Winter Olympics 2018

New Zealand has broken the drought with two more medals to add to the one it won 26 years ago in Albertville, France in 1992. That first medal was a silver in the slalom by Annelise Coberger. What this means is that New Zealand is now three times better than Denmark, a country that has still only won one medal. That's right, Denmark won their sole medal, a silver in curling in 1998.

But in 2018 the story of these games must be Norway. A tiny country of only just over 5 million people and they lead on the medal table with only a few days to go. How do they do it? It turns out to be all about money; they're rich and invest in their athletic programmes more broadly. Here's an interested article on the subject.

Oh and Russia has to be called Olympic Athletes from Russia, and they can't use their flag. It's like they're the only country that dopes their athletes. Oh right, pull the other one!! My take on this is very straightforward; the west owns the doping system and keep themselves one step ahead of the agency tasked with detecting abuse. Those outside the loop, like Russia, well they're kept guessing and thus they get busted more often. Just assume all athletes are doped one way or the other and let's move on shall we, I'm sick of the finger being pointed at Russia all the time.

Stop Banning Russia

It has to stop. Banning Russia from Olympic competition is a bad idea. Russia and all Russians take sport seriously and they're not going to just lay down. Face facts people, all countries conduct doping of their athletes, all that is being proven right now is that Russia is behind the latest technology. That's all, so bring them up to speed fast and we can all go back to enjoying their talent along with all the other pharmaceutically enhanced specimens from the rest of the industrialised world.

Of course the current ban on Russia from attending the Winter 2019 Olympics is political. It's designed to show Russia who is in charge, payback for countless perceived wrongs whether that be in Syria or the Crimea, the Ukraine, wherever. Of course Russia will retaliate in their own time and in their own way, why stir them up? It makes no sense to me.

Yelena Isinbayeva Getting Even?

Yelena Isinbayeva not being able to compete at Rio 2016 has got to be one of the biggest sporting travesties this decade. She's always been clean, and she's the best in her field. Ever thought the Olympics was rigged? Look no further than Rio 2016 Athletics.

Isinbayeva is to now head the Russian anti-doping agency and she's pissed. I hope she socks it to WADA, that group of politically motivated officials (you just know I wanted to say something stronger didn't you!).

http://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/18234462/wada-criticizes-russia-yelena-isinbayeva-role