ock of birds. Botham took to the airwaves to condemn him as an extremist.That he will be an absentee chairman for large chunks o

RIO DE JANEIRO -- New Zealand runner Nikki Hamblin was lying on the track, dazed after a heavy fall and with her hopes of an Olympic medal seemingly over. Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder and a voice in her ear: Get up. We have to finish this.It was American Abbey DAgostino, offering to help.I was like, Yup, yup, youre right. This is the Olympics Games. We have to finish this, Hamblin said.It was a scene to warm the hearts of fans during a qualifying heat of the womens 5,000 meters. Hamblin and DAgostino set aside their own hopes of making the final to look out for a fellow competitor.It started when DAgostino clipped Hamblin from behind and they both went sprawling with about 2,000 meters to go.Hamblin fell heavily on her right shoulder. DAgostino got up, but Hamblin was just lying there. She appeared to be crying. Instead of running in pursuit of the others, DAgostino crouched down and put her hand on the New Zealanders shoulder, then under her arms to help her up, and softly urged her not to quit.That girl is the Olympic spirit right there, Hamblin said of DAgostino. Ive never met her before. Like I never met this girl before. And isnt that just so amazing. Such an amazing woman.As it turned out, DAgostino probably needed more help: She soon realized shed hurt her ankle in the fall.Grimacing, she refused to give up, though, running nearly half the race with the injury. Hamblin did what she could, hanging back with DAgostino for a little while to return the favor and offer encouragement.She helped me first. I tried to help her. She was pretty bad, Hamblin said. She eventually had to leave DAgostino behind and was certain that the American would have to stop.Nope.I didnt even realize she was still running. When I turned around at the finish line and shes still running, I was like, wow, Hamblin said.She waited for her new friend to cross the line -- DAgostino had been lapped -- and they hugged.This time, it was DAgostino who was in tears.As DAgostino was about to be taken away in a wheelchair, she stretched out her right hand and the two runners gripped each others forearms for a few moments.In an Olympics that has seen a few unsavory incidents -- the Egyptian judoka who refused to shake hands with his Israeli opponent, the booing of a French pole vaulter by the Brazilian crowd -- Hamblin and DAgostino provided a memory that captured the Olympic spirit.Olympic officials also decided that both runners, and Austrias Jennifer Wenth, who was also affected by the collision, would have places in Fridays final.Im never going to forget that moment, Hamblin said. When someone asks me what happened in Rio in 20 years time, thats my story ... That girl shaking my shoulder, (saying) `come on, get up.---Follow Gerald Imray on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GeraldImrayAP---Follow the Rio Games at http://www.summergames.ap.org Wholesale Authentic Jerseys . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. Cheap Soccer Jerseys .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. http://www.jerseysnflwholesale.net/ . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. China Jerseys . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre. NFL Jerseys Cheap . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Sir Ian Bothams inspirational qualities on and off the cricket field have been well chronicled. The great deeds that won him the reputation as one of the greatest England cricketers in history have been followed in retirement by indefatigable charitable commitments approached with the same gusto. Now those energies will be committed to a new challenge: the chairmanship of Durham, a county that needs leading to a secure and lasting future.Durhams tired old board was sacked in its entirety last month as part of the punitive measures imposed by the ECB after the games governing body reluctantly provided the financial assistance, and expertise, they needed to stop them falling into bankruptcy.Botham, an English cricketing icon, not least in the north-east, has now accepted a largely figurehead role for a restructured county which will operate as a community interest company; the man expected to bang the drum, rouse the spirits and help bring in the money, while the rest of the new board, as yet not divulged, work on the small print of recovery.Not that there is much money to be had. Unemployment in the north-east is among the highest in the country and figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest the region has been worst hit since the credit crunch of 2008. But Durham have a knack of uncovering cricketing talent which must be preserved whatever challenges present themselves.Ben Stokes - an allrounder in Bothams mould who has welcomed his involvement as brilliant - Mark Wood, Paul Collingwood and Steve Harmison have all made the grade at England level. And, unlike some other counties, they draw their talent from all social classes.Harmisons past comments help keep the response to Bothams return in proportion. I would love to help out in any shape or form but its easy for ex-players like me to say that, he said recently. What we need are financial experts.Daily involvement will not be Bothams remit, rather more the need whenever he can to inspire, bully and cajole businesses and individuals in the north-east to prove their affection for Englands newest and most northerly first-class county. As someone who has raised more than ￡12m for charity, largely for leukaemia research, and predominantly by the method of yomping into the sunset down hills and dale until he could yomp no more, Bothams emotional right to request a little largesse from others cannot be questioned.His love for the region, especially its big-heartedness and open spaces, is unquestionable. He lives a few miles over the border, in North Yorkshire, in a 17th Century farmhouse which has led him to be fondly dubbed the Squire of Ravensworth, but his affinity is with Durham. He spends much of his leisure time in country pursuits such as fishing on the nearby River Tees which rushes across untamed Pennines valleys and forms the historic border.His association with the north-east stretches back to the time he joined Durham for their inaugural county season in 1992 - a host of injuries finally silenced him as he retired the folllowing season.ddddddddddddHe will hope that his second coming is more triumphant because then his body hurt, his career was almost spent and his reputation could not be matched by performance. He described his last hurrah as one of the worst decisions he had made and, as various studies of his cricketing career have made plain, he made one or two.These were bleak times for Durham as they struggled to adjust to life as a fully-professional county and, mistakenly in hindsight, committed to building an international-sized stadium in the relatively small market town of Chester-le-Street. From there, their financial problems have grown.Chairman Botham: the very thought will bring smirks around the cricket circuit, although not in his line of sight. After all, he is the least governable of men. At the height of his fame, during one of his many wars with officialdom, he once stood up before a cricket dinner to condemn cricket administrators the world over as gin-soaked old dodderers.Approaching his 61st birthday, English crickets greatest roisterer has now joined them, even if his preferred tipple is likely to be a decent swig of good red wine.It is tempting to remark on this fine example of poacher turned gamekeeper, except that any image concerning Botham and country sports is dangerous. Chris Packham, the mild-mannered presenter of BBC Springwatch, attracted his ire earlier this year, for condemning the deliberate killing of birds of prey on grouse moors to protect the stock of birds. Botham took to the airwaves to condemn him as an extremist.That he will be an absentee chairman for large chunks of the year is inevitable, certainly as long as his Sky TV commitments persist - and, as if to illustrate that, he will not take up the role until he returns from Englands Test tour of India. Having attracted a chairman of world repute, Durhams next task is to find a vice chairman of complementary qualities - someone more taken with the minutiae of life.Botham, as his cricket commentary reveals, is a man of unyielding opinion and not overly obsessed by facts. He has never coached, not held an administrative or business post. But he is perfectly placed to attract star names to fund-raisers, to shame the business community into supporting the county once more, or to lobby support for Durham in the NatWest Blast and turn around some of the most disappointing T20 crowds in the country. And his rebellious air, in a county that feels mistreated by the ECB, will also not go amiss. He described himself as privileged but warned of challenging times ahead.If you care about Durham cricket - or even if you dont, but Sir Ian Botham thinks you should - you may be hearing from him soon. For the good of English cricket, it is to be hoped that this second coming is a good deal more successful than the first. There is a valuable job waiting to be done. And the red wine will be very palatable. Cheap Authentic Jerseys Discount NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys Cheap NFL Autographed Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Store China Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Throwback Jerseys Cheap Stitched Jerseys China NFL Hoodies Cheap Authentic Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Camo China NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China ' ' '