the ice heavily to once side.Russia slow

RIO DE JANEIRO -- American Jordan Burroughs stunning loss in Fridays Olympic wrestling tournament re-opened the debate over the worlds best pound-for-pound freestyle competitor.The Russian Tank just might be next in line.Abdulrashid Sadulaev is 20 years old and a two-time world champion. He captured his first Olympic title Saturday at the Rio Games.Sadulaev rolled past Turkeys Selim Yasar 5-0 for his third consecutive world title and his third gold at the Rio Games.Sadulaev was as dominant as any wrestler had been in Rio yet, outscoring his opponents 28-1 in clinching his fifth straight world championship dating to his days in junior competitions.Of course (I think) Im the championship favorite, Sadulaev said. But this is the Olympics. Its full of surprises.Not for Sadulaev, who scored on a pair of two-point moves late in the first period in beating Yasar in the world final for the second year in a row.American JDen Cox, beaten by Yasar in a somewhat baffling loss in the semifinals, scored a takedown with six seconds left to win bronze and give the U.S. its first freestyle medal of these games.HEAVYWEIGHT: MEDAL ALERT: Turkish heavyweight Taha Akgul won the gold medal, beating Irans Komeil Ghasemi 3-1 Saturday to become just the third wrestler from Turkey to win Olympic gold in freestyle. Akgul has now won three consecutive world titles after finishing just ninth at the London Games. Akgul was nearly as impressive as Sadulaev was, notching two technical falls and an 8-1 to reach the finals.COX MAKES UP FOR MISCUE: Cox, a two-time NCAA champion at the University of Missouri, made a surprise run to the semifinals -- where confusion contributed to his defeat. Yasar scored first by successfully defending after Cox had been put on the shot clock for passivity. Cox tied the score at 1-all on a push out and didnt wrestle aggressively after that because he thought he held the tiebreaker as the last wrestler to score. But the edge actually went to Yasar because of rules designed to encourage action, and Cox lost a challenge and the match 2-1. I honestly didnt know I was losing, Cox said. Cox redeemed himself in his bronze-medal match, scoring to beat the shot clock against Cubas Reineris Salas Perez -- a move that was ruled scoreless on the mat but overturned on review. Sala Perez refused to return and was disqualified. I dont think it was as much about redemption as much as it was just something I had to do, Cox said.DLAGNEVS DAY: Like Cox, American heavyweight Tervel Dlagnev went further than many thought he would before being stopped a match before the gold-medal bout. Dlagnev is an experienced heavyweight who was fifth at the London Games, but back trouble that nearly ended his career the week of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials figured to limit his chances in Rio. Dlagnev won two matches, Ghasemi got him on four consecutive gut wrenches, all two-pointers, for a 10-0 win. Dlagnev also fell 10-0 in the bronze medal match, likely his last in international competition.Cam Newton Youth Jersey . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No. Donte Jackson Panthers Jersey . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. http://www.shoppanthersonline.us/panthers-christian-mccaffrey-blue-jersey/ . "I was fortunate to play many years at this level with a great organization and unbelievable teammates," said Hejduk in a statement. Curtis Samuel Youth Jersey . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. Ryan Kalil Panthers Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable.PITTSBURGH -- Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin fought to a draw on their home ice.Canada, however, remains a bit ahead of Russia. At least for now.Ryan Getzlaf beat Sergei Bobrovsky on a breakaway at 3:29 of overtime to give Team Canada a 3-2 victory over Team Russia in a World Cup of Hockey exhibition Wednesday night.Bobrovsky made 45 stops, some of them spectacular, but couldnt wrangle the puck when Getzlaf slipped it between his pads during the 3-on-3 extra session.John Tavares and Patrice Bergeron scored for Canada. Crosby assisted on Bergerons score while playing underneath the familiar banners at Consol Energy Center. Carey Price had 24 saves for Canada, which finished 2-1 in exhibitions before the eight-team tournament begins in Toronto this weekend.I think the whole thing with a short tournament event is to keep getting better, keep improving and keep building off each game, said Crosby, who had two assists in the three exhibitions. I think were able to do that. I think theres still another level, but Im sure thats the case for a lot of teams. We need to get to that level gradually.Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist for the Russians. Alexander Ovechkin also scored. Malkin assisted on Ovechkins goal to match longtime Pittsburgh teammate Crosby.We go up against each other a lot, Malkin said. Hes tough on the boards protecting [the] puck every time. Its a hard battle against him. I like how I play, too.The Canadians open the tournament Saturday against the Czech Republic. Russia, which went 1-1-1 in three tuneups, begins on Sunday against Sweden.We didnt lose the game right away, Ovechkin said. We battled and got the lead. The boys feel much better now and for the future.Canada is a heavy favorite to continue its run atop international play, a surge that started with a triumph at the 2010 Olympics and continued two years ago in Sochi when they grabbed gold again while the host Russians missed the medal stand completely.Anything less than hearing O Canada play after the final at the end of the month would be a disapppointment, particularly at home.dddddddddddd Its a role Crosby and his countrymen thrive in, though theyve been a bit uneven during their three exhibitions, following up a 5-2 romp over the U.S. last weekend with an up-and-down performance against Russia. Canada dominated early and then spent the middle portion of the game on its heels a bit before collecting itself late.I think weve gotten more and more comfortable, Crosby said. Special teams is going to be big ... Its a process, but I thought we definitely got better with every game and generated a lot.Crosby and Malkin both joked about facing each other on the same sheet of ice theyve shared for a decade, with Crosby good-naturedly saying he may take a friendly shot at Malkin if the moment called for it. The moment ended up coming in the first period, when the two briefly met in the corner before Malkin skated away with both players unharmed.Canada controlled the first period and took the lead when Crosby fed a streaking Bergeron, who slipped it by Bobrovsky to put the Canadians in front during a 20-minute stretch in which they outshot the Russians 14-5 and tilted the ice heavily to once side.Russia slowly found its footing and finally converted when Malkin won a faceoff and dropped it to Panarin, who slipped it across the ice to Ovechkin. The Washington Capitals star drilled a one-timer from his familiar spot in the left circle to tie it 3:40 into the third. Panarin put Russia up less than four minutes later when he jumped on a rebound to give the Russians the lead.Tavares picked up his third goal in as many exhibitions by threading a wrist shot from the top of the zone by Bobrovsky at 13:58. Bobrovsky sent the game into overtime with a series of stellar stops in the final minutes of regulation, including a slick glove-hand save against Crosby from in close.I like how we play, Malkin said. Next time we play [the] semifinal or final, I hope. ' ' '