RIO DE JANEIRO -- Kristina Vogel proudly watched the German flag rise to the rafters of the Olympic velodrome, her victory in the womens individual sprint a validation of all her hard work the past four years.The fact that it was flanked by two British flags was hardly a surprise.Vogel was just about the only track cyclist to stop Britains gold rush at the Rio Games, beating Katy Marchant in the semifinals and Becky James in the finals. But the two British sprinters still swept the other two medals up for grabs, a sign of just how dominant their nation is in the sport.Ten events yielded six gold medals, four silver medals and a bronze.And left Vogel and dozens of other competitors wondering just how they do it.I dont say they took drugs or have engines in the bike, Vogel said. But it seems they dont train for years and then at the Olympics they kill every nation.In interviews with several British riders, the answer was always the same: massive investment of resources, hard work and the Olympics as their singular focus every four years.Start with the finances at their disposal.After an embarrassing showing at the 1996 Atlanta Games, where Team GB failed to win a single track cycling medal, the country began funneling proceeds from its national lottery into the program. Millions of dollars were invested in infrastructure and talent identification.New velodromes and training centers were built. Stars were born.Four years later, Britain won gold, silver and two bronze medals in Sydney. Four years after that came two gold medals in Athens. And by the 2008 Beijing Games, Britain was atop the table.Its team won seven gold medals that year, seven more at the 2012 London Games and, when combined with the six won in Rio, has won 20 of the past 30 gold medals available at the Olympics.The lottery funding is a big part of it, said Jason Kenny, who won three gold medals in Rio to push his career total to six. It allows us to focus entirely on winning medals.The money also helps to fund the Secret Squirrel Club, named after the Hanna-Barbera cartoon from the 1960s, a group of scientists and high-performance experts who have turned out technological marvels that give Britain an edge. Among them are paints developed with F1 teams Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull that allow bikes to slip through air quicker, skinsuits from adidas with specialized ribbing to improve efficiency, and aerodynamic helmets that are unlike anything worn by other teams.Still, all that money and technology would be wasted if not for the talent.Over the past two decades, Britain has built up its grassroots cycling program to give young and aspiring riders a chance to compete. Those who show the most promise graduate to different levels in the British system, from junior academies to senior academies to the Olympic Podium Program.The name itself tells you the value they place on the Summer Games.By that point, athletes are full-time cyclists based at the national training center in Manchester, their day job essentially to train for the Olympics. Among those who have gone through the program are Kenny, his fiancee and four-time Olympic champion Laura Trott, and former Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, who returned to track cycling to win his fifth gold medal in Rio.I always thought how special London was. I went there without any expectations, so to win two golds was just incredible, Trott said, and then I thought, `How on earth am I going to top that? We believe in ourselves and in our team. Everything here just snowballs.The snowball hits its maximum speed every four years, and thats by design.Britain routinely struggles at major events such as the world championships in intervening years, only to pop up and dominate the Olympics. One French coach mused they must bring out magic wheels every four years, and Vogel went so far as to call them cannon fodder at the world championships.It only underscores the belief among some that there is something out-of-bounds going on.I dont know how they do it. I cant explain it, said Russian rider Denis Dmitriev. They have a secret. Who knows what it is? But yeah, theyre always best at the moment.British pursuit star Joanna Rowsell-Shand said the point is to peak for the Olympics, not for the world championships or any other competition. Four years are spent sharpening themselves to a razor-fine edge, even if it means sometimes embarrassing results elsewhere.Thats quite a hard thing to go to world championships and know youre not at your top form, she said. Even at worlds this year, we knew there was more to come for the Olympics.The resulting medal haul has left rivals feeling a mixture of awe and envy, often left to race for silver and bronze medals at the sporting event that means the most to them.I think they are doing it right, Vogel said. I just want to know what they are doing. Clearance Jerseys UK . 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Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys UK . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. SAO PAULO -- It might be time to put Neymars name back on the Brazilian jersey.After an uninspired start that prompted some fans to replace his name with Martas on the famed No. 10 shirt, Neymar is finally showing why he arrived at the Olympics as one of its biggest stars.Neymar led Brazil to the semifinals of the Olympic soccer tournament with an outstanding performance in the 2-0 win over Colombia on Saturday. He scored a goal and was one of the best players on the field, constantly creating opportunities despite being harassed by Colombian players nearly every time he touched the ball.He took a beating but he still helped the team a lot, Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus said. Everybody knows he is a star. He is crucial for us.Neymar impressed with his talent and his toughness, the type of performance that Brazilian fans had been expecting since the beginning of the Olympics.Neymar gave a very positive response, Brazil Olympic coach Rogerio Micale said. He was provoked almost the entire first half but he didnt let that get to him. He behaved well as the teams captain.The Barcelona player lost his cool once before halftime, committing a hard foul on a Colombian player with a tackle that led to a bench-clearing brawl. The play ignited fans at the Arena Corinthians, but he left himself in danger of being sent off.It was the only thing. He came in harder, just like they were doing, and received the yellow card, Micale said. After that, he kept his calm.Despite being the tournaments top player, Neymar had disappointed in the first two games with Brazil, when the title-favorites were held to scoreless draws by South Africa and Iraq. He was being loudly criticized by fans and local media, who said he lacked leadership and wasnt worth being Brazils captain.dddddddddddd.A photo of a Brazil jersey with Neymars name scratched off and replaced with Martas name went viral, and supporters heckled him by chanting the womens stars name during games.With the team in danger of another embarrassing home elimination two years after the demoralizing 7-1 loss to Germany at the World Cup, Neymar finally took over in the must-win game against Denmark, setting up two goals in the 4-0 victory.On Saturday, he kept alive Brazils hopes of winning the soccer gold for the first time by scoring from a free kick in the 12th minute. He controlled the pace for Brazil throughout the match despite being provoked by Colombian players.Neymar is very experienced, he helped us a lot, said Luan, who scored the other goal against Colombia in the quarterfinals. He controlled the game and overcame the pressure. He was crucial in our victory.Neymar is only 24 but is one of the teams most experienced players. He skipped the Copa America earlier this year so he could play in the Olympics to try to give Brazil the unprecedented gold, which is the only significant trophy Brazil hasnt won in soccer. Neymar was in the team that lost the 2012 Olympic final to Mexico in London.Brazil will play Honduras in Wednesdays semifinals at the Maracana Stadium, which will be the teams first game in Rio de Janeiro. Germany and Nigeria play the other semifinal match in Sao Paulo.---Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni . 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