Games of the XIX Olympiad – RP Thread

[Zenic]

Any disappointment or success resulting from this 6th day of the Summer Olympics will fail to compare to what Heung Soo-min and those in attendance were about to witness.

At the Caravel Place Convention Center, everyone gathered around to witness the Men's 100kg Judo event. The preliminaries were a nice warmup period for those in attendance. Then came the Round of 16. Mr. Inaba, as was his preference to be to referred as, took down Riccardo Bellini of Juvencus to advance to the Quarterfinals and help Zenic potentially catch up in the standings. Up next was Indusse's Dorjee Tamang. It took a bit longer for the victory but Mr. Inaba was on a mission and he had no plans to be stopped. Then came the representative of another nation Zenic were chasing in the table, Valanora's own Alexander Nordvik. There were a few close chances in the opening minute but Mr. Inaba somehow survived them to counter and put Nordvik down for the victory and a trip to the second straight Olympics gold medal match of his career.

The Zenicians in the crowd were making a ruckus in-between as they could sense something great was about to happen. Vladimir Zabolotsky was a formidable opponent who carved through his opposition in a similar fashion to Mr. Inaba. However, the Zenician had two advantages on his side: first, the experience of having won before and knowing what needs to be done and second, he managed to avoid spending more energy than required. And he used that to his advantage. He asserted the type of dominance a world champion should and brought Zabolotsky done for the ippon. A roar came from the Zenician section as he was declared the winner and it persisted until a little after he was awarded his second gold medal of his career.

This was huge as he became the first ever Zenician to win back to back Gold medals in a single event / sport. 'Mr. Inaba will be forever immortalized in the record book,' thought Heung Soo-min. Alas, he could not celebrate this victory as much as he wanted to as he needed to get ready to help out other Olympians, including a few who also had a shot to join Mr. Inaba as multiple Gold medal winners. He also had a few calls to make to Kayo as some of those opportunities were over there.

He just hoped Correia and the folks in Kayo were just as prepared as everyone here in Cenial.

[Beaverriver]

When I joined the resistance movement, I imagined we would be doing cool stuff like blowing up pipelines, having firefights with the secret police, and taking down the brutal Aivar Beran regime. Yet I am here at the Olympics in a country I never heard of until they gave me this mission. The resistance tasked me with finding Jane Wieck, a shooting athlete and what they believe to be an army officer, and get her to help establish communications with the Beaver River military. I admittedly find it difficult to believe that they would send an army officer to the Olympics during a liberation war.

Nevertheless, I managed to find this seat in one of the halls of the Queen’s Exposition Center, watching Jane Wieck and a number of other competitors shoot at their targets. At least I get to hear gunfire even if it’s not aimed at the regime. I admit, that’s impressive as heck that they can accurately hit a target 50 meters away. But this really isn’t an entertaining sport, as all you are watching is people concentrating on hitting a target. Very little action, if you ask me! So I got bored and looked at the audience. There’s such a diverse group of beings that I never imagined growing up in Sairsca. Not only humans of other skin colors and hair colors but other species as well like elves!

But when I was looking around, I spotted what looked like a couple of Beaverites and a Sairscan woman hanging out with them. Wait, but I thought Beaverites hate Sairscans. So, why is she hanging out with them? I looked again and noticed that the Sairscan woman was sitting pretty close to the Beaverite man. It could be that they’re on a date or that they are a fellow resistance member that I haven’t met yet. But that’s not really important to my mission. My goal is to get in contact with Jane, not figure out the nature of the relationship between the Sairscan and the Beaverite. Though those Beaverites are the only ones I’ve spotted so far and there’s a good chance they are friends of Jane. Maybe that’s how I get into contact with Jane. By talking to them, I could end up meeting Jane. Oh, that’s so perfect! I just have to wait until this event is over, and I can then go and talk to her.

After a while, they finally finished the event. The two Beaverites are celebrating as it seems like Jane qualified for the finals, which is great for her. But more importantly, I need to talk to them, though I’m not sure how. I don’t think they would take well to a Sairscan coming up to them directly, though that Sairscan woman was able to do it. Maybe I should introduce myself to the Sairscan woman to gain the trust of the Beaverite man. Actually, let’s go with that. So I walk over to them and prepare to talk to them. The Sairscan woman noticed me going over.

“Oh hey! I didn’t expect another one of us here,” said the Sairscan woman.

“The same can be said to you. Enjoying the Olympics so far?” I replied. Normally, Sairscans don’t care about sports or anything outside of Sairsca. Maybe she’s one of the rare Sairscan who cares about both. But she’s also holding onto the Beaverites man tightly.

“Yeah and I’ve been enjoying it with Ingvar here. He was telling me earlier about how important it was to keep a steady heartbeat as well as all the weird gear they were wearing on their head,” she replied. That confirms my theory that she was dating him though I’m not sure why they’re dating since most Sairscans looked down on Beaverites for being weak.

Ingvar turns towards me and introduces himself to me as an Olympian. “So have you two met? She’s a member of the Sairscan resistance!” Ingvar asked me. There’s no way a resistance member would be so open about that. That would just make you a target, especially back home. Maybe she’s a fool or maybe something else is going on.

“Not really. I don’t think a Sairscan magically knows every other Sairscan.” I replied.

“Fair. It’s not like every Beaverite knows every Beaverite either. Like I didn’t meet Jane until I got to the airport to get here.” Ingvar laughs. Sweet! He knows Jane and I might be able to convince him to connect me up with Jane. I just have to make up a plausible enough excuse to convince him to get Jane to talk to me. Maybe I’ll pretend that I am interviewing her for what she did today. That’s hopefully good enough.

“Oh, pass on my congratulations to her for making it to the finals. Uh, tell her that I want to interview her about her performance after she’s done with the finals since I am uh, a sports writer for a small publication in Sairaca."

“Sure, I can pass it on to her. I’m not sure how she’ll feel about being interviewed by a Sairscan though, so no guarantees,” Ingvar replied. We then exchanged contact info before they left. I’m surprised that the interview excuse worked. Maybe he trusted me because his date is Sairscan, or maybe he’s a bit too careless. But either way, I now just have to convince Jane to believe me and convince her uppers to work with us. But for now, my work is done.

[StrayaRoos]

I meant to have a longer RP attached to this, but I completely forgot about it and don’t have enough time to write before cutoff. so instead you'll just get a streaming service ad.

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[Drawkland]

This is your Day Seven cutoff. SEVEN.

[Sargossa]

‘… Kostić is looking really strong, but still work to do for Sarmiento. She’s now behind both competitors in the lines either side of her. So she’s not just swimming her own race, she’s also fighting against the wake produced by those two athletes. Which adds just a little more difficulty. And in an event in which fractions of seconds are the margin, a little more difficulty can be telling.

‘No such issue for Sofija Kostić though. She started this race like a bullet from a gun and has kept up a relentless pace. She perhaps felt a little overlooked, with María José Sarmiento getting a lot of the focus as the multi-eventers tend to. But this is Sofija Kostić’s world. The backstroke is her event. And she too came into these Games an Olympic medallist, having swam the backstroke leg in that bronze medal winning medley team four years ago.

‘It’s a brutal pace. It’s a devastating pace. But she’s keeping it up magnificently And so too is Brisa Carnstone. Behind them there’s a real battle for bronze but it looks like these two as they turn for the final time. The noise in this arena is magnificent, pushing all eight of these competitors on. Twenty meters to go and it’s still Kostić and Carnstone. Brisa Carnstone has closed the gap a little, but I think she’s going to run out of pool. And there’s the touch. And there’s the time! Sofija Kostić what did you do?! A sub-two minute four second time. That’s a new Olympic record. Brisa Carnstone also bested the former record mark in taking a superb silver, another to The Afanc Strait’s impressive haul. Juvencus too are having an excellent Games, Isabella Torricelli won the battle and eventually takes bronze for them. But this moment is all about Sofija Kostić, a new Olympic champion. A new Olympic record holder. And it’s a second gold of these Games for Sargossa.’




SSM | Sargossan State Media

International Edition - Olympics



Win When You're Swimming


Raquel Solana writes;

It wasn’t that long ago that backstroke was the poor relation in the Sargossan aquatics programme. Those days appear to be well and truly gone. Gabriel Rouco is the new men’s champion over 200m, Eva Montenegro took a bronze in the women’s 100m and then there’s Sofija Kostić. Kostić had been a little forgotten in the build-up, with María José Sarmiento the focus. Which may have suited the Mytanar-born swimmer as she went under the radar right up until the gun. She enjoyed a blistering start, raising fears that she’d perhaps done too much too soon, and somehow tapped into vast energy reserves to keep it going for the full 200m, smashing the event record in the process for a glorious gold. Spare a thought for Brisa Carnstone, who would never have predicated that her sub-two minute, four second time would not see her top the podium.

Sarmiento was left behind in seventh, perhaps holding too much back with her medley semi-final in mind. A semi she safely negotiated to reach another final. Bojan Ignjatović is no stranger to finals either, but he fell agonizingly short in his quest to equal Adriana Abarca’s record of seven Olympic medals, finishing fourth in the 50m freestyle. But he will get another bite of the cherry, having anchored the mixed medley relay team into the final in the morning heats. And there was another creditable diving performance, this time from Ivanna Villacrés in the 3m platform. No medals for the divers so far, but a third top-six finish at this level is admirable.

While swimming headlined events in Kayo, over in Cenial the athletics got underway. Sprinting in Sargossa is currently going through something of an existential crisis, seemingly stuck in the shadow of the great Matías Almeida. The nation’s men haven’t made an impact in the 100m since the last time the Games were held in Ceni. The fact that Tito Vivar, bronze medallist that day, is still ranked among Sargossa’s top sprinters speaks to a worrying lack of depth. Javier Saavedra won the event at the trials but could only manage third in his heat, while Vivar too will advance no further. But Gustavo Moya won the opening heat of the morning, with the second fastest time of the day to reach the first round proper. While Javier Pinto was the lone Sargossan to advance in the 10,000m.

The first day of athletics action also saw the first medals for the delegation as veteran Zacarías Amparan, sixteen years since he became an Olympic champion, rolled back some of those years to take silver in a 20k walk final that saw the top three separated by just three seconds. And Raquel Bienvenida chipped in with a bronze in the women’s event, a race that also saw Sia Senesca open the athletics account for the hosts.

Elsewhere, Sabrina Sanz held her nerve in a final set decider against Riandera’s Paris Costillas to reach the badminton quarter finals, Paulina Tejedor topped the freestyle BMX qualification standings and the women’s volleyball side, clearly irked at dropping a first set of their competition, demolished Team Ko-oren in the fourth to continue their 100% record in Group E.

