SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Laurie Hernandez likes to joke that any gymnastics meet that includes three-time world champion Simone Biles is really just a race for second.Hernandez is kidding, but not really.For the past three years, there has been Biles and then everyone else.During the opening round of the U.S. Olympic womens gymnastics trials on Friday night, everyone else drew as close to Biles as they have in a while, led by the electric 16-year-old Hernandez.While Biles led the way as usual with a 61.850, Hernandez was just a point back at 60.850. The gap is sizable to be sure. It may even be insurmountable. Yet the fact Hernandez is in the same area code is a testament to her level of comfort on the biggest stage.You kind of have to act naive to it, Hernandez said with a laugh. This is just another meet. The arena is just bigger than usual.The stakes, too.While there were others -- even Biles and defending Olympic champion Gabby Douglas -- who had to tamp down the adrenaline or the mistakes (or both), Hernandez erased any lingering doubt about her readiness for Rio de Janeiro. Each of her scores on the four individual events ranked in the top five, including a beam routine thats good enough to win Olympic gold on its own.Heady territory for someone who turned 16 a month ago. Yet Hernandez seems to thrive on the pressure, pressure that ever so briefly seemed to get to Biles. The overwhelming favorite to win the all-around in Rio overshot her landing on vault and had to muscle her way through an awkward spin, a rare wobble during a skill coach Aimee Boorman said her star has been drilling for weeks.Blame it on the adrenaline that comes with a spot on what could be the most loaded U.S. team in history on the line.What you saw was the adrenaline today, Boorman said. There were a lot of people that cant rein in the adrenaline. I dont think we need to change much of her gymnastics.Aly Raisman continued her resurgence to the form she showed while winning three medals at the London Olympics while finishing third, followed by MyKayla Skinner in fourth.National team coordinator Martha Karolyi is picking from an embarrassment of riches as she pieces together a squad that will head to Rio as the heavy favorite to win a second straight Olympic team gold. Karolyi, who is retiring after the Games, said following the national championships last month that she already had five names in mind and doesnt appear ready to break out an eraser just yet.The list is staying pretty solid, Karolyi said. Even with some mistakes here or there. We look for the potential and you look for the fact of what you see what the girls were able to do in the past also.Biles, Hernandez and Raisman appear to be in solid position while Douglas is still searching for the form that helped her win an eye-opening silver in the all-around to Biles at the world championships last fall. Douglas was only so-so at nationals and adjusted her coaching situation heading into the trials, with Christian Gallardo taking a more prominent role with less than a month to go before opening ceremonies.Gallardo, who has served as Douglas co-coach along with Kittia Carpenter since Douglas moved to Buckeye Gymnastics in Columbus, Ohio, two years ago, called the move a collective decision. Olympic rules allow only one personal coach on the event floor, and Douglas comfortability with Gallardo made the difference.We always thought it was a good idea, especially leading into trials, Douglas said. We do a lot of numbers and a lot of reps. He was always my coach in the gym and you can only have one coach on the floor. It just made sense.If there was any immediate impact on the decision, it didnt show under the lights, a place where Douglas so often thrives. While Douglas was third on uneven bars, the event that first caught Karolyis eye five years ago, she was iffy elsewhere, her occasionally shaky night ending with a hop off the beam.Douglas wobble may open the door for other candidates to slip into the group. Skinner put a strong 59.450, including top four scores on vault, beam and floor.Madison Kocian and Ashton Locklear, who came into the trials as the leading candidate for the fifth spot, posted matching 15.750s on bars -- the best of the night by far -- with Kocian adding a steady 14.7 on balance beam.There is no drama at the top, though there might be company for Biles.The high-flying star hasnt lost a meet since the summer of 2013 while cementing herself as the best gymnast of her generation. Though shes still in a class by herself, she wasnt quite as crisp as she was while winning her fourth national title in St. Louis two weeks ago. In a way, Biles is a victim of her own success. Shes separated herself from the rest of the world so completely that anything less than dominance seems like disappointment.Biles, however, prefers not to look at it that way. Shes spent the better part of her life preparing for this moment. Shes not about to let it slip away. Yes she was a little amped on Friday. Shell adjust.I feel like its a world selection camp except this one is a competition held publicly, she said. Thats fine. Its like crickets out there [at selection camp]. Here at least you have the crowd to pump it up. Thats what we train for.
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Cheap Nike Shox Online . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. AUSTIN, Texas -- Former Baylor football coach Art Briles and former athletic director Ian McCaw were dismissed Wednesday from a lawsuit brought by woman who said they and the school ignored her claims that she was raped by a former player who was later convicted.The men had been named in Jasmin Hernandezs lawsuit against Bayor as co-defendants in their official capacity. But Briles lawyers argued both men could not be sued in their official role under the Title IX federal gender discrimination law cited in the lawsuit.Hernandezs lawyer, Alex Zalkin, said he would refile claims against both Briles and McCaw in federal court under Texas state negligence claims. The court set an Oct. 12 deadline for Hernandez to amend the lawsuit. The Associated Press generally doesnt identify sexual assault victims, but Hernandez has spoken publicly to draw attention to the case.Wednesdays ruling but wont stop Hernandez from trying to hold both men accountable, Zalkin said.The federal lawsuit against Baylor continues. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman denied the universitys request to temporarily halt evidence gathering while considering the schools request to dismiss the case. That could open the path for her attorneys to begin interviewing witnesses and collecting documents, notably statements and materials related to a law firms investigation of how Baylor handled sex assault allegations over a three-year period.Coach Art Briles is very happy he has been dismissed as a defendant in this case. Plaintiffs may very well allege future claims against him and we will take those on if and when they are filed, Briles attorney, Kenneth Tekell, said.Baylor fired Briles in May and McCaw resigned after a school-fundedd investigation found the Baptist school had mishandled allegations of sexual assault, including claims made against football players.dddddddddddd Former President and Chancellor Ken Starr also was forced out.The Pepper Hamilton law firm concluded the football program acted as it was above the rules when dealing with assault claims and rules violations.Hernandez sued in March, claiming Baylor knew that former player Tevin Elliott had a history of assaults, failed to protect her and others who were attacked, and ignored her pleas when she sought help after her assault in 2012. Elliott was later convicted of raping Hernandez and sentenced to 20 years in prison.Briles lawyers argued he couldnt be sued as an individual in a Title IX lawsuit and that claims he ignored warnings of a sexual predator on his team were based on hearsay. They have also argued that Texas limited liability standards wont apply to Briles if sued in state court.Briles has acknowledged he made mistakes during eight seasons at Baylor, when he built one of the Big 12s worst football programs into a national power.There was some bad things that went on under my watch. I was the captain of this ship, Briles said in a recent interview with ESPN. ... So, I understand that I made some mistakes, and for that Im sorry. But Im not trying to plead for peoples sympathy. Im just stating that, `Hey, I made some mistakes. I was wrong. Im sorry. Im gonna learn. Im gonna do better.---This story has been updated to correct Hernandez lawyer says new lawsuits will be filed in federal court, not Texas state court. ' ' '
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