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RIO DE JANEIRO -- With the Rio Paralympics set to begin Wednesday, organizers say ticket sales have jumped from around 200,000 to 1.6 million, and a spirit of optimism now pervades the cash-strapped event.Its helped by the fact that the Brazilian team did so well in the final weekend of the Olympics, Craig Spence, a spokesman for the International Paralympic Committee, said. It gave the Cariocas a flavor of what they can expect here in Rio with the Brazilian team chasing a top five finish in the medals table.Spence and Mario Andrada, the spokesman for the local organizing committee, were joined by three track and field stars -- Tatyana McFadden of the United States, Irelands Jason Smyth and Marlou van Rhijn of the Netherlands -- and gave an upbeat assessment of a games that faced severe budget shortfalls and concerns about accessibility for the disabled athletes.The IPC and Rio 2016 committee organizers tried to assure the world that preparations are going smoothly, though neither promised the best Paralympics ever, four years after a games in London that were considered a turning point in sports for people with disabilities.Its impossible in the modern era to have a glitch-free games -- you havent seen any in history, Andrada said. As far as Rio 2016 is concerned, we hope to learn from the IPC as much as we learn from the IOC. We hope we can react to our glitches and, eventually, our mistakes as fast as we did during the Olympic Games.McFadden plans to try and win an unprecedented seven gold medals in wheelchair racing, from the 100 meters to the marathon, in her fourth summer Paralympic Games.She credited the (hash)FillTheSeats campaign, a drive to buy and donate tickets to young people, for some of the momentum in Rio. The effort has received donations from McFadden herself, as well as Coldplay and Prince Harry.Spence said that, overall, organizers are now selling around 40,000 tickets per day and expect to overtake Beijings sale of 1.7 million tickets total, making Rio the second best-attended Paralympics behind London 2012.After over a month delay, travel grants were finally being paid Tuesday for all of the countries, easing a worry that some nations couldnt afford to send athletes to Rio. After the news conference, Spence said there were now athletes from 159 countries on the ground in Brazil, plus two independent refugee athletes.Eighty-four Russian athletes lost their bid to compete as individuals on Tuesday in a German court ruling, a legal bid that followed the IPCs ban on the entire Russian team for systematic doping.We are confident that the decision we have made is the correct decision, Spence said. Its our job as the IPC to ensure fair competition and a level playing field for all athletes. We believe that with the current circumstances we cannot achieve that if there is Russian participation here at the Paralympic Games.The organizers and athletes also hope these games leave behind a legacy of accessibility. In 2015, as a precursor to the games, then-Brazilian President Dilma Rouseff signed into law the Inclusion of People with Disabilities Act, which provides funding nationwide for the elimination of accessibility barriers.What the games need to be is a catalyst for that change to continue afterwards, Spence said.He then offered a list of examples such as the new airport terminal and training facility for disabled athletes in Sao Paulo.There is a lot of accessibility being improved around the city, he said.---Kendra Hansey is a journalism student at the University of Georgia. Penn State and Georgia are partnering with The Associated Press to supplement coverage of the 2016 Paralympics.Cheap Mariners Jerseys . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. Seattle Mariners Store . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. https://www.cheapmariners.com/ . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. Wholesale Mariners Jerseys . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. Fake Mariners Jerseys . Miller reached right to deflect Mikhail Grabovskis attempt with just over 2 minutes remaining in regulation, and then made two more saves in the shootout Sunday to give the Sabres a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals.NEW YORK -- It started off so well for Venus Williams on Monday at the US Open. But then she became engaged in a back-and-forth, down-to-the-wire clash with Karolina Pliskova. Ultimately, the Czech won and reached the quarterfinals.There was no such drama in sister Serenas?fourth-round encounter, however. Heres how the chain of events unfolded on Day 8:As much as well remember this match as one that Venus lost, credit belongs to Pliskova, the tours top ace-maker by a large margin. Pliskova is just a few weeks removed from her first Tier 1 win, in Cincinnati, and now shes on to her first career quarterfinal at any major. Read moreAnd while were not going to eulogize Venus career, we need to recognize what shes doing is largely unprecedented. If she had won, she would have become the oldest player, at 36, to reach a US Open quarterfinal in the Open era.She may not have a lot of years left to play, but Venus Williams deserves to be appreciated in her own right, no matter her family ties.- Jane McManus (@janesports) September 5, 2016Moments after Venus lost, a melancholy Serena walked onto the court, but if her sisters result were a factor then, it certainly was not during the match. Serena beat?Yaroslava Shvedova behind blistering serves and near-perfect play -- and in the process broke yet another record. Move over, Rogeer?Might be wise for Dominic Thiem to take a good, hard look at the Williams sisters career trajectory.ddddddddddddTheyve been playing, and winning, on tour for nearly two decades. Thiem, just 23, is already showing signs of burnout. Against Juan Martin del Potro, a highly anticipated showdown on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday, Thiem retired in the second set, citing an injured knee. Too much tennis taking its toll?For del Potro, he becomes the lowest-ranked player at No. 142 to make a US Open quarterfinal since Jimmy Connors famous run 25 years ago in 1991. Still, as exciting and deserving as it was to del Potro, who missed more than two years worth of time with wrist injuries, he could sympathize with Thiem.Its not nice to win this way. Get well soon @ThiemDomi!! pic.twitter.com/QyDKFSFOFA- Juan M. del Potro (@delpotrojuan) September 5, 2016In a very workmanlike effort, Stan Wawrinka also marches into the elite eight. And he did it behind an inordinate amount of winners. ?Look! We have a GOAT sighting. From afar anyway.??Just because @rogerfederer isnt at the #USOpen, that doesnt mean the five-time champion isnt watching...https://t.co/peF1T053t3- ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) September 5, 2016 ' ' '