Sir Rols

Duncan Mackay’s latest take on the summer sports roster, following Nordic Combined’s demise in the winters: … There are due to be 36 sports on the programme at Los Angeles 2028, following 32 at Paris 2024, but Brisbane 2032, supported by the IOC, wants to cap it at 28. There is set to be a lot of horse-trading over the next few months as sports fight to preserve their place on the Olympic programme, while others currently outside the club see an unexpected opportunity to join. The demise of Nordic combined has inevitably led to fresh speculation that modern pentathlon is the sport most in danger, as it is an open secret that it finishes bottom of the IOC rankings Games after Games. But modern pentathlon is the tardigrade of the Olympic Movement, and you write it off at your peril. As long ago as 2002, an IOC commission recommended dropping modern pentathlon, claiming it was too expensive to practice, had low global participation, and failed to generate strong television ratings. That all remains as true now as it did 24 years ago, but modern pentathlon is still here. The International Modern Pentathlon Union responded to the threat then by launching an aggressive lobbying campaign that was so effective that then IOC President Jacques Rogge dropped the vote. In Rogge’s final months as president in 2013, the IOC Executive Board met again to drop a sport for the Olympics in 2020, with everyone predicting that it would be modern pentathlon, only for wrestling to be chosen in a decision later overturned. Then, following the controversy at Tokyo 2020 when a German coach was ejected for hitting a non-cooperative horse, there were fresh fears for modern pentathlon, with it being left off the initial programme for LA28. It has survived that latest scare by replacing horse riding with an American Ninja Warrior-style obstacle course, which the UIPM has been promoting heavily ever since. It remains to be seen whether the IOC will give it one more chance. Other disciplines that could be left looking over their shoulders include Greco-Roman wrestling, trampoline, race walking and open water swimming. Lacrosse and squash, meanwhile, should probably make the most of their appearance at LA28, although flag football will retain optimism that, with the backing of the NFL, they could be more than one-hit wonders. Canoe slalom appears safe for Brisbane 2032, due to the presence of Australia’s triple gold medallist and IOC Athletes’ Commission member Jessica Fox, but faces an uncertain future with later Olympics to be encouraged to avoid expensive building projects leaving no legacy. Canoe slalom courses are among the most expensive venues to build for the Olympics, due to the need to construct artificial whitewater rivers and install massive high-powered water pumps using millions of gallons of water. They are also notoriously difficult and expensive to maintain and, while some successfully transition into recreational water parks or public swimming facilities, like London’s Lee Valley White Water Centre, others have been largely abandoned or operated at significant financial losses after the Games. The IOC want to ensure they are not accused of leaving host cities with expensive white elephants and may only sanction canoe slalom for future Games if there is already an existing facility or officials can demonstrate they have a clear legacy plan for it. The criteria, however, could be a positive development for emerging sports like padel or pickleball, whose popularity has exploded in recent years. In the past, federations would have had to spend years, if not decades, developing relationships and lobbying the IOC to be given the opportunity just to begin a conversation about one day maybe becoming an Olympic sport. But if a discipline like synchro9 can be added just six months after being created, that gives hope to every new kid on the block. Only after the IOC has gone through its process and confirmed the programme for Brisbane 2032, will the Australian organisers be able to add the sports they want to, which will be restricted to four. Cricket is certain to be one, but what does the Nordic combined decision mean for netball, one of the other potential Brisbane 2032 picks? “Back the Bid: It’s Netball’s Time,” a campaign rallying fans, players, and participants to sign a global pledge to convince the IOC, is gathering momentum and the sport’s inclusion in Brisbane 2032 would be a massively popular one in Australia. But netball is traditionally a female-only sport and the biggest hurdle to its Olympic inclusion. Campaigners are trying to flip the narrative by claiming that because male-dominated sports historically received preferential treatment at the Olympics, adding a major female sport would send a powerful message about taking women’s sports seriously, while also helping the IOC reach its 50/50 parity target. They are trying to frame this as “gender positive”. With the new model, anything and everything could be on the table for discussion. Forget everything you ever knew about how sports are chosen for the Olympics

And then there were four…

Sigh… a step to far for the Swiss boys…. Pity none of the underdogs sprung an upset in the quarters, but there was always a certain inevitability in these final four match-ups.

Forza Svizzera!

I’m torn on this one. My Scandinavian and underdog sympathies would be overjoyed to see Norway make it. On the other hand. I’m actually always quite keen at the prospect of England finally rising to the occasion at a World Cup (that is, until the first time I hear the words “it’s coming home”).

