XXVI World Carp Fishing Championship, North Macedonia, 2026
An administrator's report on the Israeli team's preparations and participation in the 26th World Carp Fishing Championships on Lake Mavrovo. This material is compiled from messages posted on the IsraFish Club forum.
August 13, 2026
August 13, 2026, 3:17 PM
Good afternoon everyone.
There are only 15 days left until the Israeli team departs for the World Carp Fishing Championships.
If all goes according to plan, we'll meet early in the morning on August 28th at Ben Gurion Airport. We'll probably have to put off sleep until the plane, but we're in high spirits.
A busy itinerary awaits us. At Sofia Airport (we're flying to Sofia, as El Al doesn't fly to Macedonia), we'll pick up three cars, load up our gear, and then stop at Pavel Toramanov's fishing tackle shop ( https://toromanovicarptackle.com/ ) to pick up our bait and other necessary supplies.
Then it's a long drive towards North Macedonia. It's five hours on toll roads, and about six on free roads.
We really hope everything goes smoothly at the border, as one of our cars is a cargo van, and they go through customs as a truck, not a passenger car.
Along the way, we plan to stop at a large supermarket for groceries for the first few days, and then arrive in Mavrovo by evening and check in.
This is just a plan for now, and as we know, any "little thing" can cause changes. But as an administrator, I'm hoping for the best.
And it looks like even the weather is going to be kind. Although the trip is still almost two weeks away, and forecasts are subject to change, for now, during the tournament, forecasters are expecting mild, warm weather during the day, without sweltering heat, and cool nights (17-22°C during the day and 6-11°C at night). Better that than 35°C heat...
I'll do my best to cover everything that's happening with the team in as much detail as possible, hosting live broadcasts, and uploading photos and videos. I can't promise I'll be able to do this on schedule, as I never know where or when I'll be or whether I'll be able to go live there.
Don't forget that we've had a new portal up and running for a year now, and you can already see a section dedicated to the World Championships:
Country list
The Weigh-In section will publish the protocols we receive from the organizing committee (ideally 3 times a day). You can see how it will look using the example of the last World Championships:
Official FIPS results
There, on the portal, you can always look at the map of sectors and zones, where the results will be updated in real time, immediately when the next protocol is submitted.
The main album will be available here: FaceBook Album , or on the forum: Forum Album So keep an eye on my messages
There are only 15 days left until the Israeli team departs for the World Carp Fishing Championships.
If all goes according to plan, we'll meet early in the morning on August 28th at Ben Gurion Airport. We'll probably have to put off sleep until the plane, but we're in high spirits.
A busy itinerary awaits us. At Sofia Airport (we're flying to Sofia, as El Al doesn't fly to Macedonia), we'll pick up three cars, load up our gear, and then stop at Pavel Toramanov's fishing tackle shop ( https://toromanovicarptackle.com/ ) to pick up our bait and other necessary supplies.
Then it's a long drive towards North Macedonia. It's five hours on toll roads, and about six on free roads.
We really hope everything goes smoothly at the border, as one of our cars is a cargo van, and they go through customs as a truck, not a passenger car.
Along the way, we plan to stop at a large supermarket for groceries for the first few days, and then arrive in Mavrovo by evening and check in.
This is just a plan for now, and as we know, any "little thing" can cause changes. But as an administrator, I'm hoping for the best.
And it looks like even the weather is going to be kind. Although the trip is still almost two weeks away, and forecasts are subject to change, for now, during the tournament, forecasters are expecting mild, warm weather during the day, without sweltering heat, and cool nights (17-22°C during the day and 6-11°C at night). Better that than 35°C heat...
I'll do my best to cover everything that's happening with the team in as much detail as possible, hosting live broadcasts, and uploading photos and videos. I can't promise I'll be able to do this on schedule, as I never know where or when I'll be or whether I'll be able to go live there.
Don't forget that we've had a new portal up and running for a year now, and you can already see a section dedicated to the World Championships:
Country list
The Weigh-In section will publish the protocols we receive from the organizing committee (ideally 3 times a day). You can see how it will look using the example of the last World Championships:
Official FIPS results
There, on the portal, you can always look at the map of sectors and zones, where the results will be updated in real time, immediately when the next protocol is submitted.
The main album will be available here: FaceBook Album , or on the forum: Forum Album So keep an eye on my messages
August 29, 2026
August 29, 2026, 10:54 AM
Good Saturday morning everyone!
While the coach isn't looking and hovering over my shoulder (during the World Cup, he reminds me a lot of the ensign from my Soviet Army days – a soldier can't sit idle), I'll try to briefly recount all the events of yesterday.
So, on the night between Thursday and Friday, with the help of my eldest son, I hauled my clothes outside, called a taxi, and went to the train station.
As always, given my pathological aversion to being late, I arrived 40 minutes before my train. I arrived at the airport at 3:47, and was already the last one – everyone had already arrived. But according to the new flight rules, check-in for flights opens exactly three hours before departure, so you could have arrived five hours before, but you would still have had to wait for check-in for your specific flight to open.
There's no need to describe the check-in itself; everything went smoothly. I had three things to do – pick up the euros I ordered, get a new PassportCard card, and pick up a couple of items I'd pre-ordered from Duty Free.
Along the way, I surprised the kids with a delicious homemade meat, cabbage, and apple pies made by my wife's sister, Yulia. They were a huge hit.
Boarding began on time, and Bashkurov and I almost missed it because we were smoking in the designated area. But the rush to board was ultimately unnecessary. We spent an hour and a half on the plane—someone had gotten sick, and they were debating whether to let them off or continue the flight.
Finally, the doctors gave the go-ahead, and we took off.
Considering it was almost 9 a.m., and we hadn't slept all night, most of us simply passed out and slept through the rest of the flight, including me.
Next came the standard baggage claim procedure—a very quick one. By the time we cleared passport control (and yes, according to new EU regulations, everyone arriving in the EU for the first time after January 2026 will have their fingerprints and face photo taken), our luggage was already spinning on the carousel, including the tubes. Next, we collected our cars from the very pleasant and helpful staff at Moto Pfohe Rent a Car, where we received three Ford minivans, each big enough to fit several full groups, and we headed to Pavel Toromanov's shop.
There, we picked up everything we'd ordered in advance: camping equipment, bait, and more. The guys working there treated us like our dearest guests, for which we are extremely grateful!
Pavel himself arrived, and he speaks excellent Russian, having lived in northern Russia during the Soviet era. He took us to a local restaurant, where 12 people had a very tasty and filling lunch for 220 euros (770 shekels), that is, 65 shekels per person, including Heineken craft beer and other extras.
Once we'd finished with all the Bulgarian business, we headed towards the Macedonian border.
But that's where things got a little rough :-)
The World Cup Organizing Committee was mostly concerned about entering Macedonia and had negotiated with Macedonian customs beforehand, but they didn't take into account that we still had to go through Bulgarian customs!
The Bulgarian customs officer, seeing the minivan crammed to the rafters, went into a frenzy (customs officers are the same all over the world, after all) and said, "No way!" The problem was that we were crossing the border with a country that isn't an EU member, meaning we wanted to export goods for sale without paying VAT!
Two things saved us: the documents I'd prepared in advance (including forms listing what we were carrying, adorned with colorful stamps (Photoshop and a color printer are your friend ;-) ), the conversations with Filip from the Macedonian Federation organizing committee, whom I called via WhatsApp and let him handle customs, and gifts for three customs officers (magnets with views of Jerusalem, crosses from Nazareth, and club badges). Luckily, Macedonian and Bulgarian are essentially the same language.
After a very tense 20 minutes at the Bulgarian border, we headed towards the Macedonian border, where, thanks to the same documents and without the gifts, we quickly found ourselves in North Macedonia and headed towards Skopje, where we had planned to visit a shopping mall.
We stopped several more times along the way to smoke and use the restroom, but finally, around 6 p.m., we arrived at the mall. There, I exchanged euros for denars, knowing the constant payment problems in such small countries, and the guys stocked up on groceries for the first couple of days.
My impressions of the grocery store were, to put it mildly, poor – the goods were scarce, and, as it turned out, everything was of very low quality – sausages, frankfurters – just like in the USSR in the 1990s.
We arrived in Mavrovo in the dark, around 9:30 PM. We were greeted by our hospitable owner, Darko. It turned out he also knew some Russian, having been a member of the Macedonian team at the Sochi Olympics and picked up
some of it there. The apartments are basically wooden chalets, very cozy, but rather unusual in terms of the sleeping arrangements and the toilet, which isn't just a combined shower – imagine a 1.5x1.5 meter shower stall with just a toilet on the left. There's no curtain or door... And yes, there are no fans or air conditioners, and it's 30 degrees outside!
Well, okay, we've seen worse and lived in worse conditions.
We hauled our gear to our rooms, Kolya quickly prepared a buffet, tea, and coffee, and everyone went about their business. The exhausted coaches went to bed, and I was still unpacking my suitcases—oh, one more thing—there are no closets in the rooms, not even closets! So, everything will have to be kept in a suitcase.
Oleg and Kolya settled in on the second floor, and I stayed in the living room, not on the sofa, since I need to work, and there's no table on the second floor—only beds.
The coaches got up very early and started discussing the day's tasks over my head; there's no time for sleep here.
Kolya made breakfast again—fried sausages, boiled eggs, chopped vegetables.
The guys ate and started disassembling the cars to check the condition of the rented property, and I sat down to write a report.
My plans for today include a quick trip to Gostivar, to the supermarket, and more food and water supplies. Also, household supplies—buckets, etc. Since we were a bit shortchanged, we'll have to find a way to resolve this issue. I believe everything will be fine.
Since Vova Fainerman is traveling with us, he'll be our main correspondent and will be doing video reports. I'll be focusing on photos and text.
I'll be uploading photos to the Forum Album and Facebook.