[Ko-oren]

One day:
2 Tokhuchar Tömörbaatar (TALO) - Taloreni Aslan (TARÖ)
2 Alisha Nicholson (MERC) - ai.perloop (MERC)
2 Sayaka Tseidausein (KOR) - Kjandar (KOR)
1 Nicolau Tenorio (ISID) - Universidad Catolica (ISID)
1 Mitra Qaderi (SHAR) - Stellogistics (CHNM/SYNE)
1 Alanae Thlithsakhaten (KOR) - Adrahna-Bohakem (KOR)
1 Eoin yRhagafon (GALN) - Sioo Glasfaser (OFHP)
1 Magdalena Oostheide (BATV) - Sint-Servaas Staatsmijnen (BATV)

Multi-stage:
General:
2 Alisha Nicholson (MERC) - ai.perloop (MERC)
2 Mukondi Wangeci (NDUG) - Lyansaka-Kigogazi Superconductors (NDUG)
1 Ihwehres Ropadhen (KOR) - Mulahil-Wilshan (KOR)
1 Nicolau Tenorio (ISID) - Universidad Catolica (ISID)
1 Tokhuchar Tömörbaatar (TALO) - Taloreni Aslan (TARÖ)
1 Arsalan Rastegar (SHAR) - Taloreni Aslan (TARÖ)
1 Johannes Sterkmaat (BATV) - Sint-Servaas Staatsmijnen (BATV)
1 Susanna Gessner (OFHP) - Sioo Glasfaser (OFHP)

Sprint:
3 Raimon Arxe (ISID) - Stellogistics (CHNM/SYNE)
2 Mitra Qaderi (SHAR) - Stellogistics (CHNM/SYNE)
1 Sayaka Tseidausein (KOR) - Kjandar (KOR)
1 Nugiluth Grinehuten (KOR) - Adrahna-Bohakem (KOR)
1 Sebastià Zarzosa (ISID) - Universidad Catolica (ISID)
1 Aedegi Aesisoma (KOR) - Kjandar (KOR)

Mountain:
4 Tokhuchar Tömörbaatar (TALO) - Taloreni Aslan (TARÖ)
2 Arsalan Rastegar (SHAR) - Taloreni Aslan (TARÖ)
2 Eoin yRhagafon (GALN) - Sioo Glasfaser (OFHP)
1 Ciugu Wanyoike (NDUG) - Lyansaka-Kigogazi Superconductors (NDUG)
1 Zhenya Meng (CHNM) - Sioo Glasfaser (OFHP)

Stages:
9 Alisha Nicholson (MERC) - ai.perloop (MERC)
4 Tokhuchar Tömörbaatar (TALO) - Taloreni Aslan (TARÖ)
3 Ihwehres Ropadhen (KOR) - Mulahil-Wilshan (KOR)
3 Aedegi Aesisoma (KOR) - Kjandar (KOR)
3 Johannes Sterkmaat (BATV) - Sint-Servaas Staatsmijnen (BATV)
3 Mukondi Wangeci (NDUG) - Lyansaka-Kigogazi Superconductors (NDUG)
2 Raimon Arxe (ISID) - Stellogistics (CHNM/SYNE)
2 Eoin yRhagafon (GALN) - Sioo Glasfaser (OFHP)
2 Mitra Qaderi (SHAR) - Stellogistics (CHNM/SYNE)
2 Reinward Runjonen (KOR) - Dahrgem-Fandar (KOR)
2 Tashanek Srathirithigun (KOR) - Mulahil-Wilshan (KOR)
2 Sayaka Tseidausein (KOR) - Kjandar (KOR)
1 Conor yWrchach (GALN) - ai.perloop (MERC)
1 Amelia Lezishen (KOR) - Mulahil-Wilshan (KOR)
1 Zhenya Meng (CHNM) - Sioo Glasfaser (OFHP)
1 Alanae Thlithsakhaten (KOR) - Adrahna-Bohakem (KOR)
1 Konehau Sishaziden (KOR) - Mulahil-Wilshan (KOR)
1 Ryagull Turrimbee (KOR) - Adrahna-Bohakem (KOR)

---

And that's the first season summarised in a couple of tables. They do some of the talking on behalf of the entire season, but not everything. What it does tell us very well is the dominance of Alisha Nicholson for her ai.perloop team, and how dedicated that team was to helping out their leader. Not that it mattered much: as expected, she was very capable of picking and choosing which runs she'd join but truth be told, most of the escapes were planned by her helpful teammates. It's a bit of both, but credit to Nicholson for being in so many sprints for the finish and successfully winning so many single races - which ultimately transfers into two multi-stage general classification wins.

The other names you see often are Tokhuchar Tömörbaatar, easily the best climber of the season at two one-day race wins, and winning nearly half of all mountain classifications (4 out of 10) - with two more going to teammate Rastegar. As predicted, the Aslan team would be unmissable in the mountain stages and races, and they very much delivered. On top of that, the Taröreni won four stages outright as well - and one general classification. The third big name will be Raimon Arxe, winner of a lot of the sprint classifications early in the season and two stage wins - but never winning a one-dayer. The entire Stellogistics team made it to one one-day win (Qaderi) and no general classification victories - but you still might call them the best sprinting team as they also had Qaderi - together responsible for five out of nine sprint classification wins. A bit more of an individual category but it's what the team was built to do.

That covers the most prolific sprinters, climbers, and team leaders. But that's not all: there was Sayaka Tseidausein, who took a little while to find her groove but the later in the season it got, the more in form she got, with two one-day wins and two stage wins, but she had to share the role of Kjandar team lead with Aesisoma, who finished first three times in stages and won a sprint classification - as did Tseidausein - so team Kjandar will have to find a way to give them both some of what they want, all while benefitting the team. There are certainly less enviable spots to be in, such as team Dahrgem-Fandar who had Runjonen win two stages across all multi-stage races - and that was it for the entire team. Runjonen was runner-up in the general classification in the Amahjarau Horseshoe - but second place is first loser. Still, it's money to the team but surely they would've wanted more out of the season than just two stage wins. They gambled, did well, but still, ultimately, lost. Then there was Universidad Catolica's Tenorio, who set the tone at the start of the season with a general classification win, but the warmer it got, the worse the team seemed to do. Maybe it was homesickness, being away for multiple months with races held every other weekend (or more frequently than that).

Special attention should go to the three big multi-stage races: the Amahjarau Horseshoe, an eight-stage, low-altitude sprintfest, the Garadaur, a seven-stage race that's all about longevity in some of the longer stages, and the Tarrashalli Arc, a six-stage climbers' paradise.

The Amahjarau started out as Qaderi's thing, with the Stellogistics sprinter winning two of the first three stages, before it was an all-out Nicholson takeover as she won three stages in a row en route to a dominant ten minute lead over the next best racer in the general classification. Behind her: Runjonen, as Dahrgem-Fandar's best result all year, followed by three Kjandar riders in, Aesisoma, Njakiden, and Tseidausein. Yes, Njakiden, who otherwise didn't win anything, but always was up there in support and it got him a surprisingly good general classification result. The sprint class went to Arxe by a mile, the mountain classification was Rastegar's with only a few points over Wanyoike from Lyansaka-Kigogazi.

The Garadaur started out as everyone's game, the first four stages seeing different winners with only a few riders appearing multiple times in top fives - but that's when Nicholson, up to that point good for just a third place in stage one, taking over with two straight stage wins, but while still good enough to win the general classification, it was mere seconds ahead of sprinter Arxe. He'll want to go back and redo stage six where he left the winning five seconds, but also stage four - more of a climbers' thing anyway - where he finished a good ten minutes behind the race winner. Arxe would win the sprint table by a lot over teammate Qaderi, and the only other rider coming even close to the Stellogistics duo was Adrahna-Bohakem's Grinehuten. The mountain ranking was Wanyoike's - again - with yRhagafon and Rastegar at a decent distance.

All of that wouldn't help in the Tarrashalli Arc. It rewards all-rounders and climbers far more - but Nicholson still won stage one anyway - but after that it's new names. Srathirithigun, Meng, Thlithsakhaten, Sishaziden - all riders who would end up with just one or two stage wins and only Thlithsakhaten won a one-day race - before Srathirithigun won the final stage as well, totalling his two total stage wins on the year. Yes, the Arc is different. The general table winner is Rastegar - as mentioned, a climber - with Qaderi piecing together enough sprint points to win that class, though there are far fewer points on offer than in the other big ones. Tömörbaatar won the climbers' ranking by a decent amount over Thlithsakhaten, and the two of them were far apart from the rest of the group, like Sint-Servaas' Zomerkers who couldn't show enough of what she can do over the entire year.

So while most of the glory went to just a few riders, as things simply tend to, enough attention went to other riders, while some cyclists that probably deserved at least a single day of attention didn't get anything at all. We're talking about Adrahna-Bohakem leader Turrimbee, who fell behind Thlithsakhaten and Grinehuten in attention while the leader just fell short of glory in the general tables. There was a complete down season for Dahrgem-Fandar, and honestly Sint-Servaas probably had hoped for a little more fun along the way with Sterkmaat winning three stages, but Oostheide, Zomerkers, and Slot falling silent almost entirely across their favourite stages. Stellogistics lived and died by the form of their sprinters, while leader Thanelis didn't add much, and Sioo Glasfaser had yRhagafon and Meng as eye catchers on the mountains but Wittich and the rest fell silent on flatter stages.

[Magnus Phoenicia]

WP||Magnus Phoenicia Global News Corp

Sports || Health || Technology || Gossip || Domestic Politics || International Politics ||Food|| Entertainment || World || Religion || Weather

Lord Justice Bush II,Marquess of Asteria the eldest son of Princess Clytemnestra II, Duchess of Selene Valle, the sister of the reigning monarch was in high spirits after claiming the gold in the Equestrian- Team Dressage alongside team mates Portia de Monti and Gajanayake Jayawardene.

Post victory, whispers circulated that the Marquess hosted his teammates and support staff for an opulent champagne dinner at one of Ceni’s most fashionable dining restaurants. Where the group celebrated late into the evening.

This is also a second medal win for Gajanayake Jayawardene after he won gold at the XVIII Summer Olympic Games in the Equestrian -Team Jumping. Post previous Games he was swayed to switch disciplines on the international stage, and it appears to have worked wonders for him.

It can also be confirmed Princess Clytemnestra II, her other children and other royals phoned to congratulate him in his golden win. As they were unable to attend to watch him compete due to the need of a large security detail.

Just days prior, Senator Lord Gregory Pope of the Aristocracy Party and Senator Glenda Ferreira of the One Phoenicia Movement tabled a bipartisan bill seeking to bar members of the royal family from competing in international sporting events, including the Olympic Games.

The proposed legislation has ignited heated debate in the government chambers over the role of the monarchy in national sport representation.

The bill listed a number of key areas those in favour of the barring see as complications.

“One of my main concerns,” Senator Lord Gregory Pope declared, “is the risk of injury. Olympians are high-performance athletes, and the demands of training and competition carry serious dangers. If a royal were to suffer an accident, the consequences would extend way beyond sport.
Such an injury could compromise their health and wellbeing, in addition to their ability to carry out ceremonial and constitutional duties. Can you imagine the tragedy if someone in the line of succession were suddenly unable to serve their country, all because they risked themselves in what is, ultimately, a frivolous pursuit.”

Senator Lord Gregory Pope also said;

“Sending a member of the royal family puts pressure on the public purse. Royals require protection. Their participation in Olympic events places additional strain on security resources and can disrupt normal competition logistics, upsetting other nations' athletes in the process. We send the required amount of security to assist a host nation's only security forces, but history has shown us whenever a member of the royal family has attended beyond ceremonial duties, the public has been critical of the costs involved and it becomes messy with more security boots on the ground.”

Senator Glenda Ferreira of the main opposition party who co-sponsored the bill added;

“A think tank I addressed brought up possible diplomatic complications with members of the royal family taking part in international sports as athletes.
Can you picture a disqualification or a controversial judging call? Even worse, think about a loss to a rival nation. It would definitely stir up unnecessary diplomatic friction if a royal is involved. We have very strong and loyal sports fans who are also pro-monarchy. They would be protesting outside the rival team's embassy to harass their ambassadors. I have to agree it would get politically messy. We may need to look at serving politicians also being excluded due to the same reasons.”

Senator Svetlana Kovalenko of the New Revolutionary Party which supports the abolition of the monarchy said she will be supporting the bill.

[/I]“Reducing the monarchies presence in public life is something my party strongly stands for. And while we don't have the numbers or the support to exile the parasites for good, limiting their duties and responsibilities is a win.
Also having members of the royal family participate is unfair. They are hemorrhaging money, they can afford top-tier training, facilities, and support teams. It creates an uneven playing field. The royals will also hog all the media attention as that is what the media will want to write about, athletes who have built their careers on sporting merit rather than birthright will be treated like used bubble gum on the sole of a shoe. This is about the nation getting behind talented athletes who have worked their asses off, it will just create more divisiveness as athletes will miss out simply due to not having as many resources as a member of the royal family.”[/I]


Several minor far left and far right parties are predicted to support the bill as it fits into their positions of reducing the influence of the monarchy. However the majority of both coalitions, the current government and the opposition look set to vote the bill down.

---

In other Olympic news, Conocotocko Raindancer was disqualified from the men’s 20km walk after receiving three red cards from judges for lifting infractions.

Conocotocko Raindancer who hails from the Indigenous Phoenician Territory in the Empire and comes from Deserti People heritage, one of the six traditional owners of the land before the arrival of Babalites colonisation.

Conocotocko Raindancer is a seasoned member of the delegation, having competed
XV Summer Olympic Games with zero wins to his name but a strong desire to represent the empire in this discipline.

“Every time I put on the uniform, I carry the spirit of the Deserti People with me. Even without medals, my presence here is a victory for my ancestors who would often travel long distances for food and water and here I am doing it as a sport.”

“Today’s disqualification is an upsetting way to close this chapter of my life. In some ways, it's the only life I've known. I have dedicated years to the 20km walk, training hard and carrying the hopes of my people each time I stepped onto the course.
To fall short again, and to leave under these circumstances, fills me with deep disappointment. I will be doing much soul searching when I return home. I have listened to my body and it has spoken, I have decided this will be my last Olympic walk. I retire from competition proud of the journey, grateful for the support of my country, and hopeful that the next generation will rise and achieve what I could not.
Shy of any medals, my greatest victory has been the chance to represent the Deserti People, the Indigenous Phoenician Territory and Magnus Phoenicia on the world stage.”

[Zenic]

"We're 6th in Golds, tied for 5th in Silvers, tied for 5th in Bronzes and 6th in total medals."

Heung Soo-min was on the phone having an impromptu meeting with the Minister of Sports, Alaia Dimi. "We're making the pushes we can but it's still a competition where not everyone can win every medal. Being in or near the top 5 in every medal category is still very solid." There was a brief moment of silence before the Minister broke it. "I am pleased with our continued success of being competitive. My issue is not with that; my issue is with the pace. It's difficult trying to deal with everything this Ministry already has to deal with: adding on having to explain to everybody how we went from a top 3 pace down to a slightly better than our Winter Games pace."

"But that's still an improvement, ma'am." Alaia Dimi sighed. "I agree. It's a very promising improvement. But these people see one thing and they expect it the same way the entire way. They've got warped senses of reality as to how the world works. It's bad enough they considered the last two Copas and the most recent World Cup of Hockey failures simply for not winning them and clearly not seeing back to back top 4 finishes and a return to the Hockey finals for the successes they are. Now, they're considering these Olympics a failure for simply not keeping up an impossible pace." Heung could hear the distain his boss had for portion of the media she had to deal with and government officials from other departments trying to judge the Ministry of Sports.

"Well, we're guaranteed to break our record for most Olympic medals in any Games ever. And I know a few folks in the media that can help make sure our Olympians get a fair shake in the media.," Heung said, hoping to assure his boss that she was not alone in this fight. "Good. You'll need that when you become Minister of Sports. You may need to double it, just to be safe." Heung chuckled nervously at the statement. "Thank you, Minister. I know I will be ready thanks to all the advice you've given me and the first hand experience I've been given."

Dimi smiled, thankful that at least a few people in the government appreciate her diligent work. "By the way, I believe it's nearly time for you and your crew in Cenial to swap with Correia's crew in Kayo." Heung Soo-min looked down at the open and empty luggage on his bed. "I've got it all under control. Some of us are already packed and the rest will be ready by the time today's events are over. We've got a small skeleton crew that is staying at their respective sites for the entirety of the Olympics who will help the main crews assimilate to their new location for the rest of the Games. I can guarantee you that we will all be able to hit the ground running."

"Good. Now start packing before you get too busy. You've got a busy day ahead of you," Minister Dimi replied before saying her goodbyes and heading back to work. Heung sighed loudly before walking over to the closet and opening it to reveal an entire weeks' wardrobe worth of clothing needing to be packed.

He truly hoped this was the hardest part of his day.

[Juvencus]

BEST GOLD MEDAL GATHERING - JUVENCUS IS PUSHING FORWARD

With 2 golds and 3 bronze medals in what was one of the better days in this Olympiad, the Juven delegation is pressing on to the top. However, with the competition getting far ahead, will getting in the top 3 be a feat that can be achieved?

A TIRELESS CHAMPION: Luciana Venturoli showed her worth today at the women's 20km speed walk. In a tight race for the ages, the first 6 finishers all finished at approximately the same time. Despite going neck to neck with her competitors and especially Sia Senesca and Raquel Bienvenida, Venturoli kept her pace and her strolls paid dividends. From her humble beginnings from a poor family in Melposa to the highest heights of Olympic glory. This rags to riches story is the epitome of the Juven Dream.

TIMED TRIAL GLORY: A 36.6 km course in Kayo, Drawkland bore witness in yet another event on which Juven athletes across both genders are able to become medalists. Flavia Marquessio brought on the second gold of the day and the fourth total in this olympiad. Not only did she finish first but she was absolutely dominant all the way, leaving her opponents so far behind they were only able to bite her dust -figuratively that is-. For the men, Santiago Virelliot kept being competitive but would not manage to be in the zone as much as Marquessio. Both athletes proved just how dominant Juven cyclists can be and just how much more capable of great results they are than what was initially thought.

BASKETBALL 3X3 EARLY RUSH: For the men's and women's basketball 3x3 events, luck was on both teams' sides but only for a moment. The men would barely scrape through Sargossa in a tight battle with 18-21. Berescu was on a great day with many rebounds and a couple dunks that shocked the crowd. This win would be enough to barely punch a ticket to the knockouts, where theyfaced Sassadegna and lost. The women, would get a hard-earnt victory against Calgasia but after a CLOSE matchup against Electrum, they'd go out in the first stage of the knockouts on overtime.

SOFTBALL UPSET: Despite the utter and clear dominance of the ladies in the group stages of the softball event, it was just not to be. The momentum was abruptly stopped by Valanora and despite bookies seeing Juvencus as the clear favorite for this bout, the Vanorians were just too much. A 7-3 loss and the team is out on the quarter-finals. However, that performance is one to be remembered in the history books. The ladies played their hearts out in a sport that is not traditionally Juven and with a lot of Osci assistance.

BASKETBALL DREAMS ARISE: The matchup between Zenic and Juvencus was important for both teams. Juvencus, wanting to hold onto its dominance and punching a secure ticket to the knockouts was coming from two hard-earnt wins. Zenic on the other was desperate for a win to even have the chance to punch a place in the knockouts. With the first half seeing both teams tied at 35-35, the match was one that was bound for the ages. However, a nice streak of 3-pointers by i cavalli was enough to give momentum to Juvencus, with Valderez and Alvaris both on a good day when needed. A 73-89 scoreline was achieved and Juvencus is on the knockouts unbeaten. Facing Ko-oren next, this is the first boulder in the way of Juvencus on its way to a first ever medal on any basketball event in its history. Vasilis Nikolaou, the best Ampelonian coach from the JOBL feels content with his team's performances but that they should step it up in order to bring home a much-necessary medal.

With day 8 on the horizon there is more table tennis action and more rugby sevens action. With Juven athletes and teams searching and aching for more medals, will they rise up onto the occasion and bring home the much-needed glory? AVE JUVENCUS!

[Kelssek]

Mojenic takes individual medley silver
Kelssek’s Ibrahim Mojenic overtook Chus Fito De León (Zenic) over the frenetic freestyle leg to claim the silver medal in the men’s 200m individual medley. Banija’s Solomon Fij won the gold in the event, managing to stay ahead of the pursuing pack by 0.29 seconds.

“I think it was in the final turn that I knew I could catch them,” said Mojenic. “I had confidence in being able to outkick him off the wall and then it was everything into the final length. After coming short, in my fourth final, getting on the podium was a big deal.”

Kelssek swimming was unlikely to come close to their tremendous eight-gold haul in the 18th Summer Olympics, but most were hoping for more that what has been yielded so far, and any medal is important as a measure of progress. Failure to advance from the heats of the mixed medley relay was the down beat of day 7 at the pool.

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RUGBY SEVENS (M)
Anticipation builds as Kelssek targets gold

After coming through their group stage matches unbeaten, the Kelssek men’s rugby sevens team is confident they can overcome the hosts Afanc Strait in the semifinal and reach the top step of the podium.

While results have been indifferent since they won gold at the 16th Summer Olympics, a hard fought 31-17 quarterfinal win over Zenic has the team feeling they’re back to their best and ready for the challenge of the final day.

“When you get here, gold is the target, and we just have to take this chance. Maybe we weren’t thinking this far at the beginning, but every player on the team knows we’re capable of it”, says captain Quentin du Toit.

[Archalit]

Chapter 4

What a journey it had been. Collecting every member, training them over the past year, entering race-after-race to prepare the team for this exact eventuality. As the plane flew over the seemingly endless mass of land comprising Drawkland, Landen sat back and thought over the trials and tribulations he had gone through. A smile rose to his face and he gave a sigh of satisfaction, letting himself sink into the small seat he rested on.

Not to mention the literal journey: transferring from Archalit, across to other nations in the Communist Bloc before taking the long international flight to Drawkland. They had a brief stay in Kayo to watch some Volleyball and enjoy the Drawkian culture. It was a shame they missed Waffles running the triathlon because of their flight. Apparently the little dog actually managed to finish and do okay, placing 38th in the dense 62 person field.

There were only four Archalitian athletes on that plane: Landen MacMillan, Melia Akuini, Aumeo Kimo, and Nele Kalima. Nele was initially intended to fly on the later plane with the rest of the group who were staying in Kayo until their races got started after the first three days of Athletics, but she seemed to insist on riding this plane. She was apparently taking more than a few subtle glances at Aumeo who was completely oblivious to her attention.

As the plane began landing, a rising chill rose across Landen's spine. He looked out the plane's window as nerves suddenly began pervading his thought processes. What if I'm not ready yet? he thought to himself. What if they're right? Can I really make a final? As the plane landed, Landen's nerves only continued to grow. The Olympics are a different beast, would he break under the pressure?

As they stepped off the plane and took their first steps onto Cenian territory, Melia seemed to notice his anxiety and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, are you nervous?"

At first, Landen didn't respond. Perhaps he didn't know what to say, or maybe he didn't want to admit to being the most nervous when he was the one meant to anchor and lead the group. Eventually his lips did part, first to give a gentle sigh and the second to respond. "How can I not be?" he asked.

Perhaps Landen expected her to laugh or shrug off his question, but Melia smiled. "No matter how you do," she said, "we made it. This was our dream, remember?"

Those words did make Landen chuckle briefly, but it didn't do away with his nerves. But maybe... "Thank you Melia," he said calmly. "I remember hearing once that nerves are the easiest tool to use for a race." ...or something along those lines, he thought. In any case, he didn't let himself get worked up. The hand Melia placed on his shoulder, the memories he had built over the last year, all of it let him center himself and focus on the race ahead.

Tomorrow would be his first race: the 10000 meter heats. Whether he would qualify or not, he would step on the line as he always did his whole career: ready to run.

---

F*ck. As Landen saw the bell lap approaching, tears rode down his face. This... pace... is... so absurd, he tried to piece together in his mind. His legs felt like jelly, the lactic acid felt like it crept into every inch of his soul. And the worst part? He couldn't hang with the lead pack at all. He had been dropped several laps back and they were completely gone now. The Ko-oren jersey front runner was completely gone in the distance. He was hardly slogging out 3:00/km pace and it felt like nothing but an ungodly pain to merely take a step forward. Just 400 more meters to run and this death march would be over.

He could barely hear the sounds of the cheers from his teammates and the handful of compatriots who came to watch in-person in the Cenial stadium. Tears flooded his eyes as he rounded the corner. A challenge slowly crept from behind him. He couldn't be sure of who the athlete was or where he was from, nor could he be bothered to think about it for even a moment. It was all he could do to run.

Run.

Run, goddamnit, run!

Landen couldn't let the pain get to him. He pushed through, ever closer to the line. 200 meters to go, now just 150. The challenge of the athlete behind continued mounting as Landen began kicking as hard as his legs would let him. 50 meters, 20, 10, he was clear of the one behind him. He glanced at the clock, then down at his watch. 27:51. He collapsed to the track. "Well," he gasped through his breaths, "it's a time on the board."

---

Archalit Women Take Volleyball Victory, Need "Miracle" to Advance to Playoffs

Archalitian women have had a tough time getting going in volleyball this season. Opening with three consecutive losses and hitting wall after wall, it felt like these women just couldn't quite get anything going for this tournament.

However, some divine intervention finally fell upon the women on this team as their match against Liventia went their way for the first time this Olympic season. After winning the first two sets 25-22 and 25-20, Archalitian fans of the sport held their breaths. They had seen reverse sweeps go down before with this team, and this nightmare scenario seemed to be coming true once again after Liventia managed to take the third set 20-25. Rounding into the fourth set, the situation was quite nerve-wracking as the scoreboard showed 19-19. But, in a display of dominance, the Archalitians managed to score 6 points in a row with Outside Hitter Pole Ano scoring four aces in the final stretch.

