Kent, and I want

[jinshuiqian0713]

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Simone Biles spent Sunday morning in the warm-up gym thinking not of history but perfection.When it didnt happen -- and really, it never does in gymnastics anymore -- the 19-year-old star settled for a pretty sweet consolation prize: a third gold medal in Rio.Twisting and flipping through the air with explosive precision, Biles easily captured gold in the womens vault final on Sunday. Her two-vault average of 15.966 was more than .7 better than silver medalist Maria Paseka of Russia and bronze medalist Giulia Steingruber of Switzerland. The margin between first and second was greater than second and eighth, a symbol of the canyon Biles created between herself and her peers.Biles triumph is the first in the Olympics by an American woman on vault, and her first vault title in a major international competition. Its heady territory, though Biles wasnt quite so thrilled when her feet moved just a touch on the landing of her Amanar.I just wanted to stick a vault so badly here and it didnt happen, Biles said. I can be disappointed about that but I cant be disappointed with the gold.Good idea considering there may be more on the way. Biles is in the balance beam final on Monday and the floor exercise final on Tuesday, events in which she happens to be the reigning world champion. The chance of her leaving Rio going an unprecedented 5-for-5 is looking more inevitable than impossible.Not that Biles is getting ahead of herself. While shes aware of her growing celebrity inside the athletes village, Biles and coach Aimee Boorman are trying to remain in the comfortable rhythm Biles and the rest of her Final Five teammates follow during any other meet. It wasnt hard to keep Biles engaged heading into the event which Boorman thought would be Biles best when she reached the elite level in 2013.When she first entered the elite world we thought `maybe youll make a world team and be a vault specialist, Boorman said. She never won her gold at worlds but now shes got her Olympic gold.Other takeaways from the first day of event finals inside the Rio Olympic Arena.BRITAINS BREAKTHROUGH: During the first 116 years of the Olympics, Great Britain won exactly zero gold medals in gymnastics of any variety. Max Whitlock gave his home country two in the span of an hour. The 23-year-old edged Brazils Diego Hypolito in the mens floor exercise then beat teammate and friendly rival Louis Smith on pommel horse a short time later.The triumph marked a high point in a renaissance that began in 2008 when Smith earned a bronze on pommel horse in Beijing. The Brits added a team bronze in London four years ago and the momentum has continued to build. Smiths silver gave him three on pommels in his career and Whitllocks sublime routine had the teammates standing side by side on the podium as the Union Jack was raised and God Save the Queen played over the loudspeakers.It was really cool to see two flags rise up there, Whitlock said. It was just an amazing feeling.MUSTAFINAS METTLE: Aliya Mustafina of Russia defended her gold medal on uneven bars, edging American Madison Kocian in a taut final. Mustafinas score of 15.9 was just ahead of Kocians 15.833. The difference came down to difficulty. Mustafinas start value was a .1 higher than Kocians, giving the former world all-around champion her seventh Olympic medal.The 21-year-old draped the Russian flag over her shoulders in victory while celebrating a draining comeback from injuries that threatened to derail her career. Mustafina took third in the all-around last week behind Biles and Aly Raisman, calling the Americans unbeatable. Asked if she considers herself the same on uneven bars, Mustafina smiled and said well, now I think yes.Sophie Scheder of Germany earned bronze. Three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas, the all-around champion in London, finished seventh in what is likely her final competition.HISTORY MAKERS: Oksana Chusovitina has no plans to make her seventh Olympics her last. The 41-year-old plans to keep training through Tokyo 2020 following a seventh-place finish on vault. She blew kisses to the crowd during a video tribute as she made her way off the floor. It looked like she was saying good-bye. Turns out, it was more like see you next time.It was very simple, Chusovitina said. I woke up in the morning and bingo the decision was there.Dipa Karmakar of India just missed out on bronze in vault, remarkable considering shes the first Indian woman to compete in the Olympics.NADDOURS REDEMPTION: Alex Naddour became the first American since 1984 to earn a medal on pommel horse when he came in a close third behind Smith on pommel horse. It served as a bit of redemption for Naddour. He was an alternate four years ago in London and struggled on floor exercise in the team final last week as the U.S. finished fifth. He washed his uniform in baby detergent so he would be reminded of his infant daughter Lilah. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens. During last nights game he tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for David Desharnais please. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. It has been an odd season at Kent CCC. They could not make it past the group stages in the competition they were tipped to fare best in, the T20 Blast, but are right in the mix for promotion to Division One in the County Championship, and are preparing for a home quarter-final - against Yorkshire on Thursday - in the Royal London Cup.Equally, their players continue to reach for higher honours and the areas deep well of talent shows no signs of drying: Sam Billings has been to the IPL and with England, while Daniel Bell-Drummond shone for the Lions.And yet, theres been a quiet but constant state of turbulence at Canterbury.On April 18, Kent legend Robert Key returned from India, having taken to broadcasting like a duck to water during the World T20, and decided the hunger to reach 60 first-class centuries had dipped. The 54 he had, a bit of telly and a bucketload of golf would do just fine. His team-mates were shocked, and the beating heart of the dressing room and 18 seasons of experience (nine as captain) were gone, taking a roomful of laughs with it.Then, on May 23, Kents high performance director (and former wicketkeeper), Simon Willis, left to take up a similar role with Sri Lanka, under former Kent coach Graham Ford. Willis, as director of Kents newly-formed