Chris Clarke, a 26-year-old British sprinter, failed to qualify for his countrys national team and didnt get to go to the 2016 Olympics. But his Rio dreams were far from over.Clarke said he couldnt wallow in self-pity for long. So he teamed up with Libby Clegg, a visually impaired sprinter and the 2008 and 2012 Paralympic silver medalist in the 100-meter T12 division (the divisions are based on the runners level of visual impairment) and switched his focus to becoming her guide runner.Visually impaired sprinters race with a guide, who is attached to them with a band at the wrist or hand. The guides role is to provide everything a runner with vision has, from informing the runner how far they are on the track, to where they are in comparison to other racers or what they must do to win. Needless to say, the guides role is a crucial one.Clegg and Clarke both train at Loughborough High Performance Athletic Center in the U.K. and have known each other for six years. But it wasnt until February that Clegg asked Clarke whether he would be interested in becoming her new guide. She had recently parted ways with guide Mikhail Huggins and had lost funding from the British government after a series of injuries, so it was a time of transition for Clegg. She needed someone she could trust completely to be her eyes on the track.It turned out to one of the best decisions either of them had ever made. The lightning-quick duo won gold in the 100-meter and 200-meter races in the T11 category this month in the Paralympic Games.But their journey wasnt as easy as the end results might indicate.Guide runners are connected to their Paralympian by a band at their hands, and they essentially must become mirror images of each other. That meant Clarke had to undergo a number of adjustments. From the positioning of his legs off the blocks to losing the freedom of one hand to the length of his stride, everything felt foreign to the seasoned sprinter.?Ive been conditioned all these years to run out of the blocks a certain way and how to run a certain way, Clarke said by phone from his home in England. Getting the timing of it was tough, too, because I cant just burst out of the blocks like I normally do. It just took time to learn how to be respondent to how she comes out of the blocks and how quick she is. And it was tough with my stride; at first it felt like I was barely lifting my knees up.Clarke also initially struggled guiding Clegg through the bend in the 200 meter. Im slightly twisted, her hand goes toward the inside of the track, so that takes my hand back and Im always twisting, he said.It took almost two months of training together for it to feel natural to Clarke, who was a bronze medalist in the 4x400m relay at the 2010 Indoor World Championships. Still, Clarke said their first race together, at an open meet at Loughborough, was awful. Clocking in at 13.05 in the 100 meters, the pair knew they had a lot of work to do to reach the podium in Rio.In addition to his own training, Clarke began working with Clegg two to three times a week. And after he failed to qualify for the Olympics, they started training every day.It helped me get over it, he said.?I just went right back to training with Libby, and it gave me something to focus on. It kept me happy. I just wanted to help her with her goals.The pairing started to feel increasingly comfortable, and Clarke improved his in-race communication with Clegg -- a foreign concept for an able-bodied sprinter, but necessary for athletes without vision to know where they are and what they need to do.Soon after, Clegg was reclassified to T11 from T12 because of her deteriorating vision. The change required her to wear a blindfold to prevent her from using her little remaining sight. It was a big adjustment, one she called terrifying. Even so, in their first race in the T11 division, at the IPC Grand Prix in July, the pair not only won the 200 meters but broke a world record with a time of 24.44 seconds. Clegg was then named to her third British Paralympic team, and the pair began preparing for Rio.While everything seemed to be going their way, their time in Brazil was anything but smooth initially. In the semifinal run of the 100 meters, they appeared to set a world-record time of 11.91 seconds. But they were later disqualified after a fellow runner alleged Clarke had illegally pulled Clegg during the race. They immediately appealed but were forced to wait out their fate for several hours.?I felt horrible, Clarke said. Libby was just like, Dont worry about it. Whatever happens, happens. She was really nice about it, but I was a total wreck for that hour or two.Ultimately, the decision was reversed and they were reinstated. With something to prove, Clegg and Clarke won the final later that same day and took home their first gold medal.Just days later, they would go on to win the gold in the 200 meters -- again, not without controversy. This time, however, they werent involved. Crowd favorite Terezinha Guilhermina of Brazil and her guide Rafael Lazarini were disqualified for a false start.Although Clarke has competed at world championships, European championships and several other elite races, he calls his Paralympic experience the coolest thing hes ever done. And most importantly, he values the chance to help a friend achieve her dreams. It felt so good, he said.Ive known Libby for a long time, and Ive known the last year hasnt been that great for her. It was just rewarding to see hard work pay off. It was an amazing feeling to be a part of that and to help her achieve what she wanted to achieve.After returning to London to a heros welcome at Heathrow Airport, where hundreds of people were waiting to greet them on Sept. 20, Clarke is now just trying to catch up on sleep. The pair has briefly discussed attempting to do it all again for the 2020 Games in Tokyo, where Clarke hopes to compete in the Olympics, as well, but nothing is certain. They plan to compete together in next summers world championships in London.That would be an awesome chance for Libby to compete here at home, he said. Ill try to go on this journey as long as shell have me. And hopefully she wont upgrade me in a year or two!China Shoes Free Shipping .com) - The Chicago Blackhawks aim for their third three-game winning streak of the season when they host the struggling Edmonton Oilers in Sundays battle at the United Center. 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Using his superior athleticism, St-Pierre cruised to a five round, unanimous decision victory setting up a much-anticipated title defence against number one contender Johny Hendricks.EUGENE, Ore. -- Oregon wide receiver Devon Allen advanced to the final of the 110-meter hurdles Saturday at the U.S. Track and Field Trials.World record holder Aries Merritt, the gold medalist in the London Olympics, as well as silver medalist Jason Richardson, also advanced in the semifinals earlier Saturday.Allen, a crowd favorite at Oregons Hayward Field, said hed try and relax in the 90 minutes between races. The top three finishers in the talent-laden final make the Olympic team for Rio.ddddddddddddAllen is coming off his second NCAA title in the event. He made a splash in the event at the NCAA championships two years ago as a freshman, running in 13.16 seconds set a meet record and best Merritts mark of 13.21 set in 2006 for Tennessee. ' ' '