Day three morning: now a full judge, and Taiwan again. Round three matched me with Taiwan, Italy, and Australia. The Australian team included what appeared to be an eleven- or twelve-year-old — who turned out to be the team leader's son. The family connection was apparent from the surname. The round went smoothly, scores were solid, and the session closed without incident.
Round Four: Confidence Without Substance
The afternoon of day three brought Round 4 immediately: Poland, India, and Slovenia. The overall quality dropped noticeably from the morning, and scores came down accordingly. The Indian team presented with complete self-assurance — and was wrong on several points. Having seen this pattern before, I recognized it quickly and noted it cleanly in the scoring. When a presenter is confident and incorrect, the correct response is to be equally direct.
By the end of the double session I was tired enough to go straight to sleep.
Day Four: Visegrád
Sunday. No judging — which was correct. The group went to Visegrád to look at what remains of Austro-Hungarian imperial architecture along the Danube. The heat made the castle on the hill a non-starter, so the itinerary reduced itself to the riverside, local specialties at a market stall, and a Danube boat crossing. There was also a demonstration of mounted archery and sword combat — performed by costumed actors — which was underwhelming in the way that staged history almost always is.
Euro Final, Postscript
The highlight of day four came in the evening: the UEFA Euro 2024 final. England lost, which was entirely predictable before it happened. Harry Kane at a major tournament final is a reliable indicator of what the result will be. The China team, encountered earlier in the day, had finished 8th — not bad given that the domestic organization sent no teachers and the students were accompanied by parents instead. We noted, for the record, that China placed higher than the USA at 22nd.