Kritik und Lob » ational tied with Scott Piercy.- PORTL

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin hit out at discrimination against the countrys banned track and field athletes at a Kremlin send-off ceremony Wednesday for its depleted Olympic team.Fencers and triathletes became the latest team of Russians to be cleared to compete in the Olympics by their sports governing bodies ahead of the Moscow ceremony, but the IAAF rejected a bid by the bulk of the track and field team to be reinstated.More than 100 Russians from the 387-strong Olympic team have been banned so far from going to Rio de Janeiro.We cant accept indiscriminate disqualification of our athletes with an absolutely clean doping history, Putin said. We cannot and will not accept what in fact is pure discrimination.Putin said the athletes banned from the Olympics were victims of a campaign to present Russian sports in a bad light. He spoke with two-time Olympic pole-vaulting champion Yelena Isinbayeva, the most high-profile of the 67 track and field athletes banned from the games, standing beside him.Fighting back tears, Isinbayeva told Rio-bound Russian athletes: Show them what youre able to do -- for yourself and for us too.As the athletes walked across Red Square to meet Putin, some posed for selfies with Vitaly Mutko, whose sports ministry was accused by the World Anti-Doping Agency of orchestrating the doping cover-up. The sports minister has been blocked by the International Olympic Committee from attending the games next month but he remains in Putins government.The IAAF is the only sport to impose a near-blanket ban on Russians, only deeming one -- long jumper Darya Klishina -- eligible for Rio.The situation went beyond the legal field as well as common sense, Putin told the audience, which included many of the banned athletes. Its a well-planned campaign which targeted our athletes, which included double-standards and the concept of collective punishment which has nothing to do with justice or even basic legal norms.Not only have our athletes who never faced any specific accusations been hurt -- this is a blow to the entire global sports and the Olympic Games. Clearly, the absence of Russian athletes who were leaders in some of the sports will affect the competition.There was positive news, however, from Putins ally, Alisher Usmanov, the Russian billionaire who is president of the International Fencing Federation.The governing body said it would allow the 16 Russian fencers who have qualified for the Rio Games to compete and it approved four reserves. The decision came after the FIE said it had re-examined 197 tests taken from Russian fencers in 35 countries over the last two years which all came back negative.The FIE did not respond to questions from The Associated Press about whether WADA investigator Richard McLarens evidence was considered before deciding to allow Russian fencers to compete in Rio.McLaren reported last week that four positive doping tests in Russian fencing and four in triathlon had disappeared in recent years.The International Triathlon Union said the three men and three women who qualified for Rio are not mentioned in the McLaren report and have not served past doping suspensions.They have all been tested outside of Russia, the ITU said in a statement. Therefore, ITU will recommend to the IOC that these six athletes be permitted to compete in Rio next month.Russian entries to the Olympics must still be examined and upheld by an expert from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.The International Gymnastics Federation said it has established a pool of eligible Russian athletes and is awaiting IOC approval.Individual sports federations were given the task of deciding which athletes should be cleared to compete in Rio by the International Olympic Committee on Sunday. In his native Germany, IOC President Thomas Bach is facing increasing criticism for failing to impose a complete ban on Russias team.Germanys national anti-doping agency chief Andrea Gotzmann said the decision does not follow the IOCs declared zero tolerance policy, saying Bach has missed a huge chance.Olympic discuss champion Robert Harting said he was ashamed of Thomas Bach.Cheap Vapormax Mens White . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. Cheap Vapormax Plus Uk . The 29-year-old from Port Colborne, Ont., has nothing but good things to say about former U.S. marine Liz (Girlrilla) Carmouche ahead of their co-main event Wednesday on the UFCs "Fight for the Troops" televised card in Fort Campbell, Ky. http://www.vapormaxwholesaleuk.com/ . Goals from Jerome Boateng, Franck Ribery and Thomas Mueller extended Bayerns unbeaten run to a record 37 matches. "This record is incredible," Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said. Nike Vapormax Mens Uk .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. Vapormax Trainers Uk . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed.Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Sunday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT:- LONDON -- It takes Serena Williams all of 51 minutes to earn her 300th career Grand Slam match win and move into the fourth round at Wimbledon on what is only the fourth time in 139 years the tournament scheduled matches on the middle Sunday.- OMAHA, Neb. -- The final spots on the U.S. swim team are determined with the long and the short of it. The top two in the mens 1,500-meter freestyle and the womens 50 free will be headed to Rio, joining a squad that figures to lead the medal count at the Olympics. Finals start 7:45 p.m.- OMAHA, Neb. -- Led by Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky, the U.S. swim team remains the most powerful in the world. There are some reasons to be concerned headed to Rio, however, from Ryan Lochte and Missy Franklin struggling at the American trials, to the lack of any world records in Omaha, to a roster that includes a bunch of Olympic rookies.- OMAHA, Neb. -- Forget a double take -- the Litherlands left everyone seeing triple at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials. Jay, Kevin and Mick are triplets who competed in Omaha over the past week. While Jay is the only one to earn a spot in Rio, theyll all be going along for the ride.- EUGENE, Ore. -- Allyson Felix, LaShawn Merritt and Justin Gatlin are among the Americans who can secure Olympic spots in track and field.- SAINT-DENIS, France -- Host France plays Iceland, whose surprise progress at the European Championship has wowed the continent, for a place in the semifinals. Game starts 3 p.m.- FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- When the Miammi Marlins and Atlanta Braves meet at Fort Bragg, it will be the first regular-season game of a professional sport played on an active military installation -- a moment Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in March would be a unique event in honor of the military.ddddddddddddNews conference starts 6 p.m.- FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- Call it the All-Stars and Stripes game. Major League Baseball pays tribute to the troops with a game at the new ballpark at this vast U.S. Army post, with the last-place Atlanta Braves looking to continue their mastery of the wild-card-contending Miami Marlins. Game starts 8 p.m.- AKRON, Ohio -- Jason Day goes after his fourth victory of the year when he enters the final round of the Bridgestone Invitational tied with Scott Piercy.- PORTLAND, Ore. -- Defending champion Brooke Henderson enters the final round of the LPGA Cambia Portland Classic with a two-stroke lead over Colombias Mariajo Uribe.- DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Roger Penske celebrated his 100th win in NASCAR with Brad Keselowskis victory at Daytona. Then the team owner gave a fiery defense of his two drivers, who seem to fall on the wrong side of their opponents time and again.- SPIELBERG, Austria -- Lewis Hamilton wins the Austrian Grand Prix after colliding with Nico Rosberg on the final lap, a crash he blamed on his German teammate.- CHERBOURG-EN-COTENTIN, France -- British sprinter Mark Cavendish is defending the first Tour de France yellow jersey of his career during the second stage of the race. ' ' '