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Avoiding what would have almost certainly been a widely boycotted world championships, international officials pulled this seasons biggest bobsled and skeleton competition out of Russia on Tuesday after a number of sliders said they would not compete in a nation so enveloped in a doping scandal.The decision was immediately praised by sliders. Russias bobsled federation said it understood the rationale, even after government officials there decried the move.A new site -- Germany and the U.S. are potential hosts -- will likely be announced in the coming days. The move by the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation comes less than a week after the latest scathing report from World Anti-Doping Association investigator Richard McLaren showed the depth of doping and test-tampering by Russia during the 2012 and 2014 Olympic cycles.Thats a monumental decision by the IBSF and the right move to protect clean athletes and to tell the world that state-sponsored doping is unacceptable, U.S. womens bobsled pilot Elana Meyers Taylor said. I am ecstatic about the decision.Worlds were scheduled to happen over the last two weeks of February in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia, on the track used for the 2014 Sochi Games.The office of Russian President Vladimir Putin said the move was based on unfounded statements, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling it a politicized decision. But the Russian bobsled federation said it accepted the move in the spirit of cooperation, and asked for understanding from other sliding teams.There are no good decisions in these circumstances and our colleagues have had to choose the lesser evil, the Russian federation said. We understand that in a situation of mutual distrust, which is not of our creation, it is still possible to host a competition but its not possible to host a festival, and the world championship should really be a festival which people look forward to with pleasure.The IBSF worded its decision very cautiously, not implicating the Russian Bobsled Federation in any way. Instead, the international federation said moving worlds was the only way to allow athletes and coaches from all nations to participate in a competition that focuses on sport rather than accusations and discussions -- whether justified or not.Some of the worlds best sliders -- including reigning Olympic medalists Steven Holcomb, Matt Antoine and Meyers Taylor of the U.S., Martins Dukurs of Latvia and Lizzy Yarnold of Britain -- urged the IBSF for weeks to take the action. Latvias national skeleton team said Sunday that it would boycott if worlds were held in Russia, and Austria and South Korea were also considering such a move.Put simply, the primary athlete concern about going to Russia for world championships was the integrity of the doping process -- with some even voicing worry that the hosts could tamper with food and drink supplies and create a situation where athletes would unknowingly ingest a banned substance. If caught in such a scenario, the athlete would have received a ban long enough to keep him or her from competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics.Its a huge risk to take, Holcomb said late last week.It wont be an issue now. The Russians may seek compensation, but theres no basis for appeal.This was a serious decision and one the IBSF did not take lightly, USA Bobsled and Skeleton CEO Darrin Steele said. It might not have come as quickly as many would have liked, but it received the careful attention it deserved.McLarens report showed that some Russian gold medalists from the Sochi Games were tainted by the state-sponsored doping program. Russia won gold medals in two-man bobsled, four-man bobsled and mens skeleton at those Olympics, though none of the athletes who got those victories has been implicated by any known positive or tampered-with tests.Antoine said he was ready to announce that he was not going to worlds. He got word about the venue change while he and other athletes were driving Tuesday from the track at Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, New York -- site of this weekends World Cup stop -- after a training session.Its the right decision and Im happy to see they took the proper steps, Antoine said. Im sure theres some people who are happy and some people who arent too happy about it. But its the reality of the situation. Its an unfortunate dark cloud thats over our sport right now. The process probably isnt going to be clean or pretty, but this needs to be fixed.---Associated Press Writers James Ellingsworth and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. Cheap Vans Sk8 Hi Shoes ., for the next three years with the signings on Monday of Daryl Townsend and Michael Carter. Cheap Vans Shoes . Rob Manfred, baseballs chief operating officer, testified last week during the grievance filed by the players union to overturn Rodriguezs 211-game suspension. 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Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. OAKLAND, Calif. -- Two pitchers hoping to make the most of an otherwise meaningless September clash of fourth- and fifth-place teams will go head-to-head when the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics wrap up a three-game series Wednesday.Angels right-hander Alex Meyer will be making his second major league start and As righty Jharel Cotton his first in the afternoon affair.Meyer has two advantages of Cotton in the matchup.First off, hell be facing an As team thats been no-hit into the eighth and sixth innings in two of their last three games.Also, Meyer has four games of big-league experience under his belt, even if those outings didnt go well.Pitching at the time for the Minnesota Twins, Meyer made two relief appearances in 2015 and one earlier this season, pitching a total of 3 2/3 innings. He allowed seven runs on seven hits in those outings.Given a shot to start at Houston on May 1, the 26-year-old didnt fare much better, giving up three runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings. He was charged with the loss in the 6-4 loss.The 6-foot-9 former first-round pick of the Washington Nationals will bring a 14.21 career ERA, fifth highest among all pitchers who have made four or more appearances the last two seasons, into the contest.Meyer will be making his Angels debut. He was acquired on Aug. 1 along with Tuesdays starting pitcher, Ricky Nolasco, from the Minnesota Twins for left-hander Hector Santiago and minor league right-hander Alan Busenitz.This pitcher absolutely has as much upside as any pitcher in the game today, Angels manager Miike Scioscia said of Meyer following his acquisition.ddddddddddddHe just has to realize some of that potential, turn it into performance.Cotton was one of three pitchers acquired by the As when they dealt right fielder Josh Reddick and left-hander Rich Hill to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline.He will be making his major league debut after going 3-1 with a 2.82 ERA in six starts for Nashville, the As Triple-A affiliate.Cotton will be the seventh Oakland pitcher to make his major league debut this season, and second in three days.Right-hander Raul Alcantaras turn in the spotlight turned quickly into a complete disaster in the series opener Monday. He hit three of the first eight batters he faced and lasted only three innings, allowing five runs on five hits in a 10-7 loss.Cotton attended Tuesdays 3-2, come-from-behind win over the Angels even though he technically hadnt been placed on the active roster.This is awesome. Im glad Im here, he told reporters before the game. Im excited. Just have to go out there and pitch and have a good time with my teammates.Cotton can only hope his big day turns out to be as special as fellow rookie Joey Wendles was Tuesday.Wendle recorded his first game-winning RBI, capping a three-run rally that produced the 3-2 win.Wendle recorded his first ma