And I woke up and it was all done. Congrats on getting through. And next up, two who I’m not sure are even aware them in the draw - @Hightowerio86 v @Durban Sandshark. One of you is going to make the semis at least. Hold on… am I right that we actually have a double header tomorrow - @Guilga versus @Swiss Rols right after the battle of the North Sea? C’mon boys, we may not row, but we can yodel!

The trouble with the “Individual Olympic Athletes” was that it was a well-meaning compromise to appease the “don’t punish the athletes” side, but really ended up not pleasing either side. And it left the Russian athletes availing themselves of it at risk of earning Putin’s wrath. I certainly share your hope that the flag and anthem still remain banned, as well as your fear that that’s probably wishful thinking. Beyond that, even immediately pre-2022 I don’t think a Russian hosting was viable or palatable enough to be entertained. Today, Russia’s reputation and standing within the IOC is nowhere near rehabilitated enough for “St Petersburg 2036” to be even remotely considered. Could you imagine the sheer outrage of the European and friendly western NOCs if it even applied for future dialogue status at this stage? It’s unthinkable in the present climate. Wait till after Vlad’s State Funeral.

So, onto EstebanMAD @StefanMUC versus @Faster, the battle of the reluctant draftees. Keep those bone spurs on ice.

Firstly, let me just say that Russia thoroughly deserved its ban, for its doping record alone, much less what it’s been wreaking in the Ukraine. And I certainly don’t trust that it’s learnt any lessons and will do anything to reform itself. Not while Putin’s in power. That said, I do have some sympathy to the charges of hypocrisy. Why just Russia when you can point to what Israel is doing in Gaza… and Lebanon.. and elsewhere? And when Trump is always ready to unleash the bombers whenever his mood, or polls, trigger him? And, yes, sure the counter argument goes “but Russia launched its war during an Olympic truce and then appropriated his victims’ NOCs”, but let’s face it, that was more justification after the fact. The ban was basically forced on Bach after the indignation of the mainly European NOCs and IFs at the initial invasion. And I can… I won’t say support but at least understand… Coventry’s aim to keep politics out of it and “not punish athletes for the actions of their government”. But sport snd politics have always been intertwined, and the IOC has always wrung itself in knots throughout its history trying to balance ideals with hard political realities. As I’ve said before, the contradiction of the Olympics is that it promotes itself as internationalist, while its whole structure encourages hyper-nationalism. And how would Coventry’s “no politics” policy have played out in the 1970s and 1980s when sports’ most successful ban and boycott, against Apartheid South Africa, was instituted? As a former willing poster girl for Robert Mugabe’s regime, Coventry should know better than most how such regimes like to prop themselves up and rehabilitate their reputations through sports-washing. But maybe that’s the whole point, she’s long learned how to turn a blind eye and absolve herself, snd sport, of any responsibility.

Updating the draw ahead of the quarter finals. Hostilities resume tomorrow with @Palette86 versus @Bear

Yay! My yodel boys are still alive! That was fun. Was watching the match while waiting in a hospital waiting room. And 25 minutes into extra time, of course I finally get called in. Then got out just in time to see the final, deciding, penalty kick. Anyway, Swiss Rols survives another few days…

You don’t have to convince me of the moral bankruptcy of the Trump Administration and Infantino’s FIFA. And it’s good to be prodded about it to guard against becoming numb to it.

What are you suggesting Rob? I’ll let you know Gianni the FIFA Matches and Results Committee personally approved all the draws see above

Suck it up… we all Down Under have to is it just me, or is Mo Salah a dead ringer for Roy Kent from Ted Lasso?

Lol, I’m glad too. Honest to God, these were all done randomly, but as always threw up a few ironic results. i laughed when I saw Rob had drawn the “National of Braindead Dead C*nts” Krow always seems to get “good” teams in these sweeps - and his luck held on again this time with Brazil i also laughed when Guilga got Argentina (actually, I did the draw before the last night’s matches, so it was a toss-up between Argentina and Cape Verde, and to my utter disbelief it looked for a long while that Cape Verde may have saved him from Argentina) ‘Egypt saved Yoshi from supporting Australia - I thought he might have enjoyed taking the opposite side of the Ashes for once. Baron almost got his wish for Spain. Spain and Paraguayan and Stefan and Baron were the last slips I had left in the hats. But the two S’s got drawn together. Maybe next time M.