Tirico explains the U.S." successful appeal in 4x100 relay USA Track and Field has officially filed an appeal after the men"s 4x100-meter relay team was disqualified from Friday night"s final at the Rio Olympics.
The U.S. finished the race third but was disqualified because leadoff runner Mike Rodgers was ruled to have passed the baton to Justin Gatlin outside the first exchange zone of the relay, won by Usain Bolt and Jamaica. The DQ elevated Canada to the bronze.
Video replays show a clean handoff from Rodgers to Gatlin, but are less clear about whether Gatlin had taken possession of the stick before Rodgers got it inside the start of the 20-meter passing zone.
Rule 170.07 in the track and field handbook reads: "The baton shall be passed within the takeover zone. The passing of the baton commences when it is first touched by the receiving athlete and is completed the moment it is in the hand of only the receiving athlete. In relation to the takeover zone, it is only the position of the baton which is decisive. Passing of the baton outside the takeover zone shall result in disqualification."
Hours earlier, down on the track, the runners huddled around a TV monitor and nodded their heads when they saw the replay.
"It was the twilight zone. It was a nightmare," said Gatlin, who along with his teammates found out about the DQ while parading the U.S. flag around the track. "You work so hard with your teammates, guys you compete against almost all year long. All that hard work just crumbles."
Gay, who ran the third leg for the Americans, called it bad luck.
"It"s always something weird, stupid, simple mistakes that always cost us, and I don"t understand," he said. "We had great sticks in practice, great everything, and something so simple -- I can"t say anything but bad luck."
If the ruling stands, it will mark the ninth time since 1995 the U.S. men have been disqualified or failed to get the baton around at Olympics or world championships.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(Copyright 2016 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.)
By Associated Press |
Aug. 19, 2016,
3:32 p.m. (ET)
Aaron Russell celebrates a point over Italy in the men"s volleyball semifinal match at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracanazinho on Aug. 19, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
RIO DE JANEIRO -- The Italians have ended the gold-medal aspirations for the U.S. men"s volleyball team in a second straight Olympics.
Italy won 30-28, 26-28, 9-25, 25-22, 15-9. The Italians closed it out and players fell to the floor in joy, piling on each other.
David Lee brought his American teammates into a huddle and embrace, then Matt Anderson and Taylor Sander clapped to the crowd in appreciation as the U.S. players waited at the net to shake hands after this memorable one.
In the fifth, Osmany Juantorena served an ace for 12-8 and Aaron Russell let a ball drop in for 13-9 as Max Holt covered his face with his uniform shirt.
After an embarrassing fourth set flop, Italy forced a deciding fifth set by closing out the fourth on a 6-0 run -- getting three straight aces by Ivan Zaytsev, including the second-to-last point that was initially called long but overturned on review for set point.
The Italians will face either defending champion Russia or host Brazil in Sunday afternoon"s championship, to be determined from the late Friday semifinal. The Americans will play for bronze, just like the top-ranked U.S. women after their stunning five-set defeat to Serbia a day earlier.
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CHICAGO (CBS) Bring your pitchers, hollow fruit, trick-or-treat jackolanterns, and fishbowls because Slurpee is turning 50.
For the second time this year, 7-Eleven is hosting its Slurpee Bring Your Own Cup day to honor the Slurpees 50th birthday.
Customers can fill their own cup for $1.50, plus tax, on Aug. 19 and 20 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
7-Eleven warns of some rules:-The cup must fit upright through a 10 hole-The cup must be food safe and clean-The cup must be water tight-One cup per person
Slurpee encourages guests to share their cups and creations by using the hashtag #BYOCUPDAY.
Tyson Gay takes down Usain Bolt - Universal Sports
Martin Rogers, USA TODAY Sports , KING 10:43 PM. EDT August 19, 2016
Lilly King celebrates next to Russia"s Yulia Efimova after winning the women"s 100m breaststroke final.(Photo: Rob Schumacher, USA TODAY Sports)
RIO DE JANEIRO - Swimming star Lilly King took her crusade against doping to a new level following her victory in the 100-meter breaststroke final, by insisting that American athletes previously banned for drug offenses should have been kicked off the United States team.
King relegated Russia"s Yulia Efimova, a confirmed drug cheat who was controversially reinstated into the Olympic program just hours before competition started last week, to the silver medal after a long war of words regarding whether her rival should have been allowed to swim.
When asked if U.S. athletes who have fallen foul of the drug testers, such as sprinters Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay, deserved to be in Rio, King, 19, pulled no punches.
"I have to respect (the track authorities") decision even if it is something I don"t necessarily agree with," King said. "No, do I think people who have been caught doping should be on the team? They shouldn"t. It is unfortunate we have to see that.
"It is just something that needs to be set in stone that this is what we are going to do. Let"s settle this and be done with it. There should not be any bouncing back and forwards."
Gatlin and Gay along with their fellow U.S. teammates were disqualifiedin the men"s 4x100 relay on Friday. The team says they will challenge the ruling.
