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RIO DE JANEIRO -- American sabre fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad had spoken so often and movingly about her life as an openly observant Muslim and African-American woman at this particularly tense juncture in world events, it was easy to forget sometimes that her Olympic journey was about delivering a medal along with her message. Stitched Belgium Soccer Jerseys .But the athlete in the 30-year-old Muhammad showed up Monday midway through her Round of 16 match at the Rio Summer Games against Frances Ceclia Berder. Muhammad was fighting to stay in the Olympics. She got frustrated over a lost lead and then a series of calls, and the white-hot competitiveness she always told us was in her -- Trust me, she often said with a laugh, its there -- came spilling out.Muhammad pulled off her masked helmet and began talking to the referee after Berder went ahead, 11-7. Scoring is always highly subjective in fencing, especially when both fencers clash blades or trade touches at nearly the same instance. The athletes often both pump a fist at the same time, trying to buy a call or lay claim to the same point. But this time, Muhammad got a yellow card warning. Her early 6-2 lead and the match had changed to the rallying Berders favor now, and a few moments later, the ninth-ranked Frenchwoman, who sat one slot behind Muhammad in the world rankings, stopped Muhammads Olympic run two wins short of the medal round with a 15-12 loss.#USA fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad made history 2day: She is the first American to compete in a hijab. #fencing pic.twitter.com/mllDimffb8- Rio 2016 (@Rio2016_en) August 8, 2016After that, it took the deeply disappointed Muhammad more than an hour to arrive at the postmatch media area. But when she did, the advocate who has caught attention in America and beyond for the grace of her message and eloquence of her example, was standing here again. She was asked to put her remarkable journey to this point in perspective. As usual, words didnt fail her.Someone suggested perhaps it had been a burden to undertake all she had done -- training at the same time she was speaking out tirelessly about being the first American Olympian to compete in a hijab; taking on what she calls misconceptions about Muslims in general, and specifically Muslim women like her who wear modest clothing in observance of their faith -- but she answered the same way she always has.Its been a blessing, Muhammad insisted.I feel like things meant for me will never miss me, she added. And I realize this moment is bigger than me. No matter what happens in my life, I try to accept it for what it is, whether its winning or losing. I realize even with hard work, sometimes you may fall short. I worked so hard for this moment. But at the end of the day, I feel this is part of being in sport and representing my country and the Muslim community. So I always end every single match with the same sentiment, and thats that Im thankful to God for the experience, for allowing me to even be present in this moment.She was smiling now.I think this was written for me. It just fell the way it did.Muhammad, who grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey, before attending Duke University, still has another chance to win a medal here in Rio when the U.S. women compete in the team sabre competition. But she hasnt elaborated much on her plans beyond that.The witnessing she did over the past two years, in particular, pushing back against the anti-Muslim rhetoric that has heated up around the world, both within and without the Muslim community, and her message of tolerance earned her widespread attention. Everyone from sports networks to political figures, womens organizations to religious groups sought her out. Entertainers such as Stephen Colbert and Ellen DeGeneres put her on TV, President Obama asked her to take part in a discussion panel when he made his first visit as president to an American mosque, and Time magazine named her among its 100 most influential people of 2016 and elaborated on her story.But nobody tells the story as well as Muhammad herself.Monday, she patiently, calmly, sometimes humorously recapped parts of it again in the cattle-chute media zone underneath Carioca Arena 3 for the latest wave of people whod never heard it before.She stressed how honored she was to represent the U.S. and the transformative effect sports has had on her life. She talked movingly about how she was struck at Fridays Opening Ceremony by sports beautiful ability to bring people of different cultures together under this umbrella for one purpose. ... I think thats the most important thing I take away from my whole experience at the Olympics. This whole message of tolerance.She also spoke of hearing from girls on social media who say she has inspired them to consider doing things theyve been discouraged from doing. She only obliquely alluded to the various examples she has given over these many months of how she herself has been discriminated against for wearing her hijab. (There was a stranger in Times Square who asked her if shes