Ooh, ooh, water polo, better not forget about water polo! 
It’s definitely the…for lack of better word, quirkiest sport I’ve ever seen. The thing that really stands out is that everyone moves super-slow, probably the slowest team sport of all. Of course this is a practical necessity since it’s hard to keep one’s head above water and control direction at the same time, especially when holding a ball. As such, it’s hard to make out the game elements that are obvious in other team sports, like formations, transitions, breakaways, zones, and spot shadows. But the ball moves so quickly that a score can happen in a blink, sometimes when you’re not even expecting a shot. On the other hand, the goal is smaller than in handball and it’s harder to aim accurately. Because the water is such a great equalizer, I’m not seeing that offense or defense has a major advantage; it all comes down to ball movement, communication, and anticipation. I don’t see myself ever becoming a fan of this, but it’s an interesting experience. Definitely a better use of airtime than soccer! (Or tennis. Or golf…)
Re. Imane Khelif. The facts of the matter are that she’s born female and, medically, she’s a woman with elevated testosterone, not a man. Her nation, Algeria, openly outlaws transgenderism and would never have allowed her to compete if she wasn’t verifiably a woman. Therefore, how one alphabet soup organization BUNGLED the situation in the past doesn’t matter one microflyspeck. She was and is 100% legit, which meant that everyone facing her should’ve been damn well prepared to face a strong, merciless woman (which they should be freaking doing ANYWAY 
). Based on the description in the article (it’d help if I could see the actual fight, but that’s not crucial), it looked like Carini went in overconfident and/or careless, got nailed early by a big shot that did some real damage, and immediately got put on her heels and never recovered. I’ve seen this exact scenario numerous times in the UFC, so this is nothing unusual. The fight game is merciless. If you don’t keep your eyes open and your guard up, you can find yourself taking a nap very quickly. That said, plenty of fighters have managed to keep their reputations intact after humiliating or even crushing defeats. The keys are to keep a positive attitude, don’t whine, and, most critically, don’t make excuses. You definitely should not say stuff like “I have never felt a punch like this.” 
Either you’re backhandedly raising a bogus accusation against your opponent or admitting that you went in completely unprepared; there is no possible interpretation that makes you look good. And it opens you up to massive ridicule (which I can verify she is receiving on Twitter, at least). I hereby declare Carini as fully deserving of whatever she gets, and with that important point made, I will say no more about this subject, least of all address the tedious assembly-line bleatings of right-wing professional know-nothings who always get vastly too much attention regarding these hot-button topics, which is to say any whatsoever.
Dinsdale - Oh, too kind, too kind. It’s not easy putting in the effort to be excellent, but seeing these acknowledgments makes it all worth it. 
Folacin - Oh yeah, I just noticed. Good reminder that for every spectacular win, there’s a spectacular loss on the other side. Reminds me of that Rick Reilly column about the Miracle on Ice.
Mark_Finn - Thanks for the link. I honestly think this is the best possible resolution. The IOC wants to present a good face to the world; of course they’re not going to allow a nation presently committing wartime atrocities (and yes, I think Israel should’ve been excluded as well). But isn’t it wrong to penalize an athlete for the actions of its government? Of course…so don’t. Let them compete for their friends, their families, their coaches, and, most importantly, themselves. Any serious jock doesn’t give a damn about colors or medal counts.
Rilchiam - I talked about that one. Yeah, that sucked, but I’m a bit iffy about exclduing countries based on toxic attitudes…seems like too much of a slippery slope. I’d be perfectly fine with TV crews skipping to something else when something embarrassing starts happening.
Oh, and since you brought it up: Two awesome high jumpers sharing the gold at the Tokyo Olympics, and, as a bonus, two very classy pole vaulters doing the same at World Championships. Crowning moments of awesome. 