FORMER NFL STAR DARREN SHARPER SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS IN PRISON FOR RAPING WOMEN NEW ORLEANS -- Former NFL star Darren Sharper has been sentenced to 18 years in prison in a case where he was accused of drugging and raping as many as 16 women in four states.
Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced Sharper on Thursday. He had pleaded guilty or no-contest to charges arising from the allegations of drugging and raping women in federal court in New Orleans, and state courts in Louisiana, Arizona, California and Nevada.
Prosecutors suggested a nine-year prison term for Sharper under a multijurisdictional plea deal, but Milazzo rejected it as too lenient in June. The sentence was 15 months short of the maximum. He was also fined $20,000.
Sharper pleaded guilty in federal court to three counts of distributing drugs with rape as the aim. He or his friend Brandon Licciardi, a former sheriff"s deputy in neighboring St. Bernard Parish, put anti-anxiety drugs or sedatives into women"s drinks so they could rape them, according to a 15-page statement signed as part of that plea.
Milazzo has scheduled sentencing Oct. 13 for Licciardi and a second New Orleans codefendant, Erik Nunez.
Charges around the country involve nine victims, but Milazzo has said in court that there may be as many as 16.
Like Sharper, Licciardi and Nunez admitted distributing drugs with the intent to commit rape. Their plea agreements say Licciardi has accepted a 17-year sentence, with 10 years for Nunez.
Sharper was named All-Pro six times and chosen for the Pro Bowl five times during a career that included stints with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. He played in two Super Bowls, one with the Packers as a rookie and one with New Orleans Saints when they won in 2010.
He ended a 14-year career in 2011. He was working as a television analyst when women began telling police in several cities similar stories of blacking out while drinking with him and waking up groggy to find they had been sexually abused.
(Copyright 2016 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.)
This week at the multiplex, weve got a kid with magic powers (Kubo and the Two Strings, with voice performances by Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey), rogue arms dealers (War Dogs, starring Jonah Hill and Miles Teller), and a fallen prince (Ben-Hur, starring Jack Huston and Morgan Freeman). Find out what the critics have to say on Rotten Tomatoes.
Ben-Hur
Ben-Hur the 1880 Lew Wallace novel that was turned into a classic 1925 silent film and whose 1959 adaptation was a Best Picture-winning smash that still ranks among the more widely acclaimed movies of all time gets yet another big-screen take. Needless to say, Timur Bekmambetovs new version of the biblically inspired tale has some pretty big shoes to fill, and as far as most critics are concerned, its nowhere near up to snuff: reviews point to an earnest would-be epic whose heart might be in the right place, but whose reach almost completely exceeds its grasp. While the climactic chase scene benefits from modern technology, fans of the 1925 and 1959 versions will find this one suffers mightily in comparison. Ben-Hur is is currently at 30 percent on the Tomatometer; here are some of the reviews:
Rotten: It needed a star like the Russell Crowe of Gladiator to provide dramatic heft. What is Ben-Hur without a platform of moral grandeur? Not much. Stephen Holden, New York Times
Rotten: Ben-Hur is far from the worst movie of the year. It probably wont even be the worst movie of the month. Its just one of the least necessary. Christopher Lawrence, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Rotten: A film that fails to deliver pretty much all the way down the line. Lou Lumenick, New York Post
Fresh: Give me Bekmambetovs Ben-Hur with its pulsating battles and chariot races, its proclamation that mercy and sacrifice are more revolutionary than anything you can cook up with swords or chariots over any of this summers exhausting superhero movies. Alissa Wilkinson, Christianity Today
War Dogs
Jonah Hill and Miles Teller as a couple of freewheeling young bros selling arms in a ripped-from-the-headlines comedy directed by Hangover vet Todd Phillips? It might sound like a recipe for an R-rated gonzo funnybone tickler, but according to critics, while War Dogs definitely has its share of laughs, its actually a somewhat sobering look at the real-life dirty deeds of some of the worlds more unscrupulous individuals. In fact, thats one of the movies biggest problems: while the reviews describe an entertaining enough effort, they also express general disappointment at its unwillingness or inability to take a nasty bite out of a story that truly deserves it. War Dogs is currently at 57 percent on the Tomatometer; heres what some of the critics are saying:
Fresh: Phillips leans heavily into the absurdist humor of how the Pentagon could have been conned especially by a pair of bros whose previous claim to fame was getting busted buying pot as Yeshiva middle schoolers. Ethan Sacks, New York Daily News
Fresh: Theres a limit to how much patience one has for spending time with terrible people living large. But for all the lackluster familiarity of the films style, the story is too interesting, too baffling to deny. Barbara VanDenburgh, Arizona Republic
Rotten: Despite all the Martifications and Scorsese-ing, were left with virtually nothing, except the feeling that a pretty good anecdote has been inflated into a bubble-headed American Dream morality tale. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
Rotten: Even if youre not aware of this real-life story, youll recognize the well-worn narrative of dudes who hustle their way to the top only to see it all fall apart in spectacular fashion. Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly
Kubo and the Two Strings
Theyve yet to release a blockbuster on par with one of the bigger animation houses, but the folks at Laika have built an impressive reputation over the last several years a span thats seen the studio release a trio of critically acclaimed feature-length efforts with Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls. Their fourth film, Kubo and the Two Strings, looks like itll extend that distinguished streak; as with earlier Laika productions, reviews describe a viewing experience thats as visually thrilling as it is narratively satisfying. An action epic set in feudal Japan, Kubo stars Game of Thrones vet Art Parkinson as the titular hero, whos forced to embark on a quest to save his loved ones after inadvertently summoning an evil spirit whose arrival may hold the key to unlocking painful secrets from his familys past. Kubo and the Two Strings is Certified Fresh at 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer; check out some of the reviews here:
Fresh: The first and last things to be said in this limited space about Kubo and the Two Strings are that its a showcase for some of the most startlingly beautiful animation in recent and not so recent memory. Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
Fresh: Its a classic heros journey full of action and adventure, but its also an intimate fable about love and loss, magic and memory. Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com
Fresh: From its captivating narration and first stormy scene, Kubo and the Two Strings lures the audience into its vivid storytelling and exquisite execution of stop-motion animation. Maricar Estrella, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Rotten: Kubo and the Two Strings is a visually dazzling film set in an ancient, magical Japan. And now, the bad news. As a narrative, Kubo and the Two Strings is nearly incomprehensible. Rafer Guzman, Newsday
For more movie reviews, trailers, and pictures, check out Rottentomatoes.com.
