#it's great. i don't really follow sports but the olympics are fun

[moonchild-in-blue]

Watching the Olympics is hilarious because I be judging these S-tier athletes for slightly wavering or not bending their knees properly. Meanwhile I'm on my couch in sweatpants nursing a week-long back pain because I slept wrong 😗

[hulknussen]

green . green i am very kindly asking about your two olympics aus....sports aus make me insane pls share more ......

also thank u for tagging me i will post my own wip list uh . soon

wip list

yes olympics au I GET you yun. it's a lot of fun. this one in particular is especially fun to me and it's decked out in multiple excel sheets and everything to organize it

the title is pourquoi tu gâches ta vie ? which translates to why do you waste your life? and it's synchronized divers!groshulknussen spanning roughly 2009-2024 and possibly beyond.

there is so much stuff in here I will try my best to condense it all.

first off, we follow nico's pov, though not linearly. it's split up into four parts (possibly chapters, if everything of each part would fit into one chapter. I really cannot tell atm) that follow after each other in the way they are told but not the way they happened. each part focuses around one of the olympics, including the qualifying build up training etc etc before it. so when we start out with "tokyo 2020" as part 1 it really starts out around 2017, shortly after the olympics in rio in 2016.

nico is a diver representing germany, kevin represents both denmark and germany in different poitns of his career (dual citizenship) and romain also has dual citizenship, but he never represented another country than germany at the olympics.

in part 1 romain is nico's trainer. they live together, in a vaguely domestic-romantic-undefined relationship setting, and romain is trying to convince nico to agree to partnering kevin for the 2020 olympics. the dosb (germany's olympic sports confederation) really wants him to partner kevin. nico doesn't like kevin for reasons we don't know yet, but he eventually agrees to it. then cue the three of them moving in together, and romain training both of them for the olympics. and then ofc the olympics themselves. confusing situationship throuple shenanigans happening at the same time, of course. sprinkle in some "enemies" to lovers and romain trying really hard to keep the peace

part 2 goes back to rio 2016 and the build up to that. we learn what romain and nico were like as partners, why romain is his trainer instead by part 1, and get some more exposition on the supporting cast (lewis, nico r, seb to list a few who are the most relevant, but others as well). there's also more focus on nico's dislike of kevin - we still don't know why but we do know it's very intense and see what they were like before they were partnered up. we also get a scene of nico walking in on romain and kevin fucking

for part 3 we go back even further, the build up to the 2012 olympics. this is nico's first olympics. he is being trained and supervised by michael schumacher and lives together with him, seb and nico r. it's all very teenage boys messing around, except they're also right on the precipice of becoming high profile athletes. we finally find out what nico's problem with kevin was. and we get some background seb/lewis/nico r stuff for shits and giggles. romain isn't very present for this part (tbh neither is kev). seb was nico h's diving partner when he did synchronized (as nico also did singles that olympic period)

in the last part we finish off our relationship progression. probably romain giving both of them a slap on the head or something. there's also a last olympics to fulfil some previously unachieved goals and dreams (think something equivalent to nico's no podium record) and fully explore and establish the new status quo between the three. it's very much wrapping up everything from before and giving it a clean ending.

I will say I'm not fully committed to this order and might switch around part 2 and part 3. might work better. but for now all I do is work on the individual parts and excel sheets whenever I feel the itch for this AU, so it doesn't really matter. that's another great thing about the lack of linear narrative, because I can jump around and piece it all together however it will fit best in the end.

this fic's description is funnily enough what inspired me for the description and socmed bits in the asau. I wrote it ages ago and really liked it, but obviously so far haven't gotten the chance to use it. I just think it's such a fun way of doing worldbuilding.

GERMAN OLYMPIC SPORTS CONFEDERATION STILL LOOKING FOR A DIVER TO PARTNER HÜLKENBERG—WILL IT BE MAGNUSSEN AFTER ALL? After the German’s previous partner Romain Grosjean suffered a career ending injury at the last games in Rio, 25-year-old Nico Hülkenberg is still to find a new Olympic diving partner. Reports claim that Hülkenberg himself is blocking the German Olympic Sports Confederation’s (DOSB) attempts at securing Germany representatives in the men’s 10m synchronized diving event, supposedly because their top choice is 20-year-old Kevin Magnussen—one Hülkenberg has a colourful history with. Dating all the way back to the London games, Hülkenberg and Magnussen have shared more than one podium, though likely against their wishes, considering [READ MORE.]

that's quite a lot, and it leaves out a lot already. but I hope it was fun!

[hertapiastri]

hi emmy!! first of all, so nice to meet you and be mutuals!! i was actually so excited when you followed me back because i've been wanting more indycar mutuals that series is everything to me lately, i'm still living off a high, i miss it!! plus siiiiiiick url, those are both my boys so i love that!! 🫶

some fun get-to-know-you questions for me and your followers!!

what first attracted you to motorsports?? (for indycar and f1!!)

if you could go to any race (indycar and/or f1), which one would it be??

what olympic sport would you LOVE to play (you don't need to be good at it in real life, which one seems the coolest to you)??

such a pleasure being mutuals!! and can't wait to get to know you a bit better :)

OMG!! I was soooo excited when you had followed me so this is amazing!!! And it’s nice to meet you as well!!!

The reason I got into f1 is a bit embarrassing… so I’m a writer and at the start of last year I had wanted to expand my writing genre because I’m normally write fantasy novels but I wanted to explore a bit and one of the genre that I wanted to write in was romance, specifically sports romance. I was having a hard time figuring out which one I was going to pick, like I’m a big NFL fan also I’m a (casual)fan of tennis but one day I was scrolling on TikTok and saw someone had posted a video of Checo reacting to Seb retirement video on DTS and thought that it looked really cool so I watched it and thought it was great and when I saw that the season was about to start, I got a subscription to F1tv and have been in love with the sport since then. And then since I loved f1 so much I decided to give IndyCar a chance and I’m in love with them both🥰 (funny enough I never ended up writing that book 😭)

My dream is to eventually see the triple crown races in real life and not on my couch so I would love to go to the Indy500 and the Monaco Grand Prix but I would also love to go to mid-Ohio because it’s my home race and sliverstone because it’s one of my favorite tracks!

Tennis 100%!!! My mom was a tennis player in high school so we would sometimes play together during the summer time in the evening plus one summer I did a week long tennis camp and it was very fun!!! 

Also thank you for the compliment on my username and a little fun fact I pick Colton as my number one driver when I got into IndyCar not because he was a great driver (which he is) but because I have his dad car! It’s from his CART days and my dad had bought it back in the day and when I told my dad I was going to start watching IndyCar he gave it to me:) it seats next to my racing Barbie!

[inevitablecorgi]

Favourite tennis match? :33

Ask meme (ama, anon is fine!)

Zweig d. Donaldson, Phil's Tire Town Challenger, 2019. j/k, j/k, but also, in your heart you know, Patrick won that match.