While the coach isn't looking and hovering over my shoulder (during the World Cup, he reminds me a lot of the ensign from my Soviet Army days – a soldier can't sit idle), I'll try to briefly recount all the events of yesterday.
So, on the night between Thursday and Friday, with the help of my eldest son, I hauled my clothes outside, called a taxi, and went to the train station.
As always, given my pathological aversion to being late, I arrived 40 minutes before my train. I arrived at the airport at 3:47, and was already the last one – everyone had already arrived. But according to the new flight rules, check-in for flights opens exactly three hours before departure, so you could have arrived five hours before, but you would still have had to wait for check-in for your specific flight to open.
There's no need to describe the check-in itself; everything went smoothly. I had three things to do – pick up the euros I ordered, get a new PassportCard card, and pick up a couple of items I'd pre-ordered from Duty Free.
Along the way, I surprised the kids with a delicious homemade meat, cabbage, and apple pies made by my wife's sister, Yulia. They were a huge hit.
Boarding began on time, and Bashkurov and I almost missed it because we were smoking in the designated area. But the rush to board was ultimately unnecessary. We spent an hour and a half on the plane—someone had gotten sick, and they were debating whether to let them off or continue the flight.
Finally, the doctors gave the go-ahead, and we took off.
Considering it was almost 9 a.m., and we hadn't slept all night, most of us simply passed out and slept through the rest of the flight, including me.
Next came the standard baggage claim procedure—a very quick one. By the time we cleared passport control (and yes, according to new EU regulations, everyone arriving in the EU for the first time after January 2026 will have their fingerprints and face photo taken), our luggage was already spinning on the carousel, including the tubes. Next, we collected our cars from the very pleasant and helpful staff at Moto Pfohe Rent a Car, where we received three Ford minivans, each big enough to fit several full groups, and we headed to Pavel Toromanov's shop.
There, we picked up everything we'd ordered in advance: camping equipment, bait, and more. The guys working there treated us like our dearest guests, for which we are extremely grateful!
Pavel himself arrived, and he speaks excellent Russian, having lived in northern Russia during the Soviet era. He took us to a local restaurant, where 12 people had a very tasty and filling lunch for 220 euros (770 shekels), that is, 65 shekels per person, including Heineken craft beer and other extras.
Once we'd finished with all the Bulgarian business, we headed towards the Macedonian border.
But that's where things got a little rough :-)
The World Cup Organizing Committee was mostly concerned about entering Macedonia and had negotiated with Macedonian customs beforehand, but they didn't take into account that we still had to go through Bulgarian customs!
The Bulgarian customs officer, seeing the minivan crammed to the rafters, went into a frenzy (customs officers are the same all over the world, after all) and said, "No way!" The problem was that we were crossing the border with a country that isn't an EU member, meaning we wanted to export goods for sale without paying VAT!
Two things saved us: the documents I'd prepared in advance (including forms listing what we were carrying, adorned with colorful stamps (Photoshop and a color printer are your friend ;-) ), the conversations with Filip from the Macedonian Federation organizing committee, whom I called via WhatsApp and let him handle customs, and gifts for three customs officers (magnets with views of Jerusalem, crosses from Nazareth, and club badges). Luckily, Macedonian and Bulgarian are essentially the same language.
After a very tense 20 minutes at the Bulgarian border, we headed towards the Macedonian border, where, thanks to the same documents and without the gifts, we quickly found ourselves in North Macedonia and headed towards Skopje, where we had planned to visit a shopping mall.
We stopped several more times along the way to smoke and use the restroom, but finally, around 6 p.m., we arrived at the mall. There, I exchanged euros for denars, knowing the constant payment problems in such small countries, and the guys stocked up on groceries for the first couple of days.
My impressions of the grocery store were, to put it mildly, poor – the goods were scarce, and, as it turned out, everything was of very low quality – sausages, frankfurters – just like in the USSR in the 1990s.
We arrived in Mavrovo in the dark, around 9:30 PM. We were greeted by our hospitable owner, Darko. It turned out he also knew some Russian, having been a member of the Macedonian team at the Sochi Olympics and picked up
some of it there. The apartments are basically wooden chalets, very cozy, but rather unusual in terms of the sleeping arrangements and the toilet, which isn't just a combined shower – imagine a 1.5x1.5 meter shower stall with just a toilet on the left. There's no curtain or door... And yes, there are no fans or air conditioners, and it's 30 degrees outside!
Well, okay, we've seen worse and lived in worse conditions.
We hauled our gear to our rooms, Kolya quickly prepared a buffet, tea, and coffee, and everyone went about their business. The exhausted coaches went to bed, and I was still unpacking my suitcases—oh, one more thing—there are no closets in the rooms, not even closets! So, everything will have to be kept in a suitcase.
Oleg and Kolya settled in on the second floor, and I stayed in the living room, not on the sofa, since I need to work, and there's no table on the second floor—only beds.
The coaches got up very early and started discussing the day's tasks over my head; there's no time for sleep here.
Kolya made breakfast again—fried sausages, boiled eggs, chopped vegetables.
The guys ate and started disassembling the cars to check the condition of the rented property, and I sat down to write a report.
My plans for today include a quick trip to Gostivar, to the supermarket, and more food and water supplies. Also, household supplies—buckets, etc. Since we were a bit shortchanged, we'll have to find a way to resolve this issue. I believe everything will be fine.
Since Vova Fainerman is traveling with us, he'll be our main correspondent and will be doing video reports. I'll be focusing on photos and text.
I'll be uploading photos to the Forum Album and Facebook.
August 29, 2026, 10:20 PM
Continuation of the report for Saturday, August 29,
2026.
It's 10:50 PM outside, 11:50 PM in Israel.
All the guys have gone to bed, which means I can sit and type.
In the morning, Oleg went to see the lake he was planning to use for casting practice, about an hour's drive from us.
Meanwhile, the rest of the main team was sorting out their gear, winding lines, checking tents, and so on.
It was incredibly hot. It wasn't much better inside the house; as I already mentioned, there's no cooling at all. And the potbelly stove with its chimney is simply a mockery.
In such heat, no one was particularly hungry; just a light buffet, no frills.
I mostly chatted with the guys, squaring off finances, sometimes driving the coach hysterical with the fact that I had either too many euros or a catastrophic shortage. But he's used to it; he's a foreman, with a huge number of calculations, used to mentally juggling large sums, while I'm very far removed from money. Both literally and figuratively :-)
Considering that the groceries we'd bought on the way from Bulgaria were starting to run out, we sent messengers (Vova Fayerman and Zhenya Pitetsky) to the store the landlord had recommended. But the guys ended up stocking up at another store, which had a wider selection and lower prices.
I pestered Darko (that's the name of the apartment's owner) for a long time, wondering if he could find a large barbecue, and finally he called me outside and said, "Help me carry it." I was actually quite surprised, as Draco is a professional athlete, and I wouldn't call him frail—skinny, but very sinewy and muscular. But when I approached his car and peered into the trunk, I was a little taken aback.
There was something lying there, the size of a rather large trunk—square, and, as I realized after trying to lift it, weighing almost a hundred kilograms. With great difficulty, I was able to lift it, but not lift it—only the grate. The grill itself was out of the question. I had to call all the athletes for help. Draco had a large garden wheelbarrow; I don't think even without it, even all the guys together, would have been able to drag it all the way home.
I honestly tried to figure out what this grill was made of, and why they made it like that? To prevent it from being stolen? I don't have an answer, maybe you can help?
When the messengers returned with the groceries—they had bought fresh meat for the barbecue at Kolya's request—they debated for a long time whether to cook the meat today or tomorrow, and in the end, they decided to go to a restaurant five minutes' walk away.
I've had no appetite for two days now, so I stayed behind to guard the property. Kolya stayed with me; he's not feeling well. Oh, and Vlad and Max went to check the sector layout (and stomped through two zones!), so they didn't get to the restaurant either.
According to those who were there, the food was much better than in Sofia, and the price was 105 euros for eight people, and no one denied themselves anything. And, by the way, just like in Sofia, the portion sizes are completely different from those in Israel.
Afterwards, we chatted a bit more, Oleg gave the schedule for tomorrow (the athletes are heading to training) and sent everyone off to bed, since they have to get up at 7 a.m.
Naturally, they'll wake me up too, since the kitchen is a meter from my couch, and it's impossible to quietly prepare breakfast for a crowd (we cook everything on our stove).
But I have a chance to try to catch up on some sleep, if it doesn't get too hot again. Well, we'll see.
I'll write back tomorrow after the team returns from training, around lunchtime. Well, maybe I'll get a couple of photos from them along the way and post them.
So don't go far.
And may you all be healthy!
Until then!
It's 10:50 PM outside, 11:50 PM in Israel.
All the guys have gone to bed, which means I can sit and type.
In the morning, Oleg went to see the lake he was planning to use for casting practice, about an hour's drive from us.
Meanwhile, the rest of the main team was sorting out their gear, winding lines, checking tents, and so on.
It was incredibly hot. It wasn't much better inside the house; as I already mentioned, there's no cooling at all. And the potbelly stove with its chimney is simply a mockery.
In such heat, no one was particularly hungry; just a light buffet, no frills.
I mostly chatted with the guys, squaring off finances, sometimes driving the coach hysterical with the fact that I had either too many euros or a catastrophic shortage. But he's used to it; he's a foreman, with a huge number of calculations, used to mentally juggling large sums, while I'm very far removed from money. Both literally and figuratively :-)
Considering that the groceries we'd bought on the way from Bulgaria were starting to run out, we sent messengers (Vova Fayerman and Zhenya Pitetsky) to the store the landlord had recommended. But the guys ended up stocking up at another store, which had a wider selection and lower prices.
I pestered Darko (that's the name of the apartment's owner) for a long time, wondering if he could find a large barbecue, and finally he called me outside and said, "Help me carry it." I was actually quite surprised, as Draco is a professional athlete, and I wouldn't call him frail—skinny, but very sinewy and muscular. But when I approached his car and peered into the trunk, I was a little taken aback.
There was something lying there, the size of a rather large trunk—square, and, as I realized after trying to lift it, weighing almost a hundred kilograms. With great difficulty, I was able to lift it, but not lift it—only the grate. The grill itself was out of the question. I had to call all the athletes for help. Draco had a large garden wheelbarrow; I don't think even without it, even all the guys together, would have been able to drag it all the way home.
I honestly tried to figure out what this grill was made of, and why they made it like that? To prevent it from being stolen? I don't have an answer, maybe you can help?
When the messengers returned with the groceries—they had bought fresh meat for the barbecue at Kolya's request—they debated for a long time whether to cook the meat today or tomorrow, and in the end, they decided to go to a restaurant five minutes' walk away.
I've had no appetite for two days now, so I stayed behind to guard the property. Kolya stayed with me; he's not feeling well. Oh, and Vlad and Max went to check the sector layout (and stomped through two zones!), so they didn't get to the restaurant either.
According to those who were there, the food was much better than in Sofia, and the price was 105 euros for eight people, and no one denied themselves anything. And, by the way, just like in Sofia, the portion sizes are completely different from those in Israel.
Afterwards, we chatted a bit more, Oleg gave the schedule for tomorrow (the athletes are heading to training) and sent everyone off to bed, since they have to get up at 7 a.m.
Naturally, they'll wake me up too, since the kitchen is a meter from my couch, and it's impossible to quietly prepare breakfast for a crowd (we cook everything on our stove).
But I have a chance to try to catch up on some sleep, if it doesn't get too hot again. Well, we'll see.
I'll write back tomorrow after the team returns from training, around lunchtime. Well, maybe I'll get a couple of photos from them along the way and post them.
So don't go far.
And may you all be healthy!
Until then!
August 30, 2026
August 30, 2026, 4:59 PM
Sunday, August 30, 2026.
In the morning, the coach and athletes left for the "pokidushki." Only I, Kolya, Vova, and Zhenya remained at the "camp" (otherwise we would have had to drive another car).
It was much colder last night than yesterday, when I calmly went out for a smoke in my underwear. Now I had to put on pants and a jacket.
But as soon as the sun came out, it was utterly unbearable.
We survived as best we could. Vova and Zhenya went to a cafe for a bite to eat, Kolya slept, and I finally got access to my work computer and was able to start sorting through the mess that had accumulated since Wednesday. Believe me, it wasn't easy. People often ask me why the hell I'm handling work emails on vacation. I explain: if I don't do this, I'll have about 150 emails waiting for me when I return, a third of which are extremely urgent. Our company only has one person working as a technical support engineer. And I love my company.
The guys returned around one o'clock, having grabbed a bite at a cafe near the training site.
We're planning to grill some meat this evening; what was the point of all those hours dragging the grill?
Tomorrow morning we'll go to the national team registration, and there aren't really any other major tasks for tomorrow. There's always the matter of sorting through and inspecting all the gear, distributing bait, and making the necessary purchases for the World Championship itself, and then again for the next three days.
Tuesday morning is the first draw—sectors (three sectors, also known as rings). In the evening is the tournament opening ceremony.
Wednesday is the zone draw (which pair will be assigned where), and right after that, the pairs head to their sectors.
So, don't expect any particularly interesting reports from me in the next couple of days. Where we ate and how we slept—I doubt it'll be very interesting. If there's any important information, I'll definitely share it.
Until then, see you in touch!
In the morning, the coach and athletes left for the "pokidushki." Only I, Kolya, Vova, and Zhenya remained at the "camp" (otherwise we would have had to drive another car).
It was much colder last night than yesterday, when I calmly went out for a smoke in my underwear. Now I had to put on pants and a jacket.
But as soon as the sun came out, it was utterly unbearable.
We survived as best we could. Vova and Zhenya went to a cafe for a bite to eat, Kolya slept, and I finally got access to my work computer and was able to start sorting through the mess that had accumulated since Wednesday. Believe me, it wasn't easy. People often ask me why the hell I'm handling work emails on vacation. I explain: if I don't do this, I'll have about 150 emails waiting for me when I return, a third of which are extremely urgent. Our company only has one person working as a technical support engineer. And I love my company.
The guys returned around one o'clock, having grabbed a bite at a cafe near the training site.
We're planning to grill some meat this evening; what was the point of all those hours dragging the grill?
Tomorrow morning we'll go to the national team registration, and there aren't really any other major tasks for tomorrow. There's always the matter of sorting through and inspecting all the gear, distributing bait, and making the necessary purchases for the World Championship itself, and then again for the next three days.
Tuesday morning is the first draw—sectors (three sectors, also known as rings). In the evening is the tournament opening ceremony.
Wednesday is the zone draw (which pair will be assigned where), and right after that, the pairs head to their sectors.
So, don't expect any particularly interesting reports from me in the next couple of days. Where we ate and how we slept—I doubt it'll be very interesting. If there's any important information, I'll definitely share it.
Until then, see you in touch!
August 30, 2026, 10:56 PM
Sunday, August 30, 2026, continued.
As I wrote, despite the athletes' resistance, we decided to stick to tradition and grill some meat.
While the guys were lighting the fire, Vitya and Liza, representatives of Katran, came to visit. As the coach said, "You've come at a very opportune time, and we won't let you go until we feed you."
Somehow, it turned out that Vova Suprun and I were left by the grill, and Max joined us a little later, but I'm used to that. The local coals, however, turned out to be complete crap. They didn't light well and burned out very quickly. In the end, we had to make a second attempt, although this time we used not only the coals but also the firewood, which was piled in abundance near the house.
It ended up taking almost twice as long as we'd expected, but eventually, bowls and plates of pork neck steaks, pargit (meat removed from chicken legs), and some local kebab-like dish the size of a child's finger were ceremoniously placed on the table. Two kinds of pickles and olives also went on the side. All of this (with the coach's permission) was topped off with 0.5 Heineken.
We had a wonderful time reminiscing about past championships and all the funny (and not so funny) events that took place there.
Around 9 pm, the guests went to their house (from which, by the way, you can see the Israeli flag proudly waving in our yard), and we continued our heartfelt conversations over a cup of coffee or tea.
It's almost midnight now, all the athletes, including the coach, are asleep, and I'm checking my work email and sipping a Fanta (I know I shouldn't and there's no need to yell at me like that).
Tomorrow the athletes will go shopping for everything they might need in the sectors (gas is a particular problem, or rather, gas is sold, but we still need to find suitable diffusers), food, water, and other things. Oleg and I will go to registration. But since registration is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., there's no particular rush. And we need to fill up. It's
just as chilly outside as it was yesterday. The forecast is changing and they're already starting to predict rain - tomorrow and September 2nd. Well, we'll see, I know your forecasts.
I'll go to bed too, my back hurts.
Stay tuned for more.
As I wrote, despite the athletes' resistance, we decided to stick to tradition and grill some meat.
While the guys were lighting the fire, Vitya and Liza, representatives of Katran, came to visit. As the coach said, "You've come at a very opportune time, and we won't let you go until we feed you."
Somehow, it turned out that Vova Suprun and I were left by the grill, and Max joined us a little later, but I'm used to that. The local coals, however, turned out to be complete crap. They didn't light well and burned out very quickly. In the end, we had to make a second attempt, although this time we used not only the coals but also the firewood, which was piled in abundance near the house.
It ended up taking almost twice as long as we'd expected, but eventually, bowls and plates of pork neck steaks, pargit (meat removed from chicken legs), and some local kebab-like dish the size of a child's finger were ceremoniously placed on the table. Two kinds of pickles and olives also went on the side. All of this (with the coach's permission) was topped off with 0.5 Heineken.
We had a wonderful time reminiscing about past championships and all the funny (and not so funny) events that took place there.
Around 9 pm, the guests went to their house (from which, by the way, you can see the Israeli flag proudly waving in our yard), and we continued our heartfelt conversations over a cup of coffee or tea.
It's almost midnight now, all the athletes, including the coach, are asleep, and I'm checking my work email and sipping a Fanta (I know I shouldn't and there's no need to yell at me like that).
Tomorrow the athletes will go shopping for everything they might need in the sectors (gas is a particular problem, or rather, gas is sold, but we still need to find suitable diffusers), food, water, and other things. Oleg and I will go to registration. But since registration is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., there's no particular rush. And we need to fill up. It's
just as chilly outside as it was yesterday. The forecast is changing and they're already starting to predict rain - tomorrow and September 2nd. Well, we'll see, I know your forecasts.
I'll go to bed too, my back hurts.
Stay tuned for more.
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August 31, 2026
August 31, 2026, 9:13 AM
Monday, August 31, 2026, morning
. Local time: 8:30 a.m.
I apologize in advance for the fact that my reports yesterday were, well, not entirely truthful, but there's a reason for that, and you'll understand it below.
My second coach, Kolya Brigorenko, has developed serious health problems. In fact, they arose even before the trip, but Kolya, like all stubborn males, decided that war was nothing, and canceling the trip over some "nonsense" was unmanly.
The problems began two hours before arriving in Mavrovo, on the road, but Kolya carefully concealed his condition from everyone.
Unfortunately, his condition didn't improve, and the day before yesterday his condition was so poor that we (and he had to accept it) decided to send Kolya home. We contacted Ira, Kolya's wife, who, naturally, 100% supported this decision and bought Kolya a ticket on a flight from Sofia, scheduled to depart at 5:45 AM that morning.
Vova Fainerman and Zhenya Pitetsky said they wouldn't let us send Kolya by taxi, that they wouldn't abandon their own people and would personally deliver him to the airport (which, mind you, is over six hours one way, plus a return trip).
