SPORTS
FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2016
1B
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Olympics
HERMISTON
Knowles hoping for boost
Steer
wrestler
Trevor
Knowles,
of Mount
Vernon,
com-
pletes
his run
in 4.8
seconds
Thurs-
day at
the Farm
City
Rodeo in
Herm-
iston to
win the
event.
AP Photo/Martin Meissner
United States’ Michael Phelps swims during a men’s
200-meter individual medley semifi nal in the swim-
ming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics,
Phelps swims
to 22nd gold
Staff photo by
Kathy Aney
By PAUL NEWBERRY
Associated Press
Oregon steer wrestler trying to extend fi nals streak
By MATT ENTRUP
East Oregonian
Oregon steer wrestler Trevor
Knowles has made the Wrangler
National Finals every year since
2004, and entered the rodeo his
uncle helped found 28 years ago
feeling the pressure of keeping
that streak going.
“It’s been a rough year for
me,” said the Mount Vernon
cowboy of a season that has him
at No. 21 in the world standings.
“Long story short my dad’s
health wasn’t real good this
spring. I came home for quite a
while, and then he started doing
a little better and I decided I
could go compete again. So I’ve
been trying to make a comeback
here since June.”
After an initial hot streak
that saw him win the aggregate
in Sisters and place second in
Reno, Nevada, things have
cooled
considerably,
and
Knowles needs to make up
about $7,000 to get into the
running for the world fi nals.
“It always turns, and I’m
getting impatient,” he said.
“You know, it’s August and I’d
like to have some opportunities
to fi ll my pockets in the next 60
days.”
He should get a bit of that
in Hermiston after a 4.8 in
the second performance of
the Farm-City Pro Rodeo on
Thursday moved him into
second place in Round 2. He
had a 7.5 in the afternoon’s
slack to give him 12.3 on two
for sixth in the aggregate.
“If it holds up it’s a check,
and when you’re behind people
think you have to win fi rst. You
just need to win a lot of checks
and they all add up,” Knowles
said. “I’m entered everywhere
and I’m just hoping to get some
momentum here, sooner than
later. I’m ready for it, it’s just
part of the game — the frus-
trating part of it.”
Clayton Hass’ 10.3 on two
from Wednesday held up for the
aggregate lead, and Knowles
won’t be surprised if it makes
it through the next two days as
See FARM-CITY/2B
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Brady Nicholes rides to victory in the saddle
bronc event Thursday at the Farm City Rodeo
with a score of score of 81 points.
Olympics
Biles soars for gold, Raisman takes silver
United States’
Simone Biles,
left, and Aly
Raisman
celebrate after
winning gold
and silver
respectively
for the wom-
en’s individual
all-around
fi nal in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil,
Thursday, Aug.
11, 2016.
United States continues
dominance in individual
women’s all-around
By WILL GRAVES
Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO — Forget the
pressure. Forget the hype. Simone
Biles is immune to all of it.
Dynamic on vault. Effortless on
beam. Jaw-dropping on fl oor. Brilliant
all over. And now, fi nally, an Olympic
champion.
The 19-year-old American soared
to the all-around title on Thursday,
putting the gap between herself and
the rest of the world on full display
under the Olympic spotlight. Her total
of 62.198 was well clear of silver
medalist and “Final Five” teammate
Aly Raisman and Russian bronze
medalist Aliya Mustafi na.
RIO DE JANEIRO —
Michael Phelps waggled
four fi ngers, recognizing
another historic achieve-
ment.
Now, he’s the fi rst
swimmer ever to win the
same event at four straight
Olympics.
Ryan Lochte was left in
his wake every time.
In what was billed
as the fi nal showdown
between two of America’s
greatest swimmers, Phelps
blew away Lochte — and
everyone else — to win his
fourth gold medal of the
Rio Olympics and 22nd
overall with a victory in
the 200-meter individual
medley Thursday night.
Phelps fi nished a full
body-length ahead of the
fi eld with total dominance
on the breaststroke and
freestyle legs, fi nishing in 1
minute, 54.66 seconds.
Lochte didn’t even make
it to the podium this time,
after taking two silvers and
a bronze behind Phelps at
the last three Olympics in
this event. Leading at the
midway point, Lochte faded
to fi fth.
Japan’s Kosuke Hagino
took the silver, while
China’s Wang Shun claimed
the bronze.
But Phelps was in a
league of his own.
