es, my role model, went to three Olympics. Shes m | Forum
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May 9 '19
Last weekend, Arsenal had the kind of performance that vexes their supporters. Nike Air Force 1 Uk Sale .Having quickly regrouped to advance to the EFL Cup quarterfinals, however, the Gunners now have another opportunity to show how far theyve come mentally on Saturday when they face bottom-feeders Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.Arsenal (6-2-1) are one of three teams atop the table on 20 points, trailing Manchester City by the slimmest of goal difference margins while also holding that same narrow advantage over Liverpool.Arsene Wengers side had its seven-match winning streak come to end last Saturday with a 0-0 draw at home versus new boys Middlesbrough. The gaffer admitted his teams effort was less smooth and less fluent than its impressive winning run in which Arsenal outscored opponents 23-3.But the Frenchman also made note of his teams willingness to dig in and scrape out a result, a virtue that did not always appear last season and contributed to their lack of a title challenge to eventual winners Leicester City.Weve lost games like that, he told Arsenals official website. We are in a position where weve come out of (seven) straight wins. We didnt win but before we maybe wouldve panicked a bit and lost the game.With a quick turnaround in the League Cup, Wenger made nine changes to his starting XI and the result was a 2-0 victory Tuesday over Championship side Reading. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain provided the offence with goals on either side of halftime as the Gunners advanced opposite Southampton in the quarterfinals next month.Any game that I play in is an opportunity for me to show what I can do. And whether its the league, the Champions League, the League Cup or the FA Cup -- its all important, said Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has seen sporadic playing time during the season.Its all game time and its good to get your confidence up to try and play the way you want to play … and hopefully that form will carry over into the league and be rewarded with more starts.Wenger also got some good news as striker Olivier Giroud played nearly a half-hour off the bench and defender Carl Jenkinson, who tore his ACL while on loan with West Ham in January, logged the full 90 minutes.Sunderland (0-2-7) are the only team in Englands top five leagues without a victory and have the look of a team resigned to its annual fight to avoid the drop. The Black Cats were done in by some bad luck last weekend, falling 1-0 at West Ham on a goal by Winston Reid deep into stoppage time.Those losses in league play finally bled over into the EFL Cup, where Sunderland was eliminated in the round of 16 following Wednesdays 1-0 defeat at Southampton. It was the third straight match in all competitions David Moyes team failed to score, but the Scottish manager found some silver linings to bring into Saturdays match -- even if he was banished from the touchline after Victor Anichebe was denied a penalty late.The boys played really well, they deserved to come away with much more, Moyes told the teams official website. I think we played well, our performance was good. We made opportunities today and we dont deserve to be where we are.I think theyll take confidence from getting more touches on the ball, but we need to finish it off and get a few goals to go with it.One of the things that could build confidence for Sunderland would be playing with a lead, but Moyes side have held an advantage for just five of the first 810 minutes theyve logged in league play, conceding a late equaliser at Southampton on Aug. 27 after Jermain Defoe had converted from the spot on 80 minutes.Sunderland are trying to avoid becoming the first Premier League side to open a season winless through their first 10 matches since the 2014-15 Burnley squad opened with four draws and six defeats.And history is decidedly against Sunderland this weekend. The Black Cats have just one win in their last 25 league matches (1-9-15) against Arsenal, a 1-0 victory on Nov. 21, 2009. The Gunners are unbeaten in their last six trips (4-2-0) to the Stadium of Light in league play.Additionally, Arsenal have yielded only eight goals in 15 matches at Sunderland, and while Giroud may not be able to go the full 90 minutes, he does have five goals and two assists in his last six league matches versus the Black Cats. Wholesale Nike Air Force 1 . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. Nike Air Force 1 Cheap Outlet . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses. http://www.cheapnikeairforce1uk.com/ . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Gabby Douglas made Olympic history (again) in Rio. Four years after becoming the first black woman to capture the individual all-around gold medal, Douglas and teammate Aly Raisman became the first two American gymnasts to win gold in back-to-back Olympic Games.Even without her trip to Rio, the 20-year-old would have gone down as one of the best ever. With a host of endorsement deals, a best-selling book, a Lifetime biopic and even her own Barbie doll, Douglas legacy was set. But, despite the immense weight of expectations, she fought for another chance to compete at the highest level. Her reward? A spot on one of the greatest American gymnastics squads of all time.Douglas admits the experience had its highs and lows, thanks to the bullying she faced on social media. She also wouldnt trade her experience as part of the Final Five for anything. In between promotional appearances, she talked to us about her crazy schedule, her mentality post-Rio and her thoughts on Tokyo in 2020.Rio was amazing, but its nice to be finished. It was a really incredible experience to go back to the Olympics for a second time, even with some of the struggles I had while I was there. Of course, it was nice to get some merchandise (a gold medal!). As far as the competition goes, I wanted to be a little bit better, but thats something I have to accept.Mentally and physically, theres definitely some relief that its over. All the hype, the nerves, the pressure -- its a lot. Afterward, everyone is like, Woo! Time to relax. I seriously think I had pizza, fries and ice cream for a solid week when I got home. I even put fries on my pizza! Youve got to splurge sometimes, especially as an athlete.Ive done a lot of thinking since coming back from Rio. While I was there, I went through a really hard time in competition and on social media. For a little while, I lost sight of everything positive. Here I was, an all-around champion on another winning team, and I wasnt focusing on that because people were being so gross.Since then Ive realized that I have to pardon their comments because they just have no idea. They dont understand. Sometimes you have to step back and say, What did you do to defy odds today? Not many people get to experience the Olympics, go back a second time, and leave with medals around their neck.Social media isnt all bad. I was so grateful for the hashtag Leslie Jones started: #LOVE4GABBYUSA. She experienced some of the same things that I did with onliine bullying. Nike Air Force 1 Sale. People can be so mean! After Leslie tweeted that hashtag, people like Kerry Washington, NeNe Leakes and Sanya Richards-Ross stood behind me and gave me a whole lot of love.And they werent the only ones. When I got back, people would come up to me and tell me not to worry about the haters. They would say things like, Youre amazing. Youre flawless. That really helped me get out of my funk.I spent time in the emergency room soon after the Olympics. I had a cyst in my mouth that was causing terrible pain. Not only did I have to get it removed, but I missed joining the rest of the team at the MTV Video Music Awards. Afterward, everyone was like, Beyoncé! Beyoncé! OK, Im not trying to brag here, but I did get to meet her during the NBA All-Star Weekend in 2013. She pulled me into her circle, Jay Z was there, and she even told me how inspirational I was. I guess that made it a little easier to miss the VMAs.Not long after the cyst put me in the hospital, I had to get my wisdom teeth removed, too. No fun! Im just incredibly glad that my mouth issues werent a problem in Rio. That would have been miserable.There hasnt been much time to unwind. In fact, Ive only spent about a week at home since I got back from Rio. Our appearance and sponsor schedules are fun, but also pretty grueling. During the Kelloggs Tour, we traveled to so many cities that I would wake up and say, Where am I? Whats going on? Whats my name?Early-morning and red-eye flights are far from my favorite things, but the fans kept us going. We got to give them more than a wave and a smile as part of the tour, which I loved. Wed do meet-and-greets and really get to talk to people.I never would have thought Id be in the position Im in today. I dont think it has really sunk in yet. As a gymnast, my mind is trained to move on to the next competition or the next event. One day Im going to look back at the memorabilia and medals I have in my living room at home and say, Wow, that was pretty amazing.What do you mean, retirement? When people use that word, I pretty much laugh and say, Come on! Tokyo 2020! Dominique Dawes, my role model, went to three Olympics. Shes my inspiration. Right now, we just finished the tour and everyone is looking forward to some time off. My vacation to Tahiti is the next thing on my list. One step at a time! ' ' '
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