Ian Hale

Cumbrian in IL. Used to go to more loud gigs than healthy. The day to day account behind Ian's World Of Sports - @IanWorldofSport. Still mostly sports here.

[Ian Hale @EpicallyFailing]

Injuries, dumb penalties and just bizarre play calling from McVay have turned this from a very enjoyable watch to a very annoying one.

[Ian Hale @EpicallyFailing]

@pullbuoy Early days but the results thus far tend to support the theory that they were thinking more of here than the CGs.

Not sure if *everyone* has been quicker but lots much closer to trials times than they were in Glasgow, at least from day 1.

[Ian Hale @EpicallyFailing]

@pullbuoy It's also possible that we've hedged our bets and we'll end up with underwhelming results at both obviously (from memory, felt that way in Rome in 2022 to some degree). Which would be the worst result lol

[Ian Hale @EpicallyFailing]

@AthleticsGBR I'm unreasonably amused that Team Hammer decided to make a Shot Sandwich...

[Ian Hale @EpicallyFailing]

@Surreal_SH @pullbuoy The difference was that, for example, Angharad's trials performance was so far ahead of the rest of the Commonwealth field that she had far more leeway to play with and still top the podium.

[Ian Hale @EpicallyFailing]

@Surreal_SH @pullbuoy And that's saying nothing about people with greater history, or the ability to break through.

Vast majority of medalists from UK champs, no matter which of the home nations they were from, were slower than at trials. Which suggests the problem is bigger than just Eng.

[Ian Hale @EpicallyFailing]

@pullbuoy So an underwhelming meet for sure, but there are reasons why. Fundamentally, we just don't have a particularly dominant Commonwealth English swimmer in the way that Angharad is, for example. Or how ARP was in years gone.

[Ian Hale @EpicallyFailing]

@pullbuoy I don't think the majority of swims from the Aussies have been lights out though, they are just better generally, with a buffer to play with. A bit like Angharad did in her events.

Wood has looked off her best, but even that was covered by Smith's improvement.

[Simon Harris @SimonHarrisMBD]

This is incredible.

[Ian Hale @EpicallyFailing]

Senegal's squad is a boon for those pundits who like to pluralise things (your Henrys, your Shearers etc)

Because they can say your Mendys, your Ndiayes, your Dioufs, your Sarrs and your Gueyes.

And they would be correct, for once.

[Ian Hale @EpicallyFailing]

@gunnerblog comes to Chicago and we immediately get tornado warnings. I can't help thinking that is not a coincidence.

But if James's health is at risk as a result, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make if it helps Arsenal next season.

[Ian Hale @EpicallyFailing]

@F365 Over 52 matches, that's about 3.5k tickets per game unsold right now.

Obviously not great, but hardly a 'disaster'.

[Ian Hale @EpicallyFailing]

@James_Athletics Last year, from memory, the list of acceptances was updated throughout the week after the deadline. So I wouldn't be surprised if something similar happened. Wouldn't worry....yet.

[Ian Hale @EpicallyFailing]

@pullbuoy Definitely nobody in the 100m BR if we didn't take G I-B.

Although I'm obviously always happy to see other HNs doing well, I was being a bit parochial about England only. I suppose we'll have to live vicariously through Yorkshire's finest Northern Irishman on this occasion. 😂

[Ian Hale @EpicallyFailing]

@pullbuoy Yeah, I was putting Abbie into the medley relay in my head.

I was also trading off that relay for representation men's distance events & back up for Cox (presuming more likely that we see female BK in mixed than BR). But again, that's just me, I get why they did what they did.