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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- She knows she is constantly described as the rare sure thing in a sport that doesnt usually allow sure things. But after her last workout before the U.S. Olympic womens gymnastics trials begin Friday, Simone Biles wasnt willing to let anyone tell her shes a lock to win this two-day meet or to get to the Rio Summer Olympics. It doesnt matter to her that she has won three consecutive world all-around titles, or that she beat her nearest American rival by 3.9 points at the U.S. national championships two weeks ago.Biles instead smiled Thursday and told a story about a recent dream she had about finally arriving at this, her first Olympic trials.I cried before the start of every single event, Biles said with a laugh. That was my dream. Hopefully that doesnt really happen to me tomorrow.It almost certainly wont.But Biles knows it cant.Biles is only 19, but she is fully aware that as preposterously great as her last three years have been, the Olympics are the only place where she can truly cement her place in history and in the public imagination.If Biles does not go on to dominate as expected and win gold medals next month in Rio -- as many as five golds are possible for her -- it wont matter that she is already closing in on passing three-time Olympian Svetlana Khorkina as the most decorated female gymnast ever, or that longtime gymnastics observers say Biles has already eclipsed two-time Olympian Nadia Comaneci in the discussion about the greatest female gymnast of all time.Comaneci was the sports standard of perfection -- until the 4-foot-9 Biles came along displaying more power and greater degree of difficulty than Comaneci did at the 1976 and 80 Games.I do think of history and [gymnasts who came before] because they all paved the way for us, Biles said, sitting in a directors chair setup at a team press conference after Thursdays workout. If it hadnt been for them, we wouldnt be here doing such strong gymnastics. Were just trying to carry the legacy on.Biles, with the exception of the rare anxiety dream, seems to have found a few ways to chop the pressure bearing down on her into manageable pieces.When asked again and again Thursday about being a prohibitive favorite here, Biles shrugged and said, Its just labels. What does it do for me if I walk around here saying, Im the favorite?Told that her journey toward Olympic fame is a Hollywood story -- shes risen to greatness after being adopted at age 5 by her paternal grandparents because her estranged mom struggled with drugs and alcohol use -- Biles amiably pushed back a little again and said, Well, they [outsiders] turn it that way, but I honestly thought everyone was adopted until I spoke up. People would say to me, Youre adopted? And I would say, Arent you?Biles smiled. And everyone laughed.America has the best womens gymnastics team in the world, yet Biles could probably fall twice in the four events -- balance beam, floor, vault and uneven bars -- and still win these trials.The difficulty and amplitude she packs into her routines is that much higher than anyone elses. Anywhere.Even for a gymnast, she has freakish strength and an amazing ability to pick up new skills. Aimee Boorman, Biles Houston-based coach since Biles was in elementary school, often says Biles has the uncanny ability to know exactly where she is in midair, even when practicing tricks that other gymnasts are afraid to try because they fear gravely injuring themselves. Plenty of heart-to-hearts with Boorman over the years, along with seeing a sports psychologist beginning in 2013, has also helped convince Biles that she doesnt need to listen to conventional thinking or other peoples expectations for her once shes at a competition.Other people do enough thinking for me, she said Thursday with a smile.Gymnasts are all better when they dont think and just do what theyve trained to do, national team coordinator Martha Karolyi agreed with a laugh.And so Biles bounces along, doing things her way. She had a lot of fun throwing out the first pitch at a Houston Astros game on Tuesday by doing a handspring off the mound and then coming up throwing. Team veteran Aly Raisman said here Thursday that she had to move to a different room at the U.S. teams training center, farther away from Biles and Gabby Douglas room, because Biles and Douglas were often laughing so loudly Raisman couldnt sleep. And I can fall asleep sitting right here if I just shut my eyes, Raisman said with a laugh.These Olympic trials are expected to be yet another coronation for Biles. She is expected to be the breakout American star of the Rio Games, along with Katie Ledecky, U.S. swimmings female successor to Michael Phelps. Again, its not something Biles is eager to linger on.But what can you do? she sighs. If I walk around here saying Im the favorite, how does that help me? Nothing is set in stone until its set in stone.Biles did concede once Thursday that she does perform better when she goes out before a mind event, such as the 4-inch-wide balance beam, and tells herself Im the bomb before she begins, instead of dwelling on what might go wrong.Were all a little nervous and jittery right now [about making the Rio team], Biles said, so we all try not to talk about it because its such a touchy subject.We just try to live in the moment.At the moment, Biles is the best gymnast in the world. She might just be the strongest-willed gymnast, too. She actually has convinced herself that shes not a Sure Thing at these Olympic trials or in Rio.Shes had far less luck convincing anyone else. Tim Brown Youth Jersey . -- Nathan Pancel scored twice as the Sudbury Wolves defeated the North Bay Battalion 4-2 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Marcus Allen Youth Jersey . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. http://www.footballraidersmall.com/Youth-Clelin-Ferrell-Elite-Jersey/ . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Otis Sistrunk Youth Jersey . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday. Lyle Alzado Raiders Jersey . Team physician Dr. Steve Traina performed the surgery Friday. Robinson was injured in a spill underneath the Nuggets basket during the first quarter of Wednesday nights loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. The story of a retired alcoholic sportswriter and his obsession with a spin bowler called Pradeep Mathew, who he believes to be the greatest Sri Lankan cricketer ever, Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew is a peek into Sri Lanka through cricket. The book, which Michael Ondaatje called a crazy, ambidexterous delight and Sidin Vadukut reviewed as unputdownable on ESPNcricinfo, is Shehan Karunatilakas debut novel. The following is an extract from it.The Match That Would Never ExistThe first test of the 1987 New Zealand tour to Sri Lanka was known as the Kuruppu test, due to the aforementioned wicketkeeper batsman spending every minute of it on the field. The match was as dreary as Kuruppus unbeaten 201, the first double century by a Sri Lankan, quite possibly the dullest innings ever. Stretched over 778 soggy minutes, it remains the slowest double century in history.Kuruppu was dropped on 31, 70, 165, and 181 and scooped most of his runs from pushing into the covers with his bottom hand. Then the Kiwis got in on the action with Hadlee and Jeff Crowe adding two equally yawn-worthy centuries as the match lurched to a non-climax. Days later, a car bomb at the Colombo central bus station killed 113 and wounded 300. The LTTE had struck at the heart of Colombo for neither the first nor the last time, as New Zealand cricket would find out again five years later.In 1992, the exploding motorbike that disposed of Navy chief Clancy Kobbekaduwa in front of the touring teams hotel, landed body parts quite literally at the feet of the horrified Kiwis. Gavin Larsen, another medium pacer who could bat a bit, almost trod on a severed hand. That tragedy splintered the New Zealand team, with five players and manager Wally Lees returning home and Sri Lanka trouncing a weakened Kiwi outfit.1987s bomb had no such compromise. As soon as the death count of Colombos then biggest tragedy hit the headlines, the New Zealanders had their bags packed. It was the coaxing of the Minister that convinced them to play a second test in Asgiriya.Three reasons: the Minister was instrumental in the construction of this stadium in the hills and guaranteed a closed event with tight security; the Minister was also instrumental in NZ dairy exporter Anchors near monopoly of the local milk powder market; the Minister had a smirk that was difficult to refuse.The second test was closed to the public and only selected members of the press were invited. I then worked for the Sun, a short-lived tabloid that made up in free tickets what it lacked in print quality. I received an invitation to cover the match and I took my friend Ari along as my photographer.We were body-searched and stripped of our alcohol. Our stand was populated by the press and the players guests. The pavilion was filled with politicians and VIPs, the stands around the players dressing rooms were empty, and the rest of the stadium was bare.These were the days before multiple cricket channels. Even school games and club matches attracted half-full stadiums. To see a test match in a cricket-starved nation played before an empty stadium was farcical. As was the notion that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam would want to assassinate curly-haired medium pacers from Waipukarau.The Asgiriya pitch was not expecting call-up for international duties that year and had been hosting U-13 matting encounters between Trinity and St Anthonys. The surface had only three days preparation, a fact kept from the already nervous New Zealanders.The press box had a lone fax machine, a few typewriters, and three dust-ridden overhead fans. There was a bar that served warm beer and a birds eye view of the pitch. The commentary boxes upstairs sent rumbles across the ceiling. The usual suspects spread themselves across empty chairs and absorbed the action.As members of the press, we were informed that this test was a goodwill game between the SLBCC and the NZCB and was yet to be officially recognized by the ICC. That due to the prevalent situation in the country, our match reports would have to be approved by the government censor.Cricket in Czechoslovakia must be like this, said Ari as we took our assigned seats with a whos who of NZ sportswriting. Called this not for their fame or infamy, but because neither Ari nor I knew who was who.New Zealand played an unchanged XI, while Sri Lanka replaced spinner Anurasiri and paceman Kurupparachchi with spinner Mathew and paceman Ramanayake. The first session proved a fascinating contest. Accurate bowling by the two Ratnayakes matched by cautious defence by Franklin and Jones. Pradeep Mathew came on just before lunch and made Jones jump in the way of a darter. He then dispensed of Horne with a googly.The tourists went to lunch at 73-2 and we were informed that the ICC had officially bestowed test match status on this game. Invigorated by the buffet, the Kiwis came out guns blazing. Future rivals Crowe Jr and Rutherford, tthe wine and cheese man and the beer and pie man, hit our medium pacers out of the attack and within half an hour the score was 111 for 2.dddddddddddd Captain Mendis tossed the ball to Pradeep Mathew, whose figures stood at 2-47.What followed was the finest spell of spin bowling or any bowling, on this or any other planet, that I or anyone else could ever have seen.Rutherford taunted the young chinaman bowler by imitating his ungainly action as he tossed the ball back to mid-on. Pradeep, unperturbed, returned to his mark with intent on his face. He adjusted his headband. He rolled up his sleeves as if to commit a long premeditated act of violence. He stumbled in to bowl three perfect googlies which Crowe read and avoided. On the fourth ball, Crowe attempted a cut, only to find the ball reversing onto his stumps.With the new batsman, Mathew shifted to orthodox spin. The flight and drift were perfect, the ball curling just out of the batsmans reach. The trajectory was like a whip in mid-crack. By 1987, Mathew was not a stranger to Ari and me, though we were unaware he had weapons like the boru ball, responsible for Crowe Sr and Evan Grays demises.New Zealand 113 for 5. Rutherford knocked Gurusinha for a few boundaries at the other end, but made the fatal error of taking a single on the last ball. He faced Mathew who dished an unplayable finger spinner, followed by the undercutter, the ball backspinning and staying low. Rutherford kicked the pitch in annoyance and said something unprintable to the bowler.Mathew bowled him a chinaman and a googly, both of which he saw out.Then out of nowhere a medium-paced leaper rose off the pitch and smashed into Rutherfords hook nose. The batsman advanced down the pitch and had to be restrained.We watched in stunned silence as carrom flicks and darters were mixed in with stock deliveries. The variation was mesmerizing, the control exquisite. Hadlee, Bracewell, and Sneddon scattered like hacked limbs as Mathew raced to his eighth wicket. Palitha Epasekera mentioned the words world record and everyone in the press box became excited. Mathews 8-50 was well ahead of the then Sri Lankan record, Ravi Ratnayakes 8-83 vs Pakistan. This is an upset, said the Kiwi journalist with the beak.Just because youre upset doesnt make it an upset, grinned Ari, snapping his flashing camera at ten-minute intervals.The former Sri Lankan record holder himself stood at mid-on and shared a kind word with the bowler. The Sri Lankan field crowded the batsmen as Mathew sent down consecutive maidens. The shadows of the surrounding hills tickled the boundary line and the New Zealand team stood outside their dressing room in various degrees of agitation. Rutherford got a single. Smith fended off a looping chinaman. Then he bowled it.It pitched wide off leg, like a misplaced carrom ball, cut onto the off stump, then darted back into the stumps. The double bounce ball, crickets most magnificent creation. There was a loud boo from the New Zealand dressing room. Last man Chatfield swung at a top spinner, an edge flew by keeper Kuruppu, and they got a single.Rutherford patted the wicket with the bat and shouted to the dressing room. This pitch is f***ed! Mathew then bowled another double bounce ball, this time turning from off to leg to take the middle stump. Rutherford stormed off in disgust.New Zealand slumped from 111 for 2 to 117 all out. Mathews figures sat plainly on the scoreboard. 10-51. Two better than Jim Laker. There was jubilation in the press box as the players went in for tea. This wasnt like Kuruppus slow double hundred. This was a real world record.But all joy is fleeting. The New Zealanders refused to take the field after tea, calling the pitch a shocker. Intense discussions followed on the field between New Zealand tour management and the umpires. The Minister himself came down from the VIP stand to a standing ovation. The two captains were called and without pomp or ceremony the match was abandoned, as was the New Zealand tour.The Minister gave an impromptu press conference minus anyone who was actually on the field. The pitch has been deemed unsuitable…The three sessions of play were declared null and void. We were told that any paper publishing a match report would have its licence revoked. We looked on forlornly as history was erased. Cricket in Czechoslovakia indeed. It was the match that would never exist.Asgiriya would have to wait six more years to host another test match. Today there is no record of the record, even in Wisden. There is no record of a second test match taking place. But everyone who was there knows what they saw. And for once, Ari and I agree. Whatever the reason for New Zealands collapse, it had very little to do with the pitch.To buy the book in India, click here. For the UK edition, here ' ' '