Pirate Galaxy » ominance of the events that dates to 1

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Kerron Clement cleared a space in his trophy case and wrote a little note on what would occupy that spot next: Gold Medal, 2016.The American 400-meter hurdler was that confident.So confident, in fact, that his mom, Claudette, packed the familys own American flag and brought it to Rio de Janeiro. You know, just for this moment when he actually won gold.I knew I was going to win, said Clement, who finished in 47.73 seconds and held off Boniface Mucheru Tumuti of Kenya by 0.05 seconds. I came out here with one mindset: Get a gold medal.When he returns home to Gainesville, Florida, he wont have to worry about finding a spot for Olympic gold medal No. 2 -- he made the room for it in January. This gold will pair nicely with the one he earned at the 2008 Beijing Games as part of the 4x400 relay team. He also earned a silver in Beijing in the 400 hurdles.Some might be superstitious about planning for a win before it happens. Not Clement.Im a Scorpio -- once I set my mind, Im going to get it, regardless, he said. I knew I was going to get that gold medal. I was sticking to that plan. Nothing or no one was going to stop me from achieving that.And to think, he almost stopped himself. Clement was struggling with his passion for the hurdles after the 2013 world championships. He needed a break.Although he trained in 2014, he tried his best to stay away from the hurdles. He went on a vacation to the Dominican Republic with friends while the U.S. held its championships that year. The only caveat on the trip: No track talk.I hit the refocus button, said Clement, who won the 400 hurdles at the worlds championships in 2007 and `09. Honestly, when I came back (in 2015), I found a new love for the hurdles ... having a new mindset, new goals for the second chapter of my career, which is now.The buzz surrounding Clement in recent days hasnt so much been his performance on the track, but, rather, his cameo a few years ago in a Beyonce video, Run the World (Girls).That was fun. Thursday was a show stopper.He credits his top-notch form to better health -- hes all the way back from hernia surgery in 2012 -- and to turning himself into more of a student of his race.When I was younger, I used to run and make silly mistakes, Clement explained. Now, Im wiser.Wise enough not to panic with the field gaining on him down the backstretch -- a field that was without Javier Culson, the 2012 Olympic bronze medalist from Puerto Rico, who was disqualified for a false start.Clements legs were burning with the finish line in sight and he thought about diving toward it.Not necessary. A well-timed lean did the trick.Technically, it was a perfect race, said Clement, who wears a Test me, Im clean bracelet to demonstrate his disdain for doping. I just focused on the 10 hurdles in my lane. I fought the last 100 meters. I knew the guys would be coming. I dug down deeper. I knew the guy from Kenya was coming.Bronze medalist Yasmani Copello saw big things for himself, too -- also thanks to his mom.Last night, she sent me a message, `I dream youre going to be big, explained Copello, who was born in Cuba and now competes for Turkey. I woke with that thought. I carry her in my heart.Clement knows the feeling. Thats why it meant a lot to him when he worked his way toward the stands and his mother handed him the flag.She just smiled, Clement said. I love seeing my mom smile. Shes going to cry when she sees me on the podium.Oshane Ximines Womens Jersey . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. Most recently he was the schools assistant football coach. Mark Bavaro Youth Jersey . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. http://www.giantsrookiestore.com/Giants-Deandre-Baker-Jersey/ . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. Saquon Barkley Womens Jersey . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. Odell Beckham Jr Youth Jersey . Westbrook has missed 27 games since having a procedure on Dec. 27 to deal with swelling in his injured right knee — the third operation on the knee in nine months.RIO DE JANEIRO -- The Americans never seem to lose the mens backstroke at the Olympics.Ryan Murphy kept that streak alive.Murphy, 21, completed a backstroke sweep with a victory Thursday night in the 200 meters, extending his countrys dominance of the events that dates to 1992.The Barcelona Games were the last time the United States lost a mens backstroke final.Three days after winning the 100 back in Olympic record time, Murphy touched first again in 1 minutes, 53.62 seconds.My goal was to win one gold, Murphy said. That was a real breakthrough for me to be able to win that one. The 100 back was an event that comes a little bit more natural. Thhe 200 back is an event I really have to dig deep for, so this one means a little bit more to me.ddddddddddddMurphy became the third American man in the last five Olympics to take both races. Aaron Peirsol pulled off the sweep at Athens in 2004, and Lenny Krayzelburg claimed both golds at the 2000 Sydney Games.Australias Mitch Larkin grabbed the silver Thursday in 1:53.96, just ahead of Russias Evgeny Rylov with the bronze in 1:53.97.American?Jacob Pebley finished fifth.The Associate Press contributed to this report. ' ' '