak. The duo have spent the past few years sharpening their strategy, refining their technique, and building an even stronger partnership.

“When we are not competing, we are training," Gary Abdullah said. "Every mistake we made in the past has become a lesson. Our coach makes us review our past matches where we spend time breaking down the game and telling him where we did good and where we need improvement. I feel because of this style of coaching we have become smarter, stronger, and more determined than ever.”

“It's now or never. I have a young family. I'm away from home so much with training and competing. I don't want my children growing up thinking the nanny is their mother. This will be my last major event. I want to go out with knowing I worked my hardest and to at least best our highest achievement which was the round robin at the last Games. It would not only make me proud but my family also.” Piper Charles confirmed.

“It would be an amazing boost for Curling Magnus Phoenicia if one of the teams medaled. We have three strong teams entered in these Games. This could really be our year,” Gary Abdullah added.

The pair sought out the services of support staff member, Gabriella Jook, a Angel Intuitive and Numerologist, who at the age of 70 held the distinction of being the oldest servicing support staff member.

“The number 5 is all about change, adaptability, freedom, energy, and adventure. It is a good sign that Olympic organisers in Liventia placed you in this group.
The power of number 5 feeling you with the spirit of freedom, it boosts your mind to allow quick thinking. The number 5 personalities thrive under pressure, embracing change and taking every opportunity with determination.”

Gary Abdullah and Piper Charles have embraced the advice from their trusted numerologist, viewing the number 5 as a powerful and positive sign. With confidence, they believe it’s an omen that will guide them toward progress and success.

While dismissed as superstitious nonsense by many other nations, Magnus Phoenicia fully embraces its religious, New Age, and spiritual beliefs.

The spiritual industry is a booming lucrative sector, valued over a billion dollars. It is woven into the fabric of everyday life from the womb to the grave. The deities always on hand to guide us in every step.

Athletes often consult numerologists, astrologers, and spiritual advisors before major competitions, believing that cosmic forces can influence their success. From sacred blessings before games to the wearing of lucky charms, spirituality is not seen as a crutch or joke, but as an essential tool for achieving victory.

In Magnus Phoenicia, faith in the unknown is just as important as skill on the field or in the ice rink. The two oftenn going hand in hand to achieve success.

Defeating Waisnor pair Pavel Boldyrev and Dyjana Časnyk 8-6 and Valanora pair Carl Hoen and Nora Vik 8-5. The curling duo now move on to face Vielfaltig, Osterhalten, and the Alezian Union in the remaining three preliminary matches. Securing a win against at least one of these teams should be enough to see them waltz into the round robin stage.

Having crossed paths with the Alezian Union in multiple Summer and Winter Olympic events, all eyes are now on Hayafari Zulandar and Andi Khadijah, who have performed an equally flawless performance so far in the mixed doubles. They are the team that coaching staff have been specifically instructed to watch out for.

Meanwhile, having never competed against Vielfaltig and Osterhalten in curling before, there has been keen interest in studying their playing style, with observation underway as teams prepare for their upcoming matches.



* Used Bing for AI image of Mixed Curling pair pic

[Indusse]

Date: 28 April 2025
Sub: Regarding Change of Official Logo

Dear all,

We are pleased to announce that the Indussean Olympic Council has officially adopted a new logo. This change reflects our commitment to both our national identity and the international spirit of the Olympic Movement. This new logo will be replacing the old IOC Typographic Logo that was been used for all official purposes. The new logo features:

• The star of the International Olympic Council, symbolizing our affliation and connection to the global Olympic community.
• The Indussean Wreath, now stylized into a larger olive wreath, representing peace, unity, and the rich cultural heritage of Indusse.
• An outer circle which is in the shade of th e color orange, proudly showcasing the spirit and identity of our nation.

This update marks a significant moment in the continued growth and modernization of the Indussean Olympic Council. We believe the new logo captures the essence of who we are and what we stand for — tradition, excellence, and a future-focused vision.