This is a great question and I feel sheepish I can't REALLY say anything before June this year because, like a lot of sports, I was basically aware of tennis and its main characters but I haven't sat down and just deliberately watched matches since I was much younger. My faves from that era are all retired now and I have vague memories of specific Slams and their storylines but not specific matches. And I have been watching some classic Fedal matches recently but that's more like LORE, and I feel like I should pick matches I watched when they were happening.

So my picks from Summer 2024 (what a long + short era it's been).

3. Hailey Baptiste d. Arina Rodionova, 2024 Citi Open qualifiers, Washington DC. Because this is the first pro match I saw in real life! And it was so fun -- one young player v. one veteran, well matched, they both seem cool as hell and Hailey won in straight sets but it was close the whole time, and she's from DC so the crowd loved her. Great venue, so much fun.

2. Barbora Krejcikova d, Jasmine Paolini, 2024 Wimbledon final. I could have picked one of the matches Jasmine won, but I think I missed the best ones due to work, just had to follow on my computer! If I go back and watch Jas v. Vekic or Navarro I might change my mind. But for the Final, I drove to my parents' to watch on their big TV, both women played so well and I was so proud of Jasmine for her whole tournament, I still get weepy just talking about it.

Novak Djokovic d. Carlos Alcaraz, 2024 Olympics finals. I was rooting for Carlos, Carlos is my favorite men's player, I don't like Carlos to be sad BUT this was just a brilliant match to watch, Nole's narrative for these games was just So Good, it was such a phenomenal turnaround from the same matchup a few weeks earlier at Wimbledon (basically "all of Carlos's matches at 2024 Wimbledon" could be honorable mention, esp. the Tiafoe one) -- as somebody who was AWARE of the Big Three era without having paid close attention to it, this was a great showcase of What Made Novak So Good, and it was super satisfying to see in real time. Plus, it was at Roland Garros and I just love the aesthetic of Roland Garros -- French Open tennis was the first tennis I watched as a kid and deep in my heart I think every tennis court should Look Like That.

[allekha]

Would it be possible for you to make a list of the best figure skating programs- those which are not only your favorite but that u also think perfectly exemplify everything great about the sport? If you ever decide to make such a list, can you also describe shortly what makes each program great? It would be terrific to hear your thoughts

Hello, anon! As requested, a list!

First, a disclaimer: it's really hard to try to stay objective while making a 'best programs' list. There are skaters who I think 'objectively' should be on here, but I find them boring or they don’t speak to me, or I like their programs but wouldn’t call them the ‘best’; there are skaters on here who I love but other people think are terrible/boring/ruining the sport. And then there’s deciding what is the ‘best’. Many of the programs I've included are not ones I think are perfect in every way, but I think they all show something great about FS. I hope you enjoy the list, anon :) I had fun going through my videos to make it.

Also: this list exhibits recency bias (I think the sport has improved in a lot of ways over the years - I personally know someone who disagrees so vehemently they don't follow modern skating at all) and is biased towards singles, as I watch dance less and pairs not much at all. Apologies if you’re a pairs fan. And, finally, I only included competition programs and at most two from any skater.

John Curry, 1975 FS: I have already given this one its own post because that’s how much I love it, but tl;dr it’s beautiful at every moment, IMO is the closest FS has ever gotten to ballet, and it has solid tech for 1976.

Torvill & Dean, 1983 FD: It's The Bolero. It's the figure skating program and the figure skating moment for a lot of people, even to this day. People more well-versed in ice dance than me have probably written about how extraordinary and revolutionary it is. I'll be honest, it took a few viewings (and finding a video where the music wasn't repeatedly stabbing my ears) to start to Get It, and it's not my favorite of their programs, but even I can tell you that those lifts are amazing.

Gary Beacom, 1983 FS: Though he excelled as a pro/show skater, even as an amateur, he showed innovative, full-body movements, excellent use of spins, and difficult jump entrances.

Bestemianova & Bukin, 1984 FD: I've watched a lot of Carmen, but for me, this is the one Carmen program. The chemistry is on point, and they turned the drama up to 11 and sold the hell out of it while skating in a way that matched their bombastic arrangement.

Midori Ito, 1987 SP: Even in the short program, even before she had landed her first competitive 3A, Midori’s technical prowess was obvious: easy rippon’d and high required 2F, oh hey a combo requiring 2Lo might as well be the one to make the 2Lo first and do 2Lo3Lo, back counter 2A with hands on her hips. She also had decent spins and, while she was never the most graceful, this program was creative, worked well for her, and showed off her charisma and energy.

Duchesnay & Duchesnay, 1989 FD: Intense from the beginning to the end; even if you don’t know the story behind the program, you know what they’re feeling. They way they switch off who is leading or supporting the other gives them in some sections lends a sense of equality, and the choreography makes really good use of vertical space. It’s also interesting that their FD at next year’s Worlds was a direct continuation (after they decided their other FD wasn’t working), down to starting with the ending pose of this one.

Midori Ito, 1991 FS: Some of Midori’s programs felt like her team was trying to jam her into a mold of Witt and failing, but here they hit on something that was ‘classical’ but also suited Midori’s performing style. As always, her jumps absolutely popped. And not only did she attempt the women’s first 3A at the Olympics... she landed it! Three and a half minutes in after falling off her edge on the first one. (IMO hers is still the most jaw-dropping 3A a woman has ever landed.)

Gordeeva & Grinkov, 1993 FS: They had it all: high quality elements, a lovely glide, and a strong connection - they’re in sync every moment. The way he lifts her, holds her, and sets her down on the ice is precious.

Rahkamo & Kokko, 1994 OD: Just a delight to watch - quick and cute and playful without being overtly romantic. This dance eventually became an official dance pattern (the Finnstep).

Anissina & Peizerat, 1997 FD: Innovative and lovely program. I also find it striking that despite the traditionally very gendered story, there are several moments when they seem to be showing off him and not just her and make him feel like a more vulnerable Romeo than you might expect - not least with those reverse lifts! Call them a gimmick if you want, but they’re memorable and fit.

Sasha Cohen, 2003 FS: Lines to die for, a lovely layback, well-used flexibility, and dramatic, held spirals. Sasha hits a pretty position on nearly everything, save that Charlotte spiral here.

Ilia Klimkin, 2003 FS: This is a technically demanding program with intricate, detailed choreo, including the spins, and a strong mood. And weird as fuck music, but that's part of what’s great about it - how many other people could skate to this music and make it work besides, like, Czakó? You're certainly not going to forget it when the program ends.

Daisuke Takahashi, 2007 SP: You’ve seen one Swan Lake, you’ve seen a million, it can feel like - but you haven’t seen this one. Hip-hop is not a kind of dance that is often translated to the ice, and both of those step sequences look exhausting, but Daisuke completes them brilliantly, moving his entire body and matching every twisting beat and going quickly without flailing.

Stéphane Lambiel, 2009 SP: The William Tell Overture is the kind of music that can swallow skaters. But Lambiel manages to fill the ice and meet it anyway, and he does it fluidly. And of course, there are those Lambiel spins: incredibly fast, great positions, done on a dime.

Akiko Suzuki, 2012 FS: Extremely pretty basic skating - see the speed she gets at the climax of the music - and beautiful interpretation of the music. I appreciate that she plays a bird without going overboard on the I’M A BIRD arms (watched too many Swan Lake programs, sorry).

Carolina Kostner, 2012/3 FS: The Other Bolero. Not my personal favorite of her programs, but this program wears its Plisetskaya inspiration very nicely, and while being inspired by a ballerina doesn’t automatically make anyone great or balletic, Caro has the maturity to capture both the subtle sexiness and strength of the choreo. Plus, she has buttery smooth skating skills and at her peak, surprisingly floaty jumps.

Tatsuki Machida, 2012/13 FS: The choreo is strong, sharp, and full of details, and Tatsuki demonstrates his musicality as he skates it. The single swizzles on the accents at the beginning are a very simple touch, but still add visual interest, and I like how the middle of the step sequence alternates portions that are moving or relatively still on the ice in line with the music.

Mao Asada, 2013 FS: Just look at that step sequence and how perfectly each turn and twizzle matches the music! That drama, that smile, that hop she does, that spiral with a bold sweep of her hand on the ice. It’s unusual to end a program with a step and choreo sequence, but it makes for an amazing finish here.

Jason Brown, 2013 FS: Great example of how to build anticipation. That long section of flute music at the beginning could have been boring, but Jason has you on the edge of your seat the whole time, waiting for the moment when it's going to explode. And when it does, oh boy, Jason is full of joy and energy. This program does really well at showing off his best assets, too, making the steps, spirals, and spins focal points.

Yuzuru Hanyu, 2015/etc FS: I adored the Onmyouji films and their soundtracks before I ever watched this program, and I adore how Yuzuru used them. The program stands out from the first moment just for having non-Western music, and Yuzu uses every beat of it while also doing a difficult jump layout and above-average spins. He creates his own kind of Seimei with his performance, maintaining a magical atmosphere while the mood varies from dangerous to contemplative to joyful.

Evgenia Medvedeva, 2016 SP: "Allekha, are you really going to put the cringey schmaltzy miming on a greatest program list?" Yes, because I like it. Miming can be done poorly, but I think this is an example of it done well, serving the program without interrupting it. It's an age-appropriate program for a teenager - not sexualized or too juniorish or advanced - and Zhenya joyously tells the story of it. The whole program flows smoothly from one element to the next without interruptions, full of steps but not too rushed.

Satoko Miyahara, 2016 FS: Satton is a delicate skater, and she shows that beautifully in the first part of the program, skating like she’s a lovely little fairy - and then the Star Wars music kicks in and she transforms in a moment into determination. I think it’s a good combination of disparate music sources, and she never quite loses that strength even when the music softens again. Her spins are timed well, and she hits beautiful positions throughout the program (spiraaaaaal).

Savchenko & Massot, 2017 FS: Big :| at Savchenko and screw her new partner, but this was a great program. Savchenko is a skilled performer, and Massot yeets her amazingly high and then sets her down like she's made of glass. The music is beautiful and they flow across the ice with it, at times light despite the big elements and at others dramatic.

Virtue & Moir, 2017 FD: Okay, full disclosure, I hate this music and I’m not a fan of the program myself. Buuuut V/M have some of the most believable ‘we are totally going to make out’ acting I’ve seen in ice dance and great chemistry with each other, on top of quality steps and lifts.

Shibutani & Shibutani, 2017 FD: TWIZZLES! They shine technically, and the program also showcases such joy and a trusting sibling bond (see that moment when Maia jumps and Alex catches her from behind).

Kevin Aymoz, 2018 FS: Kevin’s a very emotional skater and also a creative one, and you can see that from the first moments of this program. He starts off with fluid and unusual movements, he uses his face throughout, and the whole program is well-matched to the rhythm and build of the music.

Jason Brown, 2018 SP: Every movement is sharp as a tack and right on the beat of the music; every element is done well, fast spins and confident jumps. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to end when it does.

Satoko Miyahara, 2018 SP: Satton just floats on the ice, and she makes use of everything as she performs: the bobbing of her soft knees, her facial expressions, her wrists, her fingertips. And of course, those Satton spins - I don’t only mean her amazing layback, but also how her second spin fits into the music instead of just being put there.

Evgenia Medvedeva, 2019 SP: Zhenya communicates a pure feeling through her skating here just by moving her gaze, by holding an edge for five seconds. Her smooth movements perfectly match the mood of the music. It’s a quiet, contemplative kind of program that could have been introverted, but Zhenya repeatedly invites you along for the ride.

Yuzuru Hanyu, 2020 SP: I feel a bit strange adding such a new program to this list, but what a program - it’s exploding with extroverted rock-star energy, especially during the step sequence, where Yuzuru really puts his expressions and movements to work. Add in Yuzu’s SS and 3A and those spin arm gestures and it’s sure something special.

[laissezferre]

Hey! I followed you for your Terror stuff but I noticed you also post a lot of figure skating. Do you figure skate yourself or just enjoy watching it? You seem pretty knowledgeable about it and it's something I've wanted to get into (watching not doing (I mean doing seems fun but not really feasible for me lol)) and I was wondering if you had any advice on where to start? Any recommendations for really great skaters or choreographers or routines and stuff? It just seems kind of overwhelming not knowing anything about it going in but I enjoy watching the routines that I've seen in my youtube recommendeds and all. Thanks!

hi there! i'm so glad at least one person is enjoying my fs posts. like any performance sport, figure skating is rife with joy, heartbreak, and nepotism; but don't let that deter you from enjoying it!

thankfully, your question has been answered by someone more well-versed than me. this post gives solid advice on how to start getting into figure skating. it's from 2018 so the technical talk is a bit dated (fs rules change often, usually after every olympics), so here's another guide that's more updated and quite thorough.

i started getting into fs bc of tessa virtue and scott moir back in 2018, so my advice getting into fs is to choose your homie :D start by selecting the field (men, ladies, pairs, ice dance), then select a few skaters from that field. watch their performances across the years and gradually expand your knowledge.

i'd suggest also looking at the current world rankings per field (x, x, x, x) so you can get up to speed on the leading skaters at the moment.

as for recommendations, i go back to these performances often, for sentimental reasons ofc, but i do think they exemplify the best of this sport:

virtue/moir, olympics 2010 free skate

virtue/moir, worlds 2008 free skate

yuzuru hanyu, worlds 2017 free skate

mikhail kolyada, worlds 2021 free skate

sui/han, worlds 2019 free skate

savchenko/massot, olympics 2018 free skate

satoko miyahara, japanese nationals 2020 short program

wakaba higuchi, japan open 2021 free skate

happy learning and enjoy!

[nikatyler]

7, 15, 31, and 32 for your NSB

7. whats the biggest risk you’ve taken with your story? did it pay off?

Not sure if it was really a big risk but let's just say I'm the kind of person who prepares worst case scenarios for everything. If I can worry about something, I will worry about it. I'm not immune to overthinking at all, but if it was a sport, I'd be at the Olympics right now lol.

I had a lot of worries and doubts regarding Caleb Vatore in my legacy. For many reasons. First off, he is not my sim, this is a sim everyone in the community knows and has in their game. I felt like I would be judged harshly for everything I would do with him (yes I know no one actually cares that much, but as I said, I'm an overthinker 😂). And I could list more things that worried me but this is gonna be long so one will have to do. 😅

It mostly paid off that I did it anyway. I feel like this particular worry didn't come true, as Ross and Caleb are the follower favourite ship to this day haha. And they're among my comfort ships and mean a lot to me now, so I'm really glad I made it happen.

I actually got a few not very nice comments after Realm of Magic was released and someone was really passionate about Caleb x Morgyn but...🤷‍♀️ I'll just keep doing my thing, and I most definitely won't be getting in fights about sims ships.

15. what have been the highlights of creating your story?

Gen 2 is hard to beat but I've said that a million times already, I had so much fun with that, and it seemed like people were really invested in it too.

I enjoyed working on the current generation too, especially after I got my new laptop and everything was finally working smoothly. But I was so excited that I rushed through so many important things, and it bothers me now 🙈 You'll see that soon.

As for generations I haven't posted yet, the peach one took a turn I didn't expect but it was great.

31. drop some random trivia about your story

When I first started this legacy, I had a plan to give my sims the most ridiculous names I could think of (I kind of took inspiration from the original nsb, where the sims' names were kinda funny, or they seemed funny to me back then, I don't really remember them anymore). Well, that kinda backfired on me in gen 2 already, because halfway through I realized I hate Ross's full name and I hate the legacy surname 😂 So then I calmed down a bit for a few generations...and then the pink gen came and I think the pink gen is winning. They have the most ridiculous names in the entire legacy. 😂

32.give a light spoiler

I started this ask talking about risks so let's end on the same note.

I haven't actually taken the biggest risk yet. I'm figuring it out now. It could be great. It could be...not great. But I hope you guys will enjoy it when it comes, and that you'll feel the things I feel when I think about it. Please don't be concerned, everything will be alright I swear

Thanks for the ask! ♥

[spicecapadespresentedbyps]

Hi! I've been wanting to get more into ice skating and this year's Olympics have definitely motivated me to try and know about more than JUST the Olympics. Do you have any suggestions for how to get more engaged in the community or watch more events?

Hi Nonny!

I don't know where in the world you're located but here's a few suggestions I have:

1. Check out skating fan blogs. There are a lot of great blogs dedicated to skating, both here on tumblr and on other sites/forums. Most of these blogs are more active than I am (I watch where I can, but my creative endeavors/my unwillingness to pay for cable tv here in America, limits my ability to follow the entire season). I've found many are very welcoming communities. And, if they're not, move on, there will be another online group happy to welcome a new fan!

2. Follow the skating competitive season! The main season begins with the Grand Prix Series, starting with the Qualifiers, then the GPF finals, then Four Continents, Europeans, each country's Nationals, the World Championships, and then the World Team Trophy. In America (where I live), most of the qualifiers are shown on the Olympic Network, or NBC affiliates. Only major competitions are shown on network TV or aired on Peacock. However, there are livestreams you can watch (if you don't mind the commentary maybe not being in your language. It should be relatively easy to search for Skating TV listings in your home country or streaming apps that are showing the events! Also, it's not really something we do in the USA, but other countries will hold watch parties in their local rinks sometimes.

3. If you find a way to watch, invite friends! Whether you're watching with online friends (I'm always happy to watch, if I can), or inviting your own friends over to watch an event with you (I have converted many a friend this way), skating is more fun to watch together!

4. If you can't watch, follow along through the news. Skating has a wide following worldwide (it's actually a MUCH bigger sport outside of the USA). There are several magazines, include the aptly named Skating (which are available in digital), the official ISU websites. If you want to learn more about this history of the sport, there are also a lot of great and really interesting books!

5. Go take a skating lesson or two. A lot of rinks offer Learn to Skate classes for beginners of all ages. You're sure to find likeminded soon-to-be friends if you take a class or two.

I hope my suggestions help. Most importantly, whatever you choose, have fun!

[wanderlustinwonderland18]

Stepanova & Bukin: “Our Fans Really Want Us To Be Together”

How do you feel about being the new Russian National Champions?

Vanya: Wow! To be honest, we didn't get enough sleep. It was a busy time. We sat, talked with the team, discussed a lot. This was our first competition in a long time, so we were a little exhausted.

Sasha: So far, we don't really feel that something major has happened, but the assessment of our coaches is very important for us. They didn't know how we would perform. Yes, the coaches did everything to make us perform well. But from the very start, everything depended only on us... And we managed to perform well so many thanks to our team for this.

Vanya: In general, we liked everything very much. We missed the audience a lot and we hope to perform somewhere else soon. Yes, there are nerves, but they are very pleasant nerves. Competition is great.

Is this national title the main award of your career?

Sasha: No. We have silver and bronze medals from European Championships. We have also performed well at World Championships. The situation here is completely different in all aspects. We had a different task... But overall, we are very pleased with the title of Russian National Champions.

Vanya: Yes, indeed, this is the first time for us. The support was great. Even though the arena was only 35 percent capacity, we felt incredible warmth.

Is the lack of vivid emotions due to the fact your main competitors were not here?

Sasha: Yes, many skaters were missing in Chelyabinsk. It’s a pity that this is the case. We, ourselves, were not able to participate in early competitions such as the Grand Prix in Moscow.

Vanya: For instance, Dima Aliev did not compete here although we were expecting him. We are friends with him, and we communicate a lot. We hope to meet the entire Russian team after the New Year.

Did this situation personally blur the impression of the Russian Championships?

Sasha: Of course. In addition, the federation indicated that this is not the final selection for the World Championships. We simply perceived it as a certain stage where we need to show what we are capable of.

Vanya: On the other hand, the fact that it was our first competition in a long time added more importance to it.

Is it a shame that Europeans got cancelled, while everything goes well in other sports?

Vanya: Of course, it's upsetting.

Sasha: I don’t really follow what is happening in other sports, but the cancellation of our Europeans was not a surprise. Everything pointed towards this direction gradually. We were ready for this news. We understand that holding a competition in such conditions is difficult and unsafe.

How do you feel now?

Sasha: I’m good now, thanks.

Vanya: Yes, we have already recovered.

You guys joked at the press conference that you were unlucky, because you were ill with COVID at different times.

(Sasha and Vanya laugh)

Sasha: Well, yes, we were really out of luck.

How did this happen? You spend so much time together.

Sasha: At first, I just caught a cold. There was bronchitis or something like that. I got better and then fell ill again, but with COVID. I don't know why that happened, but after I got sick, the coaches and Vanya fell ill.

Vanya: Why this happened is still a mystery to us. It is very incomprehensible.

How did you handle the disease?

Vanya: It was not easy. I had palpable lung damage. The temperature was monitored for a very long time, and the dose of antibiotics was quite strong. The hardest part is not how I got sick, but how I went back to the ice. It was very strange and a little scary.

Sasha: You may be fine at home, but as soon as you go out on the ice, you immediately start coughing due to the cold air and the slightest exertion. Usually for us, skating in circles is nothing at all... But after the illness, the body perceives it as a serious threat and reacts instantly. It is scary. You start thinking: "How am I going to skate now?"

Did it come to hospitalizations?

Sasha and Vanya: No.

Vanya: Fortunately, it didn't come to that. I didn't have extreme temperatures (around 37.5 to 38 only). The only problem is that it lasted a long time. Sasha’s condition was different though. High temperatures in the beginning, but the illness quickly disappeared.

Sasha: In my case, it started with a common cold, then the whole body began to ache. I came back from training and it felt like someone was breaking all my bones from the inside. Then, body temperature began to rise. The maximum was over 39. I immediately took antibiotics. The state itself was unpleasant - you go to the kitchen, or to the bathroom and you are already very tired. You also hear how you breathe.

Sasha, I looked at your Instagram and came to the conclusion that you love black and white tones. Why is that?

Sasha: In black and white, there is...

Vanya: Magic.

Sasha: Yes, some kind of charm. Many photographs look better in black and white. I like the lines and shadows.

Do you hear from fans a lot?

Sasha: Very much! Just yesterday, one fan gave gifts through the coaches. She loves our group very much, follows us to all competitions. From my understanding, she is not alone. It is just her who communicates with us. I called for a photo session, but unfortunately, this has not yet happened because of the virus situation. But yes, they write a lot! They post stories, write long messages. Sometimes I read and tears come, people give a lot of themselves. You think how this is possible. Many are busy with family and work, but they take time for us.

Vanya: Most of the times, they post our reactions to performances. This has already become a meme! We have been compared to animals. Sasha recently reposted a picture where I am a dog who smiles, and she is a serious cat. In many shots, myself and Irina Vasilievna (Zhuk) are explosive, and Sasha and Alexander Vasilievich (Svinin) are more restrained. It’s cool and funny!

Does this reflect your nature?

Vanya: I’m probably more emotional after performances. I keep everything to myself so much that it just breaks at the end. Sasha, on the other hand, gives so much to the performances and at the end, she has nothing left.

Are you offended by any comments?

Vanya: Some comments are very interesting. There have certainly been times where I wanted to respond, but realized that it was pointless. It is nonsense.

Sasha: Because you will be invested in it.

Vanya: Now, I laugh at such comments. If a person doesn't like something and expresses their opinion, please, especially if it is really constructive criticism. When you see that this is not the first time a person has written, and really understands figure skating, you can listen to this... But there are some that just write for the sake of saying something.

Sasha: Yes, there are some who throw out unnecessary emotions based on nothing.

Has it ever happened that thanks to a person's comment, you changed something in your performance?

Vanya: A couple of times.

Sasha: It is not with regards to steps and technical issues though. Most comments are like “I want power, brightness.” At such moments, you can reconsider and decide that, indeed, something is missing somewhere.

It happens that unpleasant things are written by fans of other teams.

Vanya: I'm okay with this, but if you like another couple, why are you writing under our post? Go to your guys and write good things.

Sasha, you are sometimes compared to Victoria Sinitsina? Are you okay with this?

Sasha: Yes, absolutely! We sometimes laugh about our similarities. We also have common views on wardrobe sometimes.

What about the comments that you and Vanya would make a good pair in real life?

Sasha: It's fun too.

Vanya: On one hand, that is a compliment because it means that we can show real emotions on the ice. People believe in our story and think that we are also together behind the scenes... But we have already said many times that we are not a couple in real life, so it is quite strange when people ask about this.

Sasha: It's very cute though!

Vanya: Those who have been with us for a long time know that we are not together, but our fans really want us to be together.

Do you follow the situation regarding Russia's two-year sentence? You guys already had some bad experiences in the past with this decision.

Sasha: Yes, we heard this news. As far as I understand, the consequences could be much worse - all athletes from Russia could be expelled indiscriminately. They could say, "Russia, goodbye." But we are still allowed to compete. Let it be without the anthem at the World Championships and the Olympics, but on our form, the name of the country can still be written. This is already pleasant for us. I do not know all the little details, but in this situation, I want to find something positive.

Vanya: Of course, we are upset, because this is our country. We would very much like to perform with the flag and anthem. But the decision has been made, and nothing can be done. We will calmly prepare for all the major competitions. It remains to be seen how athletes will be admitted to the Olympics.

What would you change in ice dance to make it more popular?

Vanya: Ice Dance is a very creative sport. Everything should look simple, easy, and unpredictable with us. In my opinion, to make our sport more popular, teams must be given more freedom for creativity. Then, the couples will not be alike. We have many rules that do not allow us to go beyond.

Sasha: In general, the rules are made for judges. Previously, ice dance judging was based on "like it or not like it."

Do you have long-term career plans?

Vanya: This season has shown that it is difficult to plan the future. We have decided to live day by day, and prepare for specific events. There have been many times where we plan a lot, and in the end, the plan does not come true.

Do you think about life after sports?

Sasha: I do not have any serious thoughts. Maybe participate in shows, but there are no specific plans. However, I can definitely say that I want to stay in figure skating and take a new role in the sport. For now, we still have a lot to accomplish. We have just reached the top level. We have just started receiving recognition from the audience.

Vanya: And we are very grateful to our fans. When new broke out that we were sick, many wrote to us and supported us. It is really motivating!

Do you have plans for the New Year holidays?

Sasha: I would like to go to the skating rink in front of the Red Square. I have never been to massive street skating rinks, so I want to feel this atmosphere.

Vanya: Oh cool! Let's go and invite everyone!

A small wish to your fans at the end of the interview?

Sasha: Health and love. Be happy no matter what. Live everyday.

Vanya: To make all your dreams come true in the New Year.

[xeo-kunsatan]

MonsterOlympics One Shot +13 (Part 1)

Monster Maze HighXMonster High

This One shot is divided in parts because is long as hell XD, as well this contains many racy jokes, black humor and swearing, if youre sensitive with this humor i recommend you to not read this shit, as well this One shot is just for fun

The Spring/Summer season, A Flowering but sunny season for Romance, vacation And Mating.

But also a Season for the sports specially in the Monster Maze High, where the Students and the Staff where preparing everything for the most importan Event for them.

The Monster Olympics an important event where the Students shows their skills in many sporty activities in competition against any School for monsters.

Everyone especially Betrayus was excited for the event.

Betrayus: Alright Class, that's all for today's class but first I have an announcement for all of you!.

Clyde: Will you wanna add an Ice Cream Machine in the Cafeteria!?

Inky: Clyde we already have one...

Clyde: Oh.. Hehe yeah I forgot that part.

Pacster: Awww I don't minded to have another one...

Skeebo: Chill out Lemon lizard, is that really the only thing you use your mouth?

Spiral: Hey!! Don't insult my Bro like that!!

Bradley: Hey! Don't yell at my boyfriend!!

Pacster: and you don't yell at my Friend!!

Victor: And you don't yell to my Ex!!

Pacster: Try me Bitch!!

Aurora: Oh no..

Ryan: *face palm* Ugh...

They were about to fight as many times in other classes but they where stopped by Mr Betrayus.

Betrayus:*Demonic Voice* SILENCE!!

The students where now quiet in their seats

Betrayus: Uhum as I was saying I have good news for you.

Pinky: Will you add Hot springs rooms for all the students and the Staff?

Cylindria: Pinky.. this is the first time I'm Agree with you.

Inky: Yeah! Sounds like a good idea.

Betrayus: *Sniff Sniff* We are already working on it, Pinky you have an A by thinking in the staff :,D

Pinky: Really!? Thank you Teacher~

Skeebo: Tsk.. smug..

Bradley: C'mon Foxy it's a Great idea~

Ryan: Oh Man I can't wait for it..

Betrayus: Easy Dear Students, as you already know... The Monster Olympics is coming here, so for it I sent to make new uniforms for you and why not the staff too.

Amber: We will have new Sport uniforms!!?? O.M.G Now I don't know what is better if the Hot Springs or the uniforms!.

Farid: Duh Obviously Both news are wholesome... I hope the uniform is Blue, that color makes my beauty shine~

Farren: dude, the most important thing is that the uniform is comfy enough for us.

Spiral: You understand me Bro

Farley: *lifts his hand up* Hey Mr D-.. Betrayus.. with who we will compete this year?...

Blinky: Tell me we will not compete against the Belfry Prep...

Inky: Yeah.. I know we beat them..

Bradley: but they where such a bastards with us..

Skeebo: Ugh that vampires.. if I see any vampire from that school I have no doubts in Break his teeth by what they do to you that year Bunny..

Betrayus: Good Boy Skeebo~ but Don't worry Guys we will not Compete against them again...

Aurora: Phew what a Relief..

But this year they would fight against a School similar to them.

Betrayus: We will compete against Monster High!

Farley: Monster High?..

Pacster: You mean that school where all the cool things happens there?

Betrayus: What do you mean?

Spiral: Yeah, we are all follow a monster blog where many news are released, and all the cool things happens in that school and of course it's released in the page..

Amber: Since founding the Vampire Queen and give her company in her movie release in Horrywood, face the same Van Hellsing, Going to Boo York, etc.. all the things happens in this school are just fights, parties, and regular School dramas.

Mandy: *sighs* yes, the only interesting thing happened in this School is Just the Attack of Apex Crowd next to his pet Hans.

Cylindria: It's not the School's fault, we don't look for an adventure because we don't want it... I most suggest more school trips.

Betrayus: Conceded And you have an A by understanding as always Cily.

Bradley: And Dad? How would be the things about the event?

Betrayus: Good Question son, i asked for the uniforms, they will be here this Friday, about where we will do the event, me and my brother already talked with the Headless Master Bloodgood and we are agree in doing the event here in this same campus, before the event some students from Monster High will come to know you and take along.

The Ring bells, it was time for lunch and the students where free to leave.

Betrayus: Well students that's all for today's class don't forget to do your homework *leaves*

Everyone have leave except for the Fluffy Gang, Farid and Farren noticed that Farley was completely in shock while his tail was wagging.

Farid: C'mon Farley it's Time for lunch and time to take care of Claw.

Farren: Hey, what's wrong man?

Farley: We will compete against Monster High.. you know what that means?

Farren: Being hitted as we were hitted by Skylanders academy?

Farley: No!.. I-its not that..

Farley's expression was a mix between nostalgic and Excited

Farren: Oh shit.. now i know what that means.. That Cat..

Farley: I will see her again!! After long time without seeing us, i will finally see her again!! *Wagging tail*

Farid: Did you 2 have never being in contact?

Farley: Uhm yes, we have calls sometimes but seeing eachother, not really.. when i had the opportunity something happens as what happened with Claw and his mother if you remember... I was expecting of seeing her.. but don't misunderstand me I love the baby Claw.. but I still miss my old friend.

Farid: Now you mention that.. I wonder if she and her pals have adopted a baby like us, except it's a doggy.

Farren; Don't say stupid things..

Farley: Well let's go to lunch, I can't wait to see her.. *leaves*

Farren: or did he never asked her to take a walk, while we take care of Claw?

Farid: a Guy asking a girl to meet up and take a walk, you don't think it sounds like a date?

Farren: Well that's a good point.. but it's still so dumb of him to wait for meet up with her.

Farid: Hmm Dog's stuff.

The Fluffy Gang finally left the classroom without knowing that someone have recorded them.

A Ghost Girl left the Monster Maze High flying back to her original School.

The Day ended and it was time for the students and the Staff to rest.

Room 01

Stratos was getting ready to sleep when his younger brother entered into his Room with a cup of Tea.

Betrayus: Hey Dear Brother, *gives him the cup*

Stratos: Thank you Betrayus, *drinks it*

Betrayus: And tell me dear brother, what do you think of this?

Stratos: It's the First time we are doing this event in this campus, how do you think I am!?.

Betrayus: Don't worry, we will work hard to make the school look their best.

Stratos: *Sighs* at least I can count with you in this moments.

Betrayus: Just rest easy Stratos, everything would be okay.

Stratos: I Hope so.. *Finishes his tea*

Stratos fell asleep quickly throwing the cup in the floor.

Betrayus taked Stratos to his bed and left his room.

Betrayus: Ohh Man, the chloroform worked hard... The good thing is that i never mentioned him that Elli and Mitzy would come here to see the event..

2 days later

The Day of the visit of the Monster High have finally came, the Maze High students where waiting for their visit.

When they arrived, they started to take along

Name: Frankie Stein

Daughter of Frankenstein

Age: 16 (Days of life)

Specie: Living corpse (Frankenstein)

Frankie: *waved to the students* It's so nice to being here, I'm so glad that another school is having this kind of inclusion.

Spiral: Wow, you are like me

Frankie: You're like me too! By the way I'm Frankie Stein

Spiral: Spiral Stein, well the Stein part is just a nickname, my actual nickname is Hunterson

Frankie: Heheh, for one moment I thought that you were my cousin, by the way, Who builded you?