However, it's tough to say if this would be enough to truly save the team's chances this Olympic cycle. In order to qualify for the knockout stage, the Archalitians would not only need to beat Valanora for the spot but would likely need to sweep the match to catch up to other 4th place teams. This is because only the top 4th place nation will be allowed to advance along with all of the top 3 in the group. The team needs to make up a big goal difference to either play as the top number 4 team or needs to overcome both Valanora and Ko-oren with Ko-oren losing their next game badly to place Archalit in the top 3 and be granted qualifying privileges.

Athletics: Landen MacMillan Kicks Off Olympic Career in 10000 Meter Heat

Archalitian runner Landen MacMillan made waves in Archalit earlier this year as he announced he would be petitioning to enter the Olympics for athletics along with several of his teammates whom he coaches. Despite being relatively unknown, however, Landen had a strong repertoire, coaching his teammates to a very dominant position come the road running season in Archalit where himself and his teammates Jason Nightmare, Ethan Asher, and Aumeo Kimo would dominate the marathon and half-marathon scene in Archalit, leading many to speculate what he could do come the 19th Olympic cycle.

Finally, today, we had our first glimpse into his international fitness. With a solid opening few kilometers hanging with the lead group, Landen was looking poised to move up and take a qualifying position. However, at around kilometer six, the Archalitian athlete along with many others started to get strung out and dropped by the relentless pace set by Ko-oren athlete Lazaru Shanjugundhen, an athlete who has competed in the Olympics before, making the final in the 16th and getting knocked out in the 18th, never showing the incredible fitness put on display today.

Coasting his final kilometers and never quite connecting with the lead group again, Landen found himself in 9th place in 27:51, outside of the top 5 qualification cutoff for the final. For the 10000 meter, the first race that Archalitian distance runners will be seen running in, Landen MacMillan couldn't quite snag a spot in the finals. However, this is only the beginning, with the women's 10000 meter heats and the unpredictable Melia Akuini and the highly anticipated men's 1500 meter preliminary round featuring 5K legend Aumeo Kimo coming tomorrow, there is going to be a lot of fireworks in these next few days leading up to the main event: the marathon.

[Waisnor]

There were no medals, but there's no reason to despair

Even though this day was first in which Waisnorian athletes didn't gain any medals, there wasn't much mourning in the crowds. That's because not counting the lack of medals, there were several quite good results in the competitions, paving the way for more medals to come:

This day saw the first competitions in athletics taking place, and one of the first sets of medals to be given away was in men's 20km walk, where Waisnor was represented by one Aliaksandr Kryvašejeŭ. Before the Olympics, few hopes were placed on him, as he wasn't considered to be a contender for any medals, let alone good one. But still, some people hoped that he could be a dark horse of these Olympics, pulling out a great result when people least expected him to. And before the start, Aliaksandr claimed that he was about to prove his doubters wrong. As the race (if you can call it that in terms of walking) began, Kryvašejeŭ quickly established himself as one of the leaders, giving the impression of him trying to actively fight for medals. But on his part, that was more of a part of psychological warfare he was waging on his opponents - he liked to start in the front to give the impression of an unknown contender fighting for his place under the sun. But most of the time, he would fall out from the leading pack, unable to leave enough energy for the end of the distance. But not this time - when in other races he was already falling behind, now Aliaksandr was still among the leaders, and more than that, he seemed to be better with time, getting over his opponents, slowly, but surely climbing up the rankings. And now, the idea of him earning a medal, if this could keep up, didn't seem too farfetched. But the race was already coming to a close, and there was not much time left for Kryvašejeŭ to make his moves. He needed to mave fast if he wanted to place in the medal zone, and even though he managed to get over few more competitors, there was still not enough time to catch up with the 3rd place, who, when he crossed the finish line, with Aliaksandr not far behind, would become the bronze medalist. But still, consering expectations of him beofre the competition, Aliaksandr placing 4th overall was still seen as an incredible result. After the race, Kryvašejeŭ commented that he would definitely have another try at Olympics to move up one more spot and claim that all too close medal.

Now, moving onto boxing, where after Kirill Zhebrik another hope of Waisnorian boxing stepped into the arena - Marina Kalashnikova, representing the nation in women's middleweight tournament. She was already a big star on the international stage, and Olympic fans could also see her in action - at last Olympics, she earned a bronze medal. But now Marina was definitely vying for more, and this quarterfinal bout would mean for her that she just was tied with her previous score. But still, to go further, she needed to win this quarterfinal, and this time, her opponent was Eleonora Hatzipavlou of A Kea. Actually, they had a bit of history together: at last Olympic, they both already met in round of 32, where Kalashnikova would go on to defeat Hatzipavlou and make her first steps on the road to her bronze. So it was safe to assume that Eleonora wanted revenge on the Waisnorian for this very early defeat. And judging by the beginning of the fight, she was more than ready to deliver it: her attacks were far more faster than in last Olympics and it seemed that Marina couldn't handle the sheer pressure from her opponent, mostly trying to block off her attacks. But even then, Kalashnikova was able to put some nice punches at Eleonora, not allowing her to rest on the laurels so easily. And over time, it seemed that the tides were changing: soon enough, the battle would be an equal fight between Eleonora and Marina, and towards the end, Kalashnikova would be on top there, barraging Hatzipavlou with punches now herself. But soon enough, the rounds and the battle itself was over, and now, juries had to make a difficult choice on who to award the victory and the passage to the semifinals. Both boxers could be named winners, but after some deliberation, the victory was awarded to Kalashnikova with the score of 3-2. After the quarterfinal, Marina said that while she's happy to make it to semifinals, she noticed that Hatzipavlou became much stronger than in their previous bout, and so, to succeed, she would have to become stronger herself.

Other Waisnorian results:
In women's 20km walk, Lidia Aptekar placed 12th
Tanya Kolontaeva and Marjana Varyckaja finished 4th in their heat in women's coxless pairs repechages in rowing
In women's singles in tennis, Vasilisa Filimonchik was defeated by Esmeralda Serrano from Dexterra
Victoria Kakhovskaya placed 12th or last in the final of diving's women's 3m platform
Elizaveta Denisevich won the heats of women's 800m freestyle in swimming
In men's 100m butterfly heats, Gennady Tipalov finished 25th while Prochar Mieĺnikaŭ is 36th
Maria Malakhova qualified to the semifinals in women's 200m individual medley, but placed only 5th in her semi, while Christina Toropova placed 33rd in semis
Mixed team of Kanstancin Aksinovič and Raisa Antakova lost to Hathirithek Thluzhenedhen and Sethane Sethradhen of Ko-oren in mixed team archery tournament
After winning both of their matches against Liventia and Electrum, Waisnorian men's basketball team qualified for round of 16, where they would be playing against Dexterra
Anastasija Chalipava placed 9th in women's BMX freestyle qualification in cycling, moving to the next round
In men's time trial in cycling, Paviel Trubila finished 45th
In the same discipling among women, Alina Artemyeva placed 23rd
Waisnorian team of Evgeny Pereverzev, Daniil Kavalieŭski and Viačaslaŭ Klimavič reached quarterfinals in men's team épée tournament, where they were defeated by a team from Drawkland

The Olympic Round-Up on Third Sports Channel

S: "Oh hi, people, we're again on the air, it's the Olympic Round-up, and we, Stanislav Gronsky and Kirill Varitsky, will be doing our damned best to keep your spirits up."

K: "Come on, it's not like end of the world, we just didn't get any medals today..."

S: "I know, man, I'm just feeling cranky today."

K: "Well, I'm about to spoil your cranking with this: as you just said, we didn't get any medals today. Does it mean that the flow of medals is stopping or is this a temporary thing?"

S: "Well, I wouldn't complain about just one day without medals, after all, previous Olympics had us on legit medal droughts. And I do think that tomorrow or day after tomorrow we will get our medals, there are all the signs for that, also.. did you just say "spoil your cranking?" "

K: "Yes, I did, believe it or not)"

S: "No wonder people are telling that you are the hornier one out of two of us..."

K: "Well, I'm sorry! I would have some competition if you let your inner teenager out sometimes!"

S: "Okay, we're redirecting it until it goes out of hand: by this point, Zhebrik and Kalashnikova are the only ones left in boxing. Do you think they will be able te replicate their success of previous Olympics or they can go one step further?"

K: "As you said, there are all the signs for them going towards the gold medal - Kirill changed his style which has helped him a lot over the course of these Games and Kalashnikova was also honing herself and her style, and so, I think they definitely can go all the way."

S: "I don't even know what you meant by "honing herself"..."

K: "Ok, you're just looking for excuses to make me sound dirty!"

S: "Well, maybe you're right..."

K: "Ok, there will be no dirty thoughts now: what do you think our chances in athletics are? I mean, we only started, and Kryvašejeŭ already almost got us a medal. Surely more will come from it?"

S: "Pretty sure it will, yes. Although, as always, not much faith on track events, that's for sure. Field ones... are a whole different story: I think this Olympics we have a great field athletics team, they can definitely fight for medals of even for couple golds)"

K: "A pretty much expected answer, nothing surprising."

S: "As Waisnor in athletics."

K: "Okay, on that note we'll have to say goodbye, but don't worry, we will be back with more banter to throw at each other! Goodbye everybody, and see you all on Third!"

[Bhumi Matawis Empire]

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Warta > Sports > Olympics

And the Ultimate Almost Medal Team Goes to...
By Bagus Suharsa

CENIAL/KAYO (27 Sept) - We all realize that the Almost Medal Syndrome have been around since the start of the Olympics. It is introduce by the fans and supporters of the Swimming team to point out their athletes that almost got medal by a tiny margin. The phrase then spread out into a wild and viral memes. It even being use far too much that even an athlete that failed in semifinal stage was being called with it. But even so, there's no such sports that given the title. Well, at least until now.

Meet our Canoeing Sprint team. Before the start of the competition, their association targeting the team to win at least 2 medals. Their main hopes were in Men's K-4 500m and Women's K-2 500m events. Throughout the qualification heats, the fans were given more hopes as the athletes success to reached semifinal in 8 out of 10 events. Only Men's K-2 500m and Women's C-2 500m events that failed. But then the hope started to fade away as one by one unable to finished in the top 3 of their semifinal run. Only 3 events that success to qualify for medal-bound final. They were Abdul Walid Hakim and Evan Jonan in Men's C-2 500m; A. Hidayat, Y. Hidayat, Suprapto and Rafi Saputra in Men's K-4 500m and Deswita Putri, Adelia Kristin, Khoirunissa and Nur Restanty in Women's K-4 500m. And the results? The last 2 were finished fourth while Hakim and Jonan could only finished in 5th place. What makes the supporters disappointed is out of 5 non-medal bound final that the rest of the team played in, only 1 of them that finished outside of the top 3. As a matter of fact, the other 4 were either finished first or second. And time-wise if compared to the medal-bound final run, they might have get some medal. Such as Yayat Hidayat in Men's K-1 1000m who booked a time of 3:26.02 which is a better time than the silver medalist who reached the finished line in 3:28.03. Or Nadia Azizah Hafiz/Siti Marlina Wulandari who finished first in Final B with 1:39.14 have had a better time than the bronze medalist who finished in 1:39.45.

With the disappointing results, Canoeing Head Delegation, Novriadi Yusuf issued his apology to the fans and supporters. He also pointing out that the athletes will be evaluated while also hoping the results won't affecting the performance of the slalom team. Bhumi Matawis Canoeing Association's social media account also posting their apology to the results. That post was then being put on limited comment after a lot of users complaining their disappointment.

Sport commentator and former Canoeing athlete, Ketut Surya Dinatha, stated that athletes might caught in a stage fright. "You see with our condition where our athletes have a lack of international experience, it is a common thing that we become stunned or suddenly lost focus on what to do, what strategy to use. We become blank. I know it is unacceptable but it happened. I hope the fans and supporters will still continue to support them. Most of the athletes that went to the Olympics are still young. They have a lot of time to improve themselves especially to overcome their fright," quoted from an interview with Ketut Surya Dinatha.