At 6 PM, they loaded Kolya and his suitcase into the car and drove away. I didn't go to bed until I received a text that they were already at the airport. After that, I agreed with Vova that they would send me private messages about their progress – I'm a very light sleeper, so I'll be alert to sounds and know whether everything is okay (or not).
When Kolya's message arrived that he was already in Israel, a weight was lifted from my heart.
In the end, I slept for a couple of hours again, especially since at half past six in the morning, everyone from the national team started coming to our apartment for a cup of tea or coffee. Oh, and I forgot to mention at the very beginning that our apartment is the only one with a proper, large refrigerator, so all the food supplies are stored here. And all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners are held on our veranda, where we dragged in a long table and two benches.
Honestly, we've suffered a serious loss. The departure of our second coach right before the start of the World Championships is very sad. We're happy that Vova Feinerman agreed to replace Kolya in this position. We wish Kolya a speedy recovery and believe that he will be our guardian angel many more times!
Vova and Zhenya returned an hour ago, and I felt another sense of relief. The unexpected, and not very pleasant, adventure is over.
The athletes are now heading out to the shops and will also fill up their cars with gas.
After that, Oleg, Vova, and I will go to the registration, and I'll tell you how it went.
Peace and health to everyone!
. Local time: 8:30 a.m.
I apologize in advance for the fact that my reports yesterday were, well, not entirely truthful, but there's a reason for that, and you'll understand it below.
My second coach, Kolya Brigorenko, has developed serious health problems. In fact, they arose even before the trip, but Kolya, like all stubborn males, decided that war was nothing, and canceling the trip over some "nonsense" was unmanly.
The problems began two hours before arriving in Mavrovo, on the road, but Kolya carefully concealed his condition from everyone.
Unfortunately, his condition didn't improve, and the day before yesterday his condition was so poor that we (and he had to accept it) decided to send Kolya home. We contacted Ira, Kolya's wife, who, naturally, 100% supported this decision and bought Kolya a ticket on a flight from Sofia, scheduled to depart at 5:45 AM that morning.
Vova Fainerman and Zhenya Pitetsky said they wouldn't let us send Kolya by taxi, that they wouldn't abandon their own people and would personally deliver him to the airport (which, mind you, is over six hours one way, plus a return trip).
At 6 PM, they loaded Kolya and his suitcase into the car and drove away. I didn't go to bed until I received a text that they were already at the airport. After that, I agreed with Vova that they would send me private messages about their progress – I'm a very light sleeper, so I'll be alert to sounds and know whether everything is okay (or not).
When Kolya's message arrived that he was already in Israel, a weight was lifted from my heart.
In the end, I slept for a couple of hours again, especially since at half past six in the morning, everyone from the national team started coming to our apartment for a cup of tea or coffee. Oh, and I forgot to mention at the very beginning that our apartment is the only one with a proper, large refrigerator, so all the food supplies are stored here. And all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners are held on our veranda, where we dragged in a long table and two benches.
Honestly, we've suffered a serious loss. The departure of our second coach right before the start of the World Championships is very sad. We're happy that Vova Feinerman agreed to replace Kolya in this position. We wish Kolya a speedy recovery and believe that he will be our guardian angel many more times!
Vova and Zhenya returned an hour ago, and I felt another sense of relief. The unexpected, and not very pleasant, adventure is over.
The athletes are now heading out to the shops and will also fill up their cars with gas.
After that, Oleg, Vova, and I will go to the registration, and I'll tell you how it went.
Peace and health to everyone!
August 31, 2026, 3:24 PM
August 31, 2026, 10:06 PM
Monday, August 31, 2026, evening
. 10 PM local time.
In the morning, the guys went shopping to buy everything they needed—gas, buckets, and so on.
After returning, Oleg, Feinerman, Suprun, Max, and I went to the draw in Oleg's car.
Vitya and Liza, representatives of Katran, who are registered as our team's correspondents, were already there.
The registration itself went very quickly: we checked the lists, made changes to the coaching staff, and added Feinerman instead of Brigorenko. We received our name badges and headed home. It's a three-minute drive from our house to the registration point (where the draws and briefings will also take place).
Then it's routine—the athletes prepare, and I try to work.
We booked a table at a cafe located literally below our house. We went out and had dinner, which cost 15 euros per person. We returned.
And so the day went.
Tomorrow at 10 a.m. we're heading to the draw. I don't know who else will want to go besides me, Oleg, and Fainerman (who's broadcasting live). Basically, the guys want to go to the grocery store and stock up on food for the entire tournament. Although the coaches can always bring them any groceries, it's better not to count on it and be fully prepared.
Yes, I'd like to apologize for the sector map currently posted on the portal—the organizers changed the markings at the last minute, swapping the zones. Where zones A and B were, they're now B and C. A was moved to C.
I'm currently working on correcting the map, and as soon as I do, I'll let you know.
See you tomorrow. Be ready at 11 a.m. Israel time to follow the page https://www.facebook.com/watch/vova.fainerman/
. 10 PM local time.
In the morning, the guys went shopping to buy everything they needed—gas, buckets, and so on.
After returning, Oleg, Feinerman, Suprun, Max, and I went to the draw in Oleg's car.
Vitya and Liza, representatives of Katran, who are registered as our team's correspondents, were already there.
The registration itself went very quickly: we checked the lists, made changes to the coaching staff, and added Feinerman instead of Brigorenko. We received our name badges and headed home. It's a three-minute drive from our house to the registration point (where the draws and briefings will also take place).
Then it's routine—the athletes prepare, and I try to work.
We booked a table at a cafe located literally below our house. We went out and had dinner, which cost 15 euros per person. We returned.
Tomorrow at 10 a.m. we're heading to the draw. I don't know who else will want to go besides me, Oleg, and Fainerman (who's broadcasting live). Basically, the guys want to go to the grocery store and stock up on food for the entire tournament. Although the coaches can always bring them any groceries, it's better not to count on it and be fully prepared.
Yes, I'd like to apologize for the sector map currently posted on the portal—the organizers changed the markings at the last minute, swapping the zones. Where zones A and B were, they're now B and C. A was moved to C.
I'm currently working on correcting the map, and as soon as I do, I'll let you know.
See you tomorrow. Be ready at 11 a.m. Israel time to follow the page https://www.facebook.com/watch/vova.fainerman/
September 1, 2026
September 1, 2026, 9:40 PM
Tuesday, September 1, 2026, evening
. Local time: 9 PM.
Since the day was so busy, I didn't have time to write a report, but I was regularly posting photos on Facebook and WhatsApp. For those who don't have Facebook or are not in the IsraFish newsgroup, well, sorry, I only just got around to the forum now.
In the morning, we went to the first draw. Since we drew the 31st number in the queue, we had a long wait. The only good news is that someone drew the 33rd number.
After that, we returned to the base, and the athletes went grocery shopping.
After returning, some of the guys went to a cafe for lunch (and made a big mistake), and we decided to make boiled potatoes with stew (well, at least Zhenya, who bought the canned goods, was sure it was stew).
I quickly peeled a couple of kilos of potatoes and put them on to boil. When I opened the first can of "stewed meat," it turned out to be ready-made goulash: a third of the can was meat, two-thirds was soup. I chopped two large onions, sautéed them, poured the soup into a separate saucepan, and mixed the meat and onions. When the potatoes were done, I drained the water and added the mixture. Then I topped them up with soup. Zhenya arrived, made a delicious salad, and in the end, we had lunch, which the remaining team members devoured in a couple of minutes.
Those who went to the cafe, however, returned very disappointed—due to the sheer number of team members, the cafe simply couldn't handle the influx, and the wait time (and, incidentally, the portion sizes) were beyond reproach.
After lunch, the athletes continued with their daily activities, and at 5:30 PM, all the team members, beautifully dressed in their uniforms, headed to the ceremony site. It was the same place we'd already been twice—a large square with tables for each nation and a stage.
Initially, everything moved very quickly – they called the countries alphabetically, the national anthem played for about 10 seconds, and then called on the next ones.
But then the official part began, which I really dislike – speeches by presidents, mayors, ministers, and so on. And since each speech was in two languages and lasted 10-15 minutes – well, you can imagine.
Towards the end, my legs started cramping from standing in one place for so long. Oleg decided there was no point in waiting for the program to end, and we slowly made our way home.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that halfway through the ceremony, the broadcast hosted by Fainerman cut out and couldn't be resumed. We tried different phones – Oleg's, Zhenya's, Vitya's from Katran, and mine – but it was clear there was a clear signal problem.
In the end, we had to set Vovin's phone to simply record video, and then, when the signal was restored, upload it separately.
At this point, the guys have already packed all their gear into their vehicles. Each vehicle is assigned to a specific zone, just like the runners—each zone has its own runner, and in Zone A, instead of a runner, there's a second coach, Vova Fainerman.
We're up tomorrow at 6 a.m.; we need to have breakfast before 8 a.m., double-check everything, and then head off to the final draw, where we'll find out which sectors our fighters will be spending the next 72 hours in.
As you can imagine, I won't be able to write a report until this evening. It's impossible to do on my phone, and I don't really want to lug a computer around. Although, maybe I'll change my mind.
So, until the morning—keep your fingers crossed for the guys (I'm talking about the draw)
. Good night, everyone!
. Local time: 9 PM.
Since the day was so busy, I didn't have time to write a report, but I was regularly posting photos on Facebook and WhatsApp. For those who don't have Facebook or are not in the IsraFish newsgroup, well, sorry, I only just got around to the forum now.
In the morning, we went to the first draw. Since we drew the 31st number in the queue, we had a long wait. The only good news is that someone drew the 33rd number.
After that, we returned to the base, and the athletes went grocery shopping.
After returning, some of the guys went to a cafe for lunch (and made a big mistake), and we decided to make boiled potatoes with stew (well, at least Zhenya, who bought the canned goods, was sure it was stew).
