NEWS » qualified fastest, taking the place of China in the final

Ben Barba has apologised to his former Cronulla teammates over his cocaine use that led to him leaving the NRL premiers to undertake rehabilitation overseas.Sharks winger Valentine Holmes, whos in England preparing for Australias Four Nations final this weekend, said Cronulla players recently received a WhatsApp message from Barba.He said he is sorry. Its unfortunate whats happened, Holmes told News Corp Australia.Barba was released by the Sharks this month to seek treatment for a range of issues in Thailand following his second positive test to cocaine in less than two years.He failed the drug test four days after Cronullas grand final victory over Melbourne last month.The fallen Cronulla star hopes to tackle a range of personal issues as he battles to get his life and career back on track.Should he return to the NRL, Barba will serve a mandatory 12-match suspension, but Holmes backed him to return to rugby league bigger, stronger and better.Weve all been supporting him. He is doing pretty well, Holmes said.All the boys in Sydney have gone to see him before he left.He is someone I looked up to and would like to inspire to play like. It was good having him at the club and to learn from him.Kangaroos winger Holmes is set to benefit from Barbas absence with first crack at the vacant Sharks fullback spot next season.But he has mixed feelings about taking up the role.Its unfortunate whats happened with Ben but Im happy to step up and take that role if I get the opportunity, Holmes said. Custom College Jerseys Free Shipping . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. Sale Custom College Jerseys .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. http://www.customjerseyscollege.com/ . -- Cam Newton pranced into the end zone, placed his hands over his chest and did his familiar Superman pose. Custom UCLA Bruins Jerseys . The Celtics closed out their first preseason under Stevens on Wednesday night with a 101-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, who rested a lot of their lineup including former Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Custom College Jerseys China . After a replay, the winner will meet Sunderland in the quarterfinals. Sagbo did well to control Sone Alukos right cross and fire past Brighton goalkeeper Peter Brezovan. Aluko was making his first start in four months after recovering from an Achilles injury. RIO DE JANEIRO -- After controversy almost kept the United States womens 4x100-meter relay team out of Fridays final, the group instead was able to defend its Olympic title.The team of Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, English Gardner and Tori Bowie finished first to win the gold medal, followed by Jamaica and Great Britain.The gold is Felixs fifth, the most of any U.S. female track star in history.The Americans, who needed to set a qualifying time in a solo rerun hours after dropping the baton in Thursdays preliminaries and getting a second chance on protest, won the final in 41.01 seconds.The Jamaican team that featured Elain Thompson?and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was second in 41.36. Britain won bronze in a national-record 41.77.As so often, Felixs celebrations were mostly muted, but her smile told it all. She had been through injury, the inability to defend her 200-meter title because she didnt qualify at the U.S. trials and a near disqualification in the relay heats.Adversity sometimes makes you stronger, she said. Weve each had a rocky road to get here, and we came together to win the gold.It was an impressive comeback after near disaster on Thursday, when Felix dropped the baton after being bumped by a Brazilian runner. That led to the rerun, and the Americans qualified fastest, taking the place of China in the final.ddddddddddddThe drawback was they were given the worst lane of all, Lane 1, which has the tightest corners and usually impedes top speed.It didnt bother them.Felix ran the second leg for the Americans, the same section as 100- and 200-meter gold medalist Thompson, and passed to Gardner, who ran a powerful curve to give her team the lead.Bowie ran the anchor leg and held off Fraser-Pryce as the Americans only narrowly missed the world record.Bartoletta was already waiting for Bowie for a wild embrace and to celebrate the second-fastest time in history behind the world record that Felix & Co. set in winning gold at the London Games.?For Bartoletta, it was her second gold in Rio, after she also won the long jump.Felix entered the Games as one of just six women to have won four golds in track and field. At the same time, silver for Jamaica allowed Veronica Campbell-Brown to win a medal at a fifth Olympics dating back to the 2000 Sydney Games.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. ' ' '