Twenty-eight Russian athletes had their Olympic doping bans overturned Thursday [url=http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-phillip-gaines-jersey]http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-phillip-gaines-jersey[/url] , throwing the International Olympic Committee’s policy on the country into turmoil.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling was set to reinstate seven Russian medals from the 2014 Sochi Olympics, including gold in men’s skeleton and men’s 50-kilometer cross-country skiing.

”This does not mean that these 28 athletes are declared innocent, but in their case, due to insufficient evidence, the appeals are upheld, the sanctions annulled and their individual results achieved in Sochi are reinstated,” CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb said in Pyeongchang.

The IOC said it had taken note of the CAS decision ”with satisfaction on the one hand and disappointment on the other,” adding the decision ”may have a serious impact on the future fight against doping.”

The 28 who had their bans lifted could now seek late entry into the Pyeongchang Olympics, but the IOC said ”not being sanctioned does not automatically confer the privilege of an invitation.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the ruling ”can’t fail to please us, and it confirms our position that the overwhelming majority of our athletes are clean athletes.”

GYMNASTICS SEXUAL ASSAULT

CHARLOTTE, Mich. (AP) – The young athletes who confronted Larry Nassar about molesting them at an elite Michigan gymnastics club saved some of their harshest words for a person who was not in the courtroom: an Olympic coach who for years sent teenage girls to see the now-disgraced doctor.

John Geddert operated the Twistars club, where Nassar offered treatments on Monday nights. His victims complained that the coach created an ultra-competitive atmosphere, was indifferent to injuries and rarely offered gymnasts any choice to see a different doctor.

”Coaching by fear, intimidation and shame and explicit favoritism was the norm,” recalled Annie Labrie. She said it was ”no surprise” that Nassar was able to continue his practices as long as he did. ”We were conditioned for years to obey at all costs.”

Nassar was in court for his third and final sentencing hearing, this time for the abuse that happened at Twistars. The nearly 30 victims who gave statements included women familiar with the club’s environment. One also alleged that Geddert was aware in the late 1990s that Nassar had performed an ”inappropriate procedure” on her when she was 16.

PRO FOOTBALL

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) – Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been cleared from the concussion protocol and will play in Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Gronkowski participated fully in practice on Thursday. Defensive lineman Deatrich Wise also practiced after being cleared from the concussion protocol. Malcolm Butler (illness) and Brandon King (knee) also participated in the workout.

Gronk said he is ”ready to roll” and has no limitations. He had been sidelined since taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from Jacksonville’s Barry Church in the first half of New England’s AFC championship game win.

The All-Pro tight end missed last year’s Super Bowl win over Atlanta after undergoing back surgery.

Gronkowski said he believes that the team doctors were just using the bye week to be as cautious with the injury as possible.

BASEBALL

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Major League Baseball has offered to ditch its proposal for a pitch clock this year and also would go without one in 2019 if the average time of a nine-inning game drops to at least 2 hours, 55 minutes this season.

Speaking after a quarterly owners meeting ended Thursday, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said owners authorized him to implement management’s proposal from last offseason [url=http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-marshall-newhouse-jersey]http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-marshall-newhouse-jersey[/url] , which calls for a 20-second pitch clock this year, if an agreement cannot be reached with the players’ association. Management has proposed a deal that would phase in new rules over the next three seasons

Manfred thought he was close to a deal during the offseason but union head Tony Clark told him players rejected the proposal and said ”he didn’t think he was in a position to make any agreement on the topic.”

MLB listened to player’s public comments and at a Jan. 23 meeting attended by Manfred, deputy commissioner Dan Halem and Clark, MLB proposed no clock this year as part of a three-year plan, Manfred said. There would be a pitch clock in 2019 if the average time of a nine-inning game is higher than 2:55 this year, Manfred said. A person familiar with the plan told The Associated Press the proposal called for an 18-second timer and only with no runners on base, and ball-strike penalties would not start until May 1. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because those details were not announced.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

DALLAS (AP) – Former TCU wide receiver Kolby Listenbee (LIH’-sehn-bee) is suing the university and football coach Gary Patterson, alleging Horned Frogs coaches harassed him into playing with an injured groin, compromising his future in football.

In a statement issued Thursday, Listenbee’s attorneys said TCU coaches pressured him to return prematurely in his senior year of 2015 from an injury to his pelvic cartilage. The lawsuit says the injury should have been rested and rehabilitated for at least six months.

The lawsuit alleges trainers routinely gave him injections to make his pain tolerable. He blames that for damage to his pelvic cartilage that compromised his NFL prospects. He has since signed with three teams but hasn’t played a down.

In a st

HOUSTON — The Houston Astros enjoyed their share of luck and made some of their own during their 12-game winning streak, but on Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays, they tasted regression.

Well, at least right fielder George Springer did. Already mired in a miserable slump dating back one month, Springer had a potential game-tying, three-run home run snagged by Toronto right fielder Randal Grichuk with no outs in the ninth inning of the Astros’ 6-3 loss. Grichuk shifted from center field to right in the ninth to make way for standout defender Kevin Pillar.

Instead of pulling the Astros even at 6-all, Springer finished 0-for-5 with a strikeout and three runners stranded. He entered the series with a .196/.322/.353 slash line since May 26, the first game after he improved his OPS to .894 with a robust .305/.367/.527 line through 50 games.

“It sucks,” Springer said. “There’s not really anything else to say about it. It’s tough. It is what it is. They win.”

Despite opening Monday tied with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox for the best record in the majors, the Astros (52-28) have been a bit unlucky in close [url=http://www.panthersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-marquis-haynes-jersey]http://www.panthersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-marquis-haynes-jersey[/url] , low-scoring games. While their pitching staff has performed splendidly in the first half of the season, the Astros are just 8-14 in one-run games and dropped to 7-19 when scoring three or fewer runs. Houston has run roughshod over opponents on the road, but the loss to Toronto dropped the Astros to a modest 23-17 at home.

“Baseball can be pretty cruel,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “That’s a tough one. Right off the bat, I thought George got one. It carried and carried and carried and looked like he (Grichuk) had to go pretty deep into the stands to get it. George delivered a great swing. Cruel sport.”

Right-hander Charlie Morton (9-1, 2.74 ERA) will start on Tuesday for the Astros. Morton is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA over two career starts against the Blue Jays, with both coming last season. He has scuffled in June, going 2-1 with a 4.29 ERA while issuing 15 walks and posting six hit batsmen over 21 innings.

Toronto (37-41) will counter with left-hander Ryan Borucki, who will make his major league debut. The Blue Jays’ top pitching prospect, Borucki made the climb from Class A Dunedin to Triple-A Buffalo over the past two seasons. He was 6-5 with a 3.27 ERA over 13 starts with the Bison, recording 58 strikeouts in 77 innings. Borucki was scratched from his start on Sunday.

Selected by Toronto in the 15th round of the 2012 draft, Borucki missed the 2013 season following Tommy John surgery. He slowly reclaimed his strength, logging 135 2/3 innings in 2016 and a career-high 150 1/3 innings last season. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons coyly refused to confirm published reports that Borucki would make his debut, but the secret is out.

“We’ll have the young kid going (Tuesday) so hopefully he gives us some innings,” Gibbons said in response to concerns over his fatigued bullpen. “Nice way to debut.”

When pressed that he accidentally revealed his hand, Gibbons quipped, “You don’t know what young kid. Could be one of three or four of them.”