2015 Open Wrestling Championships - 58KG Women - Helen Maroulis vs Kelsey Campbell
RIO DE JANEIRO Kerron Clement was so certain of a gold medal that in January he pushed aside his other track medals and cleared out an empty space in the trophy cabinet in his Gainesville, Florida, townhouse. For a place-holder, he put pen to paper and wrote: Gold medal, 2016.
Clement was so certain that when he was packing for Rio de Janeiro, he made sure his mother, Claudette, included the familys American flag. He figured he would need something to parade around the Olympic stadium track after winning the mens 400-meter hurdles race.
Clement was so certain that even when a young runner from Kenya looked as if he would catch Clement late in Thursdays race and s****h away the gold, the American hurdler didnt worry a bit.
I knew I was going to get that gold medal, and I was sticking to that plan, Clement said. Nothing and no one was going to stop me from achieving that.
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Wielding a lethal combination of confidence and speed, Clement will leave here with something to fill the empty space in that cabinet back home. Just as he planned, the 30-year-old hurdler won gold at these Rio Olympics, posting a time of 47.73, just 0.05 seconds ahead of Kenyas Boniface Mucheru Tumuti.
The mens 400-meter hurdles has been one of the United States strongest track and field events, with Americans having won seven of the past nine Olympic titles. On Thursday, though, Clement nearly lost the race at the finish line. With about 50 meters to go, he could feel his legs burning, and he could see Tumuti gaining ground. Clement thought he might have to dive across the finish line, he said, but I dug down deeper.
I was sprinting for my life, he said.
It was the race he had been imagining for years. Clement was born in Trinidad, but his family moved to the United States when he was in high school. He became a track star at the University of Florida, eventually winning silver in the event at the 2008 Olympics and gold at two world championships.
But four years ago, Clement finished last in the finals at the London Games. Along the way, he has dealt with a variety of injuries and surgeries, from groin to a hernia, and after the 2013 world championships, Clement realized he needed to step away from the track to allow both mind and body to rest.
I just needed a break mentally, he said. I was done.
Clement didnt completely abandon his training, but he took the 2014 season off from competition.
By the time he started eyeing the 2015 track and field calendar, he could feel the itch. The break had energized him, but when Clement returned to the track full time, he realized something had been missing.
When I came back, I found a new love for the hurdles, he said. I was like, Oh my G*d, I missed the hurdles. Just hitting the refocus button, loving it again, having a new mindset and new goals for the second chapter of my career, which is now.
At last years world championships, he finished in fourth place, just a hundredth of a second away from the podium, but he felt he entered the 2016 season with momentum at his back. He had at least one other thing on his side: determination.
I came out here with one mindset, to get a gold medal, and nothing was going to stop me, he said. Im a Scorpio. Once I set my mind to something, Im going to get it regardless.
US wrestler Maroulis wins womens gold
Add Helen Maroulis to the list of history-makers at the Rio Olympics.
The 24-year-old from Rockville, Maryland, upset the woman widely considered to be the greatest female wrestler of all time Thursday to take a gold medal in womens freestyle in the 53kg weight class.
Maroulis, a first-time Olympian who cut weight to compete in Rio, took down three-time defending gold medalist Saori Yoshida of Japan, 4-1.
Maroulis win adds to a recent tear that includes her first-ever world title at the 2015 world championships; she holds the longest winning streak of all American wrestlers.
The weight of the moment made for an emotional medal ceremony, with both wrestlers crying on their respective podiums. Maroulis mouthed The Star-Spangled Banner with tears running down her face while Yoshida seemed inconsolable, heaving sobs as she mourned her 14-year streak of winning either a world or Olympic title.
The Japanese legend had not lost a match since before the 2012 London Games.
