LaberFred » the journey towards the 2018 Commonwealth Games

RIO DE JANEIRO -- U.S. wrestler Jordan Burroughs came to the Rio Olympics expecting to build a legacy so great he could transcend his sport.Instead, the defending Olympic and world champion was left to try and explain the unexplainable.Burroughs, considered by many the best wrestler in the world, was stunned by Russias Aniuar Geduev on Friday in the quarterfinals of mens freestyle wrestling.Geduev, a three-time European champion ranked second in the world, upended Burroughs 3-2 in the 74-kilogram division to hand the American just his third international loss and knock him out of gold-medal contention.A devastated Burroughs was later routed 11-1 by Uzbekistans Bekzod Abdurakhmonov in the losers bracket with a potential bronze still on the line.Geduev wound up with a silver medal, dropping the gold-medal match to Irans Hassan Yazdani after being taken down with under 10 seconds left.This was supposed to be my year. This was supposed to be my breakthrough performance, Burroughs said as he wiped away tears that had mixed with blood from a head cut. Ive done everything right. Ive sacrificed so much to get here. ... I wanted to be among the greats. I wanted to be a Simone Biles, a Michael Phelps, nationally. I wanted to be those guys, and its unfortunate.Geduev jumped to a 3-0 lead in a match stopped several times so officials could clean the cut on Burroughs head.Burroughs scored a late takedown, but it wasnt enough to overcome the deficit.Its a tough day. I had a lot of expectations coming here. I wanted to win. I knew I was capable of winning. Sometimes things dont go according to plan, Burroughs said. I lost a lot of things today. But my integrity and my character remain.Burroughs emerged as wrestlings biggest star at the 2012 Games. It was that victory in London -- combined with his charismatic, social media-friendly persona -- that helped make Burroughs the face of wrestling as the sport fought in 2013 to return to the Olympic program.Burroughs, a New Jersey native who starred for the University of Nebraska, won the world title again in 2013. He was forced to settle for bronze in 2014 after hurting his knee in the opening match.Burroughs returned to handily win the world championships in Las Vegas in 2015, and his dominant performance at the Olympic trials in April made it seem as though no one could touch him in Rio.Burroughhs was so confident that he told The Associated Press in July that he planned to bring his gold medal from London to Rio so he could wear two of them to his post-Rio news conference.But from the moment Burroughs hit the mat Friday, it just didnt seem like his day.Burroughs came out attacking in his first match, scoring on an early takedown to seize control of his opening match against Guinea Bissaus Augusto Midana. Though he won 8-3, it was unusual to see Burroughs give up multiple scores to such an unaccomplished opponent.Geduev and Burroughs nearly came to blows just seconds into their match, as Geduev shoved Burroughs hard in the shoulders after Burroughs objected to a head slap by nearly slapping the Russian.Geduev scored first and made point-scoring moves difficult for Burroughs. Geduev had a pair of second-period pushouts, and Burroughs found himself on the mat trying to come to grips with a loss that dropped his international record to 130-3.I felt ready, Burroughs said, sounding perplexed about how it all went so wrong. Thats the hardest part of all of this. I live my lifestyle the right way. I dont smoke. I dont drink. I dont go out and party. Im a family man. I take care of business. I train hard. Im an ambassador for the sport of wrestling. A lot of people were counting on me today. Brian Propp Jersey . 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Shes just about recovered from the Queensland Firebirds dramatic trans-Tasman netball championship grand final win, and now Clare McMeniman is casting one eye on the road to the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.McMeniman was an interested spectator at the opening of the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre on Friday, the venue for the 2018 netball competition at the Gold Coast games.The 31-year-old has never competed at a Commonwealth Games but is an integral part of coach Lisa Alexanders set-up in the build-up to the 2018 competition.McMeniman led the Diamonds during a three-Test series against England in January and will do so again for the upcoming Quad Series against England, South Africa and New Zealand starting on August 27 while captain Laura Geitz is rested.The defender is one of six Firebirds named in a preliminary 18-player squad for the Constellation Cup against the Silver Ferns in October.She says this years Tests are the start of the journey towards the 2018 Commonwealth Games.Its an elite squad of players, its a mix of exxciting fresh new talent and some old heads, experienced girls are in there as well, McMeniman told AAP.ddddddddddddThe next two years leading into this Commonwealth Games is going to be extremely exciting. Theres going to be emerging players that are coming through the system that will hopefully form a formidable Diamonds line-up.Really looking forward to the next chapter and what it holds for Australian netball.The thrill of leading her country again remains an honour and a privilege to McMeniman, but shes promising not to rock the boat too much until her Firebirds colleague Geitz returns to national colours for the October series with New Zealand.Were fairly similar in our leadership styles and the way we approach situations, she said.Its really not what I do, its just about how cohesively we work together as a group.The Diamonds are world-class athletes so it shouldnt be too hard a job Id imagine. ' ' '