ey dont, for the most part, have to worry about money.U.S. players, by contrast, must often hustle to pay for a court to practice on, a coach to instruct them

The final day of Pirellis 2017 tyre testing programme took place in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday with Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes present. Portland Trail Blazers Gear .It was the Italian tyre companys 24th day of 2017 tyre testing this year and saw 96 different prototypes tested over 331 laps between the three teams. The cars were based on modified versions of the teams 2015 chassis, tweaked to suit the wider tyres and beefed up to simulate the increased aerodynamic loads expected in 2017.Lewis Hamilton drove the wider rubber for the first time in the Mercedes on Tuesday morning, but after feeling unwell midway through the day he handed the car over to Manor driver Pascal Wehrlein. Kimi Raikkonen tested for Ferrari while Red Bull fielded race drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen. Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery said his companys focus now shifts towards finalising the tyre compounds for the 2017 season.For the final test of the year, we had five F1 race drivers sample our 2017 prototypes as we completed the development programme with three cars at the same time. Now the hard work begins as we collate and analyse the results of our 24 days and approximately 12,000 kilometres of testing in order to define the tyres with which we will go racing next year.These will then be run on the actual 2017 cars for the first time during the official group tests next February. Our latest test in Abu Dhabi went according to plan and we were able to collect the data we needed thanks to the three mule cars from Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari; without whom it would have been impossible to carry out this intense development programme. Lloyd Neal Jersey . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. Calvin Natt Jersey . The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2. https://www.cheapblazersonline.com/428i-...ey-blazers.html . The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the veteran forward will return to the teams line-up on Saturday night when the Habs visit the Nashville Predators. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Mention to a badminton superfan the widespread American view that the sport is mostly a backyard lark and watch the steam come out of their ears.They find it inconceivable that anyone, even Americans steeped in football and basketball, could mistake badminton for anything other than a complex, endlessly fascinating symphony of power, agility and speed.With apologies to the purists: Most Americans cant see past their leisurely, backyard BBQ encounters with the game.It wasnt always that way.Badminton once enthralled many in the United States. Its athletes graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, staged badminton on ice escapades and won world championships.That was half a century ago. They now struggle to make it out of the first rounds of the Olympics, and to win fans enamored with swimming and track superstars.The problem, as it is for many Olympic sports that are sensations internationally but less popular in the United States, is money.When a U.S. athlete faces a player from a traditional badminton power, theyre not just facing the individual, theyre facing an entire system -- all of its financial backing, training facilities, coaching and scouting infrastructure.For the U.S., we are all still self-funded. Were individuals. Were not a team, said Iris Wang, a 21-year-old U.S. Olympian from California, after a recent practice session in Rio.Wang pointed toward some South Koreans practicing nearby.They fly together; they train together. We all train separately. They have the resources to bring in a masseuse, physical therapy, said Wang, who took three years off from UCLA to focus on badminton and who will return soon for her sophomore year. I heard China sometimes brings chefs to tournaments, and were just struggling to make it through.Until the mid-20th century, Americans often dominated badminton, and the sport enjoyed widespread popularity.Dave Freeman, the Pasadena Flash, a neurosurgeon considered by some to be badmintons greatest player, was the only American man to reach world No. Kent Bazemore Jersey. . 1 and won the equivalent of the world championship in 1949.FBI agent Joe Alston boosted the sport when he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1955 after winning his second U.S. Open singles title.Badminton comedy shows toured America in the `40s and `50s, and people lined up for badminton on ice reviews.Gradually, however, football, baseball and basketball began to rob attention from badminton.Those who now embrace the game in the United States often do so because their parents are fans or because they have relatives or friends whove shown them how seriously badminton is taken in parts of Asia and Europe.A return to its 20th century heyday will be difficult.In Asia, the big powers often subsidize their badminton programs. Prospects are scouted young, brought into well-run training programs and nurtured. They dont, for the most part, have to worry about money.U.S. players, by contrast, must often hustle to pay for a court to practice on, a coach to instruct them, equipment, sparring partners, air fare and tournament entry fees. Without resources they struggle to win, which means sponsors are reluctant to help.Wang has a sponsorship with a Taiwan-based tech company but also gets help from her parents. She played hard in Rio, but ran into Li Xuerui, the defending Olympic champion from China, and lost 2-0.Wang said making badminton an NCAA sport could help increase its popularity and encourage more high school students to play. Otherwise, many potentially good players will go to other sports.Wang smiles when asked how she discovered badminton.A backyard birthday party for my sisters friend, she said. I thought, `Oh my gosh, thats so cool. I was really intrigued by it, and I was really bad at it.---Follow Foster Klug at www.twitter.com/apklug . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/foster-klug ' ' '