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EUGENE, Ore. -- American Jenn Suhr has been paying more attention to pole vaulting than politics lately.Now that shes in the Olympics, the defending champion says that, sure, shed like to see her biggest rival there, too.Id like to compete against the best, Suhr said Sunday at U.S. Track and Field Trials, when asked about the prospect of facing Russian world-record holder Yelena Isinbayeva. I was told that I was misinformed on some things when I made my comment before. Maybe people know a little more than I do, I dont know. If everything is honest, then yes.Isinbayeva is part of the Russian team thats been banned by tracks governing body, the IAAF, from competing in Rio de Janeiro because of a doping scandal in her home country. She is among the 68 Russians who have petitioned the Court of Arbitration for Sport to compete. A decision is due July 21.Asked a similar question about Isinbayeva in May, Suhr shared similar thoughts: that she would like to see Isinbayeva competing in Rio.In a subsequent interview with The Associated Press, USA Track and Field president Stephanie Hightower said Suhr was misguided. Hightower, a member of the IAAF council that voted to ban the Russians, said Isinbayevas comments protesting the IAAFs action were a sign the Russian is condoning the corrupt system over there.Since that, Suhr put the doping scandal on the back burner to focus on making the U.S. team. In prelims at trials, she went conservative, taking fewer steps in her approach to make sure she would clear a height and advance. She was cautious in the final, too, winning with a height of 15 feet, 9 inches (4.80 meters).A relief, honestly, she said. I just want to get out of here. I want to go home. I havent enjoyed life in a while.The Suhr-Isinbayeva matchup stands as one of the handful of truly compelling rivalries in track and field. Isinbayeva beat out Suhr in 2008 for her second straight Olympic gold, before taking bronze in the London Games that Suhr won.They await word on whether there will be an Olympic rematch.I always said I wanted to compete against the best, Suhr said. If everything is on the up and up -- and the people who know more than I do say, `Yeah, shes in, shes in. Right now, I have no control over it. Im happy that Im in. . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. . -- Cam Newton pranced into the end zone, placed his hands over his chest and did his familiar Superman pose. . World champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 237.71 points, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch followed at 208.45 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia were third at 187. . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. With Round 6 of the Aviva Premiership and the Guinness PRO12 done and dusted and the Top 14 simmering gently, here is, based on this weekends form, our composite Lions team of the week.BACKS15. Rob Kearney (Leinster)The veteran fullback has been plagued by injury in recent times, and so the news that the two-time Lions tourist completed 76 minutes of work in Leinsters win over Munster on Saturday will not have gone unnoticed by Warren Gatland and his selectors.14. Marland Yarde (Harlequins)Yarde impressed in New Zealand in 2014, not something many England wingers do, but recently he has slipped down the pecking order for his country. His display as Quins dispatched Northampton at the Stoop on Saturday reminded all those watching how good he can be.13. Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs)The west country of England is throwing up plenty of ball-playing three quarters in recent years, and the way the 23-year-old Hill created space for his outsides in the Chiefs drawn encounter with Gloucester this weekend will have had the purists purring.?12. Matt Banahan (Bath)The big man has always been hard to ignore on the field, and his form this season, culminating in his performance in Baths trouncing of Sale on Friday night, has reignited the Banahan for England campaign.?11. Cian Kelleher (Connacht)Over 120 metres gained from 15 carries - not to mention two tries - in Connachts big win over Ulster on Friday night means this 22-year-old Dubliner waltzes into our Lions team.?10. ?Jason Tovey (Edinburgh)The 27-year-old from Newport has impressed everyone since arriving in the Scottish capital this season, and he had the ball on a string in his sides towelling of Benetton Treviso on Saturday.?9. Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester)The inspirational Scottish skipper will always be in the mix, and not just because his ability from the tee frees up the selectors in terms of goal-kicking. His Gloucester side have endured a tough beginning to the season that was typified by a draw with Exeter this weekend, but under Laidlaws leadership you get the feeling theyll turn it around.FORWARRDS8.dddddddddddd Ben Morgan (Gloucester)Another currently suffering from the Kingsholm blues, but the man with 61 England caps retains his ball-playing ability and rugby nous, and Eddie Jones will be watching closely to see how Morgan handles the cherry and whites current adversity.?7. Will Welch (Newcastle Falcons)The Falcons young skipper is acquitting himself well in a solid start to the season for Dean Richards men, and his ball-sniffing efforts were rewarded with a try in his teams win over struggling Bristol on Saturday.6. James King (Ospreys)The Welsh blindside was everywhere in Ospreys big win over Cardiff on Friday night, and is showing the kind of form that could see him add to his eight caps in the near future.?5. Graham Kitchener (Leicester)An old-school performance by the Tigers against Worcester relied heavily on men like their 121kg second-row, who grabbed himself a try for his efforts.?4. ?Maro Itoje (Saracens)It would be sheer folly to suggest anyone other than Itoje in the number four jersey in New Zealand in 2017, and his contribution to Saracens victory over Wasps on Sunday afternoon was just another extremely good day at the office for the England man.3. Kieran Brookes (Northampton)Some things may not be functioning yet this season for the Saints, but the scrum is not one of them, and their tighthead props efforts in a losing cause against Quins this weekend will have been duly noted by former front rowers like Warren Gatland and Eddie Jones.?2. Dave Heffernan (Connacht)The 25-year-old from County Mayo was a constant thorn in the side of Ulster as they lost to Connacht on Friday night, and Heffernans work-rate and mobility should see him called up for his country before too long.?1. Mako Vunipola (Saracens)The Sarries loosehead was at the centre of another suffocating tight five display by the champions against Wasps on the weekend, spearheading a dominant scrum and even nicking himself a try.? ' ' '
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