I quickly peeled a couple of kilos of potatoes and put them on to boil. When I opened the first can of "stewed meat," it turned out to be ready-made goulash: a third of the can was meat, two-thirds was soup. I chopped two large onions, sautéed them, poured the soup into a separate saucepan, and mixed the meat and onions. When the potatoes were done, I drained the water and added the mixture. Then I topped them up with soup. Zhenya arrived, made a delicious salad, and in the end, we had lunch, which the remaining team members devoured in a couple of minutes.
Those who went to the cafe, however, returned very disappointed—due to the sheer number of team members, the cafe simply couldn't handle the influx, and the wait time (and, incidentally, the portion sizes) were beyond reproach.
After lunch, the athletes continued with their daily activities, and at 5:30 PM, all the team members, beautifully dressed in their uniforms, headed to the ceremony site. It was the same place we'd already been twice—a large square with tables for each nation and a stage.
Initially, everything moved very quickly – they called the countries alphabetically, the national anthem played for about 10 seconds, and then called on the next ones.
But then the official part began, which I really dislike – speeches by presidents, mayors, ministers, and so on. And since each speech was in two languages and lasted 10-15 minutes – well, you can imagine.
Towards the end, my legs started cramping from standing in one place for so long. Oleg decided there was no point in waiting for the program to end, and we slowly made our way home.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that halfway through the ceremony, the broadcast hosted by Fainerman cut out and couldn't be resumed. We tried different phones – Oleg's, Zhenya's, Vitya's from Katran, and mine – but it was clear there was a clear signal problem.
In the end, we had to set Vovin's phone to simply record video, and then, when the signal was restored, upload it separately.
At this point, the guys have already packed all their gear into their vehicles. Each vehicle is assigned to a specific zone, just like the runners—each zone has its own runner, and in Zone A, instead of a runner, there's a second coach, Vova Fainerman.
We're up tomorrow at 6 a.m.; we need to have breakfast before 8 a.m., double-check everything, and then head off to the final draw, where we'll find out which sectors our fighters will be spending the next 72 hours in.
As you can imagine, I won't be able to write a report until this evening. It's impossible to do on my phone, and I don't really want to lug a computer around. Although, maybe I'll change my mind.
So, until the morning—keep your fingers crossed for the guys (I'm talking about the draw)
. Good night, everyone!
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September 2, 2026
September 2, 2026, 9:29 AM
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September 2, 2026, 9:50 PM
Wednesday, September 2, 2026, evening
. Local time, nine thirty.
Like yesterday, I simply didn't get around to reporting.
In the morning, we went to the final draw. Oleg drew combination #18 (see above) and immediately rushed off to transport the guys to their zones. Since I wasn't really needed at first, Oleg dropped me off near my house, fortunately the road runs right underneath it.
I needed to log on to my work computer and clear away another pile of rubble, and before I knew it, a couple of hours had passed.
Then Oleg asked me to contact the owner of the house and ask if he knew where I could buy a couple of folding chairs—we'd somehow forgotten about the runners, who need a place to sit.
The owner had business in Skopje, and he kindly agreed to stop by the hardware store.
There he bought us some chairs, and a couple more buckets for bait, which Oleg had already asked for.
By this time, the tournament had already begun, and the runners were running around the sectors, keeping an eye on their opponents.
Around 7 pm, I started making dinner, since I was home anyway, and everyone had just arrived.
And literally right then, a message came from the Wilson brothers that they'd gotten wet. Hooray, comrades!
We had dinner in a good mood and everyone went to bed, as we had to get up at 7 a.m.
I was sitting with my portal, where we'd added the results from the Carp Arena website as an additional source. So now we can see both our version of the report, based on the FIPS protocols, and from the tournament organizers.
Tomorrow, Oleg and I will go to one of the zones and stay there until lunch. I'll try to film our guys, maybe even interview them.
The link below is my portal, where all the results are.
official FIPS protocols
See you tomorrow!
. Local time, nine thirty.
Like yesterday, I simply didn't get around to reporting.
In the morning, we went to the final draw. Oleg drew combination #18 (see above) and immediately rushed off to transport the guys to their zones. Since I wasn't really needed at first, Oleg dropped me off near my house, fortunately the road runs right underneath it.
I needed to log on to my work computer and clear away another pile of rubble, and before I knew it, a couple of hours had passed.
Then Oleg asked me to contact the owner of the house and ask if he knew where I could buy a couple of folding chairs—we'd somehow forgotten about the runners, who need a place to sit.
The owner had business in Skopje, and he kindly agreed to stop by the hardware store.
There he bought us some chairs, and a couple more buckets for bait, which Oleg had already asked for.
By this time, the tournament had already begun, and the runners were running around the sectors, keeping an eye on their opponents.
Around 7 pm, I started making dinner, since I was home anyway, and everyone had just arrived.
And literally right then, a message came from the Wilson brothers that they'd gotten wet. Hooray, comrades!
We had dinner in a good mood and everyone went to bed, as we had to get up at 7 a.m.
I was sitting with my portal, where we'd added the results from the Carp Arena website as an additional source. So now we can see both our version of the report, based on the FIPS protocols, and from the tournament organizers.
Tomorrow, Oleg and I will go to one of the zones and stay there until lunch. I'll try to film our guys, maybe even interview them.
The link below is my portal, where all the results are.
official FIPS protocols
See you tomorrow!
September 3, 2026
September 3, 2026, 10:35 PM
Thursday, September 3, 2026, evening
. Local time: 10 PM.
What a day it was...
We woke up around five-thirty, Zhenya whipped up some eggs and sausage, hopped in the cars, and headed off. Vova headed to zone A, to Bashkurov and Kurbatov, Zhenya was dropped off in zone C (the brothers), and Oleg and I headed to zone B, to Vlad and Max.
Their sector was one of the most challenging for us, as it was the only one that hadn't yet produced any fish. Catching fish in this sector was crucial for the team.
And, as luck would have it, it was while I was in that zone that they got a bite, which they capitalized on.
My delight at that moment is indescribable. And it was worth it – our team ended up in third place overall for part of the day!
Looking ahead, I'll say that we're currently in fourth
place.
Anyone who knows the history of the Israeli team at the World Championships will know
that we've never managed to climb so high. I'm not saying we'll finish there—we'll do everything we can—but there are 32 other teams, many of them very strong. But! The very fact that we were able to climb so high speaks to the head coach's sound tactics and strategy, his understanding of the carp's preferences in this body of water, and his ability to form the right pairings.
As you know, every barrel of honey can have a fly in the ointment. Our team's success has sparked unhealthy interest from other teams, often not entirely friendly toward Israel. One of them literally began to hound us, first filing complaints against the guys in Zone A, then moving to Zone B and continuing their tactics of harassing the athletes there.
I don't know about the athletes, but they definitely pissed Oleg off. I was afraid he'd start a fight with them. Unfortunately, the organizers can't do anything in such a situation, as the rules don't prohibit teams from complaining to the referees about their neighbors.
When our guys cried out for help in Zone A, Oleg and I scurried (who am I kidding, it was more like a march of WWII veterans, with four stops) to the car and headed there.
The descent to the zones, let me tell you, was quite an adventure, especially for the car... It smashed through dense bushes, fell into potholes and ruts, and scraped its belly against rocks. Meanwhile, I was slamming on the brakes with both feet, gripping the door handle with a death grip.
When we arrived, it became clear what the "well-wishers" didn't like – it seemed like our guys' throws were going beyond the lines delimiting the zone. That's all true, of course, but not quite. There was a very strong crosswind, and sometimes, when casting, the rig would fly to the right of the lines, but no one left it there and immediately retrieved it for a recast. You see, if you film the cast but not the retrieve, it turns out like those videos about Israeli atrocities. Those in the know understood what I mean.
We explained everything to the judge, and he understood, but still asked us to try to stay within the sector corridor.
From there, Oleg and I went to get a bite to eat, and after the cafe, I went home.
He went on with his hard work.
That evening, Vova Fainerman and I held parallel live broadcasts—he in Hebrew, and I in Russian—reporting the day's results. I think it's a good format. We'll try to continue tomorrow.
Tomorrow, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., we'll deliver the bait. In the morning, we'll need to divide it into three parts, load it into the trucks, and deliver it to everyone.
I don't know if Oleg needs me for this purpose, except as a translator, although many of the judges don't speak English. Well, we'll see.
As I already wrote, the link below is my portal, where all the results are.
FIPS protocols
And here:
Carp Arena live results(not official)
the results in real time (plus or minus) from the Macedonian Federation website
. Local time: 10 PM.
What a day it was...
We woke up around five-thirty, Zhenya whipped up some eggs and sausage, hopped in the cars, and headed off. Vova headed to zone A, to Bashkurov and Kurbatov, Zhenya was dropped off in zone C (the brothers), and Oleg and I headed to zone B, to Vlad and Max.
Their sector was one of the most challenging for us, as it was the only one that hadn't yet produced any fish. Catching fish in this sector was crucial for the team.
And, as luck would have it, it was while I was in that zone that they got a bite, which they capitalized on.
My delight at that moment is indescribable. And it was worth it – our team ended up in third place overall for part of the day!
Anyone who knows the history of the Israeli team at the World Championships will know
that we've never managed to climb so high. I'm not saying we'll finish there—we'll do everything we can—but there are 32 other teams, many of them very strong. But! The very fact that we were able to climb so high speaks to the head coach's sound tactics and strategy, his understanding of the carp's preferences in this body of water, and his ability to form the right pairings.
As you know, every barrel of honey can have a fly in the ointment. Our team's success has sparked unhealthy interest from other teams, often not entirely friendly toward Israel. One of them literally began to hound us, first filing complaints against the guys in Zone A, then moving to Zone B and continuing their tactics of harassing the athletes there.
I don't know about the athletes, but they definitely pissed Oleg off. I was afraid he'd start a fight with them. Unfortunately, the organizers can't do anything in such a situation, as the rules don't prohibit teams from complaining to the referees about their neighbors.
When our guys cried out for help in Zone A, Oleg and I scurried (who am I kidding, it was more like a march of WWII veterans, with four stops) to the car and headed there.
The descent to the zones, let me tell you, was quite an adventure, especially for the car... It smashed through dense bushes, fell into potholes and ruts, and scraped its belly against rocks. Meanwhile, I was slamming on the brakes with both feet, gripping the door handle with a death grip.
When we arrived, it became clear what the "well-wishers" didn't like – it seemed like our guys' throws were going beyond the lines delimiting the zone. That's all true, of course, but not quite. There was a very strong crosswind, and sometimes, when casting, the rig would fly to the right of the lines, but no one left it there and immediately retrieved it for a recast. You see, if you film the cast but not the retrieve, it turns out like those videos about Israeli atrocities. Those in the know understood what I mean.
We explained everything to the judge, and he understood, but still asked us to try to stay within the sector corridor.
From there, Oleg and I went to get a bite to eat, and after the cafe, I went home.
He went on with his hard work.
That evening, Vova Fainerman and I held parallel live broadcasts—he in Hebrew, and I in Russian—reporting the day's results. I think it's a good format. We'll try to continue tomorrow.
Tomorrow, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., we'll deliver the bait. In the morning, we'll need to divide it into three parts, load it into the trucks, and deliver it to everyone.
I don't know if Oleg needs me for this purpose, except as a translator, although many of the judges don't speak English. Well, we'll see.
As I already wrote, the link below is my portal, where all the results are.
FIPS protocols
And here:
Carp Arena live results(not official)
the results in real time (plus or minus) from the Macedonian Federation website
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September 4, 2026
September 4, 2026, 10:45 AM
Friday, September 4, 2026, morning
. 8 AM local time.
Yesterday, before bed, Oleg held a meeting and assigned tasks to Vova and Zhenya. We loaded the trucks with bait.
Almost none of us (runners and coaches, I mean) slept that night. We watched WhatsApp and waited for messages from the guys about what was going on. Naturally, not about the outside temperature, but about whether there were any fish.
Yes, there were fish in zones A and C, but that's not what we desperately need. All our attention is focused on zone B, as this is the zone that can give us the chance to maintain our place at the top of the standings.
Unfortunately, it was quiet in this zone last night.
We woke up at 6 AM, again, thanks to Zhenya, and had breakfast.
Zhenya and Vova Suprun, just in case, prepared for a possible replacement. I'm not saying it will happen – Dryamov and Faynerman will make the decision on the spot. But since we have a spare pair, there's always a chance they'll have to fight.
It's just after eight, and I'm left alone to run the show. Oleg decided I'd be more useful at home than at the pond—I can quickly contact the organizing committee, upload information and photos, and just keep you all informed about what's happening at the pond. This is very difficult to do on the shore—the sun is so bright that you can't see a thing on your phone or laptop screen. And the connection on the shore is sometimes spotty.
So I'll be your direct source of information. If you have any questions, ask in the comments or via private message (messenger, WhatsApp), and I'll try to answer.
Oh, and I'll add that we've been pushed down to 7th place. It was downright scary to watch on the Carp Arena page. 3 -> 4 -> 3 ->
5 -> 6 -> 7 -> 8 -> 7 -> 6 -> 7 -> 8 -> 7. This happens during the weigh-in, and teams gain and lose points. The final morning results will be much later, when the Federal Institute of Industrial Policy (FIPS) tallies the results and checks all the protocols (paper and electronic).
The day will be a real nightmare, full of nerves. It's best not to touch Oleg right now; he's like a powder keg—God forbid someone lights a cigarette nearby—one spark and everyone's screwed.
Anyway, keep an eye on my page.
As I already mentioned, the link below is my portal, where all the results are.
FIPS protocols
And here:
Carp Arena live results(not official)
the results in real time (plus or minus) from the Macedonian Federation website
. 8 AM local time.
Yesterday, before bed, Oleg held a meeting and assigned tasks to Vova and Zhenya. We loaded the trucks with bait.
Almost none of us (runners and coaches, I mean) slept that night. We watched WhatsApp and waited for messages from the guys about what was going on. Naturally, not about the outside temperature, but about whether there were any fish.
Yes, there were fish in zones A and C, but that's not what we desperately need. All our attention is focused on zone B, as this is the zone that can give us the chance to maintain our place at the top of the standings.
Unfortunately, it was quiet in this zone last night.
We woke up at 6 AM, again, thanks to Zhenya, and had breakfast.
Zhenya and Vova Suprun, just in case, prepared for a possible replacement. I'm not saying it will happen – Dryamov and Faynerman will make the decision on the spot. But since we have a spare pair, there's always a chance they'll have to fight.
It's just after eight, and I'm left alone to run the show. Oleg decided I'd be more useful at home than at the pond—I can quickly contact the organizing committee, upload information and photos, and just keep you all informed about what's happening at the pond. This is very difficult to do on the shore—the sun is so bright that you can't see a thing on your phone or laptop screen. And the connection on the shore is sometimes spotty.
So I'll be your direct source of information. If you have any questions, ask in the comments or via private message (messenger, WhatsApp), and I'll try to answer.
Oh, and I'll add that we've been pushed down to 7th place. It was downright scary to watch on the Carp Arena page. 3 -> 4 -> 3 ->
5 -> 6 -> 7 -> 8 -> 7 -> 6 -> 7 -> 8 -> 7. This happens during the weigh-in, and teams gain and lose points. The final morning results will be much later, when the Federal Institute of Industrial Policy (FIPS) tallies the results and checks all the protocols (paper and electronic).
The day will be a real nightmare, full of nerves. It's best not to touch Oleg right now; he's like a powder keg—God forbid someone lights a cigarette nearby—one spark and everyone's screwed.
Anyway, keep an eye on my page.
As I already mentioned, the link below is my portal, where all the results are.
FIPS protocols
And here:
Carp Arena live results(not official)
the results in real time (plus or minus) from the Macedonian Federation website
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September 4, 2026, 2:18 PM
Friday, September 4, 2026,
2:00 PM local time.
And it wasn't a boring day, just as I expected.
It all started with a message in the World Cup captains' chat from the captain of the Croatian national team. He asked for an explanation of what was going on with the Israeli team, or more precisely, their results in the table. They looked strange.
To which he received a reply from Claudio Mattieli – that the chairman of the Federal Institute of Industrial Property (FIPS) isn't obligated to report anything to anyone.
He shouldn't have. Eventually, the Croatian took offense and wrote a half-page text saying it was unbecoming of such an important person to behave this way and not give a damn about the 33 countries participating in this tournament.
Claudio's next message was more lenient, stating that there had been a problem with the mobile app on the judge's phone, and as a result, the fish had only been recorded on the paper record. Later, when the results were transferred to the software, the same fish had been recorded twice. But now, he said, everything was fine, the extra kilos had been removed, and the problem had been resolved.
Since our team and our honor were at stake, we also decided to double-check everything in the official records. And we discovered an unfortunate discrepancy. According to the paper records and the sign in sector C28, we had 46,500 kg. But the latest, "corrected," FIPS record showed 43,550. In other words, the "extra" fish, weighing 2,950 kg, was missing. By our standards, that's quite serious—+ or - 2 points.
After reviewing all the photo evidence, I realized what had happened: when counting the fish on the calculator, the judge added the same fish twice (photo attached), and when they "corrected" the error, they deleted BOTH weights. Aren't they assholes?
So, with the help of my Evgeniy (AI), I composed a polite message asking, "WHERE IS THE FUCKING FISH?!"
At five o'clock local time, I'm going to a meeting with the chairman of the Federal Institute of Industrial Property, the chairman of the Macedonian Federation, and the captain of the Croatian national team. We'll be hitting and possibly kicking. So stay tuned for my next report.
In addition to all these events, the coaching council decided to make a substitution in sector B4. Vlad Irutkin will be replaced by Vova Suprun.
Vova is already in the sector, and Oleg (or Fainerman) is now bringing Vlad home to wash, eat, and sleep. Well done guys! The fish they caught in this zone really helped us! Our respect!
There's no more news for now; I'm waiting for a meeting with management.
Follow the FIPS protocols on our portal:
FIPS protocols
And here:
Carp Arena live results(not official)
the results in real time (plus or minus) from the Macedonian Federation website
2:00 PM local time.
And it wasn't a boring day, just as I expected.
It all started with a message in the World Cup captains' chat from the captain of the Croatian national team. He asked for an explanation of what was going on with the Israeli team, or more precisely, their results in the table. They looked strange.
To which he received a reply from Claudio Mattieli – that the chairman of the Federal Institute of Industrial Property (FIPS) isn't obligated to report anything to anyone.
He shouldn't have. Eventually, the Croatian took offense and wrote a half-page text saying it was unbecoming of such an important person to behave this way and not give a damn about the 33 countries participating in this tournament.
Claudio's next message was more lenient, stating that there had been a problem with the mobile app on the judge's phone, and as a result, the fish had only been recorded on the paper record. Later, when the results were transferred to the software, the same fish had been recorded twice. But now, he said, everything was fine, the extra kilos had been removed, and the problem had been resolved.
Since our team and our honor were at stake, we also decided to double-check everything in the official records. And we discovered an unfortunate discrepancy. According to the paper records and the sign in sector C28, we had 46,500 kg. But the latest, "corrected," FIPS record showed 43,550. In other words, the "extra" fish, weighing 2,950 kg, was missing. By our standards, that's quite serious—+ or - 2 points.
After reviewing all the photo evidence, I realized what had happened: when counting the fish on the calculator, the judge added the same fish twice (photo attached), and when they "corrected" the error, they deleted BOTH weights. Aren't they assholes?
So, with the help of my Evgeniy (AI), I composed a polite message asking, "WHERE IS THE FUCKING FISH?!"
At five o'clock local time, I'm going to a meeting with the chairman of the Federal Institute of Industrial Property, the chairman of the Macedonian Federation, and the captain of the Croatian national team. We'll be hitting and possibly kicking. So stay tuned for my next report.
In addition to all these events, the coaching council decided to make a substitution in sector B4. Vlad Irutkin will be replaced by Vova Suprun.
Vova is already in the sector, and Oleg (or Fainerman) is now bringing Vlad home to wash, eat, and sleep. Well done guys! The fish they caught in this zone really helped us! Our respect!
There's no more news for now; I'm waiting for a meeting with management.
Follow the FIPS protocols on our portal:
FIPS protocols
And here:
Carp Arena live results(not official)
the results in real time (plus or minus) from the Macedonian Federation website
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September 4, 2026, 5:43 PM
Friday, September 4, 2026, evening
. Local time: 5:35 PM.
A brief report on our trip to the spit with hummocks.
Everything has been corrected; in the latest (not yet published) protocol, we have the exact weight officially recorded in the paper protocols signed by the athletes.
As a result of this incident, Claudio and Barbara spent the entire day manually reconciling all the paper protocols with what was entered into the database and what had already been published. In addition to our case, another error was discovered, where a fish from the Georgian team was recorded as Romanian.
Ultimately, justice prevailed, and now they will be very careful with their untested programs.
Oleg dropped me off near the house and rushed to the shore to give instructions to the teams, and I went into the house. As far as I know, the brothers are doing well (knock on wood). We are hoping for similar momentum in our other sectors.
Vlad went to bed, and Zhenya (not AI) is standing at the stove, trying to whip up something delicious for dinner.
We're waiting for Oleg and Vova. And the fish.
There's no other news for now.
Follow the FIPS protocols on our portal:
FIPS protocols
And here:
Carp Arena live results(not official)
the results in real time (plus or minus) from the Macedonian Federation website
. Local time: 5:35 PM.
A brief report on our trip to the spit with hummocks.
Everything has been corrected; in the latest (not yet published) protocol, we have the exact weight officially recorded in the paper protocols signed by the athletes.
As a result of this incident, Claudio and Barbara spent the entire day manually reconciling all the paper protocols with what was entered into the database and what had already been published. In addition to our case, another error was discovered, where a fish from the Georgian team was recorded as Romanian.
Ultimately, justice prevailed, and now they will be very careful with their untested programs.
Oleg dropped me off near the house and rushed to the shore to give instructions to the teams, and I went into the house. As far as I know, the brothers are doing well (knock on wood). We are hoping for similar momentum in our other sectors.
Vlad went to bed, and Zhenya (not AI) is standing at the stove, trying to whip up something delicious for dinner.
We're waiting for Oleg and Vova. And the fish.
There's no other news for now.
Follow the FIPS protocols on our portal:
FIPS protocols
And here:
Carp Arena live results(not official)
the results in real time (plus or minus) from the Macedonian Federation website
September 4, 2026, 6:13 PM
I decided to add protocols up to the current moment for
history.
September 5, 2026
September 5, 2026, 8:18 AM
Saturday, September 5, 2026, morning
. Local time: 7:45 AM.
It was a tense night.
As I already mentioned, around midnight, the power went out throughout the entire area. I estimate the problem was fixed by three o'clock.
The coach and I slept fitfully, waiting for messages from the guys on the shore. But alas, there was no radio transmission.
Just like last night, it was very cold, around 10-12 degrees Celsius.
Only one of our teams caught fish overnight – sector A18. On the one hand, this is great, but on the other hand, it doesn't do much to change the overall result when other teams are losing more fish. Especially if they're the ones ranked below us. Sector C28 also caught fish in
the morning. But in that zone, one fish isn't enough for us. We need a lot. There's a chance that with the sun coming out and the water warming up, which has cooled overnight, the fish will become active, and the brothers will be able to move forward.
The coach, Zhenya, Vova, and Vlad had already left. We had a very simple breakfast: a couple of boiled eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes, and coffee. We couldn't eat a thing. Everyone was on edge.
These swings—God forbid! Watching the results in real time—you could practically have a heart attack. Seeing your flag bouncing up and down the leaderboard like a stoned grasshopper—that's quite the experience.
The coach is counting the points, and who needs to snatch how many points from their opponents to move up. And vice versa—if the opponents take this weight, how many points will they have, and whether they can push us in our subzone. It's tough.
There are four and a half hours left until the end of the tournament. And these miserable four and a half hours can change the leaderboard many more times. But only after the official final weigh-in, which will begin immediately after the final signal, will it be clear where we stand. Considering there are 33 teams on the pond, the weigh-in will take over an hour, in any case, even with a panel of judges in each subzone. Then the results will go to Barbara, who knows how much time will be left for counting and checking - and only then will the verdict. According to my estimates, we will not see the official final protocol until 15:00-16:00.
True, it is possible to watch the results on Live Arena, but until Claudio puts his stamp on paper, you can’t trust these results 100%.
That’s it, I’m waiting for a message from the coaches. Keep your fingers crossed for us.
Follow the FIPS protocols on our portal:
FIPS protocols
And here:
Carp Arena live results(not official)
the results in real time (plus or minus) from the Macedonian Federation website
. Local time: 7:45 AM.
It was a tense night.
As I already mentioned, around midnight, the power went out throughout the entire area. I estimate the problem was fixed by three o'clock.
The coach and I slept fitfully, waiting for messages from the guys on the shore. But alas, there was no radio transmission.
Just like last night, it was very cold, around 10-12 degrees Celsius.
Only one of our teams caught fish overnight – sector A18. On the one hand, this is great, but on the other hand, it doesn't do much to change the overall result when other teams are losing more fish. Especially if they're the ones ranked below us. Sector C28 also caught fish in
the morning. But in that zone, one fish isn't enough for us. We need a lot. There's a chance that with the sun coming out and the water warming up, which has cooled overnight, the fish will become active, and the brothers will be able to move forward.
The coach, Zhenya, Vova, and Vlad had already left. We had a very simple breakfast: a couple of boiled eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes, and coffee. We couldn't eat a thing. Everyone was on edge.
These swings—God forbid! Watching the results in real time—you could practically have a heart attack. Seeing your flag bouncing up and down the leaderboard like a stoned grasshopper—that's quite the experience.
The coach is counting the points, and who needs to snatch how many points from their opponents to move up. And vice versa—if the opponents take this weight, how many points will they have, and whether they can push us in our subzone. It's tough.
There are four and a half hours left until the end of the tournament. And these miserable four and a half hours can change the leaderboard many more times. But only after the official final weigh-in, which will begin immediately after the final signal, will it be clear where we stand. Considering there are 33 teams on the pond, the weigh-in will take over an hour, in any case, even with a panel of judges in each subzone. Then the results will go to Barbara, who knows how much time will be left for counting and checking - and only then will the verdict. According to my estimates, we will not see the official final protocol until 15:00-16:00.
True, it is possible to watch the results on Live Arena, but until Claudio puts his stamp on paper, you can’t trust these results 100%.
That’s it, I’m waiting for a message from the coaches. Keep your fingers crossed for us.
Follow the FIPS protocols on our portal:
FIPS protocols
And here:
Carp Arena live results(not official)
the results in real time (plus or minus) from the Macedonian Federation website
September 5, 2026, 1:03 PM
Saturday, September 5, 2026, afternoon.
Local time: 12:45 PM.
The final horn has sounded, meaning a wonderful adventure is over.
I'm not on shore, so I know nothing about what happened during these hours.
Judging by the Carp Arena, the final weigh-in is underway. It looks like our teams haven't gotten around to it yet.
Nerves are on edge. Hands are shaking, and fingers aren't hitting the keys. It would be interesting to measure my blood pressure now; I think it's much higher than it should be.
But I can imagine how the guys in the sectors are feeling, what the coaches are feeling, including Kolya, who is at home, but we constantly feel his presence.
Judging by the Ukrainian team's stream, the night was very bad for most of the zones (compared to previous nights), perhaps because the nights have become much colder.
Now the guys need to pack up, load the cars, and go home – wash up, rest, and then head off to the championship closing ceremony at 6 PM.
The Czech captain keeps sending long messages in the World Championship chat - I'll give you his latest message as an example:
=======================
Dear Mr. Mattiöli,
Yesterday I officially contacted you with questions regarding the problem that arose during the World Championship. As of today, you, as the FIPSed President, have not made an official statement or responded to the questions posed. These questions do not concern me personally, but all participants in the Championship.
We believe that all participants in the competition have the right to receive a clear and official explanation before the end of the competition:
- how the problem arose;
- how it was resolved;
- what measures have been taken to prevent similar problems from recurring.
Given the seriousness of the situation and the fact that we are talking about the World Championship, we expect that you, as the FIPSed President, will officially contact all participants and provide a transparent explanation of everything that happened.
We ask you to provide an official statement no later than 12:30 today and in any case before the end of the competition.
Thank you for your understanding. We await your official response.
Sincerely,
==============================
I wonder how this will all end, and whether there will be a fight right at the awards ceremony.
It's sad, but I completely agree with him. The mistakes made at the World Championships are, of course, an exception, but it would be much easier to explain everything properly to all the captains instead of getting into a frenzy.
Okay, we'll wait for the official protocol. I see across the Arena that the referee is moving toward our sector; he still has four teams to check.
I remind you that you can find the published FIPS protocols on our portal:
FIPS protocols
And here:
Carp Arena live results(not official)
the results in real time (plus or minus) from the Macedonian Federation website
Local time: 12:45 PM.
The final horn has sounded, meaning a wonderful adventure is over.
I'm not on shore, so I know nothing about what happened during these hours.
Judging by the Carp Arena, the final weigh-in is underway. It looks like our teams haven't gotten around to it yet.