As usual.
He’s got one more
individual event at what he
insists will really be his fi nal
Olympics — remember, he
already retired once — and
will be looking to add a
fourth straight gold in the
100 butterfl y to his stag-
gering resume.
Then, he’ll close out
these Olympics in the 4x100
medley relay.
There seems to be little
doubt he’ll go six-for-six.
Led by Phelps, it
was quite a night for the
powerful American team,
which picked up two more
golds when Ryan Murphy
completed a sweep of the
men’s backstroke events in
the 200 and Simone Manuel
tied 16-year-old Canadian
for the top spot in the 100
freestyle, stunning world-re-
cord holder Cate Campbell
of Australia. With the win,
Manuel became the fi rst
African-American woman
to win gold in swimming.
The Olympics came to an
end for another U.S. back-
stroke champion.
Missy Franklin fi nished
14th in the semifi nals of
the women’s 200 back —
beating out only two other
swimmers. It was a far cry
from the London Games,
where “Missy The Missile”
became only the second U.S.
woman to take four gold
medals in a single Olympics.
This time, she was limited
to a single gold, which came
for swimming the prelimi-
naries of the 4x200 freestyle
relay. Franklin failed to even
make it to the fi nal of her
two individual events.
In the only non-American
victory of the night, Rie
Kaneto of Japan pulled away
from Yulia Efi mova to take
gold in the women’s 200
breaststroke.
AP Photo/Dmitri
Lovetsky
Biles became the fourth straight
American woman to win the all-around
title and fi fth overall while cementing
her reputation as the best of her gener-
ation and perhaps ever. She burst into
tears when her fi nal total was posted
and her long journey to this moment
ended.
Biles has spent the last three
years dominating her sport, winning
15 world championship medals —
including 10 gold — with routines so
astonishing in their mix of ambition
and precision that 1984 Olympic
champion Mary Lou Retton called her
“the greatest gymnast I’ve ever seen.”
One last test awaited in Brazil, a
See GYMNASTICS/2B
Sports shorts
Roy abruptly quits as Avalanche
head coach, vice president
(AP) — Patrick Roy has stepped down as
coach and vice president of hockey operations
for the Colorado Avalanche.
Roy made the announcement
FACES Thursday through a public
relations agency, two months
before the start of the NHL regular
season.
Roy cited his vision and the
organization’s vision not being
aligned and his lack of say in team
decisions as reasons for stepping
Roy
down.
Colorado went 130-92-24 in three seasons
under Roy, who won the Jack Adams Award as
coach of the year in 2013-14.
In his playing days, Roy won four Cups, two
with the Montreal Canadiens and then two with
the Avalanche, three Vezina Trophies as the
league’s top goaltender.
“I”m just so blessed to
have a gold medal. This
medal is not just for me.
It’s for a whole bunch
of people who came
before me and have
been an inspiration ...
It’s for all the people
after me who believe
they can’t do it.“
— Simone Manuel
United States swimmer talking with
NBC after the 20-year-old won the
gold medal in the 100-meter
freestyle, becoming the fi rst
African-American woman to win an
individual Olympic swim medal.
EOU spikers top preseason poll
LA GRANDE — For the second-straight
season, the EOU volleyball team claimed the
top spot in the Cascade Collegiate Conference
(CCC) Coaches’ Preseason Poll.
With 117 points and
nine fi rst-place votes, the
Mountaineers fi nished well
ahead of the pack. College of
Idaho (103) edged Southern
Oregon (102) for the second
slot, while Northwest (93) and
Corban (77) rounded out the top
fi ve.
The Mountaineers won their fi rst outright
regular season CCC title in 2015 and made it
to the CCC Championship before falling to
College of Idaho.
EOU opens the 2016 season on Aug. 18
against Westmont at the Biola Red Lion
Summer Slam in La Mirada, California.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1994 — Major league
baseball players strike in the
sport’s eighth work stoppage
since 1972.
2008 — Michael Phelps
wins the 200-meter freestyle
for his third gold medal at the
Beijing Games. It’s his ninth
career gold which ties Mark
Spitz, Carl Lewis, Soviet
gymnast Larysa Latynina
and Finnish runner Paavo
Nurmi for the most ever.
2011 — Tiger Woods
misses the cut at the PGA
Championship. With a
3-over 73, Woods fi nishes
out of the top 100 for the fi rst
time ever in a major.
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