a terrorist who intends to blow something up; the South by Southwest security worker who smirked when she declined to remove her hijab while going through the medical detector, even though she explained she wore it for religious reasons. Yeah, well, youre in Texas now, he said.) Monday, she preferred to dwell on the takeaway she hopes people get.Muhammad was asked to name the biggest misconceptions she still fights, and she said: That someone is forcing me to wear hijab. That Im oppressed. That I dont have a voice. Anyone who knows me knows Im very vocal. ... Very comfortable expressing myself. She stressed what shes doing is not just to challenge misconceptions outside the Muslim community, but also within the Muslim community. I want to break cultural norms. I want to show girls that its important to be active, its important to be involved.Has she been successful changing peoples minds?I hope so, she said. I dont know necessarily what is going through everyones mind at this moment.Unless she reconsiders plans to retire from fencing, her Olympic career will end after the sabre team competition later this week.She hasnt said what she intends to do after the Olympics, beyond continuing to run her online clothing business, Louella, which makes modest clothing for religiously observant women. A couple of questions about the coming elections in November didnt tease out any of her plans, either. But its hard to imagine her sitting quietly on the sidelines given how Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump - a target of hers before -- has called for a national registry for all Muslims, much like some convicted criminals must now do. Muhammad has already called such talk a throwback to dark times in our nations history.It is hard to imagine her fading away quietly now.I think anyone who listens to the news reports at all would realize the importance of having a Muslim woman on Team USA, she said. Its not just any team, its the United States of America. And in light of whats going on in our country, the political thoughts that we hear about -- all these things -- I feel kind of circle back to my presence on Team USA and, again, just challenging those misconceptions that people have about who the Muslim woman is.Its almost like how could you not see that Muslims are like any other group, you know? We are conservatives and we are liberals, there are women who cover and women who dont. There are African-American Muslims, there are white Muslims, there are Arab Muslims. There are so many different types of Muslims. There are so many Muslim countries that have had women as their heads of state. Those are things that I want people to be aware of.If Muhammad is right -- if this indeed has all been written for her, and things intended for her will not miss her -- its smart to stay tuned. Her time in the 2016 Olympic spotlight is almost over. But Ibtihaj Muhammad is not the kind of woman whos inclined to sit on the sidelines for long. Already, she has made the conversation about race and religion in America more intelligent with her voice and example. It will be fascinating to see what she undertakes next. Cheap Belgium Jerseys China . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. Cheap Belgium Jerseys . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. www.wholesalebelgiumjerseys.com/ .Y. - New Orleans forward Anthony avis was chosen Friday to replace the injured Kobe Bryant in the NBA All-Star game that will be played in his home city. The year in tennis had a dramatic split personality. It was a year of exceptional achievements by well-known players, but also a year of transition. Serena Williams made history although her grip on the womens game was convincingly loosened. The ATPs Big Four spent more time breaking down than bagging titles, yet one member completed a career Grand Slam while another became the 26th player to claim the top ranking (and just the 17th year-end No. 1 since the rankings were instituted in 1973). Other players made big impressions or fulfilled long-deferred dreams. Here are our picks for tennis players of the year:10. Karolina Pliskova (WTA No. 6)2016 accomplishments:?44-23 record; two titles, including CincinnatiIs Pliskova another Petra Kvitova or Maria Sharapova? We may learn the answer in 2017 after of a breakout season for the 24-year old Czech player. During her finest run, spanning August and early September, Pliskova defeated No. 1 Angelique Kerber in Cincinnati and lost narrowly to her in the US Open final -- that after beating Venus and then Serena Williams in earlier matches. A right-hander, Pliskova can command with her serve and has an appetite for first-strike tennis that will make her dangerous to all.9. Monica Puig (WTA No. 32)51-25; one title, at OlympicsIts difficult to overstate how much it means for a place like Puerto Rico to produce a gold medalist in a popular, international pro sport -- or to overvalue how much a story like Puigs does for the sport of tennis. She created the ultimate Cinderella story in Rio de Janeiro, defeating Grand Slam champions Garbine Muguruza and Kvitova before claiming the gold medal with a win over Kerber.8. Alexander Zverev (ATP No. 24)44-24; one title, at St. Petersburg, RussiaZverev towers above his fellow ATP #nextgen brethren, literally as well as figuratively. Hes 6-foot-6 and still just 19, yet his coordination and movement are excellent, which is why this German youngster appears to be everyones cant miss future Grand Slam champion. He has already beaten a slew of great players, including Roger Federer on the grass of Halle and Stan Wawrinka in the title match on the hard courts of St. Petersburg.7. Johanna Konta (WTA No. 10)46-22; one title, at StanfordShes the official WTA Most Improved Player of the Year after a meteoric rise that began at the US Open in the summer of 2015 and continued to gain momentum through 2016. So far, the highlight has been her win at Stanford over Venus Williams. Kontas big serve and aggressive game enabled her to become the first British woman to be ranked in the top 10 since Jo Durie 32 years ago.6. Stan Wawrinka (ATP No. 4)46-18; four titles, including US OpenNovak Djokovics problems were not yet manifest when Wawrinka stunned him in the US Open final, proving to anyone who still doubted that the new Swiss No. 1 (ahead of that Roger -- whats his name?) is a superb big-match player. The US Open final match had a profound impact on the ATP narrative for the year. Wawrinka doesnt always bring his A-game (as his modest title haul suggests), but when he does, watch out.5. Juan Martin del Potro (ATP No. 38)32-12; one title, at StockholmIf we were to pick a single Player of the Year weighing impact on the game and quality of effort more highly than full results, Delpo would probably walk away with the award hands down. At the start of the year, he wasnt sure he would ever play tennnis again due to his chronic wrist injuries. Wholesale Belgium National Mens Jerseys. By the end, he had risen 1,003 ranking spots on the computer, won his first tournament in 33 months, claimed an Olympic silver medal (after a first-round upset of Djokovic) and led Argentina to its first Davis Cup championship.4. Serena Williams (WTA No. 2)38-6; two titles, at Wimbledon and RomeWilliams played just eight tournaments in 2016, due partly to various injuries as well as a laser-like focus on major events. She was well into her 34th year when she won Wimbledon to tie Steffi Graf as the Open-eras leading singles title producer (each now has 22). The physical and emotional struggles Williams experienced in 2015 carried over into much of this year, a testament to the toll exacted by her drive over the past two years to catch Graf.3. Novak Djokovic (ATP No. 2)65-9; seven titles, including Australian Open, French Open and four ATP Masters 1000sLooking at Djokovics year as a whole tends to put much of what happened in the final three months into a better perspective. Djokovic had a remarkable timing problem this year. Immediately after he became just the eighth man in tennis history to complete a career Grand Slam, he experienced an emotional letdown -- just as Andy Murrays confidence and determination kicked into high gear. All credit to Murray, but it was rotten luck for Djokovic, too.2. Angelique Kerber (WTA No. 1)63-18; three titles, including Australian Open and US OpenThis was the surprise Serena Williams could not have expected. Kerber always has been capable of pulling off the big upset, but shed stall or withdraw from the flame in the late stages. This year, she came up huge in major events, playing three Grand Slam finals and winning two. Although she won just one other tournament (Stuttgart), her record is strewn with semifinal and final appearances.1. Andy Murray (ATP No. 1)78-9; nine titles, including Wimbledon, Olympics, ATP World Tour Finals and three ATP Masters 1000sThe numbers are dazzling. But the most impressive aspect of Murrays rise to No. 1 was the remarkable combination of stamina and resolve he showed en route to stripping the prestigious year-end No. 1 ranking from Djokovic in the last match of the year. Once cast as the guy destined always to fall one match short, Murray ended his career year with a 26-match winning streak -- and a storybook finish.Honorable mentionsATP: No. 3 Milos Raonic (52-17, one title) was the Wimbledon runner-up, is now positioned for a Grand Slam breakthrough. ... No. 20 Ivo Karlovic (32-24; two titles) had one of the best years of his career at age 37. ... No. 76 Taylor Fritz (15-22, no titles) is the other 19-year old in the top 100 (joining Zverev) and finished the season nearly 100 rankings places higher than he started it. Hes boosting the hopes of U.S. tennis.WTA: No. 7 Garbine Muguruza (35-20; one title) was brilliant in winning the French Open but stunningly unimpressive for the rest of the year. ... No. 8 Madison Keys (47-17; one title) showed signs of greater consistency and almost punched through to the elite level a few times. ... No. 26 Daria Kasatkina (36-23; no titles) is 19 and had wins this year over Pliskova, Roberta Vinci, Venus Williams and Dominika Cibulkova to improve her ranking by 49 places. Cheap Jerseys 2019 NFL Jerseys Cheap Cheap Jerseys Store Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys China ' ' '