RIO DE JANEIRO -- All by themselves on the massive track, the four U.S. women took their positions in Lane 2.Tianna Bartoletta kneeled into the blocks and waited for the starters pistol. It sounded and away she went -- alone -- in a first-of-its-kind Olympic relay race against the clock.The Americans won that contest Thursday night to earn their spot in the final eight of the 4x100.As is the case with so many relays the U.S. has run over the years, this was anything but routine.Our coach told us before we went out there, `Its just like practice, just the whole world will be watching, said English Gardner.Returning to the track 7 1/2 hours after they left, the team of Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, Gardner and Morolake Akinosun finished in a time of 41.77 seconds to bump China out of the last spot in the final.The rerun of their preliminary heat came about after Felix, running in the second position, got jostled by a Brazilian, stumbled and tried, unsuccessfully, to flip the baton ahead to Gardner.The stick fell, and after being disqualified, the Americans lodged a successful protest.But unlike some races, in which an additional runner could simply be added to the final, relays are limited to eight teams because there are only eight lanes that wrap completely around the track. So, the judges brought the Americans back to run in the same lane, in the same order, in what USA Track and Field said was the first rerun of its kind in Olympic history.Their only goal was to beat Chinas eighth-place time of 42.70 seconds, and that was no problem for a team that had two members -- Bartoletta and Felix -- who were on the team that set the world record (40.82 seconds) at the London Games in 2012.The exchanges were smooth, and a few moments after Akinosun crossed the line in a time that not only beat Chinas, but was the best that any team had run all day, the four runners huddled for a quick hug.Bartoletta peeled off to receive the gold medal she won in the long jump the night before. The others were off for rest and another quick turnaround.The final is Friday night, and the United States will run out of either Lane 1 or 8 -- the least-desirable lanes because the Americans, despite their top time, were not among the top three finishers in their heat.I dont know how much more I can take, said Felix, whose season has been filled with injuries, disappointments and, now, this. My bodys fine, my mind will be fine. Its different, just not the year I was expecting.Earlier, in more-conventional news, the U.S. mens team coasted through the preliminaries, winning its heat in 37.65 seconds. Jamaicas relay team also made it through, finishing second in its heat without Usain Bolt, who was resting up for the 200-meter final later in the evening.It puts Jamaica, and Bolt, in position for a third straight title in the sprint relay.The only pressure is to make sure we get the stick around, said Asafa Powell, the former world-record holder who ran the third leg.Its been more of a problem with the United States than the Jamaicans over the years.The U.S. women botched the exchange in both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics to give away potential medals in an event that was virtually made for the team with the deepest pool of sprinters. At last years world championships, a minor bobble in the less-technical 4x400 cost a precious split second that made the difference in a loss to Jamaica.The U.S. men have either been disqualified or failed to get the baton around the track eight times at Olympics or world championships since 1995.This years mens team was in the holding room when the women bobbled the stick. A jarring reminder.First thing I did is told the young guys, `We got this, veteran Tyson Gay said after running the mens third leg. Youve got to be positive. A lot of things happen out there. Hydro Flask 24 Oz Sale .ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at Boston Strong - a citys recovery from tragedy. Hydro Flask 21 Oz Standard Mouth . From filmmaker Nanette Burstein (On the Ropes), The Price of Gold revisits the saga that rocked the figure skating world ahead of the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games: the assault on Nancy Kerrigan, and the plot that led its way back to her rival Tonya Harding. http://www.flaskwaterbottle.com/hydro-flask-18-oz-sale.html . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. Hydro Flask 32 Oz White . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. Hydro Flask 20 Oz Coffee . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. BASEBALLRYE, N.Y. -- Ralph Branca, the Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher who gave up the home run dubbed the Shot Heard `Round the World, has died at the age of 90.Son-in-law Bobby Valentine, a former major league manager, says Branca died at a nursing home in Rye, New York.The home run that Branca gave up on Oct. 3, 1951, became one of the most famous in baseball history.Bobby Thomson hit a three-run homer off Branca with one out in the bottom of the ninth to give the New York Giants a dramatic 5-4 playoff victory and the National League pennant. Thomsons heroics put the Giants into the World Series.Branca, a three-time All-Star, spent the first 11 seasons of his big-league career with the Dodgers. He also pitched for the Tigers and Yankees.SEATTLE -- The Seattle Mariners finally landed the established shortstop theyve long been trying to find.To do it, they had to part with a talented young pitcher who still has the potential to blossom.Seattle and Arizona pulled off a five-player trade, with the Mariners acquiring speedy infielder Jean Segura and the Diamondbacks getting right-hander Taijuan Walker as the centerpieces of the deal.Segura immediately projects as Seattles leadoff hitter and starting shortstop, solidifying an infield that already includes All-Star sluggers Kyle Seager at third base and Robinson Cano at second. But getting Segura meant the Mariners had to give up on the inconsistent Walker, a power arm who has showed occasional flashes of brilliance.BAYLOR SEXUAL ASSAULT INVESTIGATIONWACO, Texas -- Two women who reported being gang-raped by Baylor University football players have reached a settlement with the school, which has been hammered by months of criticism that it ignored or mishandled assault claims for years.The settlement was announced in a joint statement by Baylor interim President David Garland and the lawyers representing the women. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.The settlements were the latest development in a scandal that has rocked the nations largest Baptist university. An investigation by the law firm Pepper Hamilton earlier this year found that the school mishandled assault claims for years. Football coach Art Briles was fired, school President Ken Starr was demoted and eventually left, and Athletic Direct Ian McCaw resigned.Baylor regents recently disclosed that 17 women had reported domestic violence or sexual assaults that involved 19 football players since 2011, including four gang rapes.COLLEGE BASKETBALLNEW YORK -- College womens basketball is exploring ways to change the format of the NCAA Tournament, including moving the Final Four back a week to avoid overlap with the end of the mens tournament.In a survey given to the conferences and obtained by The Associated Press, the womens basketball oversight committee laid out a few potential changes that wouldnt take place until 2019 at the earliest.dddddddddddd The date change would put the womens Final Four on the same weekend as the Masters.The committee is asking the schools and conferences for feedback on several alterations, including having the opening round at 32 sites and having the second round and regionals played at the same location. Moving the Final Four would add a bye week to the tournament schedule.ESPN, which broadcasts the NCAA Tournament, was opposed to most of the changes because of costs and feasibility.Most of the ideas were originally discussed in a White Paper put together by Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman in 2013 on the state of womens basketball.OLYMPICSRIO DE JANEIRO -- Olympic organizers in Rio de Janeiro are trying to hand over almost $3 million in ticket refund payments due to 13,000 people.One big problem. They cant find them.We are hunting after people, Rio spokesman Mario Andrada told The Associated Press. We have the money, but dont know how to get it to them.Rio organizers allowed buyers to return tickets, which were resold.Instead of selling them to scalpers, they gave the tickets back to us, and we resold them, Andrada said.Andrada said 140,000 people returned Olympic and Paralympic tickets for resale, a value of 80 million Brazilian reals ($23.5 million).About 90 percent have been reimbursed. But incorrect bank details and faulty credit card numbers are hampering the remaining refunds that total about 9 million reals ($2.7 million).SOCCERMADRID -- Spanish prosecutors want to punish Neymar, his father, Barcelona, and the players Brazilian club because of an investment groups claim that they concealed the value of the stars transfer fee.Prosecutors said they are seeking a two-year prison sentence and a $10.6 million fine for Neymar and his father on corruption charges, although they are not likely to face any jail time because in Spain sentences of less than two years for first offences are usually suspended.Prosecutors also want to punish former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell on corruption and fraud charges, which could lead to up to five years in prison and the same $10.6 million fine. The former president of Brazilian club Santos, Odilio Rodrigues, is facing a three-year prison sentence on fraud charges.They are all set to stand trial after a complaint brought by Brazilian investment group DIS, which was entitled to 40 percent of Neymars transfer from Brazilian club Santos in 2013 but said it received a smaller compensation because part of the transfer fee was concealed. cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '