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Putin appeared to lump homo
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LA MOLINA, Spain - Canadas Dominique Maltais capped her snowboard cross season title by winning the final World Cup of the season on Saturday. Kyler Fackrell Super Bowl Jersey . Maltais, from Petite-Riviere-St-François, Que., overtook and held off Lindsey Jacobellis to edge out the American and win the womens final under sunny skies in the Pyrenees mountains. Raffaella Brutto of Italy finished third after Yuka Fujimori of Japan crashed. Maltais, who won the silver medal at the Sochi Olympics, finished the season with 5,400 points. Jacobellis was next with 3,760, followed by Alexandra Jekova of Bulgaria with 2,850. "I knew that the crystal globe was waiting for me already," Maltais said. "But I love what I do, so I really wanted to end the season on a good way. Im very happy about my careers fifth title." Maltais called it a "great race on a great course." "It was tight racing from quarter-finals through finals," she said. "I pushed myself a lot because I wanted to finish the season with a big win." Paul Berg of Germany earned his first career individual win. Berg rode flawlessly to finish ahead of Olympic silver medallist Nikolay Olyunin, with Spaniard Regino Hernandez coming third after he and Calgarys Christopher Robanske slowed each other down early in the descent. On Friday, Omar Visintin of Italy claimed the mens season title when Australian Jarryd Hughes, the only rider with a chance to overtake Visintin in the standings, failed to qualify. Visintin didnt advance beyond Saturdays quarter-finals. Olympic champion Pierre Vaultier of France fell early in the round of 16. Berg and Robanske both moved ahead of Hughes in the standings. Bergs win lifted him into second place to end the season with 2,150 points, behind Visintins 3,076. Robanske ended the campaign in third with 2,120. "Im speechless," Berg said. "Yesterday, I was happy about my good result in the qualifications. Today, I just wanted to go for it and challenge the big names. I never thought about winning a World Cup this season. Its still such a surprise." Oren Burks Super Bowl Jersey . The Nevada Athletic Commission voted unanimously in Las Vegas to quit granting therapeutic use exemptions for fighters undergoing the so-called TRT. Bryan Bulaga Super Bowl Jersey . This is an exercise I have undertaken a few times, starting in 2009, and hope that Ive refined my approach a little bit in that time to help paint a better picture. SOCHI, Russia -- Russian President Vladimir Putin sought Friday to reassure gay visitors to the Sochi Games that they are welcome in Russia despite a law banning gay "propaganda" to minors. Responding to a question from an Olympics volunteer during a visit in the Black Sea resort city, Putin vowed that gays face no discrimination in Russia and could feel "at ease." But he emphasized that because of the new Russian law, they cannot express their views on gay rights issues to anyone under age. Putin appeared to lump homosexuality and pedophilia together. "We have no ban on nontraditional sexual relations. We have a ban on propaganda of homosexuality and pedophilia, I want to underline that, on propaganda among minors," he said. Putin and other politicians have defended the June propaganda llaw as a protection of child rights, but critics believe that the law discriminates against sexual minorities. Corey Linsley Super Bowl Jersey. The law specifically refers only to "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations." "We arent banning anything, we arent rounding up anyone, we have no criminal punishment for such relations unlike many other countries," he said. "One can feel relaxed and at ease, but please leave the children in peace." In the wake of the international outcry against the bill, Russian authorities have put limits on the right to protest during the Sochi games, which run Feb. 7-23. A presidential decree initially banned all rallies in Sochi from Jan. 7 to March 21, but Putin later rescinded the ban to allow demonstrations at venues determined by the Interior Ministry. ' ' '