Nerves are on edge. Hands are shaking, and fingers aren't hitting the keys. It would be interesting to measure my blood pressure now; I think it's much higher than it should be.
But I can imagine how the guys in the sectors are feeling, what the coaches are feeling, including Kolya, who is at home, but we constantly feel his presence.
Judging by the Ukrainian team's stream, the night was very bad for most of the zones (compared to previous nights), perhaps because the nights have become much colder.
Now the guys need to pack up, load the cars, and go home – wash up, rest, and then head off to the championship closing ceremony at 6 PM.
The Czech captain keeps sending long messages in the World Championship chat - I'll give you his latest message as an example:
=======================
Dear Mr. Mattiöli,
Yesterday I officially contacted you with questions regarding the problem that arose during the World Championship. As of today, you, as the FIPSed President, have not made an official statement or responded to the questions posed. These questions do not concern me personally, but all participants in the Championship.
We believe that all participants in the competition have the right to receive a clear and official explanation before the end of the competition:
- how the problem arose;
- how it was resolved;
- what measures have been taken to prevent similar problems from recurring.
Given the seriousness of the situation and the fact that we are talking about the World Championship, we expect that you, as the FIPSed President, will officially contact all participants and provide a transparent explanation of everything that happened.
We ask you to provide an official statement no later than 12:30 today and in any case before the end of the competition.
Thank you for your understanding. We await your official response.
Sincerely,
==============================
I wonder how this will all end, and whether there will be a fight right at the awards ceremony.
It's sad, but I completely agree with him. The mistakes made at the World Championships are, of course, an exception, but it would be much easier to explain everything properly to all the captains instead of getting into a frenzy.
Okay, we'll wait for the official protocol. I see across the Arena that the referee is moving toward our sector; he still has four teams to check.
I remind you that you can find the published FIPS protocols on our portal:
FIPS protocols
And here:
Carp Arena live results(not official)
the results in real time (plus or minus) from the Macedonian Federation website
September 5, 2026, 3:04 PM
So far, according to unofficial data from the Carp Arena
website, we're eighth
Carp Arena live results
The guys have already arrived, and some have gone to the cafe for lunch, while others went to wash, shave, and rest.
I'll grab a quick jacket potato that's been sadly sitting in the fridge for two days, and then I'll lie down for half an hour.
I think Vova Fainerman will stream the ceremony this evening, so keep an eye on his page at about eight o'clock your time. I'm not sure whether to stream it yet, it's just always really noisy there, there are tons of people, everyone's pushing and shoving. Well, I don't like streaming in these conditions. So wait for the official protocols and keep an eye on mine and Vova's pages.
Carp Arena live results
The guys have already arrived, and some have gone to the cafe for lunch, while others went to wash, shave, and rest.
I'll grab a quick jacket potato that's been sadly sitting in the fridge for two days, and then I'll lie down for half an hour.
I think Vova Fainerman will stream the ceremony this evening, so keep an eye on his page at about eight o'clock your time. I'm not sure whether to stream it yet, it's just always really noisy there, there are tons of people, everyone's pushing and shoving. Well, I don't like streaming in these conditions. So wait for the official protocols and keep an eye on mine and Vova's pages.
September 6, 2026
September 6, 2026, 11:58 AM
Good morning everyone.
It's 12 noon local time, Sunday, September 6th.
We slept well, except for the fact that some people started scurrying past me to the fridge around 7 a.m.
We started packing our gear and things. Besides our personal belongings, we need to pack the remaining bait, and there's almost no space.
According to my AI's estimates, we need to leave around 11:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. The reason for such a wide range is that we need to cross the border along the way (God only knows how long that will take), then stop at Pasha Toromanov's store and unload everything we rented from him, then fill up the cars, then return the cars—and each stop could take an indefinite amount of time.
My point is, we still have time. We'll have time to get some sleep.
I don't remember which photos I've already uploaded, so I'm attaching everything I've accumulated since yesterday, just in case.
Best regards to everyone, and see you soon :-)
It's 12 noon local time, Sunday, September 6th.
We slept well, except for the fact that some people started scurrying past me to the fridge around 7 a.m.
We started packing our gear and things. Besides our personal belongings, we need to pack the remaining bait, and there's almost no space.
According to my AI's estimates, we need to leave around 11:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. The reason for such a wide range is that we need to cross the border along the way (God only knows how long that will take), then stop at Pasha Toromanov's store and unload everything we rented from him, then fill up the cars, then return the cars—and each stop could take an indefinite amount of time.
My point is, we still have time. We'll have time to get some sleep.
I don't remember which photos I've already uploaded, so I'm attaching everything I've accumulated since yesterday, just in case.
Best regards to everyone, and see you soon :-)
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September 7, 2026
September 7, 2026, 8:45 PM
Monday, September 7th, 9:20 PM Israeli time.
So I'm home, like all the athletes and coaches.
It's so unusual to wake up not at 5 or 6 AM, but even at 8 AM.
Until I gather my thoughts and try to formulate my impressions of this, probably one of the most memorable, trips, as an administrator, I'll just briefly recount the events of the last two days.
On Saturday, after the awards ceremony, we arrived home and went to bed.
There was a faint hope that no infection would wake us at dawn, but no way.
I can't remember who came first, whether for coffee or butter, but to get to the fridge or the kettle, you had to pass me anyway – so my dreams were destined to come true.
The whole day was spent gathering personal belongings, packing them into cars, and simply relaxing.
That evening, the coach invited the entire team to a café, at his expense, as he'd promised to do so before the World Cup if we finished in the top ten. There were also suggestions about a top five, a top three, and so on, but I won't go into them ;-)
This time, the café was a major disappointment. We had to wait over an hour for our food, and since we wanted to leave early, everyone kept checking their watches, and everything ended up being a bit rushed. Furthermore, the café was constantly playing loud music (not live, just recordings), making it impossible to chat.
After finishing our dishes, we went to finish loading. Around 11 PM, we set off for Sofia.
On the way, we stopped at a car wash to wash Oleg's car. Fainerman had washed his earlier in the day.
The next stop was a gas station, then the border, then Pavel Toromanov's store, where we unloaded all the rented gear and also left the guys with some of the things we couldn't bring with us, like a gas cylinder, a ladder, buckets, and so on.
After that, we visited a 24-hour Metro store, where people stocked up on sausages, and I grabbed a package of bacon for the little one and a pack of scampi (Norwegian lobster) for myself.
From there, it was back to the gas station, where it seems we were slightly ripped off because Oleg's car wasn't fully fueled.
Then we quickly unloaded our suitcases near the airport entrance, dropped off our cars, and checked in for the flight. The flight was delayed by almost an hour because the flight from Israel was late.
The plane was small, the seats were terribly uncomfortable, but hey, we were going home!
Then came baggage claim, a farewell in the smoking area, and everyone went home. Zhenya and Vlad helped me, as they were also traveling by train. They helped me both get on and off the train—with two suitcases, one of which had a broken wheel—and I was literally breaking my back trying to move them.
I took a taxi because Olya was at work. I called Max, and the two of us somehow managed to drag our suitcases home.
Well, then there's the gift distribution, a shower, and a home-cooked dinner. And I'm going to bed at 10 PM, not 1 AM!
Stay tuned for the summary report.
As a reminder, the published FIPS protocols can be found on our portal:
FIPS protocols
So I'm home, like all the athletes and coaches.
It's so unusual to wake up not at 5 or 6 AM, but even at 8 AM.
Until I gather my thoughts and try to formulate my impressions of this, probably one of the most memorable, trips, as an administrator, I'll just briefly recount the events of the last two days.
On Saturday, after the awards ceremony, we arrived home and went to bed.
There was a faint hope that no infection would wake us at dawn, but no way.
I can't remember who came first, whether for coffee or butter, but to get to the fridge or the kettle, you had to pass me anyway – so my dreams were destined to come true.
The whole day was spent gathering personal belongings, packing them into cars, and simply relaxing.
That evening, the coach invited the entire team to a café, at his expense, as he'd promised to do so before the World Cup if we finished in the top ten. There were also suggestions about a top five, a top three, and so on, but I won't go into them ;-)
This time, the café was a major disappointment. We had to wait over an hour for our food, and since we wanted to leave early, everyone kept checking their watches, and everything ended up being a bit rushed. Furthermore, the café was constantly playing loud music (not live, just recordings), making it impossible to chat.
After finishing our dishes, we went to finish loading. Around 11 PM, we set off for Sofia.
On the way, we stopped at a car wash to wash Oleg's car. Fainerman had washed his earlier in the day.
The next stop was a gas station, then the border, then Pavel Toromanov's store, where we unloaded all the rented gear and also left the guys with some of the things we couldn't bring with us, like a gas cylinder, a ladder, buckets, and so on.
After that, we visited a 24-hour Metro store, where people stocked up on sausages, and I grabbed a package of bacon for the little one and a pack of scampi (Norwegian lobster) for myself.
From there, it was back to the gas station, where it seems we were slightly ripped off because Oleg's car wasn't fully fueled.
Then we quickly unloaded our suitcases near the airport entrance, dropped off our cars, and checked in for the flight. The flight was delayed by almost an hour because the flight from Israel was late.
The plane was small, the seats were terribly uncomfortable, but hey, we were going home!
Then came baggage claim, a farewell in the smoking area, and everyone went home. Zhenya and Vlad helped me, as they were also traveling by train. They helped me both get on and off the train—with two suitcases, one of which had a broken wheel—and I was literally breaking my back trying to move them.
I took a taxi because Olya was at work. I called Max, and the two of us somehow managed to drag our suitcases home.
Well, then there's the gift distribution, a shower, and a home-cooked dinner. And I'm going to bed at 10 PM, not 1 AM!
Stay tuned for the summary report.
As a reminder, the published FIPS protocols can be found on our portal:
FIPS protocols
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