While for the team, their medal hope is now lies on the slalom to completely change the status of the Ultimate Almost Medal team.

Edited by Joko Suparyanto

Suggested topics : Olympics

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• Women's surfing team follows their men's teammates success.
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• Both men's and women's 3x3 basketball team advancing to quarterfinal. While men's basketball team qualify to knockout stage.
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• Dressage team failed to replicate the eventing team medal success. But there's still hope in individual event.
• Women's football team story ended in Round 16 after a huge 0-5 loss against Anewkansas.
• Lalu Izham Yahya surprise everyone by advancing further while the favorited Muhammad Fikri failed.

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Copyright WartaBhumi @2026

[Hanalia]

The games so far in stats

20 events entered
19 points scored by Hanalia in each of the Men's Sevens matches against the Vanorians
18 unexpected tennis players added to the squad
17 worst placing both discarded and recorded for Clay/Briggs in Men's Skiff
16 furthest advanced round for Nixon in the Women's Singles Tennis
15 over par for Shields after 2 golf rounds
14 gold medals won by Afanc Strait
13 games won and lost by Murray/O'Quinn in the Women's Doubles Tennis
12 drummers drumming what??
11 events remaining with Hanalian interests
10 matches won by the tennis rookies
9 Hanalian events complete or eliminated from
8 golfer McNeill's position after two rounds
7 days completed
6 football goals in total for the Men and Women's teams
5 Golden rings again!?
4 points enough for the Men's Football to quality for the knockouts
3 first place finishes in the Skiff races
2 Cricket events, Golf events and Sailing events yet to start for Hanalia
1 medal; bronze in the Women's Rugby Sevens

effort for todays RP

[Anewkansas]

ATHLETICS - Straight out of the starting blocks with Baldwin and Knox

With a seemingly endless parade of 100m sprinters, the athletics tournament in Cenial has taken its start. Many sports get elevated with their Olympic status but nothing feels so connected to the meaning of the six-coloured star as the track and field competition. Our delegation of fifteen as such carries a certain weight on their shoulders: making an impact in this arena allows one truly to put the name of your nation in the pantheon of greats. Of the group with this burden on their shoulders, the one no one expected anything of might have been Finley Baldwin. Having someone in the event felt more like a moral obligation than anything else: it’s the least a nation can do. And as the 26-year-old from Marmburgh happened to be the national champion, he could line up in the tenth and final heat. A meagre start saw him on his way to an anonymous passage but in the business end, Baldwin got in the mix for second behind Das. Four chests were hurled to the line in sync but the photo finish ranked Baldwin first among them: an unforeseen success.

“I think even my family did not believe I could make the semifinals, but here we are.” Not one without two as Mohammad Knox doubled down with a triumphant ten kilometer. Knox is a bit of an odd case in top sports, known for citing ancient philosophers and focusing on ‘the inner world’. But he’s mainly an exceptional long distance runner with the advantage of a bit of a kick after a long effort. His heat was single-handedly dominated by Liventian Geoffrey Maillet who thinned down the field to three. With one lap to go, Knox turned up the turbo despite a twenty-five second lead. “No, I did not need to do that with the final ticket confirmed. But I had a need to do it, you see.” Make of that what you want, but Knox looked as if he won’t be in the final just to make up the numbers.


FOOTBALL - We would like to report a murder at the Colliseum

In our preview, we had foreseen a close (and closed) encounter between the Bhumis and our Red Knots. Between the two of them, they had managed five clean sheets in six matches, heightening the chance on a barely suppressed yawn in New Oxford. But none of the previews had kept in mind that after only four minutes, unbeaten goalie Dinda Ayu Puspita would come out of her goal on a mediocre long ball of Magnolia Valentine, only to be caught out on an awkward bounce. Jada Labellos made a sprint for it, Puspita was caught in no man’s land and in a reflex, she grabbed a leg of the winger. Did Labellos go down as if she was shot from the stands? You can be sure she did. Did the referee have no option but to send Puspita to the showers? Indeed. Did that rip up their whole plan, based on a solid organisational 5-4-1? Most certainly. Rather than the starting point for success, lone striker Sarah Safia Ulfa was condemned to a long night of chasing the ball in an endless rondo.

Down to ten but in utter refusal to bow out, the Bhumi Matawis team folded back a bit further, forcing the Red Knots to patiently disentangle the double hurdle to the goal. That did not go without an effort: while the possession was soaring, it seemed as if a wide shot from Wallace would be the best opportunity of the first half. But reserve goalie Spalek kindly offered some help by losing her grip on a mediocre corner kick. Leia Mathis unpacked the gift with pleasure. As the Bhumis were forced to search for an equalizer despite the lack of personnel, Anewkansas could play a delightfully cynical second half. Seventy minutes in, Wallace finally scored on one of the counters and from that moment onwards, the disheartened Bhumis collapsed. Manager Pearson refused to ease up on a beaten opponent and the girls continued to punish loss of possession from their tired adversary.

“Maybe it was not chivalrous, but we’ll keep that for the jousting events,” Emilia Pearson explained the lust for blood. “Every attacking player can use that boost of confidence from a goal.” With Novak, Labellos and Helmsdottir, the scoresheet filled up nicely. And the Red Knots[i] can continue in that spirit in what starts to feel like a home stadium in New Oxford. They will need that bit of home luck to deal with the Marauders from Valanora. The team from coach Dybvik waltzed through the competition, leaving a confident impression to rely on experienced players such as Hahn and Holmberg. For Pearson, it might be a matter of exploiting their self-assured, dominant play. In that sense, the counterattacking masterclass of tonight might serve as an example and a confirmation that Anewkansas steps on the grass as an underdog, but not as a lost cause, exactly as the [i]Red Knots have nothing to lose.


ROWING - Moses qualifies for high-level final

For the two semifinals in the individual event, the wind showed little mercy so a third improvement of the Olympic best never was an option. But that did not stop the competition from being intriguingly close. Emil Lungu early on seemed to be the only one untouched by the circumstances and took it on the attack, but his vigorous attempt was punished. While the man from Zenic fell back, our Harrison Moses seemed sparse in his efforts. At 500m, he was fourth and he even lost a place at the halfway mark. But Moses kept a cool head to surpass first Rahit Varma and then the tired Lungu on his way to third. It was not with shine, but it was effective. “The wind made it brutal out there and it never felt comfortable,” Moses admitted, “so I had to use my brain. That will not be an option for the final, so I hope I’ve had my rough day and can bounce back now.”


SWIMMING - At last: Amaya Olsen brings Anewkansan finals to three

You know how the saying goes. If you don’t succeed the first five times… Early in the morning, Amaya Olsen had failed to make an impact in the 200m medley, generally considered to be her best event. And so, the only name considered to be an ‘evident’ final ticket of our swimming nine had used up all but one of her starting tickets. Only one shot was left, the always grueling 800m in which she could perform in the sixth and final heat. The audience was buzzing for local Mallory Ware and it seems as if that energy also gave Olsen a little push. “In a sprint, it does not matter. But those ‘hurrah’s on every turn of hers did stimulate me to hold on and keep her pace.” With success, as Ware and Olsen made it just inside the top eight. “I turned for the last fifty and told myself I did not want to end my Olympics there. Not yet, baby, not yet.” It’s hard to quantify where Olsen could rank in the final, but she will take it on without pressure. “There is nothing to lose.” However, pundits noted that our 23-year-old swimming star has one of the best PRs of the starting eight, so the dream of a swimming medal might not be dead yet.


BASKETBALL - Without Hudson to the quarterfinal

With the qualification for the play-offs already assured, the Red Pandas took on the final group game against Riandera as a dress rehearsal for Charli Ring. The reserve, who had to join the starting trio as Laylani Hudson got painstakingly prepared for a potential next day, struggled to gel as well with Chong and Deleon. The stunt double seemed, after two early misses, afraid to go for the score and in a frustrating end phase, it was Riandera who earned the win. But the old phrase that a bad rehearsal is a good premiere held truth in it and that showed against Kelssek. The second of group D had proven themselves as a strong defensive team but Mylah Chong showed herself as unimpressed. The GOAT of Anewkansan basketball took the team by the hand with scores and assists. Under her distribution, Ring started to find her feet and a cheeky alley-oop for 6-11 confirmed how she at last found her spot in the line-up. The Red Pandas did not relent anymore at that point and cleanly pulled it over the line: 15-20. Moreover, reaching the semifinal still is an option as next opponent Kriegiersien cleaned the previously unbeaten Britonisean side out of the way in one of the bigger upsets of a very open 3x3 tournament. With Chong in this form, the Anewkansan people can go to bed safely and dream sweetly.


BASKETBALL - Bobcats never in contention for the last sixteen

22-15 at the end of the first quarter and 45-29 halfway through: in a way, the Bobcats never showed they were ready for a deep run. Ahead of the game, the big question was which face would be shown in the decisive match. The hesitant, afraid one from the Sassadegna opener? Or could they build on the good signs of the encounter against Afanc Strait where Kason Blackwell carried a decent starting five? It turned out to be the former. The lack of initiative was especially frustrating and as the Phoenicians managed to shut down Blackwell (13 pts), there never was hope to begin with. Add to that splendid finishing from Giroux and co and the Scorpions were the logical team to advance. A frustrated Blackwell refused to talk to the press, a sub par Isaiah Stephens took some responsibility. “I don’t think the plan was bad but we executed it poorly. We should have taken more initiative.” Despite the mea culpa, the call to dismiss coach Roberts after what has been an underwhelming appearance becomes louder and louder.


BOXING - An era ends without a medal

Esperanza Del Nava never has been one to make emotional statements. But even she struggled to find the right words. “I mean, at this moment… I don’t want to haste to a conclusion. And then on the other hand, yeah. It feels like the job is done.” It does not take a lot of reading between the lines to conclude that one of the greatest boxers our nation has ever known, possibly one of the greatest athletes full stop, will call it quits in the near future. She will do so without a happy ending at the Olympics, as rumors of a retirement had been buzzing around her persona for months. On the day, there was nothing to take away from the victory of Aicha Yoko who was both more agile and stronger in her punches than the 37-year-old grande dame of Anewkansan boxing. In Anewkansas, there are three belts that matter: not only has Del Nava carried them all, she has them unified for five years now. When it comes to major fights, she is running a track record of 41 wins and 2 losses, one early in her career and the freak defeat to Agnes Rabst (who she beat in all three rematches). There is nothing left to prove domestically for Del Nava. Maybe there is a dream for an Olympic rematch but as one saw the younger Yoko run rings around Del Nava, it is hard to believe her odds will improve. Maybe the job is done indeed, and it was a beautiful one.


CYCLING - Anonymous time trial should be a push for change

Francis Vallour, by all accounts our best element in the time trial, received a course tailormade for him along the banks of the Brinsen River. But down forty seconds halfway already, he never was in contention for a top ten finish and further time loss in the second half saw him slip out of the first half of the end result. For female counterpart Sevyn Hoff, whose focus had been with the road race, things went even worse. A crash in the end did not contribute to her result but Hoff already was on her way to a bottom four result. “I don’t think I was sufficiently prepared for this,” Vallour admitted and that might be closer to the truth than he meant it. A quick check of the domestic calendar shows us that Vallour had a chance to hone his skills exactly four times this year, twice in a distance under fifteen kilometers. As such, it is hard to train for the always gruesome task of time trailing. Add to that a lack of culture around it, with a lack of wind tunnel testing, aero helmets or the lightest material and Vallour started the event already a minute down. Our large but rather amateuristic local cycling scene is left with quite some homework after this harsh yet honest confrontation with the international level: nothing puts you in the spot you deserve as the merciless TT.


SAILING - Mixed fortunes for disputed sailors

Let us be clear, this overview only feels a need to report on our two sailors from its urge to completeness. The presence of Pineda and Snow, the head of the sailing federation and his sister-in-law, has been highly contested from the start and that discussion did not die down in time for the start of events at Queens’ Pier. Even more, there came some extra salt and pepper as the news leaked that the nepotistic duo did not reside in the Olympic Village with their peers but rather opted for a luxurious villa in a well-off part of Wismouth. Needless to say that few wished them luck ahead of the dinghy races (although Pineda and Snow might not hear the complaints over the sound of popping champagne). Frustratingly, Hugo Pineda took a very decent start and is on course for the medal race. Oakleigh Snow, on the other hand, held herself in the opening race but fell back in the second one, tailspinning to the bottom of the table.


