addon said before Thursdays 1-1, six-inning tie with the

Latvia will not send its skeleton athletes to this seasons world championships in Sochi, the first such announcement by any national team in response to the Russian doping scandal.The world championships for bobsled and skeleton are scheduled to be held on the 2014 Olympic track Feb. 13-26. A number of athletes, including some past Olympic medalists from the U.S. and Britain, have said in recent weeks that they will consider skipping worlds unless officials move the event out of Russia.But no other national team had taken such an official stance, until Sunday.Enough is enough, the Latvian skeleton team said in a statement.If worlds are going to be moved out of Sochi, a decision by the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation would have to come quickly. The IBSF said it will act promptly and decisively after World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLarens latest report detailing the scope of the doping program in Russia was released on Friday.U.S. officials have said they will support any American athlete who chooses not to race in Sochi.Among the concerns some sliders have expressed about going back to Russia is a fear that food and beverage supplies could be tampered with and that athletes could unknowingly ingest a banned substance. If they were subsequently tested and that test came back positive, they would likely be ineligible to compete in the 2018 Olympics.The Russians are scheduled to compete this weekend in a World Cup bobsled and skeleton competition in Lake Placid, New York, as are sliders from most other nations on the circuit.I want to compete in a World Championships thats drug free and safe for all, U.S. womens bobsled pilot Elana Meyers Taylor said on Twitter. Sochi, Russia, is not an option.The British Bobsled and Skeleton Federation is among those taking a wait-and-see approach for now, not making any decisions until the IBSF decides whether worlds should be moved.I hope too that they will want to join the fight, said Lizzy Yarnold, the Olympic womens skeleton gold medalist from Britain.Latvia has seven Winter Olympic medals in its history -- all of them in sliding sports. The Latvian team is led by Martins Dukurs, the seven-time defending World Cup overall champion who has gotten silver medals at the past two Olympics. At the Sochi Games in 2014, Dukurs entered as a gold-medal favorite but was beaten by Russias Aleksandr Tretyakov.McLarens report released on Friday said that Russians who won 15 medals in Sochi had their drug-testing samples tampered with, including two athletes who won four gold medals. McLarens report did not include names.While our international federation is still going to read and digest the report, we will do what we can, the Latvian skeleton team wrote. We will be glad to race in World Championships at any track of the world, but we are not participating in World Championships in Sochi, Russia -- a place where Olympic spirit was stolen in 2014. Clearance Curry Shoes . The head of USA Boxing came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter to Tyson -- a former Olympic hopeful himself -- that accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U. Wholesale Curry Shoes . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. http://www.curryshoescheap.com/ . LOUIS -- St. Cheap Stephen Curry Shoes . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. Curry Shoes From China . With the short-handed Warriors needing help from someone -- anyone -- to stop a three-game skid, ONeal returned from right knee and groin injuries that had sidelined him for four games and put up season highs with 18 points and eight rebounds. It was just enough to help lift Golden State to a 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. PITTSBURGH -- Pitcher Jake Arrieta and catcher Miguel Montero?arent the only Chicago Cubs players who want to move past the spring training feel to the final days of the regular season -- they are just the most vocal.Both bristled Wednesday night at the decision to remove Montero from the game while Arrieta was still pitching. The Cy Young Award winner had just given up three runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fourth inning when manager Joe Maddon pulled Montero in favor of Willson Contreras.Maddon said it was a predetermined move to give the rookie Contreras an inning with Arrieta in case that combination is together in a postseason contest. Arrieta wound up giving up three more runs in the fifth.They all knew what was going to happen before that game, Maddon said Thursday afternoon. There were no surprises. And theres been no surprises.But thats not what Arrieta indicated earlier in the day during his own radio show on ESPN 1000 in Chicago.Going into the game, I was really unaware we were going to go with a catching change, Arrieta said.Maddon shot back in his take on Arrietas night, in which he gave up a season-high 10 hits.I dont think it was attributable to a spring training attitude as much as the Pirates had a good approach last night, Maddon said.Even general manager Jed Hoyer chimed in, also on ESPN 1000.Its a difficult balance, Hoyer said. We mostly get it right, maybe yesterday [Wednesday] we didnt.In the long run, the disagreement probably will matter little as the regular season has just three days left, which means only three more days of meaningless games.Its a little weird at this time of the year to be doing that, Ben Zobrist said. I understand. I get it. Were preparing for something else than today. Its odd because [normally] at this time of the year, youre playing one game at a time and pushing.In other words, teams normally are not treating gaames like its a second spring training.ddddddddddddTo be fair, even the players who want to play more get what Maddon is trying to do. The strategy may prevent shortstop Addison Russell from getting to 100 RBIs, but he wasnt about to get upset.It would be nice to have the starters out there doing their thing, Russell said. People getting rest is OK and giving the bench guys a chance to see how they handle the pressure is good, too.When informed some players were griping about the atmosphere that Maddon laid out to them after they clinched a playoff spot, the manager had an answer ready to go.Were 7-2 in our last nine games, so I dont see any kind of negative pattern right there, Maddon said before Thursdays 1-1, six-inning tie with the Pirates.Furthermore, Maddon wont change much in the final three games in Cincinnati. Hes not pushing anyone more than he has over the past couple of weeks.The relief pitchers are still going to be choreographed, Maddon said. The team on the field, guys [will get] three to four at-bats. Its still going to be scripted.That might not be great news to hear for a regular starter, but that doesnt mean its the wrong move.Its been a little weird here knowing these games dont matter for either team, but at the same time they matter for the individuals to get their work in, Zobrist said. Its a place nobody is usually in.Its new for all of us. They have to do the best job they can to keep everyone healthy and at the same time keep everyone sharp. Thats a difficult task.As for spring training, the Cubs already have had one. They dont need another. Its time to get serious again.It does feel like spring training, Zobrist said. We want to get away from that as quick as we can and get back to playing competitive baseball. ' ' '