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Twenty-eight Russian athletes had their Olympic doping bans overturned Thursday Christian Covington Jersey , throwing the International Olympic Committee’s policy on the country into turmoil.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling was set to reinstate seven Russian medals from the 2014 Sochi Olympics, including gold in men’s skeleton and men’s 50-kilometer cross-country skiing.

”This does not mean that these 28 athletes are declared innocent, but in their case, due to insufficient evidence, the appeals are upheld, the sanctions annulled and their individual results achieved in Sochi are reinstated,” CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb said in Pyeongchang.

The IOC said it had taken note of the CAS decision ”with satisfaction on the one hand and disappointment on the other,” adding the decision ”may have a serious impact on the future fight against doping.”

The 28 who had their bans lifted could now seek late entry into the Pyeongchang Olympics, but the IOC said ”not being sanctioned does not automatically confer the privilege of an invitation.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the ruling ”can’t fail to please us, and it confirms our position that the overwhelming majority of our athletes are clean athletes.”

GYMNASTICS SEXUAL ASSAULT

CHARLOTTE Ameer Abdullah Jersey , Mich. (AP) – The young athletes who confronted Larry Nassar about molesting them at an elite Michigan gymnastics club saved some of their harshest words for a person who was not in the courtroom: an Olympic coach who for years sent teenage girls to see the now-disgraced doctor.

John Geddert operated the Twistars club, where Nassar offered treatments on Monday nights. His victims complained that the coach created an ultra-competitive atmosphere, was indifferent to injuries and rarely offered gymnasts any choice to see a different doctor.

”Coaching by fear, intimidation and shame and explicit favoritism was the norm,” recalled Annie Labrie. She said it was ”no surprise” that Nassar was able to continue his practices as long as he did. ”We were conditioned for years to obey at all costs.”

Nassar was in court for his third and final sentencing hearing, this time for the abuse that happened at Twistars. The nearly 30 victims who gave statements included women familiar with the club’s environment. One also alleged that Geddert was aware in the late 1990s that Nassar had performed an ”inappropriate procedure” on her when she was 16.

PRO FOOTBALL

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) – Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been cleared from the concussion protocol and will play in Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Gronkowski participated fully in practice on Thursday. Defensive lineman Deatrich Wise also practiced after being cleared from the concussion protocol. Malcolm Butler (illness) and Brandon King (knee) also participated in the workout.

Gronk said he is ”ready to roll” and has no limitations. He had been sidelined since taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from Jacksonville’s Barry Church in the first half of New England’s AFC championship game win.

The All-Pro tight end missed last year’s Super Bowl win over Atlanta after undergoing back surgery.

Gronkowski said he believes that the team doctors were just using the bye week to be as cautious with the injury as possible.

BASEBALL

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Major League Baseball has offered to ditch its proposal for a pitch clock this year and also would go without one in 2019 if the average time of a nine-inning game drops to at least 2 hours, 55 minutes this season.

Speaking after a quarterly owners meeting ended Thursday, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said owners authorized him to implement management’s proposal from last offseason, which calls for a 20-second pitch clock this year Clayton Geathers Jersey , if an agreement cannot be reached with the players’ association. Management has proposed a deal that would phase in new rules over the next three seasons

Manfred thought he was close to a deal during the offseason but union head Tony Clark told him players rejected the proposal and said ”he didn’t think he was in a position to make any agreement on the topic.”

MLB listened to player’s public comments and at a Jan. 23 meeting attended by Manfred, deputy commissioner Dan Halem and Clark, MLB proposed no clock this year as part of a three-year plan, Manfred said. There would be a pitch clock in 2019 if the average time of a nine-inning game is higher than 2:55 this year, Manfred said. A person familiar with the plan told The Associated Press the proposal called for an 18-second timer and only with no runners on base, and ball-strike penalties would not start until May 1. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because those details were not announced.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

DALLAS (AP) – Former TCU wide receiver Kolby Listenbee (LIH’-sehn-bee) is suing the university and football coach Gary Patterson, alleging Horned Frogs coaches harassed him into playing with an injured groin, compromising his future in football.

In a statement issued Thursday, Listenbee’s attorneys said TCU coaches pressured him to return prematurely in his senior year of 2015 from an injury to his pelvic cartilage. The lawsuit says the injury should have been rested and rehabilitated for at least six months.

The lawsuit alleges trainers routinely gave him injections to make his pain tolerable. He blames that for damage to his pelvic cartilage that compromised his NFL prospects. He has since signed with three teams but hasn’t played a down.

In a st The Tampa Bay Buccaneers believe they accomplished their major goals of upgrading the defensive line and a porous secondary through the draft after going 5-11 and missing the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season.

The Buccaneers added more defensive pieces Saturday, taking Pitt safety Jordan Whitehead in the fourth round and Wisconsin linebacker Jack Cichy during the sixth.

"Thirty-one teams passed up (taking me) so I've got a chip on my shoulder coming in already T.J. Green Jersey ," Whitehead said.

Cichy didn't play in 2017 because of a knee injury that occurred in preseason camp.

"I feel great," he said. "I'm real close to 100 percent. I think by the time I get down there for minicamp and OTAs I'll be 100 percent."

Tampa Bay used its first-round pick Thursday to take Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea 12th overall. He will be plugged into a revamped defensive line anchored by six-time Pro Bowl tackle Gerald McCoy and bolstered by last month's trade for pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul and the signing of Beau Allen, Vinny Curry and Mitch Unrein in free agency.

Tampa Bay ranked last in the NFL with 23 sacks a year ago.

The Buccaneers used a pair of second-round selections Friday to take cornerbacks M.J. Stewart from North Carolina and Auburn's Carlton Davis.

"We feel great," Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht said. "There's more of a better vibe, not that it was ever bad, more high-fives and more positive energy with all the coaches and scouts this year than I can remember."

LEARNING CURVE

Bucs coach Dirk Koetter knows that 6-foot-6, 304-pound guard Alex Cappa, taken in the third round from Division II Humboldt State, will be facing a major step-up in competition. "That's a different level of football," Koetter said. "Right when his season was over Corey Coleman Jersey , he goes down to Phoenix and works out at an O-line place with a bunch of NFL guys. He's the right kind of guy but there's definitely a transition."

Tampa Bay has had previous drafting success with small-school offensive lineman, taking starting guard Ali Marpet from Division III Hobart College in the second round of the 2015 draft.

FAMILY AFFAIR

Former Buccaneers cornerback Darrelle Revis is Whitehead's cousin.

"He gave me a lot of advice going through this process," Whitehead said. "Stay humble, anything can happen throughout this weekend."

FASTER THAN YOU MIGHT THINK

Second-round selection Ronald Jones II from USC is an explosive runner who the Buccaneers feel is faster than generally known.

"He's got track times, the ran guy 10.3-something 100-meters and multiple 10.5's," Koetter said. "He runs hard. He's going to bring something."

HIGH GRADES

The Buccaneers took Penn wide receiver Justin Watson in the fifth round. He will graduate after taking his last final Wednesday at Penn's Wharton School.

"I didn't have a lot of I-A offers, in fact the only two offers I had at the I-A level were Buffalo and Akron out of the MAC," Watson said. "For me, Penn was just the best fit for both football and academics."

STILL NEED

Tampa Bay could look to add depth at safety and the offensive line before the start of training camp.

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