Spiral: A Couple of Scientist Elfs, my adoptive parents.

Frankie: Wow really? My grandfather builded me, Victor Frankenstein.

Spiral: Victor Frankenstein!!?? The original!? That's so cool!

Name: Clawdeen Wolf

Daughter of the Werewolf

Age: 16

Species: Werewolf

Clawdeen: do you really don't have Werewolves here?

Victor: Nope, mostly Weredogs and a Werefox, the only werewolf we have is the School guard Mr Derek the scary wolf standing behind us.

Name: Howleen Wolf

Daughter of the Werewolf

Age: 15

Species: Werewolf

Howleen: T-t-that man is really scary.

Victor: don't worry he is a nice guy, hehe

Amber:*goes to a Pink vampire girl* Uhhh~ are you the famous vegetarian vampire?

Draculaura: Uhm.. yes?

Amber: Eww did you bring your mutt with you?

Clawd: Grrrghh...

Amber: Ugh you give me-

Betrayus: *pushes Amber away* Draculaura!! You're here!

Name: Draculaura

Daughter of Dracula

Age: 1,600

Species: Vampire

Draculaura: Godfather Betrayus!? *Jumps to hug Betrayus* It's nice to see you again!

Betrayus: it's a pleasure too, sorry for not going to your 1,600 years party.

Draculaura: It's okay, i really loved the gifts you seended me

Name: Clawd Wolf

Son of the Werewolf

Age: 18

Species: Werewolf

Clawd: Godfather Betrayus?

Draculaura: Yeah, He is my dark baptism godfather.

Betrayus: Heya, you most be my Strawberry's Boyfriend, good work in making her happy.

Clawd: Really?.. you are not disagree with this?

Draculaura: Clawd, My godfather is married with a Jackalope.

Betrayus: and my hybrid son has a Werefox boyfriend.

Clawd: That's amazing! I never expected this.

Betrayus: Well welcome to the family Bud

Farley was looking for her friend between the monster high students

Farley: I wonder if-

Name: Toralei Stripe

Daughter of the Werecat

Age: 16

Species: Werecat

Farley: Tori!?

Toralei: Sheepdog!?

Farley: Tori!!

Toralei: Sheepdog

Farid and Farren: fuck..

Claw: Mew?

To be continued....

Stratos: *throws Farid and Farren a Shoe*

No swearing in front the kitten!!!

[kick-my-head]

TGWDLM Roller Rink AU

•Office party. Paul invited Emma and Hidgens is a regular.

•Emma high key could be in roller derby and knocks everyone onto the floor who gets into her path. Including children.

•Bill stops every 5 seconds to help a kid up, usually the result of Emma.

•Hidgens is the guy who could probably do a backflip and land perfectly on inlines, looks like a damn Olympic figure skater in those multicolored disco lights. We all know that guy.

•Paul and Ted can't skate for sHit. Paul gradually gets better, but Ted is just a horrible mess.

•Charlotte gets too confident and goes too fast for her own good, falling down every five minutes. Nobody ever helps her besides Bill.

•Ted uses a rolling stand to help him skate but he just falls more often because it's so small compared to him.

•Bill has to constantly avoid Ted trying to push him over, which isn't very hard.

•Mr. Davidson is there with Carol, having a good time being horrible at skating together.

•At some point Emma gets sucked into the small arcade section and spends $5 in quarters on the Skee Ball machine. She's not very good at it and doesn't care. Paul gives it a shot and does pretty well, but that only makes Emma want to beat his score.

•The chicken dance is a hot mess, and is the only time Hidgens falls. Not because of his error, but because Emma plows into him as she flaps her arms around aggressively. She was trying to avoid him for her own sake, but was too panicked by the aggressive commands of the song. Paul sits this one out and watches the mess.

•The music request list is always chaotic, but this particular night they have an abundance of obscure 80's music on the list. Most of the time the list is ignored, and Ted complains about it more than anybody else.

•One of Zoey's theater friends works the rental booth, and Emma refuses to return her skates to her. Paul ends up doing it for her, and tries hiding the fact that he's carrying around a pair of women's shoes. He can't find her after he gets her shoes, but Emma is back at the skee ball game.

Couples skate:

•Paul and Emma - They keep getting really close to falling, but just always end up in cute awkward poses and somehow realign themselves.

•Charlotte and Ted ( and Sam)- Char only wants someone to skate with, poor girl, and just stands against the wall while all the couples skate around her. Ted tried to get over to her smoothly, but pulled a muscle in the middle of the rink in the process and is on the floor. Sam is there, and who knows who he's with.

•Alice and Deb (and Bill) - They're both pretty good at skating and look great together in the rink. Both of them are sporting light up LED headbands, and their shirts stand out in the blacklight. They're matching, and clearly say "I'm with her -->" on the front. Bill follows about two yards behind, keeping close watch of the two.

•Hidgens - could be grading exams as he skated, for all we care. He's too good to partner with anybody else, and would probably fling them across the rink within a five minute time period.

This is my first ever AU, uhh... feel free to add, I guess? This here's fun to draw, so if you want to see anything in particular, just holla. I could even do asks for this, but honestly I don't think anyone would be that interested.

[rxceapk0]

The Best Free Android Apps For Sports Fans

Just like all the other categories of Android apps, the sports apps available for your Android phone are extremely diverse. In my opinion, this particular category may be the most diverse simply because of all the different sports that are played throughout the world. Of course with every sport comes hundreds of Android apps.

If, for instance, you're looking for an app that will allow you to keep up with the many European soccer leagues, you need to have at least some help before you start downloading apps. If you go in blind, chances are you will download ten apps that sound like they would do the trick before you find one that does half what you would want it to do! That's just how it is. I just hope that if you go about finding apps that way, you are doing so with free apps- otherwise you could be out hundreds of dollars pretty darn quick rxce apk.

One last note: I am going to concentrate on free Android sports apps that are popular now and will be popular in the future. Well that's obvious, right? Not exactly- a lot of the apps fly to the top of the rankings because it's a certain time of the year or a huge sporting event is going on (World Cup or the Olympics). I'm also looking into the pure quality of the app and the developer of the app. This way, if you want an awesome Football App (either US Football or regular Football), you should be pretty happy now and in the future with the one I list…

Although there are a lot of Android sports apps that do many more things than providing sports news, I'm concentrating on free Android apps for sports fans on this particular list.

Sporting News Pro Football

If you're a huge NFL fan, this app should be on your phone. This is a great app to have for game day or if you're like me and like to look up every stat for every player! The user interface is classy and not too crowded.

CBS Sports Pro Football

I really shouldn't have two pro football Android apps on my list, but it's the most popular sport in the US and after thinking about it, why not have three? Maybe I won't go that far. This is a great football app for everyone, but it's really geared towards those who play Fantasy Football through CBS Sports. Just login and you will have complete control over your fantasy team!

