RIO DE JANEIRO -- British cyclist Lizzie Armitstead insisted in a two-page statement Wednesday that she is a clean athlete and that three missed anti-doping tests in a 12-month period amounted to honest oversights.She released the statement one day after U.K. Anti-Doping confirmed the world road race champion had successfully appealed her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Armitstead faced a provisional suspension and two-year ban that could have kept her out of the Rio Olympics.The reigning silver medalist will lead Britains squad in Sundays road race.I love the sport and the values it represents. It hurts me to consider anybody questioning my performances, Armitstead wrote. I hate dopers and what they have done to sport.The 27-year-old Armitstead outlined the circumstances for each missed test, though she only argued the first miss before a World Cup race in Sweden last August should be thrown out. Armitstead said anti-doping officials had not followed proper procedure and CAS ultimately agreed.Armitstead explained that she was at the hotel she stated when anti-doping officials arrived, but that her phone was on silent and hotel staff refused to give the tester her rm number.She was tested the following day and the test was negative.Armitstead said she contested the missed test with a written explanation after learning of it, but that the letter was not accepted before she traveled to the U.S. for last years world championships.Put simply, Armitstead said, I was available and willing to provide a sample for UKAD.Armitstead acknowledged fault in the other two missed tests. She called the October 2015 case a filing failure after anti-doping officials found an inconsistency in her overnight accommodations and her time slot during a routine spot check, and that her June 2016 missed test came after a last-minute change of plans following an unspecified family emergency.Last December, Armitstead met with UKAD and British Cycling officials to develop a support plan to avoid another missed test. But a British Cycling official who was supposed to help Armitstead update her whereabouts plan had departed the organization without her knowing about it.If that failsafe was in place, Armitstead said, her third missed test could have been avoided.The World Anti-Doping Agency has tried to make it easier for athletes to update their whereabouts in recent years. Along with updating their time slots and whereabouts on a website, by email and text message, they can also have agents or representatives submit information on their behalf.Perhaps the biggest surprise in the case was that Armitstead and British Cycling were able to keep it confidential until its resolution, especially with the Rio Olympics beginning in a matter of days.Armitstead said she the reason it hadnt been discussed publicly was that I had the right to a fair trial at CAS. It is clear sensational headlines have a detrimental effect to any legal case.Now, she hopes to turn her attention fully toward competing in Rio.The road race course is considered one of the toughest in Olympics history, starting with a long, fast stretch away from Copacabana and along Rios coast. The race then heads into the hills with smaller climbs on the Grumari circuit before hard, steep ascents of Canoas and Vista Chinesa.Those back-to-back climbs are likely to be where the road race is won or lost.Armitstead is not a pure climber, but if she can survive the late-race hills, a fast run-in to the finish could give her another opportunity to claim the gold that narrowly eluded her four years ago.Integrity is something I strive for in every part of my life. I will hold my head high in Rio and do my best for Great Britain, Armitstead wrote. I am sorry for causing anyone to lose faith in sport. I am an example of what hard work and dedication can achieve. Wholesale Cheap Jerseys . Supported by three-run homers from Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos, the young right-hander went seven strong innings in the Washington Nationals 8-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. China Jerseys Cheap .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. http://www.cheapjerseysoff.org/ . Jane Virtanen scored two, and Alex Roach and Elliott Peterson rounded out the offence for the Hitmen (40-15-6). Brady Brassart chipped in with three assists. Colton McCarthy scored twice, Brayden Point had a goal and two assists, and Jack Rodewald also scored for the Warriors (15-35-9), who were 2 for 5 on the power play. NFL Jerseys Wholesale . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Ftball Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Cheap NFL Jerseys .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. Victor Hedman followed Steven Stamkos lead and made this one of the best weeks in Tampa Bay Lightning history.Two days after Stamkos decided to return to Tampa Bay, Hedman signed a $63 million, eight-year extension that keeps the No. 1 defenseman around through the 2024-25 season.Like Stamkos did on his $68 million, eight-year deal, Hedman tk less money than he probably could have at a salary-cap hit of $7.875 million in the hopes of keeping the Lightning core together to contend for the Stanley Cup for many more seasons.We want to keep a competitive group and have a competitive team, Hedman said on a conference call Friday. For us moving forward, its going to be important for everyone to buy into that, obviously. For me and Stammer, we want to win together and that was obviously a big goal that we have is to go all the way together with Tampa.The Lightning reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2015 and Eastern Conference final in 2016 thanks in large part to Hedman, the 6-ft-6 Swede with the big shot, puck-moving ability and shutdown prowess. The 25-year-old was in the running for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP when Tampa Bay lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in the final.In 473 games, the 25-year-old has 49 goals and 180 assists. Last season he had 10 goals and 37 assists.But the Hedman and Stamkos contracts are not about what theyve done in seven years together with the Lightning. but rather what they have the potential to do.The possibility of being a Cup contender for almost a decade with Stamkos and Hedman leading the way is why the captain suggested teammates take less than the maximum to win.The guys have to understand that in order to keep us all together, they have to realize the situation with the salary cap, Stamkos said Thursday.That was something that I truly considered in signing the deal that I did with Tampa and realizing the potential we have and knowing that if we did ultimately want to stay together that theres going to be some sacrifices from both sides.Hedman also referenced sacrifice in talking about Tampa Bays long-range plan. Restricted free agent forwards Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn and Vladislav Namestnikov and defenseman Nikita Nesterov all need contracts thiis summer, and those are up next for general manager Steve Yzerman.dddddddddddd.The Lightning tk care of another order of business Friday in signing goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to a $10.5 million, three-year extension. The 21-year-old will count $3.5 million against the cap when his extension kicks in for the 2017-18 season.The contract could mean the end of Ben Bishops time in Tampa Bay at least by the end of next season when the Las Vegas expansion draft occurs.I know I have to make a decision at some point, Yzerman said. If one of these two guys is available theyre going to get claimed.Worrying about what to do with Bishop is a problem for another day. The Lightning feel gd about Vasilevskiy assuming the starting role whenever hes given it, and he could sn be a valuable part of the core.I dont know if theres been a bigger goalie talent Ive seen, Hedman said. Vasy has showed throughout the regular season and in the playoffs when Bish went down how gd of a goalie he is.The Lightning have shown they can win in front of Bishop or Vasilevskiy because of Hedman, defensive partner Anton Stralman, Stamkos and the Triplets -Kucherov, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat.With Stamkos and Hedman set to play at least eight more years together, Yzerman cant help but be happy while also realizing the salary cap limits what he can do.Stammer and Victor, these are the two cornerstones. ... A gd couple of days for the organization, Yzerman said. Between now and the start of 17-18 if were going to sign all the players, were going to have to make some changes. To what extent Im not sure. But were not going to be able to simply sign every single guy and keep the exact same group together. Its not possible.Players know that, but in order to try to bring the Cup back to Hockey Bay, itll be a team effort.Im hopeful that we can ultimately keep as many guys as possible, Stamkos said. I understand that you cant keep everyone, but I do believe that we have a great nucleus in Tampa that is built to win for years.---Follow Stephen Whyno on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SWhyno . ' ' '