This change also marks the beggining of a revolution to change the total outlook of the Indussean Olympic Community. We have devised a plan to improve the infrastructure offered to fellow Indussean athletes for their growth and development. The plan has been submitted to New Hind City Metropolitan Welfare Corporation (NHC-MWC) who has decided to setup a huge infrastructure for olympics training as well as shifting our Headquarters to the New Hind Sports City. The Sport City is subjected to undergo a large scale renovation after the conclusion of The Baptism of Fire tournament. The NHC-MWC will be releasing their devised plan within a few days.

Signed,

Nicholas Bruetton
Chairman
Indussean Olympic Council

---

OOC: The Image used for the Ice Hockey article is from Adobe Stock.

[Electrum]

The Turnip: Conclave fails to select flagbearers after two years of prayer, trust falls
by Billiam Maskey, chief-editor-in-chief

The method of selecting flagbearers for the next Winter Olympics has always been shrouded in mystery, intrigue and myth. For generations, Electrumites have waited with bated breath outside the headquarters of the Electrum Olympic Council, waiting for that all important white smoke to tell us whose ass we should blow smoke up of. This time it's taken nearly two years to select the flagbearers and there's still no end in sight as the Electrumite athletes' muscles have atrophied because they have stayed indoors for so long.

Few know what shenanigans occur in the Electrum Olympic Council, but you, dear attractive reader, will know exactly what goes on inside the offices. It starts with the athletes. Did you know it's all about the athletes? They are all bussed into the EOC offices to select their flagbearers. After all this is a theocracy, not some bacchanalian airship anarchy. Every athlete participating in each Games gets one vote and is required to wear a plain tunic, showing their submission to the Goddess Margaret. The Council doors are then locked to the outside world because heaven forbid anything bad happen to this genetically gifted group of superhuman mutants that we rely on for international prestige. These doors will remain permanently locked until morale improves. Or when a pair of flagbearers are selected.

This is where the trail becomes cold. We don't really know anything about what happens, but we do know that a 2/3 majority is required, a prayer is said before each vote, and trust falls are somehow involved. Actually, now that I think about it, that's basically the entire voting process. Once the votes are complete, the ballots are collected and counted. If there is a 2/3 majority then the ballots are burned clean and the whole nation breathes a sigh of relief, knowing that we have finally selected the two people who will disappoint us the most. Otherwise, the ballots are not burned clean and the whole nation breathes a sigh of relief, knowing that we have another day of not blowing smoke up these rich athlete's asses.

In any case, this absurdly long conclave gives us the perfect excuse in case Electrum underperforms at these games. Just saying, you don't massively overhaul your roster, have your athletes locked in a conclave for two years and expect an increase in medals. That would be super embarrassing for the other nations if they don't beat Electrumite athletes at every opportunity. In fact, if we did increase our medal count, it would create a hole in the spacetime continuum so large that the fictional island of Ceni would reappear once again in Rushmore. While you ponder that, our athletes will vote once more...

[Waisnor]

What Waisnorians expects from these Olympics

Once again, Waisnor is going to participate in the Winter Olympic Games, and of course, Waisnorians have some expectations from their athletes. And here they are:

In biathlon, the strongest one is, without doubt, Raisa Protasyeva. She's once again got her place in the Olympics, and now, she's representing the country in two disciplines - sprint and individual race, in both of which, she has good chances for at least a medal. But even without her, Waisnor has some good athletes running here, such as Arciom Haŭrylienka in men's sprint and Ksienija Daškoŭskaja in women's mass start.
Bobsleigh isn't the most popular sport among Waisnorians, and so, athletes from it aren't the biggest favourites for medals, but even among them, Larisa Ipatova shines bright. After showing great results at previous Olympics, she's been called once again to represent Waisnor, once again with a good shot at a good result.
In skeleton, biggest hopes from Waisnor are laid on Roman Konovalov, probably the strongest skeletonist in Waisnor at the moment. But besides him, there aren't many big medal contenders among Waisnorian athletes, although Anna Rybalkina could be an emerging dark horse in those competitions if her last performances are anything to judge her by.
Curling pair of Pavel Boldyrev and Dyjana Časnyk have already began their competitions, but judging by their first two games, both of which were losses, they are far from showing the ideal curling at these Games. Sadly, that correlates with thei expectations as even making out of their qualification round would probe to be a huge success. Even then, Pavel and Dyjana don't lose their confidence and hope for the best.
Once again, Waisnorian hockey team is a big contender for the victory, proving to be a juggernaut in NS Olympics hockey. This time, the question is - could they continue steamrolling their opponents, or will there be a team able to challenge them?
In luge, the unlikely success of Nikolay Safronov got him a place at the next Olympics, where he hopes to claim another high placement for himself. This time, he's joined by Sofja Ploskaja, who also gained a bit of a reputation in luge circles of Waisnor and is ready to surprise.
Figure skating fans await success from Kiryl Sozinaŭ in men's singles skating and a pair of Timofey Fedin and Izabella Gromova in ice dances, as figure skating proves to be more and more popular around the country. Plus, surprises could be coming from women lead by Ekaterina Kovaleva.
Another sport Waisnorians like is short track, and there is no shortage of great athletes from Waisnor there, like Vasily Baranovsky in men's 1000m and Vieranika Dziamidava in women's 500m. And that not even counting skaters considered just strong, like Mark Skoryk and Voĺha Kisliakova.
But even bigger numbers of medal contenders are from speed skating. Main male stars are Uladzislaŭ Kazloŭ, Arciom Karalioŭ and Maxim Malakhov, competing both individually in their own distances and as a team in pursuit. Women contenders for glory include Emma Zubkova, Lilia Sirotina and Miraslava Aŭhuscinovič, getting their teeth into Olympic action with Lilia returning for another shot.
Alpine skiing isn't the biggest sport in Waisnor, but it sure has its stars, and these Games, they can shine brighter than ever. All eyes are on the pair of Zmicier Aliaškievič in men's downhill and Ewelina Trzcińska in women's giant slalom, who were showing incredible results before the Games and are ready to continue their good showings.
Waisnor was able to get some degree of success from cross-country skiing in the past, and these Games could be no exception with the likes of Yakov Berezin, Mikita Haliakievič, Sofia Samokhina in two disciplines and Judyta Kolenda.
Freestyle skiing, something Waisnor prides itself upon, they are ready to snatch as many medals as they can, especially in the coveted aerials section where Aleksey Rodchenko in men's and Emilija Raman in women's competitions are one of the biggest favourites to win. But even besides them, Waisnor has likes of Timofey Bondarchuk and Maryna Liebiedzieva, who can make even stronger cases for their success.
In nordic combined, frankly, chances of Waisnor aren't very good, but even there could be possible dark horses in the form of Ernest Taŭkin and Lidia Pichugina, who are among the strongest athletes of this discipline in the country.
Lately ski jumping has been getting more attention from Waisnorian fans, and this may be reflected in the fact that Waisnorian team there is probably the strongest in their history with the likes of Petr Kovalev and Elvira Dyuzhenkova, ready to make the leap for Waisnorian ski jumping.
At NS Olympics, Waisnorians were very good in snowboarding, and these Olympics don't seem to break this tradition - likes of Nikita Khalimonchik, Alexey Kuguzhev, Danila Ovsyannikov and Judyta Rogowska returning to the Games along with the promising freshmans, they are ready to get some medals.
And finally, the newcomers to the Games - ski mountaineering. There Waisnor will be represented by two very promising athletes - Karl Ponomarev and Lana Lapunova, ready to show to the whole world what this sport is about.

But apart from all expectations, Waisnorians wish for every athlete one very simple thing - to show a great result, and, if this doesn't sound crazy, win the gold for their country)