m, and I really need to tighten the belt (pun intended) on my eating

As Australia continues to digest another Olympics Games without a mens basketball medal, Boomers guard Kevin Lisch believes the campaign was still a resounding success.With six of Australias 12-man squad boasting NBA experience, including Matthew Dellavedova,?Andrew Bogut and Patty Mills, much was expected?from the Boomers in Rio, despite never previously?winning an Olympic medal of any colour.The bar was raised even higher when a strong performance against Team USA was followed by a dominant victory over Lithuania, but a shock semi-final defeat by Serbia left the nation deflated before pride was regained with their efforts against Spain in the bronze medal game.Lisch insists the experience delivered more boom than gloom for Australia.Obviously wed like to have that game against Serbia again, Lisch told ESPN.They really pushed us physically and we went away from what was working for us.Looking back at our campaign -- out of the eight games or so -- we really only had one bad game, and that was against Serbia.We left it all out there on the court and sure, wed like to have that one again, but they played great and that happens in sport.American-born Lisch became a naturalised Australian only five months before the Rio Games, and he is philosophical about his adopted countrys Olympic campaign.Lisch believes the Boomers were beaten by quality opposition rather than the weight of expectation, and he says the experience will make him and the national team stronger.Obviously the way we lost the Serbia game was hard, and I think the Spain game was really tough because we had our chances, he said.You just have to move on from those things and it was unfortunate not to come home with a medal, but we competed at a very high level against Spain.Its been suggested the level of officiating in the game against Spain wasnt of a similarly high level, but Lisch has already come to terms with one particular controversial and costly late call.Leading by one point with little more than five seconds to play, a blocking foul was ruled against Patty Mills; Sergio Rodriguez stepped up to the free-throw line and Australias 88-87 lead became an 89-88 Spain victory.People talk about the calls at the end but that is the nature of sport, and thats why its a beautiful game, Lisch said.It was tough but they always say one bad call doesnt make a game and I believe that.If you over-analyse the specific situations youd just go crazy so you need to let it go.The Boomers left another Olympic Games without winning a medal, but Lisch says they did win a greater level of respect from in international basketball.The rest of the world saw what we were doing, Lisch told ESPN.We were probably playing some of the best basketball in the world at certain times so I think if we can just be a little more consistent with that then theres no saying how far we can go.But at 30-years-old, it is uncertain how long Lisch has to go.He will start his first year of a three-year deal with the Sydney Kings in the NBL, but is non-committal when asked if the Tokyo Olympics are in his plans.Gee, I dont know. I have no idea where Ill be tomorrow, Lisch said.* The Sydney Kings open their NBL season against the Brisbane Bullets on October 8 at Qudos Bank Arena. Wholesale Air Max Cheap .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. Cheap Air Max Wholesale . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists. http://www.wholesaleairmaxfreeshipping.com/ . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. Cheap Air Max Free Shipping . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. Cheap Air Max Website . Houston won 3-0 to advance to face New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Last in the game, Di Vaio and Romero got into a shoving match with several Houston players. Romero appeared to elbow and kick Houston defender Kofi Sarkodie. AX 3 DOMAINES, France -- Chris Froome used the first tough mountain stage to take command of the Tour de France on Saturday, leaving two-time champion Alberto Contador and other challengers in his wake on a grueling climb in the Pyrenees to seize the leaders yellow jersey with a dominant win on the eighth stage. Froome entered the Tour as the favourite after finishing second last year behind countryman and Sky teammate Bradley Wiggins, who isnt defending his title because of an injury. And after Froomes performance on Saturday, the race looks like its his to lose. "I must be among the happiest men in the world today," Froome said. "Theres a long way to go until Paris. There are two weeks left but we want to keep the yellow jersey." Froome leads Contador by nearly two minutes, with former champions Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans much further back, ahead of another tough mountain stage on Sunday. "More than anything today weve got a bit of a psychological advantage over the others," Froome said. "Its quite hard to think about this, standing in yellow today. This is incredible. Weve worked for months to be in this position." In the overall standings, Froome is 51 seconds ahead of teammate Richie Porte and leads third-place Alejandro Valverde by 1:25. Meanwhile, Contador is 1:51 behind in seventh spot; Schleck is 4:00 back in 21st and Evans is 4:36 adrift in 23rd. Victorias Ryder Hesjedal finished the stage in 39th and is 35th overall. David Veilleux of Cap-Rouge, Que., and Svein Tuft of Langley, B.C., are 138th and 179th, respectively. This is the 100th edition of the Tour -- and the first since Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven straight titles (1999-2005) for doping. Froomes ride on Saturday resembled Armstrong at his best, when the American used to punish his opponents early in the race to take control. Froome was asked after the stage to vouch that he is riding clean. "One hundred per cent," he responed. "Its normal that people ask questions in cycling," he said. "I certainly know the results Im getting, theyre not going to be stripped ... I think the sport (has) changed. If you look at it logically the sport is in a better place now than it has been." The 28-year-old Froome attacked early into the days second big climb up to Ax 3 Domaines and only Porte, who finished the stage 51 seconds behind in second, was anywhere near him. "The team was absolutely pperfect today," Porte said.dddddddddddd "Im absolutely finished but it was an incredible day." Contador grimly held on as long as he could, and was dropped by Froome long after 2010 champion Schleck and the 2011 champion Evans had already been left behind. "I tried to find my rhythm because it was a bit too fast for me," Schleck said. "Its only the first day of the mountains and its not over yet." Froome took the yellow jersey from South African cyclist Daryl Impey, his former training partner, who crawled over the line 7:50 behind in 35th spot. Contador finished the stage 1:45 behind Froome, Schleck trailed by 3:34 and the 36-year-old Evans was 4:13 adrift. "I wasnt expecting that much for today," Froome said. "The time gaps were so big, thats quite something. Were in a really good position." Given that Froome may attack again in Sundays second tortuous Pyrenean climbs -- featuring four straight category 1 ascents -- he could be well on the way to victory by Mondays rest day. "I think were well poised," Froome said. "Were going to have to fight for it but Im confident in the team we have." Saturdays 195-kilometre (121-mile) trek started from Castres and stayed flat for a long time before reaching spiking upwards. The Col de Pailheres came first -- a ferociously tough ascent for about nine miles at a gradient of eight per cent -- and then a shorter but even steeper ride to the finish at the ski resort of Ax 3 Domaines. Colombian rider Nairo Quintana broke away to launch a brutal attack up Pailheres, and only Frenchman Pierre Roland initially followed him, but Porte helped Froome steadily gain ground on them. Schleck, Evans and then Rolland were dropped with about 6 kilometres (4 miles) left to go up to Ax 3 Domaines as Contador desperately tried to stay on Portes wheel. Porte had tired Contador to the point that the Spaniard was even struggling to keep up with teammate Roman Kreuziger, so Froome decided it was time to finish him off. "I am little bit surprised," Froome said. "Maybe he (Contador) didnt have his best day today." Froome climbed with such blistering acceleration it almost looked like he was riding a time trial, blowing past Quintana and then Porte. "It may look easy on TV but it wasnt," Froome said. Still, he had time to ease up in the saddle, raise his arms and soak up victory in the blazing sun. ' ' '