SHOOTING - Damir Steele never gets in the mix

Look, we understand it’s far less comfortable to execute an interview with someone with a gun, especially if they’ve shown Olympic-level proficiency with it. But what the Sports Channel dared to broadcast after Steele’s mediocre appearance in the men’s skeet feels like a lack of trying. “Standing with us here, Damir Steele, how do you feel about this result?” “Pfff… You know.” “Where exactly did it go wrong for you, where do you feel you lost a chance at a top six finish?” “Somewhere in the five rounds.” “Was there something today that disallowed you to perform today, that kept you from shining?” “Me and my gun, I guess.” “Will you be back for more at the Olympics?” “As I’m out… Not in Kayo.” And with that, Damir Steele turned around and walked into the clubhouse at the Rocky Range. The interviewer utterly failed to get to the bottom of anything, but compatriots later found Steele enjoying the ‘lighter side’ of Kayo’s entertainment options. The slurring Steele had on offer for their camera phones (“I am kw-kw-quitting, I tell you! But not from zdrinking, haha!”) had far more depth.


TRIATLON - The future looks bright for novice Hoelgarth

Judging on our capacity to clinch a gold medal, we assume there is always someone whose road to Kayo or Cenial was even shorter (unless nomen is not the omen for Kriegiersien’s Nona Nonswimmer) but Max Hoelgarth must be one of the least experienced Olympians out there. Or what else do you call someone whose fourth appearance in an event is immediately an Olympic one? His previous one had been a successful national championship which qualified him for Kayo. Hoelgarth admitted in advance that the chaotic swimming part could be a problem and that showed: our compatriot came out of the water over a minute and a half down. “The first minutes were more about not drowning than anything else with that mass start.” But the construction worker from Norkirk bounced back brilliantly as a former cyclist. “I could quickly join a good group and in the last five kilometres, I even could attack.” Hoelgarth clearly was not gone yet as he could surpass five more opponents during the concluding run to finish in 22nd. “With a better start I could have competed for the top ten but I know that’s what I have to work on,” a fairly satisfied Hoelgarth concluded.


VOLLEYBALL - Clear defeat puts Longspurs under pressure

Our national volleyball team made a good effort against a superior A Kea, but while proving great under stress in the previous two games, they now had to bow for their stronger finishing in money time. Most observers saw a logical defeat but setter Josephine Rabayrat did not agree. “In the last set we got to 21-18. If we can block that next point, I think we win the set. Unfortunately it ricocheted off Marianna’s hands, they score and they get that mental push to win it.” It shows that the Longspurs have the playoffs still in mind and despite yesterday’s loss, they remain on track for that. However, at least one set win is needed in the final match against Zenic.

[Beaverriver]

The Flounder

Cycling Produces Gold from Beaverite
By Liese Schoorel

It took until the second Olympic Games for a Beaver River cyclist to win a medal. After finishing a disappointing 20th in the Men’s Road Race event on day three, Robert Aleshire, 31, rode the fastest time through the streets of Downtown Kayo, beating out Greg Broglin of Hopal by a little more than a second. Aleshire started in the latter half, chasing the lead time set by Andi Maulana Roya of the Bahumi Matawis Empire. As he followed the course through the downtown streets and onto the waterfront, he gradually widened the gap between him and Roya. He reached the downtown finish line 14 seconds ahead of Roya’s time. Aleshire watched as his lead gradually shrank as more riders finished, but after the final cyclist finished, he celebrated his first gold medal at the Olympics. “After the disappointment in the road race, I just locked in and gave it my all,” Robert Aleshire said after winning gold. “With everything that Beaver River has gone through the past 15 years, I’m happy to make my country proud.”

Robert Aleshire wasn’t the only Beaverite to win gold today, as the mixed gender team of Bosco Gladwyn and Linsey Kleber won gold in Mixed Team Archery. Prior to the Mixed Team knockout rounds, both Gladwyn and Kleber fell short of medaling in men’s and women’s team events, which was especially heart-breaking for Linsey Kleber as her team fell short in the bronze medal match. However, today was a totally different day as both Gladwyn and Kleber cruised through the knockouts, only dropping a set to Choi Tae-suk and Phyllis Van Schalkwyk of Magnus Phoenicia. “Honestly, the wind was a little challenging in the first couple of rounds, but we managed through it pretty well,” said Linsey Kleber. “But Bosco had my back when I had some poor shots, while I helped us through when his shots didn’t go his way.” Both Gladwyn and Kleber still have another opportunity to win medals as they have both made it to the Round of 16 in the individual events.

Meanwhile in shooting, Jane Wieck managed to win silver in the Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions final. She had a decent start though she fell behind and was second from last place after the third elimination round but she placed an excellent couple of shots to keep her alive for gold though the lead that Clara Alloway of the Afanic Strait built up was just enough to win, as Wieck fell short by .1 points. “I always had the drive to prove myself and put in the long hours at the shooting range. It’s just a little disappointing to miss out on gold by as much as I did, but being a silver medalist is still such an honor,” she said of her performance.

[A Kea]

Olympic Nights

by KTV

Iordanis: Good evening everyobody, welcome to yet another Olympic Nights. Day 7 was extremely successful for the Kean colours as we've now broken our gold medal record, being 5 from last year, and are already up to 7.
Athanasia: But let's take it one step at a time. Kayo in Drawkland has been very successful for Kean athletes as today we earned 4 more medals from our team there. Obviously with athletics starting we expect an improvement of our tally in Cenial too, as our gold medalist and Olympic record holder Kastor Mengakis had an easy time qualifying for the 10km final, but we have a long way to go. Tatiani is with our team in Kayo, ready to interview Mikhail Evristheni and Mariposa Evangelou who in their 5th participation became the first Kean archers to get a medal in our Olympic history.

Tatiani: Nobody at home expected this, did you? Kean archery never had a chance to shine until this amazing performance from you two.
Mariposa: No, not really. We're happy to always be here and try to go as far as we can but getting a medal? That was just unobtainable in our minds. The furthest we've gone in the mixed team event is a quarterfinal exit two years ago. We had perfect aim and coordination today and it showed.
Mikhail: Yes, having been here since our Olympic debut I have to say that archery, though improved, is pretty stagnant in A Kea. Nobody ever made it past the round of 16 in the singles and the quarterfinals in the doubles. After qualifying once again for the knockouts, we did feel more confident after the success in our individual events, as both me and Mariposa are in the Round of 16 and hope to finally break the elimination pattern. First time ever that two Keans reach that point in archery in the same games. That was already big, but we wanted to try and punch above our weight here, we were both very focused, very determined to reach as far as we could.
Mar.: And I think that's why we totally fell apart in the final. After reaching the semifinals we realized that a medal was actually possible, we gave our everything and since we already achieved it we didn't show all that strength we showed in the early rounds.
Mik.: Yes, we settled for what we had already in a sense. A historic medal is a big thing, we were too overwhelmed and happy to care about the colour, and ended up losing 6-0 to the duo from Beaver River.
T: This is hisoric as you said, I wish you the best in your individual events as well, you clearly have what it takes for a high placement.

I: Moving away from archery, Kean sailing once again delivered, as it gave us not one but two golds.
A: Gioulika Tserkou, having won the first part of the iQFoil event, and secured a spot in the final race, managed to win that as well earning the first gold in female sailing for A Kea.
I: As for Evristhenis, no words are enough to describe this huge name in the world of sailing. The young 19 year old boy who accompanied his experienced brother, Simeon back in the 15th games, grew up to be the first ever Kean athlete to successfuly defend their Olympic gold, winning iQFoil for the second consecutive year, and getting a gold for the 3rd consecutive games after the gold in two person dinghy back in the 17th games. He also has a bronze from his first solo participation back in the 16th games. Four consecutive medals, three consecutive golds, this man is a force of nature.

T: A huge day for Kean sailing, we obviously had high hopes after you both won a direct spot in the final race but it's one thing to expect something and another to finally earn it. How do you feel? Gioulika in your second participation you improved a 7th place majorly with this gold.
G: No words really, this was an amazing competition for me and I'm glad the final race went the way I wanted it to. It'd be a big disappointment to ruin this lead in the very end.
T: Evristhenis, you've already made us proud multiple times, your 4th medal, 3rd gold. First Kean to defend a title in Olympic history, you've come a long way since we first met you 5 years ago.
E: I was still learning then, my brother called the shots, being way more experienced. He was the star, won a silver in one person dinghy, I was his apprentice. Simeon was and still is my hero, so the way the tide changed pushing me in the spotlight was hard for me to grasp at first. You do get used to it eventually but as the success grows, so does the pressure from both yourself and the people that count on you. I'm aware of my achievements, and I'm also aware of the height the expectations are set right now. I'm very happy to defend my title successfully, to increase my personal tally, but I'm even happier to contribute to my country in this way.
T: So what do you keep from these games?
E: The gold obviously, this incredible success which I hope to recreate next year, but I also keep the 7th place in men's dinghy with Kekropas, which I hope to improve. We flirted with a bronze last year, it's unfortunate that we failed to do as well and almost missed the medal race entirely. Mistakes were made and we will reflect on them. Hopefully my brother will get a medal too so I got something more to keep.

A: This tremendous double gold wasn't the last of our highlights for today as shooting pulled through yet again. Ioulia Leloudaki, in her Olympic debut, achieved the bronze in 50m rifle three positions.

T: Ioulia congratulations for this. It was a nail biting competition as you only reached the bronze from winning a tie with Juvencus' Clarissa Corbessia. Tell us about the final.
Ioul.: I was doing my best not to start shaking from my nerves. It was too close for comfort, as the top 4 was alternating with each shot. I was between 3rd and 4th and was fighting to stay there, that 10.1 in the 5th shot thankfully was enough. I'm very satisfied with this and you can tell by my "bad" 6th attempt. I was very relieved and lost the focus I had earlier, but I don't really care now. A medal is a medal, and for a debutant it's already a huge achievement.

A: What a day that was, 4 more medals for our tally and major successes for our athletes.
I: As we keep Evristhenis and his huge records in our minds, we're ready to move forward to tomorrow's 8th day of the games. Athletics slowly getting in full swing, and team events reaching the knockout round, the public interest is at a high.

[Dexterra]

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28 September 2025



served to you by the Dexter Cultural Bureau

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Thanks For Reading ★ Est. 19 November 2021 ★ Event LXII Round IX (archive)

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Beagles' run at perfection comes to an end

After winning ten straight matches, Beagles finally lose one





Two perfect days have come and gone for the Dexterra Beagles at the XIX Olympiad tennis event. Now, the going is getting tough for the Beagles, who have lost two women's singles athletes and one men's singles athlete - the question is: will the tough remaining Beagles get going?

On day seven, the Beagles went two for three in the women's singles round of 16, losing their second-highest ranked player in the process. Camille Fletcher was defeated 3-6, 4-6 by Marisa Maradona of the Afanc Strait, as Maradona effectively got revenge for her losses to Tristan Armstrong and Haleigh M. Hartman in international finals this year. Fletcher could not get anything going offensively or defensively, and found herself coughing up break chances left and right. It was a stunning although not terribly surprising loss for the 2025 National Olympics bronze medalist.

But two lady Beagles did win in the round of 16. Scarlett Dyer, despite play repeatedly being stopped because of fans screaming at ghosts on her side of the court, won 6-2, 6-4 over Summer Morrison of Hopal, and had a stern talking to by the umpire when she twice smacked a ball into the stands out of frustration. Dyer hit only nine unforced errors in a flawless performance outside of her usual loudly swearing and smashing racquets when things didn't go her way. And Esmeralda Serrano vanquished Vasilisa Filimonchik of Waisnor 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, winning twenty-three of thirty-one net points as she repeatedly charged the net in a serve and volley style of play. In the quarterfinals, Dyer faces Kaya Wouvauten of Ko-oren - who took down grand slam champion Aaliyah de Leon of Britonisea - while Serrano takes on Alexandra Fuller of Drawkland. Will either of these lady Beagles reach the Olympics semifinals and potentially get a shot at a medal?

In men's doubles, Jonathan Powell Jr./Lyndon Lowery and Dusty Workman/Joe Striker keep on trucking. Powell Jr./Lowery ousted Christopher Rusmayanto/Agung Susanto of Bhumi Matawis Empire 7-6, 6-3, losing only the opening point in the first set tiebreak and then reeling off seven straight points, while Workman/Striker survived Dario Castellari/Luca Montresor of Juvencus 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, starting off both the first and third sets 3-0. In the quarterfinals, JPJ and Double L face international heavyweights Perger Rianor/Jac Iegis of the Afanc Strait, with Rianor an honorary Beagle as the international partner of Julian Hull, while the Wildcats take on Espen Løseth/Adam Jørgensen of Valanora. Like the lady Beagles, will either of the men's doubles Beagles get a shot at the Olympics semifinals?

Next up for the XIX Olympiad tennis event is the men's singles round of 16 and women's doubles round of 16. Could any of Michael Loy, Tristan Armstrong, Lionel Baird, Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead or Marquita McClendon/Cordelia Natalya join their women's singles and men's doubles counterparts in the quarterfinals? Or will some join the three eliminated Beagles going sightseeing in Cenial?

Live coverage of the XIX Olympiad is provided courtesy of Dextennis, a subsidiary of the Dexter Cultural Bureau.

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[Valanora]

It has been total and complete domination in the Fencing department for the delegation from the Empire as there was another team gold collected yesterday in the Summer Games. It adds to what has turned out to be a truly historic turnout for the Vanorian delegation here in Drawkland and Ceni, as the delegation already has earned more medals and more golds than they have ever done so in any other Olympic Games. This is going to be an Olympiad that will be talked about for years to come where a corner had been turned for the Empire, where the Olympic Games were no longer an afterthought in the sporting sphere of Valanora but were a true part of Vanorian sporting culture. This level of excellence could have only been dreamed about just a few years past, when outside of the team sports like football, basketball, and the occasional run in baseball the delegation was oft left in the dust of others and low down on the medal board. Fencing and Archery were only ever the other sports that had a high chance of seeing a Vanorian finish on the podium but the competition often was so fierce even those were hard to come by.

Speaking of football, the women's Marauders took on StrayaRoos in the first knockout round and were being held to a very competitive fixture against the unheralded side in Ceni, the opposition looking to sit back and attempt to hit the team on the break. It was a frustrating endeavor to watch and likely even more frustrating for the players as they attempted to unlock the low block that their opponents were employing to great success, the Vanorians finding little satisfaction for their attempts. It would be a second half substitute as Klara Holmberg came off the bench in the seventy-second finish and played like a woman five years her junior as soon as she hit the field. Probing runs were pulling the block apart every so slightly, enough that the passes that had been getting intercepted before were now finding their mark. One of those passes would find Hahn at the top of the box and she would then push it on to Holmberg and the veteran striker made no mistake. A goal to the good with eleven minutes left to play, the Marauders set up shop and saw the game out without giving StrayaRoos a sniff. The team travels to New Oxford for the Quarterfinals, where they will take on Anewkansas with a win sending them into the medal rounds, where the team fully expects to be.

A win over Liventia in Group A of Women's Handball also sees them through, having won both of their matches in the group and are into the quarterfinals. Handball is not a very popular sport in the Empire but a group of university graduates had been found to fill out the team and they are doing quite well, having quite a bit of momentum heading into their quarterfinal fixture against Magnus Phoenicia. While the team is simply happy to be there, getting a win in this round and moving the medal rounds would add on to what is already the best performance Valanora will have ever recorded in the Olympic Games. Viktoria Haaland surprised many back in the Empire as she took gold in the women's 3m Platform, a diving competition, and being the first medal in the pool that the Vanorians managed to grab. She did so in impressive fashion, with a performance far and away above even the silver medal winner. A pair of bronze medals in the sailing events helps with that tally and with a number of teams in the knockout rounds, it seems likely that the medal tally will continue to grow. How high it and the gold tally can get is anyones guess but it would no longer seem a pipe dream if the delegation manages thirty or more medals and at least fifteen golds with the momentum the entire delegation has managed to achieve in these games.

[Liventia]

"We're not just here as a second thought": Liventian softballers look to make their mark after baseball exit
KAYO— In case you missed it, Liventia are in the Olympic semi-finals in a bat-and-ball sport.

But wait… weren't the baseballers knocked out by Magnus Phoenicia, a country which hasn't competed at the World Baseball Classic in something like 10 editions?

And the cricketers haven't even headed out to Kayo yet?

Both correct. But you're forgetting the other bat-and-ball sport, the companion to men's baseball at the Games: women's softball. And while softball's prominence in Liventia isn't massive, there is a semi-professional league, one that's good enough to have sent an above-average squad to Kayo.

Whispinia stand in the way of captain and pitching ace Ali Blaise and her teammates from playing for gold.

"We're ready to go out there and compete for seven innings and make our mark," Blaise says. "Ash is a safe pair of hands to have on the mound for such an important game," adds the captain of Ashleigh Hawkins, who has been tapped to start the semi-final with a medal on the line.

But who, exactly, are this bunch of players?

The majority of the squad, including Blaise and Hawkins, play in Liventia's main semi-pro league, the Union League of Softball Associations, which is made up of eight teams affiliated to three different softball bodies (Baseball Liventia picked the team as the sport's governing body in the country as there isn't a single ruling softball federation).

Pitcher Sarah Ménard, catcher Véronique Roussel, third base player Paula Quentin, and right fielder Josie Barrier all play in the Ligue Universitaire du Softball, a four-team league featuring teams representing Francophone universities in the country.

"We're not just here to make up the numbers," shortstop Sophia Hanson insists. "We're not just here as a second thought. We've shown that by going further than the baseball guys."

Already, interest in the sport has surged thanks to the team's deep run. A gold or silver medal would almost certainly lead to the creation of a full-time professional league, and perhaps a full-fledged softball federation (even if under the auspices of Baseball Liventia). There's also the added bonus that any medal would, remarkably, be Liventia's first in either baseball or softball.

"We know a lot of girls' sporting futures could be riding on this," Blaise says. "And we might get to upstage the baseballers.

"We're ready for the challenge. We have nothing more to prove, we'll go out there and do our best and everything else is in God's hands."

[Hopal]

Part 7 of Rivalry in the Pool: The Jenny Juan Story

Rivalry in the Pool Article
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

It was another late night after a long day of competition in Kayo. After the pressures of the competition day, Jenny Juan quickly found that her favourite way to unwind was a late night swim. She had been checking in to the Team Hopal practice pool long after the rest of the team had left every night that she and the team had been in Kayo. It had initially been about pushing herself more, as she had been doing for the past four years following the sting of disappointment that she had felt in Schimpol. However, now it was a way for her to unwind after the high stakes, high pressure races of the day, reminding her of her true love for swimming.

Emerging from the locker room, the walk across the fairly small deck to the pool had become familiar in the short time that Jenny had been in Kayo. The lights in the facility, if you could call it that, had been dimmed as the team had been long gone, but that was just the way that Jenny liked it. It was a clear contrast from the bright lights, literal and proverbial of the competition pool.

As she made her way to the pool proper, thinking she was alone she began to hum sporadic tunes from her childhood as she stoked herself to get into the pool, languishly stretching. At least she thought she was alone, at least that was until, as she flipped her goggles on, a figure began to emerge from the pool.

At first with her goggles, it was hard to make out who it was, but soon she recognized the figure as Jessie Martens. Her archrival. The two had a long history going back to when they first met as twelve year olds all of those years ago. It had been a cold rivalry for success, achievement, attention, and what they both secretly craved, recognition from their shared mentor Georgia Juan. The two of them had been in a battle dubbed by the Hopalian sports media as a battle for the crown of Georgia Juan, the legacy of Hopal’s greatest Olympic swimmer.

There was a moment in that pool, where the two paused in recognition of each other, a deer-in-the-headlights moment for the both of them. Jenny broke the silence.

“Oh it’s you.” Jenny spoke in an accusatory tone. Jessie stood in the pool, still stunned. “I’ll just… I’ll go.”

Jenny turned on her and began making her way back to the locker room. Finally after a few strides, she heard Jessie behind her.

“No, no wait.” Jenny looked back at Jessie with a perplexed look. “I was just about to leave. Just wait a sec.”

Jenny turned back to walk towards the pool and towards Jessie again. Jessie brought herself fully out of the water and looked at Jenny with a rather perplexing look, almost as though she was contemplating something. Jenny looked at her with dazed confusion. Finally, from Jessie a sigh.

“Look, can we talk?”

“What… What about?”

Jenny responded to Jessie with a look of confusion. Jessie paused for a moment, and with another sigh considered her next words very carefully.

“Look, I… I think we ought to figure out whatever this is between us.”

Jenny continued to feign ignorance and confusion.

“Figure out what? What do you mean?”

Jessie sighed once more.

“Whatever this beef between us is. Because I feel this… tension between us and I know that you do too. And I’m pretty sure it’s dragging down our performances and the performance of the rest of the team too.”

Jenny sighed this time, agreeing with what Jessie had to say. She sat down beside Jessie at the edge of the pool. There was a fair distance between the two, small enough to maintain conversation but far enough for it to be awkward. Both sat there in awkward silence for a moment, not daring to look at the other, instead looking out at the expanse over the pool. The quiet crashing of the gentle waves on the side of the pool provided a cool ambience in the dim facility as the two rivals tried to navigate their ways through that tense moment. Finally Jessie asked a question.

“Did Jessie put you up to this?”

The Jessie in question was Jessie Duclaire, the assistant coach of the Hopalian National Swim Team. She was widely considered the second best Hopalian Olympic swimmer after Georgia Juan and dominated the freestyle category in Hopal, earning herself an Olympic silver medal in Schimpol at the last Olympics just before her retirement. She had served as a mentor to both women, acting as a sort of good cop to Georgia Juan’s bad cop. She had desperately tried, several times in the past, to solve the rift between her two mentees. Jessie sighed again before she came with her response.

“No, no, not really. You know that she’s asked me to do this before, but she didn’t put me up to this. Not this time.”

Another awkward silence swept over the two, there was a moment where two looked over at each other at the same time and quickly flicked their glance away back at the pool.

Come on, it can’t be that hard for us to talk to each other. Just swallow your pride and lay it all out. Jessie thought to herself.

“Look, after the Olympics in Schimpol, what feels like an eternity ago, I did and said some pretty mean things. And for that I’m sorry.”

Jenny looked at Jessie dazed, like she was looking at her for the first time. She wasn’t turning out to be quite the villain that she thought she was.

“The truth is Jenny, I’m jealous of you. I always have been. I was jealous that Georgia was your aunt. And I was jealous of the special relationship that you had, still have with her.”

“What? But aunt Georgia seems to like you so much better. You have everything in her eyes that I don’t.”

“That’s not true Jenny. You have the one thing that I don’t, that warm familial love. I spent my entire childhood looking up to your aunt. My parents are workaholics, they provided a good life for me, but they never cared to raise me. Always out of the house or distracted by something or another. I was raised on TV and electronics. And seeing your aunt on the TV, learning her story, I found myself in her somehow, as funny as it sounds. You know, I thought I was like her, left alone to my own devices and building skill through sheer willpower. I did everything I could to emulate her after watching Bunjil, I was in the pool practically every day pushing myself in the backstroke. And when I finally met her when I joined the Hopalian Olympic Program I did everything I could to gain her attention and her approval. I was always competing with you for that, I know it probably seemed that way to you. I tried to become this perfect little model of her, but I never did outshine you in her eyes.”

“What?”

Jenny had a look of confusion as the two really made eye contact for the first time.

“It always seemed like she favoured you. Always praising you. Making an example of you. All the while I was never enough. She always had to push me further. She never felt me up like she did you, in fact she’d always be pointing to my flaws, what I could do better. Being a freestyle swimmer, I never earned her respect.”

“Her pushing you was always a sign of love. She didn’t want to be seen as playing favourites, but I can assure you that you were hers. Her mindset is one of never being satisfied. Her pushing you was her trying to make you the best version of yourself. That was her way of showing love. You never notice she gave you so much more of her attention, so much more private time than with anyone else on the team. We could never compete with you.”

Jenny thought reflectively as she stared out upon the pool.

“I admit I was jealous of you too. I was jealous of your success. I was jealous that you could do all the things that I couldn’t. I mean you can backstroke, I mean you swim medley for goodness sake. You were always so much more talented than me and I thought you got all the attention, all the spotlight. I mean my dream was always to follow in my aunt’s footsteps and it seemed like you were stealing my thunder. I thought that you took aunt Georgia and Jessie away from me.”

“I could never have taken any of that from you. They love you.”

The two women looked at each other with something approaching understanding for the first time. Jessie hesitantly extended a hand towards Jenny.

“I’m not sure we can call ourselves friends. But truce? And we figure the rest out later.”

Jenny gave a small little smirk back and shook on it.

“Though you have to admit, we do swim better when we’re competing against each other.”

“Ok, maybe we do. Perhaps we can be rivals for a bit more until the end of the games. But friendly ones.”

“Yeah, friendly rivals. I like the sound of that.”

[Banija]

Matong Sports TV commentators, cutting in right in the third leg of the 200m invididual medley, medal race

Play-By-Play Commentator: .... "And look at Solomon go! He's out here in the breaststroke and he's finally starting to gain separation from the pack! Can he change the sad, sad story of Banijan swimming in one of the biggest single events of the entire competition?"

Color Commentator: "Go, Go- Solomon, GO!"

Play-By-Play Commentator: "Fij doesn't have that big of a lead- but it's commanding enough where he's got to be the favorite to hold it across this last leg, right? And as he's first to reach the wall and make the turn in the freestyle, the crowd has so much anticipation..."

Play-By-Play Commentator: "And he makes the turn! It's time for the freestyle, and he's got 50 meters!"

Color Commentator: "YOU CAN DO IT SOLOMON!"

Play-By-Play Commentator: "He's keeping up his lead- and it's expanding! They're closing intensely but Mojenic is overtaking De León! But oh my- FIj is still in the lead! And De León, nor no one less, is gonna catch him- he's gonna be first to the wall, and he's going to win Banija's first swimming gold of the XIX Summer Olympic Games!"

Just as the announcer says the above, Fij is first to the wall, with Mojenic just 0.29 seconds behind him. The TV camera is focused on Solomon Fij, as the Banijans in the crowd are jumping out of their seats in celebration- Banija's second swimming medal of these Games, including the first gold medal in the water. Solomon Fij doesn't react as he finishes the race, as he initially doesn't realize he's won- until, of course, he looks up.

Fij jumps out of the water and pounds his chest, yelling, as a couple of other Banijan swimmers roll over to congratulate him. First to him is Kasozi Zervos- who had placed in 6th place in the men's 50m freestyle race about 30 minutes prior to this event. Then, eventually, his own family members made out.

After the medal ceremony, where the few Banijans in the crowd boomed out their national anthem, he made his way over towards the color commentator for a post-race interview.

Color Commentator: "Solomon- what a race! A tremendous performance from beginning to end- you stayed in the very front of the pack from the beginning, gave yourself a gap in the breaststroke leg, and then maintained it when the freestyle came. Why do you think you were able to earn that gold medal you've got, hanging around your neck?"

Solomon Fij: "Well, of course, so much goes onto this. I've got to give a strong thanks to Patrick Zervos- he's been under fire for superficial reasons, but he's been a big reason, probably THE biggest reason, we've had any success at all. He's responsible for ensuring that we're able to train at an Olympic level, and while swimming in this country is stronger than we get credit for, he really is the key man in the Olympic movement."

"But as for today's race- well, we've done so well. I got off to a fast start- I knew I wasn't a favorite, but I figured I'd have a reasonable opportunity to really leave it all in the pool. But yet, for a race like this, you've gotta pace yourself- physically exhausting, as well as mentally. But, know your strength. My turn from the backstroke to the breaststroke is something I've been feeling really good about, so I figured the breaststroke was the opportunity to make my move. It all aligned, and I built a decent lead there- and although De Leon probably had a better freestyle leg than me, I had built enough of a lead to hold everyone else off."

Color Commentator: "Solomon, what doe this mean for Banijan swimming in general? We've had a lot of guys make the medal rounds, although haven't been able to finish top 3- and you did here. You think there's strength in our future?"

Solomon Fij: "Look, it's hard for me to comment on the bigger picture. But man- it shows young Banijans that we can excel at swimming as well, despite what the haters say. I know, I know- we're all looking forward to track & field. We've got the fastest runners in the world in Banija. I've seen them training- and man, they're all hungry as hell. But look- we can do it in swimming as well. We can win medals here, we can go far here- and we can go toe to toe against the biggest swimming nations of the Games."

[Ceni]

This is your Day Eight cutoff. (Sadly not seven.)

[Magnus Phoenicia]

Good Morning listeners. I am Ron “Big Voice” Daniels and this is Sports Talk on 620AM

That was Saturn’s Carousel by Boysenberry Moon, the track that’s taking the nation by storm! Sitting at number 13 on the charts right now, and just like their last three smash hits, it’s climbing faster than a mountain lion chasing a deer. Don’t be surprised if this one shoots straight into the top 5 by the end of the month!!!

We have two special guests today. It's Olympic season as you know and we have hit the ground running in Ceni and Drawkland. We are doing so well on the medal tally.
So it wouldn't be Sports Talk if we were not discussing the Games until the end of the Games.

Our first guest is Addison Taylor, Head coach of the women's softball who is in Ceni.

Our second guest will be Aquarius Reeves, a member of the swimming delegation who is in Drawkland.

Ron “Big Voice” Daniels:

Hello, Addison Taylor. I doubt this is the phone call you ever imagined making. After four straight wins in the pools, after crushing the Bhumi Matawis Empire’s hopes with that commanding 4–1 victory. Everyone, myself, my producers, the fans, we all believed you were destined to go the distance to the medal podium. It was a shock.


Addison Taylor:

When you underestimate your opponent, you only have yourself to blame when you fail. We went in wondering who is Whispinia? Because we didn't know them we thought they would be a push over. We should have learnt from the pool round they were not a team to write off as meh. With them being the only team to beat us.

Ron “Big Voice” Daniels:

It was a very close match.

Addison Taylor:

“0–1. It was a nail-biter from start to finish. Both teams fielders were sharp and unrelenting, refusing to give up a single run by letting the ball outsmart them.

We had Isis van den Berg and Jindarra Riley on the mound, two of the best in the game, natural choices for the Olympic team. Isis pitched a brilliant six innings, but I could see the fatigue setting in. I should have made the switch to Jindarra sooner, that mistake is solely on me. I take responsibility for the loss.

Instead, a Whispinia batter caught hold of her fastball and drove in a two-base run, tipping the balance. From there we hoped to pick them off at the 3rd base, but the next Whispinia batter hit it so far in the opposite direction, by the time the ball was in reach, the Whispinia had already rounded third and was headed home faster than a teenage curfew.

Ron “Big Voice” Daniels:

Are you happy with softball being back at the Olympics?


Addison Taylor:

Very thrilled. Softball is a great game. It should be included as a permanent sport, as there is so much talent that should be viewed on the world stage and acknowledged with shiny medals. We actually do have a great team. Back at the XII Summer Olympics when it was a demonstration sport we came second, thanks to the dedication of team coach Shawn McIntyre and Kora Goldsmith is still the greatest pitcher our softball league has ever had. Silver in the demonstration event and first place in the World Softball Classic.
It's an asset that she works closely with the Softball federation helping to promote the love of softball to anyone who will listen.

Ron “Big Voice” Daniels:

Anything the team could have done better in your opinion?


Addison Taylor:

There’s always something a team can do better. In a loss or victory, there are lessons to take forward to the next game. My support team always analyse every match post game to see where we can improve. We will be doing the same with our Olympic matches too when we return home.

We were strong, disciplined, and cool headed during our match. On the international stage many of our teams begin self-confident but the moment there is a small upset they fall to pieces. Whispinia was just better and seized upon opportunities. Maybe we could have taken a few more risks, or tightened up the fielding in those crucial late innings. That’s the nature of sport…always double thinking if what you are doing is the right thing.

Ron “Big Voice” Daniels:

It wasn't meant to be, which is a shame. As the Magnus Phoenician Softball League is growing more and more each year. I hear the league is going to expand its number of teams.

Addison Taylor:

Yes, we have a lot more revenue coming in and more states want to take part. So next year's season is going to expand to 14 teams, which means more talented women being able to play and when the next Olympics comes around we have a large pool of players to choose from. So while we lost today, the sport will not die in Magnus Phoenicia.


Ron “Big Voice” Daniels:

With the Mountain Lions now out of medal contention. Drawkland and Liventia are playing in the finals. Who are you rooting for?

Addison Taylor:

Drawkland beat our men's baseball team 5-3. Their coach Silas Thornheart is a good mate of mine. We both played on the same university baseball team back in the days. Because of that we will be cheering on Liventia.


Ron “Big Voice” Daniels:

Thank you so much for your time Addison Taylor. Again the nation offers our condolences to the Mountain Lions in being unable to reach the finals. But I know this won't be the last time we hear about Magnus Phoenician Softball. Now listeners, our next track is by Country- Pop sensation The Lonesome Sons with their song Broken Boots, Strong Hearts. When we return we will be talking to bronze swimming medalist Aquarius Reeves.

[Bhumi Matawis Empire]

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Warta > Sports > Olympics

Another Big Day of 3 Medals
By Bagus Suharsa

CENIAL/KAYO (28 Sept) - Day 8 of the 19th Summer Olympics is passed with a rather great result for Bhumi Matawis delegation. This day is the second time the country won 3 medals in a day after Day 3, although with a different configuration. The best things is that all 3 medalists came from 3 new sports, Diving, Rowing and Boxing.

Many have placed their hope for Angga Raharja Priambodo. Competed in men's 3m springboard, this young man from Labuanjaya surprise everyone by gaining the highest points in the semifinal run. While the more favorited Ardi Syahputra only placed 6th with a slight decrease from his preliminary result. This result and additional supports from the fans seems to catapult his confidence and it shows in the final night. He success to booked a total points of 583.20 almost 20 points more than the silver medalist. His personal coach, Hendrik Daryanto said that he (read - Priambodo) decided to rise the difficulties level of his dive set in the final and success to nail it. "That what makes he scored quite high," Daryanto said. His medal win is like a warm breeze for the Diving team after some disappointments before. "I hope this will be our turning point. But still, the competition is tight and we don't want to set our hopes too high," comment Diving deputy delegation, Bagus Pancaka Wiguna.

The other two medals are bronzes. The first comes from Rowing in men's double sculls. Actually, in today's 5 events competed for Rowing, Bhumi Matawis delegation participate in all, 1 non-medal bound final or Final B and the other four are medal bound final or Final A. The medal bound finals are men's and women's double sculls and men's and women's quadruple sculls. Sadly, only Raka Kusmana/Rendi Setiawan in men's double sculls who success to win a medal. A bronze medal. The men's and women's quadruple sculls both finished 4th with a tight 0.02 seconds difference to bronze medalist in the men's event and a wide gap of 2.95 seconds in women's event. While in women's double sculls event, our athlete have to satisfied finished last. Despite with only 1 bronze, the result is still applauded and praised by the fans. The team still have some possible medal event such as in Men's Coxed Eight.

The second bronze medal was won by Yosua Daud Yericko in Boxing men's lightweight event. The campaign of Boxing team in this Summer Olympics have been very surprising for the fans and officials. Their association only targeting 2 medals of any kind. But in reality, they managed to reach semifinal in 7 events which is an assured bronze medal. Today, 2 of them competing. Yosua Daud Yericko in men's lightweight and Meriana Angelin Tombas in women's flyweight. Yericko have to satisfy with bronze medal after being defeated by his opponent, Anewkansas boxer, Chase Brennan. While Tombas success to reach final after defeating Rianderan boxer, Heather Mendoza. "This is a great start," comment Boxing head of delegation, Karlius Paisale. He hope more can reach the final.

With 3 more medals, Bhumi Matawis now have collected 14 total medals. "It's already better than we expected and we still half way to the end," says Chief de Mission, Aji Brahmasta Rudiawan.

Edited by Joko Suparyanto

Suggested topics : Olympics

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