RIO DE JANEIRO -- Russia won a hard-fought contest against France to take Olympic womens handball gold Saturday, drawing motivation from a speech by coach Evgeny Trefilov that emphasized the teams underdog status.Neither of the finalists had been among the pre-tournament favorites -- the French had never won an Olympic medal and Russia was emerging from a prolonged rebuilding effort. That all changed when Russia toppled two-time defending gold medalist Norway and France upset the Netherlands in the semifinals.We knew we didnt have the right to lose. We got fired up, prepared very seriously, Russias Ekaterina Ilina said. (Trefilov) told us the French were happy to be playing us (instead of Norway), and that got us really angry.The team took the message to heart, grinding out a 22-19 victory at Future Arena that was the lowest-scoring final in Olympic womens history.Russia held a small lead for much of the game, and would have scored more if not for some spectacular saves by the French goalkeepers. Russias Anna Vyakhireva was the top scorer with five goals. France had several key players struggling with injuries.Trefilov led Russia to four world championship titles between 2001 and 2009, but Olympic gold eluded his team, with only a second-place finish in 2008. The team declined sharply after he left, but Trefilov returned in 2013 to turn things around. That meant a fifth-place world championship finish last year, but Olympic gold never seemed in the cards.Movement was the key for Russias miniature team against physically stronger France, he said. If youre small, you need to run away.Trefilov has drawn attention for his colorful outbursts during the Olympics.After one tight win in the group stage, Trefilov said he had wanted to hang everyone in the Russian dressing room at halftime. He was more relaxed following Saturdays win, but it didnt take long for him to return to his usual eccentric style, with praise for Brazilian food and a tirade against foreign coaches in Russian soccer.They wont fight for Russia, he said. In Russia we need a Russian coach.For France, the final was an unexpected success, and center-back Tamara Horacek said she hoped it would plant a seed of future growth.It was an exceptional game. We are happy. Of course we wanted the gold medal, she said. This arena is called the Future Arena, and regarding our future, I think nothing can stop us now.Earlier, Norway recovered from its semifinal loss to win the bronze medal, cruising to a 36-26 win over the Netherlands in a repeat of last years world championship final. Tournament top scorer Nora Mork had seven goals to take her total in Rio to 62.France plays Denmark in the mens final Sunday, after a bronze medal game between Germany and Poland.Patrick Peterson Youth Jersey . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season. Adrian Wilson Womens Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. http://www.nflcardinalsrookiestore.com/Cardinals-Kurt-Warner-Jersey/ . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. David Johnson Cardinals Jersey . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. Haason Reddick Womens Jersey . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed.NEW YORK -- The condition of Serena Williams tender right shoulder has been the subject of serious speculation early and often at this 2016 edition of the US Open.In her first-round match, she sacrificed a little serving power for pinpoint placement, raising even more questions.The emphatic answers were provided Thursday night on Arthur Ashe Stadium, when the No. 1 seed faced fellow American Vania King. Three of Serenas first four points came on aces -- at 102 mph, 114 mph and, finally, 115 mph -- all out wide.It was a harbinger of disaster for King, who went fairly quietly, 6-3, 6-3. Serena, however, did not seem happy with the level of her play.Well, every match, at least for me, I like to do the best I can, she said in her on-court interview. So, hopefully, Ill be able to play better as time goes on.Some takeaways from the match that vaulted Serena into a third-round match against Johanna Larsson:No one brings the star power like Serena: Unlike, say, actress Bridget Moynahan and chef Marcus Samuelson, Beyonce and husband Jay Z werent in the prematch celebrity list for the evening session. But the powerfully musical couple, who spend a fair amount of time in New York, were sitting right there in the back of Serenas box. Serena appeared in Beyonces Lemonade video, and apparently, this was payback. Serenas 22 Grand Slam singles titles are one more than Jay Zs 21 top-10 songs. Beyonce trails the field with only 16.Its a bad matchup for King: They had only met once previously, right here at the US Open two years ago. With a huge advantage in the category of firepower, Serena dropped only a single game that time -- winning in 56 minutes. This time, the No. 87-ranked player lasted nine more minutes. Serena hit 13 aces, and one serve was clocked at 121 mpph on Thursday.dddddddddddd She hit 38 winners (on a total of 65 points). King, in her 37th Grand Slam appearance, had only four winners. She has yet to advance beyond the third round.Serena looks dialed in -- and its early: If youre going to catch her, its advisable to do it sometime in the first week. But what looked like a horrible draw -- the unseeded but dangerous Ekaterina Makarova in the first round -- was a blessing. Serena came out and slammed the Russian 6-3, 6-3 in 63 minutes. More importantly, Serena was thoroughly composed, almost meticulous in her play and comportment. The shoulder? So far, Serena said, so good.The pressure will become greater, later: A year ago, on the cusp of a calendar-year Grand Slam, Serena succumbed to nerves. She said shes more relaxed this year, and its probably true. Still, as she gets closer to the title here, the more history will come into play. A victory, as tennis fans know by now, would give her 23 major singles, one more than the Open era record of 22 that she shares with Steffi Graf. Not as well-known is the fact she can surpass Chris Everts six US Open titles and take the Open era record of seven here for herself.Oh, and did we mention the No. 1 thing? Serena is already the oldest player to ever hold the No. 1 ranking. With a win here, she can hold on to it for a little longer than her current 183 consecutive weeks. If No. 2 seed Angelique Kerber reaches the quarterfinals, a distinct possibility, Williams would need to get to the final to have a chance to retain the top spot. If Kerber and Serena meet in the final, the winner would walk away with No. 1. Wouldnt that be fun? ' ' '