Three years ago, the wrestling community was forced to contemplate life without the Olympics.Now back on the program, the worlds oldest sport is hoping that the Rio Games can be a showcase for everything thats changed since then.The IOCs surprising decision to leave wrestling out of the Olympics after one final appearance in 2016 turned out to be the proverbial kick in the pants the sport suddenly realize it needed.Wrestling quickly mobilized by restructuring its once-woeful international leadership, implementing new rules to emphasize scoring and embracing gender equity by adding two new womens weight classes.The IOC took notice, returning wrestling to the Olympic roster just eight months after kicking the sport out in 2013.Here are some of the key story lines to follow as wrestling gets ready to celebrate its resurgence in Rio:---MEDAL FAVORITEAmerican Jordan Burroughs might just be the best wrestler in the world.Hes hoping to remove any doubt when competition begins Aug. 14 in Rio.Burroughs burst onto the international scene in 2011, winning a world title just six months after leaving the University of Nebraska. He went on to win gold in Rio and two more world championships, and Burroughs is the clear favorite in the 74 kilogram freestyle division.It isnt just Burroughss talent thats made him a star. His electric wrestling style and his charismatic persona have made him one of the faces of the American team -- at a time when the sport desperately needs a cross-over star.---RETURNING STARSWomens wrestling has only been in the Olympics since 2004.Japans Kaori Icho and Saori Yoshida have dominated the sport as thoroughly as any athletes in the world since then.Icho and Yoshida each won Olympic gold medals in 2004, 2008 and 2012 and should be favored to make it four straight in Rio.Icho, a 10-time world champion, lost her first match in 13 years earlier this season -- though largely because of an injured neck. Shes expected to be healthy for the Olympic meet.Yoshida is the most decorated athlete in the history of freestyle wrestling and was ranked first at 53 kilograms in United World Wrestlings most recent rankings. But American Helen Maroulis, the worlds best at 55 kilograms, could give Yoshida her biggest Olympic challenge yet.---GRAYS DAY?An American woman has never won a gold medal in wrestling.It would be a major surprise if Adeline Gray doesnt break through in Brazil.Gray, 25, has already won three world championships -- including in 2014 and 2015. She also went unbeaten in a startup pro wrestling league in India, won the Olympic test event ahead of the Rio Games and cruised to first at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Gray will enter the Rio meet on a 37-match win streak against a field that doesnt look as imposing as some of the other divisions.----THE FIELDRussia, the worlds best wrestling team until proven otherwise, went largely unscathed following doping charges that rocked their nation. Sixteen of the 17 wrestlers who qualified for Rio will get to do so -- and the biggest challenger to Burroughs in the argument over the worlds top wrestler would likely be 20-year-old Russian sensation Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Hes already won two world championships at 86 kilograms freestyle. ...Kyle Snyder became the youngest world champion in U.S. history in 2015 and held off 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jake Varner to earn a spot on the team headed to Rio. Hell be among the favorites at 97 kilograms.---RULES CHANGESThe biggest changes newcomers to the sport will likely notice will be aesthetic. The mats have been changed to a darker shade of blue with an orange ring around the circle, so fans can better differentiate scoring moves. Countries have also been given the chance to design their uniforms around their national flags, rather than stick to the classic blue and red singlets that often made it tough to tell which wrestler was which. And, perhaps most importantly, there will be just two three-minute periods, and the scoring will be cumulative in an effort to encourage wrestlers to keep attacking rather than simply sit on a lead. Cheap Air Max Shoes With Free Shipping .05 million next season unless Graham and the Saints subsequently agree on a long-term deal. The designation was released Monday after the deadline passed for NFL teams to use franchise or transition tags on players becoming free agents. Nike Air Max Free Shipping Worldwide . 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BRUSSELS -- Marc Wilmots is out as Belgium coach after the team underachieved at the European Championship.Wilmots says in a statement on the Belgian soccer federations website that his exit was agreed to after a four-year spell in charge.Second-ranked Belgium went out of Euro 2016 after a quarterfinal loss to Wales amid criticism that a talented group of players hhad again failed to reach their potential as a team.ddddddddddddThe team also went out of the 2014 World Cup in the quarterfinals after losing to Argentina.The 47-year-old Wilmots says the team can be proud of what we achieved together. cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '