MONACO, Monaco - Athletes from Kosovo will be able to compete at the 2016 Summer Games after being granted full recognition on Tuesday by the International Olympic Committee.The full IOC formally ratified a decision made in October by the executive board that clears the way for Kosovo to compete as an independent nation.Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, becomes the 205th national Olympic committee recognized by the IOC.This is one big day, one historical day for athletes of Kosovo, Besim Hasani, head of the Kosovo Olympic Committee, told the assembly. This is the beginning of a new era for the Olympic movement in Kosovo.IOC President Thomas Bach said: This was a very important decision, particularly for the athletes of Kosovo. Now they can start to prepare for Rio.Serbia has refused to accept Kosovos independence and Olympic recognition had been fiercely opposed by Serbian officials.But Hasani went out of his way in his speech to thank my colleagues from the Serbian Olympic Committee for their friendship and all our international partners for their support.Bach said Serbian Olympic Committee president Vlade Divac, the former NBA star, had not been happy with the initial IOC decision but accepted it in the interest of the athletes and in a gesture of sportsmanship.This is really a good example for the Olympic movement, Bach said.Serbian Sports Minister Vanja Udovicic, however, attacked the IOCs decision as a precedent that could have serious consequences for the global system of sports.What were the motives to accept the so-called European state that is not recognized by the United Nations? Udovicic said in a statement. And that is happening in a pre-Olympic year with the games taking place in Brazil, a country which did not recognize Kosovo.Kosovo plans to send a team to the inaugural European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, next year, and up to 10 athletes are expected to compete at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, including in the sports of judo, boxing and wrestling.We already have some very good athletes who in recent years achieved world gold medals and medals from European championships, Hasani said. Its a good example of what can be achieved through sports and through autonomy and thanks to diplomacy of sports.Kosovos best known athlete, Majlinda Kelmendi, is a reigning judo world champion. She had hoped to represent Kosovo at the 2012 London Olympics, but competed for Albania instead. She has Kosovo and Albanian citizenship.The IOC said Kosovo met the sports and technical requirements for acceptance, including the definition of a country in the Olympic Charter as an independent state recognized by the international community.Kosovo has not been accepted as a U.N. member. While more than 100 nations have recognized Kosovo, Russia and China have not. Most European Union members have also recognized Kosovo, with the exception of Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Romania and Slovakia.The IOC said Kosovos national Olympic body, set up in 1992, has more than 30 affiliated national sports federations, including 13 from Olympic sports. Six of those are full members of international federations.Kosovos top sports official, Memli Krasniqi, welcomed Tuesdays vote as a truly historic moment.The IOC has finally ended two decades of injustice and isolation which has plagued Kosovo sport and which has prohibited the thousands of Kosovo athletes to be equal on the world stage, Krasniqi told The Associated Press in Pristina.___Associated Press writers Nebi Qena in Pristina, Kosovo, and Dusan Stojanovic in Belgrade contributed to this report.___Follow Stephen Wilson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stevewilsonap Air Max 90 Uomo Saldi . -- Adrian Peterson remained in a walking boot to treat a high ankle sprain on his left leg on Wednesday, and coach Leslie Frazier said he will not play on Sunday against Atlanta if he cant hit the practice field in the next two days. Air Max 90 Outlet Italia . 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On Thursday, a judge said Varlamov could be released if he posted $5,000 bond and be allowed to travel with the team but he was ordered to stay away from his girlfriend, among other restrictions.MONTREAL -- It isnt often a Quebec rink gets to play at home in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts but thats what skip Allison Ross of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que., will experience this week. A year in which the Canadian curling championship has been pushed forward a week to accommodate the Winter Olympics was deemed the perfect chance to stage the event in Montreal for the first time since 1979. The opening ceremonies and the first two draws are set for Saturday at the 4,000-seat Maurice Richard Arena, normally the training base for Canadas short-track speedskating team. "For us its going to be really fun," Ross said Friday. "Were really a team that likes to have the crowd support. "We respond well to that. Its a bit more pressure, for sure, a bit more media attention, but we are a team that likes it. We are enjoying every minute of it." Interest is likely to be lower than usual with the tournament schedule overlapping the Feb. 8 start of the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. But holding it in a city not known as a curling hotbed and far from the sports heartland in western Canada, is seen as a chance to grow the game. Kruger, which produces Scotties paper products, has its head office in Montreal, also worked in its favour as well. "This will be a wonderful platform to get (curling message) out here," said tournament director Francine Poisson, who played in three Canadian championships in the late 1980s and early 1990s. "Weve had a lot of French media this week, so its breaking the (notion) of curling being an English sport. "Its very exiting. The visibility of curling has never been as great as it is now. People are watching. Now its time to translate eyeballs into people playing in curling clubs." Next years tournament will return to curling country in Moose Jaw, Sask. Facing the likes of defending champion Rachel Homan of Ottawa, the Ross rink wont be among the favourites after going 3-8 at last years Scotties in Moncton, N.B. "We are hoping for a better result than last yearr," said Ross.dddddddddddd "Last year we had three games that came down to last rock. "We could have had six wins instead of three. We take a lot of what we learned last year and come back a lot stronger this year." It isnt home for Homan, but Ottawa is just a two-hour drive or train ride away and shes also expecting some extra support as she defends her title. "Its nice for us," said Homan. "We drove here and a lot of friends and family will be coming up to support us and share the experience with us. "Obviously, there wont be as many fans here as there would be out west, but its good for our friends and family." Its an unusual Scotties in many ways, so perhaps there will be surprises on the ice. For one, Jennifer Jones rink from Winnipeg wont be around because shell be in Sochi. Instead, Chelsea Carey will make her Scotties debut for Manitoba. In 1979 in Montreal, British Columbia won the tournament led by Lindsay Sparkes. This time, B.C. will be led this time by 22-year-old skip Kesa Van Osch of Victoria. She wont be the youngest skip on the ice. That honour goes to 20-year-old Sarah Koltun of Whitehorse. The Yukon/Territories skip is the youngest ever to compete at the Scotties and the first player to skip at both the Scotties and Canadian junior championship in the same year. The favourites include Val Sweeting of Alberta, who is in her second Scotties, and Stefanie Lawton of Saskatchewan, who is at her third. The veterans are skip Heather Strong of Newfoundland, who is in her 11th Scotties, and Kim Dolan of P.E.I., who is in her 10th. "The transition is certainly happening," said Dolan. "There a lot of young teams and new faces, which is great to see. "Womens curling is in a great place, so these new young ladies are keen. That only entices other people to play and go after their dreams." The Ontario team is skipped by Allison Flaxey while Nova Scotia has Heather Smith at the helm and Andrea Crawford will carry New Brunswicks colours. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '