around the world, with teams hiring him as a mentor-cum-player. This

No one will ever accuse Serena Williams of reveling in her achievements for too long. Up until July 9, she was hunting for Grand Slam No. 22, and once she locked it down to equal Steffi Grafs Open-era record, the object of the world No. 1s search swiftly shifted to a single element on the periodic table.You may have heard of this one: gold.More specifically, Olympic gold -- hammered into a medal roughly the shape and size of a hockey puck, but a lot brighter and worth so much more in so many ways.Ive won gold. I love gold, Williams said at Wimbledon, shortly after winning the event. I mean, for me, if I kept one trophy, I would probably grab my gold medals.Although in the larger scheme Grand Slam titles will ultimately be her obsession, Williams knows theres something different about gold medals and the heroes associated with them. Players as accomplished as Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova have yet to reach the gold-medal pantheon.The curious detail is that Williams dominance in her sport is so absurd that her status as an Olympic icon is neglected. A review is in order:Tennis was part of the original Summer Olympics in 1896 but was dropped after the 1924 Games. It was finally reinstated as a full medal sport in 1988. Serena and sister Venus rank among the most prolific Olympic medal winners in tennis, each with four gold -- one in singles and three as doubles partners. Only Kitty Godfree, who played in the early 1900s, won more (five).In terms of overall gold-medal production by all Olympians, the Williams sisters output seems modest. Theyre ranked -- with 33 other Olympians -- No. 155 all time. But consider how dizzying the scope of the Games is. Russias Anastasia Ermakova (synchronized swimming) and Henri Saint Cyr of Sweden (equestrian) each won the same number of gold medals as Serena or Venus. But so did towering historical figure Jesse Owens.If Serena -- or Venus, for that matter -- leaves Rio with two gold medals, she would vault to around No. 30 on the list of all-time gold-medal producers. The sisters are 14-0 in Grand Slam doubles finals, and theyre going into Rio as Wimbledon champs. The future is glittering. A gold in doubles would put both of them alongside legendary speedskater Eric Heiden, whos among the top 70 Olympians of all time in the record books.And then theres singles:Venus is in the middle of a remarkable resurgence. Seeded No. 8 at Wimbledon, she made the semifinals and spoke about not wanting to go to Rio de Janeiro rusty. She should not fear that for herself or Serena. Venus went on to make the final at Stanford a couple of weeks ago. Serena hasnt played since Wimbledon, but she won singles and doubles at Wimbledon and has done all the prep work she needs for these Games.The Williamses are experts at straining credulity. So heres an Olympic-quality mind-bender: Serena has 22 majors to Venus seven, but if either sister wins gold in singles, she will be the undisputed all-time Olympic tennis champion.As effectively as Venus is playing, the odds still favor Serena. Officially, no woman has won two gold medals in singles. Graf won her gold medal in singles in Seoul, Korea, in 1988. She also won the gold in singles in Los Angeles in 1984, but at those Games, tennis was still a demonstration sport trying to earn its way back in. The results are not part of the official record.Maybe that didnt make winning a gold medal any easier for Graf, but the rules are the rules. But its funny how, no matter where she turns, Serena just cant get away from the legacy of Graf. Cheap Texans Jerseys . Aduriz headed home Markel Susaetas cross in the sixth minute to open the scoring at San Mames Stadium. He bettered that with a long-range blast that went in off the goal frame in the 18th, and converted a penalty in the 72nd after Diego Mainz was sent off for fouling Aduriz with only the goalkeeper to beat. Texans Jerseys China . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. http://www.cheaptexansjerseysauthentic.com/ . But the quarterback hopes to stay involved in football after officially calling it quits Tuesday. "Id love to look at those opportunities as they arise," Pierce said in an interview from his Winnipeg eatery. Texans Jerseys Online . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has been appointed head coach of the Mumbai Indians franchise. Jayawardene will replace former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, whose two-year contract in the role will expire soon. Jayawardenes contract is reportedly for more than one year, but the franchise did not reveal the details.Mahela Jayawardenes appointment has come in the wake of Ricky Ponting - coach for the previous two years - contract coming to a close, the franchise announced in a media release issued on Friday.Jayawardene has played for three franchises in the IPL since the tournaments inception in 2008. He began with Kings XI Punjab (2008-2010), before switching to Kochi Tuskers for one season (2011), followed by two seasons with Delhi Daredevils.After retiring from international cricket in 2015, Jayawardene has featured in T20 leagues around the world, with teams hiring him as a mentor-cum-player. This will be the former Sri Lanka captains first stint as a coach.I am very excited by the appointment and glad that the Mumbai Indians maanagement appreciated my presentation and ideas, Jayawardene said.dddddddddddd In what is a new chapter in my career, I will be striving hard to bring them [Mumbai] more on-field success and joy.The franchise did not explain why Pontings contract was not being renewed, and did not reveal whether this decision was taken by the management or Ponting. Having won their second IPL title in 2015, Mumbai failed to make the knockouts, finishing fifth in IPL 2016.Ponting, who retired from all forms of cricket in 2013, was bought by Mumbai for his base price of $400,000 in the IPL 2013 auction. He was appointed captain for that season but stepped down midway through the tournament due to bad form. Mumbai eventually went on to win their first IPL title that season under Pontings replacement, Rohit Sharma.Ponting was appointed in an advisory capacity for the 2014 season and signed a two-year contract as coach the following year. ' ' '