Olympic medalists in sports ranging from figure skating to wrestling. Heavyweight boxer Alexander Povetkin of Russia saw his world title challenge called off after a failed test for meldonium.---Q: What happened

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa States offense has been very solid for stretches this season, and its defense has improved since last season.The problem is that the Cyclones cant get both clicking at the same time and that inconsistency helped knock them out of the Top 25.Iowa State (6-3) was left out of Mondays rankings, snapping a run of 61 straight weeks in the poll, after dropping three of its last four. The Cyclones are coming off one of their ugliest games in years, falling to Iowa 78-64 on the road last week.Iowa State will face instate rival Drake (1-8) on Saturday as part of a doubleheader in Des Moines.This team will be fine. I mean, I know were living off the Iowa game, Prohm said. This team has to play a certain way all the time, and we didnt do that in stretches in the Iowa game.Prohms way includes strong ball movement.For a team with a backcourt led by preseason All-American point guard Monte Morris, the Cyclones have too often failed to make the extra pass that leads to a better shot.A poor assist-to-basket ratio has symbolized Iowa States lack of ball movement in its last two losses. The Cyclones had just five assists in an overtime loss to No. 25 Cincinnati on Dec. 1 and just nine against the Hawkeyes, who entered play with a losing record.Prohm said the key to fixing Iowa States offense is for it to pick up the pace and cut down on what he called freelancing.First and foremost, weve got to start playing in transition. Weve got to get some easy baskets by playing in transition and pushing the tempo, Prohm said. When we run our offense and we execute, we get good shots.The Cyclones have also struggled because Naz Mitrou-Long just isnt shooting very well.Mitrou-Long, who missed most of last season because of lingering issues with his surgically-repaired hips, is shooting just 39 percent from the floor and just 26.7 percent on 3s -- two years after ranking second in the Big 12 in 3s per game. Morris said hes confident that Mitrou-Long will eventually shoot his way out of his recent funk.Its not about how you start. Its how you finish, Mitrou-Long said. Ive put in too much work. These guys put in too much work. Weve beaten ourselves. Me and Monte talk about it every day. If it has to be us against the world, I like our chances.For a program whose expectations have soared in recent seasons, three losses out of four can feel like an epidemic.But things arent as bad as they might seem for the Cyclones.Iowa State rallied from 20 down and was within a Monte Morris 3 at the buzzer from beating No. 8 Gonzaga on Nov. 27. If Mitrou-Longs 3 at the regulation buzzer gone down against Cincinnati, the Cyclones would have won that game as well.Iowa States defense has also been better than its offense, and teams that defend well typically have a chance on the road once league play comes around.But for the Cyclones to get back on track, theyll need the loss at Iowa to be their tipping point.Its a bright future and a bright road down the line. Its tough right now and it might be hard to see for (the media). But there is definitely going to be a change, and its definitely going to get back to normal around here, Morris said.---More college basketball at www.collegebasketball.ap.orgNBA Jerseys 2020 . -- Five former Kansas City Chiefs players who were on the team between 1987 and 1993 filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming the team hid and even lied about the risks of head injuries during that time period when there was no collective bargaining agreement in place in the NFL. Nolan Smith Jersey Signed . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, has been an offensive assistant on Sean Paytons New Orleans staff since 2007. https://www.cheapnbajerseysjustwholesale.com/jerry-grote-jersey-signed/ . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. 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Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon.MOSCOW -- Maria Sharapovas ban for taking the banned substance meldonium has been reduced from two years to 15 months.Although the drug led to a spate of positive tests from dozens of athletes, mostly in Eastern Europe, when it was banned for 2016, Sharapova is the only athlete serving a ban.Here are some of the key issues surrounding meldonium:---Q: What is meldonium?A: A Latvian-made drug available over the counter in Russia and other Eastern European and ex-Soviet countries, often without a prescription. The drugs manufacturer, Grindeks, says it is mostly aimed at people with heart conditions, though it can also be used for physical and psycho-emotional overload in otherwise healthy people. Meldoniums inventor, chemist Ivars Kalvins, has said it was given to Soviet soldiers fighting in Afghanistan to boost their stamina. However, Grindeks and Kalvins argue it shouldnt be banned in sports, with the manufacturer saying that it cannot improve athletic performance, but it can stop tissue damage during intense exercise. Sharapova said she took meldonium for a decade for reasons including a magnesium deficiency, family history of diabetes and dizziness. Meldonium is usually known by the brand name mildronate, though other names have been used.---Q: How was it banned?A: The World Anti-Doping Agency said in September 2015 that meldonium would be banned as of Jan. 1, 2016, and published information on its website. A study conducted at the European Games in June 2015 and later published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine found 66 of 762 athletes taking meldonium, which the authors called excessive and inappropriate use ... in a generally heathy athlete poppulation.dddddddddddd After WADAs announcement, the International Tennis Federation notified players of changes to the list of banned substances by e-mail and using a wallet card distributed at tournaments, though CAS ruled Tuesday that this was inadequate. Sharapova tested positive at the Australian Open in January and said she was not aware meldonium had been banned.---Q: Who else tested positive?A: After meldonium was banned, there were more than 170 failed tests by athletes, almost all from Eastern European countries, including Olympic medalists in sports ranging from figure skating to wrestling. Heavyweight boxer Alexander Povetkin of Russia saw his world title challenge called off after a failed test for meldonium.---Q: What happened to athletes who tested positive?A: Almost all of the cases were dropped when athletes insisted they had stopped taking meldonium in 2015, before it was banned. The usually low concentrations of the drug in their samples backed up that argument, and WADA accepted findings of no fault or negligence in those cases. WADA also admitted it hadnt known enough about how long it took meldonium to leave an athletes system. Sharapovas case was not dropped because she had continued taking meldonium after it was banned and the concentration in her sample was comparatively high.---Q: What next?A: WADA confirmed last week that meldonium remains on the banned list for 2017. WADAs grace period for athletes who tested positive for low doses expired Friday, so any amount of the drug now triggers a positive test. ' ' '