was just progress each and every day I get out here.He said he could tell the difference in himself even in the

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Judo translates as the gentle way.But after nearly a week of competition at the Rio Olympics, the meaning of the Japanese martial art seems almost paradoxical; many of the matches have ended brutally, with judo players strangling others into unconsciousness or threatening to break their opponents arms before forcing them to surrender.When American Kayla Harrison fought her way to history on Thursday -- becoming the countrys first two-time Olympic champion -- she did it in dominant form. Harrison compelled all of her opponents to submit in an automatic victory for the American, either by immobilizing them on the judo mat for 20 seconds or trapping them in an armbar, a move where the limb is hyperextended to the point of a fracture, compelling them to tap out.In the moment, youre just thinking about winning, Harrison said. Youre so focused and so in the zone that you dont really consider the repercussions of it, but afterwards, of course, you never really want to hurt anyone.Harrisons final match was a tense bout against Frenchwoman Audrey Tcheumeo. The fight was scoreless until its final minute, when Tcheumeo stumbled on the mat, giving Harrison an opening. With six seconds remaining, she seized Tcheumeos arm and applied an armbar so powerful the Frenchwoman slapped the mat repeatedly, handing Harrison her second gold medal.After the match, Tcheumeo said that Harrison had been too strong and acknowledged that tapping out is a particularly difficult way for judoka to lose.It was a very hard moment because Kayla was too strong, but thats what judo is, she said.It wasnt always that way.Judo was developed by Jigoro Kano in the 19th century in Japan and was intended as a martial art that used the opponents force against him without striking. During a trip Kano took to Europe to promote judo, he was heckled by a foreigner. To demonstrate judos effectiveness, Kano gripped the mans shirt and threw him -- but held a hand underneath the skeptics head to protect him.That consideration may be harder to spot at the Olympics, where some of the fighters this week have left the mat in tears clutching their injuries while others have hobbled off the mat, supported by medics.Ghanas first female judoka, Szandra Szogedi, left the mat doubled over in tears this week after being forced to tap out to her Brazilian opponent, caught in a stranglehold she said caused her to black out. And Brazils defending Olympic judo champion Sarah Menezes suffered a gruesome dislocated elbow on Saturday in a match against a Mongolian fighter that sent Menezes to the hospital.Although classic Japanese judo has traditionally involved fighters throwing each other from an upright position, the martial art also includes a groundwork component that has become more widely employed among non-Asian fighters in particular, drawing on the wrestling traditions in many eastern European countries. In recent years, judos governing body has moved to encourage more of the groundwork techniques that include some of the sports most aggressive attacks -- although some practitioners dispute its brutality.As violent as it looks, all of the submission holds in judo are done with control, said U.S. head coach Jimmy Pedro. You always have to give your opponent an opportunity to submit. You cant just break someones arm.Travis Stevens, an American judo fighter who took silver in the mens 81-kilogram division said that while judo does have a gentle side, all bets are off when an Olympic medal is at stake.When it comes to (elite) judo, I have an `anything goes policy, he said. If youre not qualified or skilled enough to protect yourself, you shouldnt be on the mat. He said the best judoka have a high pain threshold and that the injuries seen at Rio are simply an indication of the lengths theyre willing to go to for their Olympic dream.I dont think any judo player is going to come out of a major competition without a few bumps and bruises, he said. But you have to do whatever it takes to win -- as long as its within the rules. China Wholesale Nike Air Max 90 . Hamelin, who triumphed in the 500 on Saturday, edged out Victor An of Russia by 0.021 seconds to maintain his lead in the World Cup standings. Russias Vladimir Grigorev was third. 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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets might have a budding backup quarterback controversy.Todd Bowles declined to say Sunday whether Geno Smith remained the teams No. 2 QB behind Ryan Fitzpatrick or if Bryce Petty has surpassed him on the depth chart.The Jets coach said earlier in training camp that there was no change in the pecking order, but Petty had a strong showing in New Yorks 22-18 loss at Washington on Friday night. Meanwhile, Smith struggled in the game and appeared to perhaps lose his stranglehold on the backup job.I was clear about every position: 1, 2, 3, 4 going in, Bowles said Sunday. Until we make a change, there wont be (a change). Thats any position. When we make a decision at the end of camp, if it changes, it changes. And if it doesnt, it doesnt.When asked specifically if the order of the depth chart remains Fitzpatrick, Smith, Petty and rookie Christian Hackenberg, Bowles was evasive.Right now, theyre all playing, he said, and were trying to see who sorts out what.Against Redskins backups and playing with the second-team offense, Smith was 6 of 13 for 47 yards and an interception. With mostly third-stringers in, Petty was 16 of 26 for 242 yards and two touchdowns.Bowles acknowledged that he has a plan for the quarterback rotation for the Jets third preseason game against the Giants on Saturday night, but would not say what it is.Fitzpatrick and the starters will play a bit more in the game, the normal routine for the third preseason game. But beyond that, its uncertain.All of them have to be up to play, Bowles said. We have a plan for the quarterbacks that were not revealing. On Saturday, well play the guys that we have scheduled to play. But we do have a plan to play certain people.Bowles was then asked if Geno Smith will be the second quarterback into the game.To be clear, we have a plan on who were going to play that were not going to reveal, Bowles said.Smith is entering his fourth NFL season and had a mostly solid offseason and camp. But his performance, compared to that of Petty might have narrowed the gap between the two a bit.Off and on, missed a few throws here and there, Smith said after the game. But, you know, I think I fit the preseason form: get the chance to go out there, get a few series in and try to develop some chemistry with the guys. But overall, not to my standards. I think I couldve played a lot better.While he likely isnt in jeopardy to llose his roster spot since hes the only one of the three backups with any NFL regular-season playing experience, a good performance against the Giants -- whenever he gets in -- would go a long way into re-establishing his position on the depth chart.ddddddddddddPetty had been up and down throughout the offseason and the beginning of camp, but senses a great deal of improvement from this time last year, when he was adjusting to the NFL after being a fourth-round pick out of Baylor.Its hard not to laugh, he said. Its great, though, because thats kind of what Ive wanted to do since I got here, was just progress each and every day I get out here.He said he could tell the difference in himself even in the organized team activities this year. That has carried over into training camp, and now into the preseason games.Just a lot more comfortable, Petty said. Im not as antsy in the pocket, not as rushed in my thought process, which is all good.One of the biggest challenges for Petty was coming from a spread-type offense in college to learning how to play in Chan Gaileys pro-style system.Its still English, he said of the transition. It might be cursive, where spread was print, but its still English. ... Theres definitely a transition there, but its definitely doable. Its not like its too foreign.After watching the film of the game, Petty gave himself mixed reviews. There were good things, such as seeing blitzes from the defense. He acknowledged he was also slow at times at reading coverages.One much-discussed topic among fans and media this summer has been whether the Jets will actually keep four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. If he continues to show progression over the final two preseason games, Petty could certainly push the issue. And while he insists he doesnt approach things that way, he acknowledges that he feels as though hes on an audition for the Jets -- and other teams who might be watching.I think we all are, he said. But, for right now, Im right here, and this is where I want to be. So, yeah, its an audition for anybody watching that tape, but that is first and foremost for the Jets because I want to be here. Each day I come out here, its to put on a show for them.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '