EUGENE, Ore. -- Life could have turned out a lot differently for two-time Olympic medalist Will Claye. The long and triple jumper was born in Arizona in 1991 shortly after his parents migrated from Sierra Leone in West Africa to the United States, where his mother pursued her doctorate. Had his parents not left the country, Claye says, he easily could have been born in Sierra Leone near the start of its 12-year civil war, a war in which boys his age were forced to be child soldiers.I was able to escape that. It always makes me grateful to my parents that they were able to do that, Claye said, adding that it gave him a different respect for his parents. It showed me how strong my roots are. ... It definitely makes me grateful to be competing for the United States. I dont take anything for granted.You cant take anything for granted when qualifying for the Olympics. Claye won bronze in the long jump and silver in the triple jump at the 2012 Olympics -- the only Olympian to medal in both events in the past 80 years -- but he wont get the chance to repeat that in Rio. Despite finishing in the top three of the long jump at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials Sunday, Claye did not make the U.S. team in that event because he had not reached the qualifying mark of 8.15 meters in the past year.He had missed the qualifying mark by just one centimeter. Which is, he said, about a toenail.It kills me to be eight centimeters off the world record, so a centimeter? I would ask for a re-measurement, said Christian Taylor, the 2012 Olympic triple jump gold medalist and former roommate of Clayes. I think we would call it a rookie mistake. Youve got to take care of that [qualifying standard] business before you get to the trials. You dont want to leave it to the end.Hes not a rookie. This guy is a two-time Olympic medalist. Hes been to the highest stage, and I think its definitely a learning experience for him.Claye left the track that day unsure whether he would be on the U.S. team.I was confused just like you all were, he said. My coach was confused, everyone was confused -- until we talked to the people at USA Track and Field and they said that there was no chasing the qualifying mark before the Olympics and that I was not going to be on the team.At least not in the long jump. Claye still can qualify in the triple jump, which is his favorite of the two events.While he was frustrated by not making the long jump team, Claye said he met with his first track coach that night and sorted it out. After praying over the matter, Claye focused on the triple jump.Claye has been bothered by back and toe injuries in the past year -- a big reason he didnt make the long jump qualifying standard -- and did not have a great performance in Thursdays preliminary round, finishing ninth with a mark of 16.37. That was roughly two feet shy of Taylors first-place jump. Still, it was enough to advance to Saturdays final.Just as important, Claye also has reached the triple jump qualifying standard, and easily bettered it by more than two feet at 17.56, third longest in the world this year.Claye said that as difficult as the long jump can be, the triple jump is harder. You have to jump three times, and in the first two jumps, you are landing on the harder track rather than the soft sand of the pit, which cannot be easy on the feet, ankles or knees.If you dont do it right, you will get hurt all the time, said Claye.?Even if Claye had qualified in the long jump and is able to qualify in the triple, he said he is unsure whether he would have attempted to medal in both. There is only one day off between the events in Rio compared to a three-day gap in London.It would have been something I would really have had to think about, he said. You have long jump prelims one day, the finals the next, a day off, then triple jump prelims and the finals. Thats hard on the body. Its something my coach and I would have to sit down and see if I was fit to do that. Im getting older now.Claye is 25, proud to have represented the United States in London and hoping to do so again in Rio. But he said he still has many more years of competition ahead and would consider jumping for Sierra Leone, which has never won a medal at the Olympics.I feel like it would be great for that country to have the type of caliber athlete that I am, he said. <a href="https://www.shoesaustraliaonline.com/">Cheap Shoes Australia Free Shipping</a>. Once again, DeLaet finished tied for second at a PGA Tour stop on the weekend, this time at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. 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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A month into the season Connecticut doesnt look quite as vulnerable as many people thought. Not after beating No. 2 Notre Dame. Not after winning its 83rd straight game.Two days after narrowly earning the top-ranking in The Associated Press poll, the Huskies easily secured that title on the court with a comfortable 72-61 victory over the Fighting Irish on Wednesday night, their third straight victory over a ranked team.Coach Geno Auriemma said the Huskies (8-0) wouldnt know their winning streak stretched to more than two years if not for the media.I would think if this was the first time our program had ever been here, wed be acting a little bit different. You dont want to sound like you dont appreciate it -- but we did win 90 in a row, Auriemma said.Napheesa Collier scored 14 of her 20 points in the second half after playing just nine minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, Gabby Williams had 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, and Katie Lou Samuelson added 18 points to pace the Huskies.The Huskies trailed for about 2 minutes in late in the second quarter, but played with the lead most of the game as they controlled the inside, outscoring the Irish 42-30 in the paint and finishing with a 35-32 edge in rebounding.I was really disappointed in everything, execution, the inability to get the ball to Bri. Completely ineffective offensively, Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said.Brianna Turner led the Irish (8-1) with 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Lindsay Allen added 11 points.After Notre Dame tied it at 42 with just under 2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Huskies forced a pair of turnovers leading to layups by Samuelson and Williams. Collier added a pair of free throws to give Connecticut led 50-43 at the end of the third quarter.We knew they were going to hit us hard at times and we just had to hit back harder, Williams said.Auriemma said that stretch was the key.In that moment when it could have gone into the fourth quarter differently, I think it kept our confidence level high and may have put a damper on them, he said.The Huskiess stretched it to 65-54 on a 3-point play by Samuelson with 3:06 left to put the game away.ddddddddddddAuriemma said he wont get too excited about the victory.I know this is Dec. 7th and theres a long way to go between now and the end of the season, he said.BIG PICTUREUConn: The Huskies have beaten five ranked teams, including No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 3 Baylor, and have staked their claim as the clear No. 1.Notre Dame: The Irish faced adversity for the first time this season and couldnt respond as they struggled, going 3 of 14 on 3-pointers and making just 4 of 8 free throws. The Irish lost to the Huskies for a sixth straight time and have work to do if they hope to challenge Connecticut by the end of the season. No one on the roster has ever beaten the Huskies.POLL IMPLICATIONS:Two days after narrowly passing the Irish in the poll, the Huskies showed there is no doubt who deserves to be No. 1. The Irish lost to the Huskies by the same score as Baylor, so it could be a tossup as far as who is No. 2 next week.TIP-INS: The game marked the 57th time the top-rated team in The Associated Press poll faced No. 2. The No. 1 team is 36-21. ... The last time UConn was No. 1 and lost to a No. 2 was against Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament semifinal in 2001, when the Irish rallied back after trailing by 16 points in the first half to beat the Huskies 90-75 en route to the national championship. ... The Huskies have won 27 straight road games. The record is 30 straight set by UConn (2007-11) and matched by Notre Dame (2011-15). ... The Huskies have won34 straight against ACC teams.UP NEXTUConn: The Huskies stay on the road to play at Kansas State, ending a streak of three straight games against ranked teams. They then play No. 12 Ohio State in Storrs on Dec. 19.Notre Dame: The Irish, who have played only one true road game, play six straight on the road starting Saturday at No. 16 DePaul. They are then off for finals until playing at Toledo on Dec. 18. <a href="http://www.chinawholesalejerseysnfl.com/">Wholesale Jerseys</a> ' ' '