also admitted it hadnt known enough about how long it took

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Before going their separate ways, Tony Parker and Paul Gasol met near mid-court and the new teammates shared a warm embrace following Spains lopsided win.Theyll soon be together in San Antonio to chase an NBA title.Theyll never meet again in the Olympics.Nearly written off after two losses to open the Rio Games, Spain is back in the mens basketball semifinals for the third straight time following a 92-67 rout of Parker and France in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. With Spurs-like offensive precision, the Spaniards got easy looks at the basket and dissected a French team that came to Brazil with medal hopes but leaves empty-handed.After the loss, a nostalgic Parker, the dazzling point guard who made France relevant on international hardwood, said he would no longer play for his home country.I just took a lot of pride playing for the national team, said the 34-year-old Parker, who scored 14 in his final game. I just love playing in this competition. I love this atmosphere, which is very different than the NBA. Growing up, my dream was to win an NBA championship. That was my ultimate goal. But as I grew up, I fell in love with the national team.We won the gold medal in juniors when I was 18. So then my goal was to try to bring the first national team ever championship for France, and we did that in 2013. Overall, just great experiences. I enjoyed it all these years. These last 16 years have been great. I dont regret one second.Nikola Mirotic scored 23 points, Willy Hernangomez added 18 and Spain pulled away in the third quarter to reserve a spot in Fridays semis.When Spain opened the preliminary round with losses to Croatia and Brazil, it appeared the countrys standing among the worlds basketball elite might be in decline. However, the two-time defending silver medalists have overcome injuries, a summer of free agency and a lack of practice time together to again advance to the global version of the Final Four.And now the Spaniards not only have a shot at a medal to go with the ones they got in Beijing and London, they get another crack at the U.S., which has beaten them in the gold-medal game in the past two Olympics.The Americans advanced to the semis with a 105-78 pummeling of Argentina.For Parker, his second Olympics ended like his first: without a medal hanging from his neck. While he has won four titles with the Spurs and is considered one of the games premier point guards and basketball ambassadors, Parker never attained the international success hes had in the NBA.Still, hell cherish the time he spent wearing Frances uniform, hearing Le Marseillaise played or watching the nations tri-colored flag raised after a victory.I think we put French basketball on the map, he said.With Parker, France built a rivalry with Spain as the two took turns knocking each other out of tournaments.Let me just say that Ive been honored to play against Tony Parker throughout so many years on the national team, Spain coach Sergio Scariolo said. Hes a great competitor and it was so tough to prepare games versus him.Saying goodbye to the French team wasnt Parkers only farewell this summer.In June, his longtime Spurs teammate Tim Duncan announced his retirement, and for a while it appeared Manu Ginobili would hang it up, too. However, Ginobili recently said hes coming back for one more season with San Antonio.Parker knows the breakup of San Antonios Big 3 is inevitable, but that doesnt make it any easier.Im very blessed, thats all I can say, Parker said. Those 15 years with Timmy and all the championships and all the records and everything we accomplished, its just stuff that when I retire I can cherish and show my kids everything that we won. Im happy that Manus got one more year. So its not everybody at the same time.That day will come too. My day will come. Its just life. Everything comes to an end.Scott Stevens Jersey .Y. - General manager Billy King says the Brooklyn Nets are looking to add a big man and confirmed the team worked out centre Jason Collins, who would become the first openly gay active NBA player if signed. Martin Brodeur Devils Jersey . 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Custom New Jersey Devils Jerseys . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite.MOSCOW -- Maria Sharapovas ban for taking the banned substance meldonium has been reduced from two years to 15 months.Although the drug led to a spate of positive tests from dozens of athletes, mostly in Eastern Europe, when it was banned for 2016, Sharapova is the only athlete serving a ban.Here are some of the key issues surrounding meldonium:---Q: What is meldonium?A: A Latvian-made drug available over the counter in Russia and other Eastern European and ex-Soviet countries, often without a prescription. The drugs manufacturer, Grindeks, says it is mostly aimed at people with heart conditions, though it can also be used for physical and psycho-emotional overload in otherwise healthy people. Meldoniums inventor, chemist Ivars Kalvins, has said it was given to Soviet soldiers fighting in Afghanistan to boost their stamina. However, Grindeks and Kalvins argue it shouldnt be banned in sports, with the manufacturer saying that it cannot improve athletic performance, but it can stop tissue damage during intense exercise. Sharapova said she took meldonium for a decade for reasons including a magnesium deficiency, family history of diabetes and dizziness. Meldonium is usually known by the brand name mildronate, though other names have been used.---Q: How was it banned?A: The World Anti-Doping Agency said in September 2015 that meldonium would be banned as of Jan. 1, 2016, and published information on its website. A study conducted at the European Games in June 2015 and later published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine found 66 of 762 athletes taking meldonium, which the authors called excessive and inappropriate use ... in a generally heathy athlete poppulation.dddddddddddd After WADAs announcement, the International Tennis Federation notified players of changes to the list of banned substances by e-mail and using a wallet card distributed at tournaments, though CAS ruled Tuesday that this was inadequate. Sharapova tested positive at the Australian Open in January and said she was not aware meldonium had been banned.---Q: Who else tested positive?A: After meldonium was banned, there were more than 170 failed tests by athletes, almost all from Eastern European countries, including Olympic medalists in sports ranging from figure skating to wrestling. Heavyweight boxer Alexander Povetkin of Russia saw his world title challenge called off after a failed test for meldonium.---Q: What happened to athletes who tested positive?A: Almost all of the cases were dropped when athletes insisted they had stopped taking meldonium in 2015, before it was banned. The usually low concentrations of the drug in their samples backed up that argument, and WADA accepted findings of no fault or negligence in those cases. WADA also admitted it hadnt known enough about how long it took meldonium to leave an athletes system. Sharapovas case was not dropped because she had continued taking meldonium after it was banned and the concentration in her sample was comparatively high.---Q: What next?A: WADA confirmed last week that meldonium remains on the banned list for 2017. WADAs grace period for athletes who tested positive for low doses expired Friday, so any amount of the drug now triggers a positive test. ' ' '