academy from 2003, had overseen the development of a charmingly homespun young squad, and six internationals. Off went another lynchpin.To top things off, on June 27, bowler Matt Coles behaviour during a trip to Cardiff was investigated by the club. He would not play for a month as he - not for the first time - addressed his relationship with alcohol. Were the first and third events linked? Certainly Key had been Coles mentor, and the man known for keeping him in check.At the eye of the storm sits Sam Northeast, Kents new captain, top run-scorer and full-time busybody. Batsman Joe Denly describes Northeast as first in the nets, last to leave. Sams always trying to be better. When arranging this interview, there are three delays. First, because Northeast is in a selection meeting; then hes travelling to Hampshire to watch Kents second team; finally hes looking at his squads contract situation for next season. Only James Vince is a younger county captain - Northeast is 26 - but few can be more hands-on.Such is life at a club like Kent, where the resources are stretched and the staff small. We dont… he says, pausing, have the luxury of millions of backroom staff and scouts and whatever. Its a big effort from a small group of people, we pull together and from the academy, the youth structure, everyone. There can be benefits to this - everyone knows each other, its a family environment, and that helps. We have to put in a big shift. All of us.Northeast is as Kentish as Key; its where he grew up and his name is one that has been whispered since he scored 19 hundreds in a term at Wellesley House prep school aged 13. He played plenty for England Under-19, and his success leading Kents limited-overs sides last season meant his elevation to the top job, in time, seemed a given.Im learning on the job, just like anyone else. I took a lot from Keysy, both tactically and in work ethic. He was a great mentor, as well as having a pretty serious cricket brain, and all those runs. He pretty much ran Kent cricket for all those years…Its been very different not having him around, for all of us. People look to you for inspiration and leadership because he did that for so long, and maybe we took that for granted. I only noticed when I stepped into the role how much of a big hole was left when he moved on.What of those tough patches? Its been an interesting season, certainly, he says, whilst swiftly citing the support of senior players like Denly, Darren Stevens and James Tredwell, plus Billings itinerant experience. Willis, he says, is a huge loss - not just a vital, visible cog at the club, with his pawprints all over the squad, but a key player in Northeeasts own development as a hands-off coach who never imposed himself on his charges.ddddddddddddDenly has been mighty impressed. He hasnt let the pressure of captaincy bother his batting, and his on-field persona is very calm. He can be a bit fiery when he gets out, but who isnt? Hes dealt with distractions well, and he has good people around him with lots of experience, and the powers that be at Kent are in pretty good shape.Despite their losses, Kent are in pretty good shape. Last year they earned headlines for not being able to afford an overseas player, but this year - one way or another - Tom Latham and Kagiso Rabada were recruited. Denly has signed a new deal and Northeast is confident they will not lose young stars and can, in Willis absence, with Min Patel at the helm, continue to produce talent.For the first team, starting against Yorkshire, it is business time. We go in as underdogs, says Northeast. The pressure isnt on us, they will have all the internationals which is great. It would be awesome to get a sellout, the club deserves a big day like this, and hopefully we get out on top. We are up there in Division Two because we have been pretty solid all season, but I think we are well suited - especially the bowlers, Treddy, Stevo - to 50-over stuff. But every game is massive now. Were young, so inconsistent, but are learning fast. Northeasts own form - not least 995 Championship runs, including four massive hundreds (the smallest being 166) - has been a vital factor in Kents rise. After some mixed seasons opening, he is settled in the middle order, and knows his game: I have found a spot where I like to bat, especially with the captaincy, after however long in the field, its quite nice to have that little period where you dont have to strap the pads on. I have a lot of sympathy for Alastair Cook when he does it. Thats pretty extraordinary. I look back and cant believe I ever opened. Its mad.He uses former Kent team-mate Martin van Jaarsveld as inspiration because he was a guy who just never settled and never stopped trying to improve. Ahead of the 2015 season, he and Willis worked on making him a more adaptable batsman, particularly in the shorter forms, so he did not just hit to cow corner. The results were instant, as only two players scored more T20 Blast runs than him, and his century famously trumped Chris Gayles as Kent won a thriller in Taunton.Another run glut, this time against red balls, has flowed lately. Across my career, Im a guy who tends to make the most of my form. Ive felt great recently, and when you feel a millions dollars its key to capitalise. Unfortunately Ive been stuck in the nervous 190s lately.Those big centuries have caught the eye, and Northeast is unashamedly ambitious, making no bones about being desperate for England recognition, having - surprisingly - never even made a Lions squad. He is aware, too, that playing in Division Two naturally does hold you back in peoples perceptions, and there is a gap. In the past, particularly in 2013, there were questions about whether he might leave, but he has remained loyal, even as the more eye-catching - but no less effective - talents of Billings and Bell-Drummond have created more headlines.So is he - as captain of a promising squad, building something (and sometimes holding things together), at his home club, his team - left in a quandary?At the moment, I wouldnt leave to further my England case, no, he says. But can you ever say never? My heart is very much in Kent cricket and wanting to achieve something here. I want to play for England through Kent, and I want to get Kent into Division One and back up there as a force, one of the leading counties in England. Its been an ambition of mine to captain Kent and take the club as far as possible. Im very lucky.So, you sense, are Kent. ' ' '