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Olympic organisers in Rio have assured the IOC that construction of the velodrome will be completed by the end of June and be ready in time for the Games in August. While most Rio venues are ready, the £30m indoor cycling track has faced serious construction delays, with a test event scheduled for the end of April cancelled because it was not ready. UCI President Brian Cookson said last week he remains very, very concerned about the venue and the city announced on Monday it was changing contractors to take over the project. UCI President Brian Cookson has expressed his concern that there will be no time for a test event at the Rio Velodrome The issue was discussed on Thursday during Rios final presentation to the IOC executive board before the Games, which begin on August 5.Organisers have also told the IOC that the risk of Zika infection will be dramatically reduced during the Games, with cases of the mosquito-born virus reportedly dropping significantly from June to September.A group of 150 public health experts last week called for the Games to be postponed or moved because of Zika, which has been linked to severe birth defects, but the World Health Organization said there was no public health justification for such a move.Elsewhere, Kuwaits chances of competing at the Games have been dealt a severe blow after the IOC said a ban imposed last year was unlikely to be lifted in time.However, the countrys athletes could still compete at the Games as independent athletes under the Olympic flag, according to IOC spokesman Mark Adams. Municipal agents spray anti Zika mosquitos in Rio Kuwait and the IOC have been at odds over a new law that the Olympic body says will undermine the autonomy of sport in the country and the ban, which was imposed in October, means the countrys Olympic Committee and consequently its athletes are not eligible for any funding from the IOC for the duration of the suspension and cannot take part in any IOC-linked event.The situation with Kuwait is not improving, said Adams on Thursday. Since the last IOC executive board there has been no positive development due to the attitude of the government.It is unlikely to be resolved by the time of the Games in Rio. We believe Kuwait will remain suspended, he said.Meanwhile, a Turkish boxer and a Russian cyclist have been provisionally suspended after doping samples from the 2012 London Olympics came back positive in retesting.Boxer Adem Kilicci, who lost in the quarter-finals of the middleweight division, and track cyclist Yekaterina Gnidenko both tested positive for steroids. Also See: Jamaican fails 2008 test Amnesty issues Rio warning McIlroy: My mind is at ease IOC target non-compliant nations Rockies Jerseys China . HABS HEADED TO CONFERENCE FINAL The Montreal Canadiens scored early in Game Seven, built a lead and protected it well on their way to a 3-1 series-clinching win over the Boston Bruins. While this game or series isnt necessarily a referendum on the value of fourth lines, the Canadiens certainly benefitted from production lower down their forward depth chart. Mike Hampton Jersey .Y. - Peyton Manning made his fifth MVP award a family affair. https://www.cheaprockiesjerseys.us/814t-...ey-rockies.html. -- League scoring leader Anthony Mantha had two goals and two assists to lead the Val-dOr Foreurs over the Blainville-Boisbriand Phoenix 6-3 on Wednesay in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play on Wednesday. John Vander Wal Jersey . Viewers in the Canadiens region can watch the game on TSN Canadiens at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The game can also be heard on TSN Radio Montreal 690. The Calgary Flames will see if they can take their recent hot streak on the road when they shoot for a sixth consecutive win Monday night in Montreal. Mark Thompson Jersey . Hughes, 30, is a former Major Leaguer with the Baltimore Orioles, having played in 14 games with the Os in 2010. He played with Class AA Binghamton of the Eastern League in the New York Mets system last season. MONTREAL -- The Edmonton Eskimos built a big enough lead early in the game that it didnt matter what the Montreal Alouettes did in the second half. After taking a 22-point lead over the Als into the dressing room at halftime at Percival Molson Stadium on Friday night, Edmonton staved off Montreals second-half comeback to hold on for the 33-23 victory. The loss extended the last-place Alouettes losing streak to four games. "We played the first half really well," said Eskimos coach Chris Jones, who spent six years as a defensive coach for the Als, from 2002 to 2007. "If you can mirror the first and second half, that would be great. Unfortunately. We came out flat in the second half and let a good football team hang around. It was closer than what it should have been." With Edmonton leading the Alouettes 30-8 at the half, Montreal was seemingly en route to a third consecutive blowout loss - the Als lost back-to-back games by a combined score of 72-10 coming into Friday. But the Eskimos only scored three second-half points, giving a desperate Montreal side a glint of hope in the process. Down by three scores, Montreal (1-5) put their best drive together at the start of the third quarter. The Als made five consecutive first downs - as many as they converted in the first half - for a 53-yard drive that lasted more than six minutes. But they couldnt find the end zone, and were forced to settle for the field goal. After cutting Edmontons lead to 16, Montreal was given a small lifeline early in the fourth quarter when Eskimos kick returner Jamal Miles dropped the ball after a punt. The fumble was recovered by Montreal at Edmontons 30. After yet another two-and-out, the Als kicked a field goal to make the score 30-17. With their team at the bottom of the standings with the worst record in the Canadian Football League, Alouettes fans let the team know they were unhappy with the decision to go for the three points instead of the touchdown. "That was an excellent call," said Als coach Tom Higgins, defending his teams choice. "Anybody who thinks differently, thats okay, thats their opinion. It was third-and-ten. Two two-point converts? Thats probably not going to happen. It doesnt play to your favour. The decision, in my mind, is absolutely correct." It was all too little, too late for the Alouettes, who finally found the end zone in the games final minute - the teams first touchdown in 12 quarters. Brandon Whitaker scored his second TD of the year at 14:31 of the fourth quarter after completing a 43-yard pass-and-run. "We didnt give up," said Higgins of the second-half attempted comeback. "We didnt beat ourselves, we didnt take foolish penalties, we caught the ball a little bit better, and we were able to get some first downs. We came out and played a lot better, disciplined football, the way it needs to be played." Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly threw for two touchdowns and 208 yards, with 171 of those coming in the first half. Edmontons offense was stagnant iin the second, punting the ball away five times to Montreals two.dddddddddddd The Eskimos held onto the ball for just 12 minutes in the second half. "For whatever reason, we couldnt get anything going offensively in the second half," said Reilly, who threw his only interception of the game after the restart. "We left our defence out on the field way too long. Luckily we did enough to get the win, we built up a good lead in the first half." Now in first place in the West Division, Edmonton (5-1) got off to the quick start it was looking for, as the visiting team opened the score just 2:28 into the game. On a drive that started at their own 51-yard line, the Eskimos moved down the field quickly. After a 20-yard run by Kendial Lawrence, Reilly found his running back all alone on the edge of the end zone for the 35-yard touchdown. After an Edmonton field goal and a couple of singles by Montreals Sean Whyte to make the score 10-2 for the Eskimos, the Als capped off back-to-back drives with field goals of their own to bring it to within two. John White restored Edmontons comfortable lead with a 58-yard run at 4:52 of the second quarter to make it 17-8 - by far the longest run of the game. The TD was Whites second of the season. The Eskimos kept rolling in the second quarter, adding another 10 points before the half. Reilly finished off a 93-yard drive when he connected with Adarius Bowmans diagonal run for the 25-yard score at 12:23. Bowman leads the league with 433 receiving yards. Despite the poor first-half showing by Montreals offence, Higgins decided to keep quarterback Troy Smith in the game. Smith was pulled in the second half of Montreals previous two losses. On Friday, Smith went 8-for-18 and threw for 102 yards in the first half, including a 52-yarder to Duron Carter. Smith, who has started all six games for Montreal this season, ended the match 20-for-45 with 231 yards. With another poor performance, Smiths job could be at risk. "We need to win games, and if its somebody else that can help us out, then thats the way to go," said Smith. "Ive prepared for the worse, and hope for the best. The whole time Im here, Ill continue to do that. There are multiple guys on your team for a reason." The end of the game was marred when linebacker Eric Samuels was taken off the field on a stretcher after taking a hit to the head. Samuels laid motionless on the field for several minutes before showing any signs of consciousness. Notes: The West has now won 14 of 16 inter-divisional matches this season. à Als slotback S.J. Green (ribs) was not in the lineup. à Montreal has yet to win a game this season when trailing after the first quarter (0-4). à The attendance at Percival Molson Stadium was 20,054. à The Alouettes go on the road for the next two games, with games against the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers over the next two weeks. à The Eskimos welcome the Ottawa Redblacks to Commonwealth Stadium next Friday. ' ' '