NBA Game Time Lite 2009-10

This is the official NBA Android app from last season. This coming season's app will surely be even better! It provides all the player and team stats, real-time scores and even TV information so that you can find out what channel your favorite team is playing on! If you're an NBA fan and you want a standalone pro basketball app, this is your best option.

F1 LIVE RACING

Are you a Formula 1 fan? I'll tell you what, honestly, I'm not much of a fan but that doesn't mean I don't love this app. This free Android sports app provides more than just live updates for every F1 race around the world. Plain and simple, the graphics and the features are fun. If you download this app, you won't be disappointed!

FotMob 5.0 - Live Soccer

The best soccer leagues from around the world are followed on this app. Some of them include the Premier League, Serie A, Primera Division and Allsvenskan. I could go on and on, but I really wouldn't have a clue about what I'm talking about, haha. I'll admit that I'm not the biggest soccer (football) fan, but I've looked through this app and it's a very solid, professionally built app that I would recommend to anyone.

ESPN ScoreCenter

I really shouldn't have to say much more than this is the official ESPN app. Heck, I'm not going to: ESPN is "The Worldwide Leader In Sports" after all!

SportsTap

This is again more of a sports portal. All of the big sports are covered by this app and it's obvious why hundreds of thousands of people really like it! It's tastefully done and you'll never complain about a lack of stats or information.

If you're looking for just one free Android sports app to satisfy your sports-fix, you can't go wrong with either ESPN ScoreCenter or SportsTap!

Major League Baseball News

There is borderline too much (not in a bad way) baseball information crammed into this app! If you can't get enough of MLB, you need to download this free Android app now. Along with all of the standard stats, standings and results, each team has their own page and you can customize your own RSS feed through this app!

MMA News

All the latest results, upcoming matches and octagon gossip you'd ever want! If you're into Mixed Martial Arts, this is the app to get. IMO, it blows away any other MMA-related Android app.

Sports Radio Droid

his radio app gives you the capability to listen to just about any sports show in the country! There's a healthy list of stations that are covered and I literally NEED this app when I go on vacation. Heaven forbid I'd be away from my sports talk show for a few days, haha. It's also a great app if you're living far away from your hometown and your favorite team.

[musicallisto]

an exhaustive (or so i tried) list of all the sports i've tried in my life (pt. 1)

whether that be in p.e. class or on my own initiative

dancing (ballet). did one year when I was 6. i liked it, and loved wearing my tutu and dancing shoes! but the other girls in the class were very cliquey, you know, all daughters of rich housewives who all already knew each other from rich kids daycare or something. so i felt pretty excluded, and it killed my enthusiasm. also, i think one time my mom picked me up one hour late because she was really busy, and i understand, but that hour i spent alone with no word from my mom at the dancing club was the most dreadful of my life. i quit after one year, and took up piano after that. which was slightly more successful. :)

football. or ~soccer~ i guess. it's virtually impossible to grow up in europe and not play football once. i really love it, but i'm pretty bad. it's ok though, i have a lot of fun! still play it with my friends every now and then. in primary school football it was THE shit and the only road to being popular, and in 5th grade i even played in a tournament with the other schools. i shall not mention the score. i like being goalie, but i'm 5'3" which makes my goalkeeping prowesses pretty scarce. i watch it pretty often on the tv though! (football is a major pillar for the cohesion of latin cultures and no one is allowed to not give a shit about it, whether you like it or not)

swimming. also have swam all of my life, not in a club but either with school or by myself from time to time. i'm far from any michael phelps, but i've only been getting better over the years! last time i really swam was in 11th grade p.e.: you could choose either 50m speed, or rescue, and because rescue implied dragging a 70kg mannequin through 200m and obstacles, my 55kg ass thought, "yeah, no, let's do the speed thing". i was a bit slow the first time but had a spectacular room for improvement over the weeks! ended up swimming the 50m in 52 sec i think. which may be twice as long as the olympic champions but i'm no olympic champion and i was proud ok :(

handball. my 5th grade teacher was the hugest handball fan on the planet. in fact i think my shortcomings in math today are from all the days in 2012 i spent playing handball instead of learning fractions. on the last day of primary school we caused a literal uprising (for reasons unrelated to handball) and the entire school followed, and when peace returned and it was time for teachers to punish the troublemakers, our prof just said "that wasn't nice. come on let's play handball." i remember liking it? not having very strong emotions toward it? those big steps you have to take before jumping and shooting were really fun. loved yelling at the opponents that they were In The Zone and it was foul ball.

tennis. ok. my history with tennis started with that same jock 5th grade teacher and ended within two hours of starting. i think i am the absolute worst person to ever hold a tennis racket, it was actually pretty distressing. i could barely serve even, but it wasn't on account of me not trying! i think... there's something in the blood of the french that just prevents us from being good at tennis, genetically. and it wasn't helped by the fact that every single one of my classmates had played or were playing in a club, and it was basically like a five year-old against djokovic. there's still some unspoken wounds between me and tennis, but for the most part i've forgiven it, in great part thanks to nadal winning roland garros every year. i only don't want to get close to a racket ever again. maybe in another life.

table tennis. here's my theory: i've never met a bitch who was good at tennis AND table tennis. your skill in table tennis is directly inversely proportional to your skill in tennis. which is obviously why i love it so much. it's fun! it's fast! it's competitive! it's technical! you might think table tennis is just tennis for softies, but think not! have you seen profesionnals play? they're standing five feet away from the table and hitting that ball at the speed of light, their reflexes are impressive to see. in my experience, all the tennis players i've played table against are too brutal, too rough, because they think they're on the court, and overestimate their advantage. also, as a leftie, left-handed privilege is real. table tennis was one of the sports i was evaluated on for my high school diploma and OBVIOUSLY forgot how to play when i was in front of the jury but i guess that's life. i bear no ill will to the superior sport, even if it let me down at the most crucial moment.

thèque, which is basically french baseball except the field is smaller and you get two tries hitting with the baseball bat and if you're really really bad with it you get one shot with the tennis racket. guess with which i was better. this was what we did in the last days of the school year when the teachers were too lazy to have us do anything productive so they just went, "take the bat and play thèque or something". some of my best memories involve thèque, and baseball is one of the few things that justify americans having rights because it's so much fun. the game is basically hitting a ball as hard as you can and running? and on all levels except physical i am a dog, so that's basically my idea of happiness. though i wasn't... very good... on the receiving team. but we were so good that we just kept scoring home runs and never had anyone out so we just always pitched <3 a fun moment was when someone walked over to the tennis racket, and the dog (how we call the one you have to throw the ball back at when you're on the defending team) started yelling "EVERYONE GET BACK SHE PLAYS TENNIS!!" and yeah, funnily enough, the tennis girl always hit that ball like it had stolen something from her. except those stratospherical throws were always caught on the fly. tennis idiots.

how many sports did you guys do in p.e. over your school years, and what were they? because I've been thinking about it and turns out my teachers were often huge jocks so I've done a lot