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Avoiding what would have almost certainly been a widely boycotted world championships, international officials pulled this seasons biggest bobsled and skeleton competition out of Russia on Tuesday after a number of sliders said they would not compete in a nation so enveloped in a doping scandal.The decision was immediately praised by sliders. Russias bobsled federation said it understood the rationale, even after government officials there decried the move.A new site -- Germany and the U.S. are potential hosts -- will likely be announced in the coming days. The move by the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation comes less than a week after the latest scathing report from World Anti-Doping Association investigator Richard McLaren showed the depth of doping and test-tampering by Russia during the 2012 and 2014 Olympic cycles.Thats a monumental decision by the IBSF and the right move to protect clean athletes and to tell the world that state-sponsored doping is unacceptable, U.S. womens bobsled pilot Elana Meyers Taylor said. I am ecstatic about the decision.Worlds were scheduled to happen over the last two weeks of February in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia, on the track used for the 2014 Sochi Games.The office of Russian President Vladimir Putin said the move was based on unfounded statements, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling it a politicized decision. But the Russian bobsled federation said it accepted the move in the spirit of cooperation, and asked for understanding from other sliding teams.There are no good decisions in these circumstances and our colleagues have had to choose the lesser evil, the Russian federation said. We understand that in a situation of mutual distrust, which is not of our creation, it is still possible to host a competition but its not possible to host a festival, and the world championship should really be a festival which people look forward to with pleasure.The IBSF worded its decision very cautiously, not implicating the Russian Bobsled Federation in any way. Instead, the international federation said moving worlds was the only way to allow athletes and coaches from all nations to participate in a competition that focuses on sport rather than accusations and discussions -- whether justified or not.Some of the worlds best sliders -- including reigning Olympic medalists Steven Holcomb, Matt Antoine and Meyers Taylor of the U.S., Martins Dukurs of Latvia and Lizzy Yarnold of Britain -- urged the IBSF for weeks to take the action. Latvias national skeleton team said Sunday that it would boycott if worlds were held in Russia, and Austria and South Korea were also considering such a move.Put simply, the primary athlete concern about going to Russia for world championships was the integrity of the doping process -- with some even voicing worry that the hosts could tamper with food and drink supplies and create a situation where athletes would unknowingly ingest a banned substance. If caught in such a scenario, the athlete would have received a ban long enough to keep him or her from competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics.Its a huge risk to take, Holcomb said late last week.It wont be an issue now. The Russians may seek compensation, but theres no basis for appeal.This was a serious decision and one the IBSF did not take lightly, USA Bobsled and Skeleton CEO Darrin Steele said. It might not have come as quickly as many would have liked, but it received the careful attention it deserved.McLarens report showed that some Russian gold medalists from the Sochi Games were tainted by the state-sponsored doping program. Russia won gold medals in two-man bobsled, four-man bobsled and mens skeleton at those Olympics, though none of the athletes who got those victories has been implicated by any known positive or tampered-with tests.Antoine said he was ready to announce that he was not going to worlds. He got word about the venue change while he and other athletes were driving Tuesday from the track at Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, New York -- site of this weekends World Cup stop -- after a training session.Its the right decision and Im happy to see they took the proper steps, Antoine said. Im sure theres some people who are happy and some people who arent too happy about it. But its the reality of the situation. Its an unfortunate dark cloud thats over our sport right now. The process probably isnt going to be clean or pretty, but this needs to be fixed.---Associated Press Writers James Ellingsworth and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. Oklahoma City Thunder Jerseys . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. Chris Paul Thunder Jersey ., for the next three years with the signings on Monday of Daryl Townsend and Michael Carter. https://www.thunderrookiesshop.com/Patrick-Patterson-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Newcastle dominated in the early stages but City weathered the storm and then raised its game in extra time. Negredo broke the deadlock from close range after a simple move in the 99th minute before Dzeko took the ball round goalkeeper Tim Krul to seal the victory in the 105th. Andre Roberson Thunder Jersey .com) - The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks both take aim at their first wins of the season on Saturday, as the Canucks open their home slate at Rogers Arena. D.J. Augustin Jersey . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks expected big things from Jean Segura this season. All this power is just a plus.Segura homered twice for the second consecutive game and finished with five hits as Arizona completed a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with an 11-6 victory Wednesday night.Making a run at a 200-hit season, Segura had three singles, three RBI and scored three times. He has 182 hits with 17 games to play.He is just a good hitter, Arizona manager Chip Hale said. He is feeling good about himself and seeing the ball well. The power has surprised a little bit. The rest of (his) game, not at all.Segura and Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies each belted a leadoff homer. Chris Owings and Brandon Drury also went deep for the last-place Diamondbacks.Segura went 3 for 5 with two homers Tuesday night in Arizonas 11-4 win, and the second baseman acknowledged hes even surprised himself with his recent power display.Yeah, absolutely, he said. I didnt think I had that kind of power.He thinks having the roof open at Chase Field lately has probably helped him.Im trying to hit the ball through the middle. ... Solid contact, line drives, Segura said. I dont try to do too much.Blackmon and Nolan Arenado both had three hits for the Rockies. Blackmon was a double short of the cycle.Blackmon opened the game with a home run off Rubby De La Rosa, his ninth leadoff homer this season and the 21st of his career. DJ LeMahieu followed with a single, extending his on-base streak to 31 games.Segura led off the bottom of the first by launching a drive to center field off Jeff Hoffman, his sixth leadoff homer this year.After Jake Lamb walked, Yasmany Tomas ripped a run-scoring double to center.Segura hit a two-run homer in a five-run fifth. The Diamondbacks added a third run in the inning when Colorado catcher Tom Murphy dropped a throw, allowing Owings to sscore on a grounder by Lamb.dddddddddddd They added two more on a run-scoring double by Drury and an RBI single by Socrates Brito.Hoffman (0-4) took the loss in his fifth major league start. He was a key figure in the 2015 trade that sent Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto.I thought he was sharp the first few innings, Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. We saw glimpses and I think a lot of that due to the breaking ball.Hoffman said he felt a lot more comfortable than in his previous starts. He allowed seven runs, four earned, in 4 2/3 innings.I kind of fell apart there in the fifth, Hoffman said. Probably had the best game stuff since I have been here. At some point I have to put it together where I have both command and stuff.De La Rosa made 39 pitches in the first and, after he started the second with a walk, was removed by Hale.Braden Shipley (4-3) won in relief. Shipley gave up a two-run homer in the sixth to Daniel Descalso that cut the lead to 7-3, but Arizona got the runs back when Segura singled and Owings homered in the bottom half.Colorado scored three in the seventh by stringing together four hits to start the inning.Phil Gosselin scored on a wild pitch in the Diamondbacks seventh, and Drury added a solo homer in the eighth.HIT PARADEArizona banged out 17 hits and has at least 10 in 14 straight games against Colorado.TRAINERS ROOMRockies: OF Gerardo Parra returned to the lineup after missing a week with a strained hamstring.Diamondbacks: OF A.J. Pollock, who strained his groin Friday, has a chance to return by the end of the season.UP NEXTRockies: Tyler Chatwood (11-9, 3.82 ERA) starts at home against San Diego and Christian Friedrich.Diamondbacks: Archie Bradley (6-9, 5.10) faces Rich Hill and the visiting Dodgers. ' ' '