gested. Some elite male athletes had testosterone levels in the female range. Because of this, the court awarded a temporary victory to Chand. It ordered the rules to be shelved until the IAA

MINNEAPOLIS -- Like a lot of NFL veterans on teams that travel out of town to start summer practices, Adrian Petersons enthusiasm for the approaching season has often been temporarily dampened by the drive to training camp.Arrival at the familiar site of dorm room life, two-a-day workouts and overall drudgery, however brief, can prompt unpleasant feelings.This time, vibes around the Minnesota Vikings might be good enough to make even a player with 10 years of experience embrace the trip.Im excited as far as what we have and the vision that we have for this season, Peterson said. So that makes things better. Itll make it a lot better going into camp this year.The Vikings will report to Minnesota State University on July 28, bringing expectations of postseason success as high as theyve been since 2010. That became an ugly year for the Vikings. The picture for 2016 has a pretty frame, and now its time to fill in the illustration.Peterson sounded as resolute as ever when he declared recently the Vikings should be seriously considered as a Super Bowl contender. Theyre coming off an NFC North title, their first since 2009.We have the pieces and what it takes to accomplish that. So theres nothing wrong with saying it, Peterson said last month. If any other guy on this team doesnt feel that way, then we need to be trading him and bringing somebody in that feels that way as well.The timing is right for Peterson, who rushed for a league-high 1,485 yards and 11 touchdowns last season and turned 31 in March. His contract will carry an $18 million salary cap hit in 2017, so his future with the Vikings beyond this upcoming season is unclear.I dont see an end in my future anywhere soon, but of course I know Im coming around the last lap. And Im itching to get a couple before Im done playing this game, said Peterson, referring to a championship that the franchise has unsuccessfully chased since its inception in 1961.Here are some key angles to follow around the Vikings this season:BRIDGING THE GAP: Teddy Bridgewater finished in the bottom third of the NFL in most quarterback categories in 2015, and his accuracy on deep throws was perhaps the most problematic. He connected on just 11 of 42 passes that traveled 21-plus yards in the air, according to STATS research.For Bridgewater to take a meaningful step forward in year three, and for the Vikings offense to improve upon its 29th-place ranking in total yards last season, hell have to hit more long targets. Drafting Laquon Treadwell in the first round ought to be a boon for Bridgewater.He wins games, and to me thats the most important thing, coach Mike Zimmer said. Theres a lot more to playing quarterback than just throwing the ball through the wall.ON THE LINE: The biggest weakness over Bridgewaters first two years, the offensive line has been significantly upgraded. Its now the most expensive in the league. Alex Boone left San Francisco for a lucrative deal to be the left guard. Andre Smith, who left Cincinnati, is the front-runner at right tackle. Hell compete with Phil Loadholt, who like center John Sullivan has returned from an injury that sidelined him for the 2015 season.WILL WALSH BOUNCE BACK?: For all of the highlights from last season, the most memorable moment was the improbable miss by Blair Walsh of a 27-yard field goal that wouldve given the Vikings a victory over Seattle in a frigid first-round game in the playoffs. Walsh followed an off year in 2014 with a solid regular season in 2015. But a strong start to 2016 would go a long way toward ensuring hes not negatively affected by that heartbreaking shank.THE TIME IS NOW: The teams backbone lies in recent first-round draft picks such as Bridgewater, linebacker Anthony Barr, cornerback Xavier Rhodes and safety Harrison Smith. The soul rests in the veterans such as Peterson, linebacker Chad Greenway, defensive end Brian Robison and cornerback Terence Newman whose Super Bowl pursuit is still hot. Greenway and Newman signed one-year contracts, deferring retirement to remain with a team thats in prime position to make a run.BANK ON IT: The ship-shaped, glass-fronted $1.1 billion U.S. Bank Stadium will soon be unveiled, with the Vikings set for their first performance on Aug. 28 for an exhibition game against San Diego and the regular-season home opener on Sept. 18 against rival Green Bay.---Online:AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFLUnder Armour Clearance Nz . Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi scored, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic setting up both despite having a poor game by his high standards. Forward Eduardo gave Ajaccio the lead in the sixth minute after being set up by right winger Benjamin Andre, and the Corsican side looked comfortable in the first half, with the lively Johan Cavalli causing problems with his probing runs from midfield. Under Armour Outlet Nz . Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said. http://www.underarmoursalenz.com/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Under Armour Sale Nz . Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said. Under Armour Nz Sale .Y. -- Bills receiver Stevie Johnson has a bone to pick with the NFL schedule maker.STELLENBOSCH, South Africa -- In the wake of the Caster Semenya sex-test scandal at the 2009 world championships, track and fields international governing body introduced contentious rules making women with a condition that caused them to produce high levels of natural testosterone ineligible to compete until they artificially lowered those levels.The IAAFs hyperandrogenism regulations, imposed in 2011 and applied to Semenya and others, were criticized as unethical, discriminatory and against the Olympic charter, and without scientific backing. Last year, they were challenged at sports highest court by an Indian sprinter and shelved until at least July 2017.Here are the regulations explained and what the hyperandrogenism debate means for track and field.---WHAT IS HYPERANDROGENISM?Hyperandrogenism is a medical condition which causes a person to produce high levels of hormones. There are various forms, but the one the IAAF regulated was hyperandrogenism in intersex women that led to them having testosterone levels that were much higher than the average for females. Men and women produce testosterone, but men generally produce much more.---HOW DID THE HYPERANDROGENISM REGULATIONS WORK?Under the rules, the IAAF would initiate a three-stage medical examination process if it suspected a female athlete had hyperandrogenism. Often a sudden and dramatic improvement in performance led to the suspicion. The IAAF believes testosterone is the most significant factor influencing athletic performance, and so feels hyperandrogenic women have an unfair athletic advantage over other female athletes and their testosterone should be lowered.---THE CLOAKED HISTORY OF SEX TESTING IN ATHLETICS: THEY JUST WANTED TO KEEP IT TO THEMSELVESTrack and field has had sex testing for decades. Initially it was a basic physical examination and later a chromosome test. But the case of Spanish hurdler Maria Martinez-Patino, who was unfairly thrown off the Olympic team after a chromosome test in the mid-1980s, led the IAAF to instead consider testosterone levels when deciding who was eligible to compete as a woman. However, the IAAF did not formally inntroduce the testosterone rules until 2011, and only after Semenya came along.dddddddddddd Before then, it preferred to manage the issue of intersex athletes and hyperandrogenism quietly and on a case-by-case basis, said Joanna Harper, an expert on gender in sports and a consultant to the IAAF.I think they just wanted to keep it to themselves, Harper said. Clearly they did not anticipate the uproar that would happen over a case like Semenyas. It was clearly a mistake on their part. But it did work for 15 years or so. Mostly because there wasnt any fuss made about it.---TEMPORARY VICTORY FOR HYPERANDROGENIC WOMENLast year, Indian sprinter Dutee Chand took the IAAF to the Court of Arbitration for Sport claiming that she was being discriminated against because of her high testosterone levels. Experts for Chand also showed that the dividing line between men and women when it came to testosterone wasnt as clear as the IAAF suggested. Some elite male athletes had testosterone levels in the female range. Because of this, the court awarded a temporary victory to Chand. It ordered the rules to be shelved until the IAAF could provide evidence to show there was a clear difference between male and female testosterone levels, and how big an advantage the extra testosterone gave hyperandrogenic women.---WHAT NOW FOR THE RIO OLYMPICS?Freed from the testosterone regulations, Semenya could break the 33-year-old world record in the 800 meters at the Olympics in Rio, South African sports scientist Ross Tucker said. Tucker said the boost Semenya gets could also enable her to dominate in the 400 meters, an event she hasnt tried out at the most elite level. Yet after the Olympics, the IAAF might be able to present the evidence to CAS in support of its hyperandrogenic regulations, and Semenya may have to return to suppressing her testosterone levels. Harper, the gender in sports expert, estimates between 5-10 intersex women will compete in track and field at the Olympics amid the suspension of the regulations. ' ' '