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PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) — The day's Olympic schedule includes the last Olympic downhill for American Lindsey Vonn.

Vonn won the gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games and is general considered the favorite at Pyeongchang. She has looked good in training runs.

The women's figure-skating competition starts with the short program. Mirai Nagasu is among the contenders after becoming the first U.S. woman to lane a triple axel, doing it in the team competition last weekend.

Two-time reigning world champion Evgenia Medvedeva broke her own short program world record in the team event and is considered the heavy favorite.

RUSSIAN DOPING-LAWSUIT

Russian athletes allege libel by ex-anti-doping agency head

NEW YORK (AP) — Three Russian biathletes have sued the country's former anti-doping laboratory director, saying he severely damaged or destroyed their careers with lies.

The athletes have filed a $30 million libel lawsuit in Manhattan State Supreme Court against Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, who lives in hiding in the United States.

Rodchenkov has denied claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin that U.S. agencies controlled his unmasking of the scandal.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-LOUISVILLE-ESCORTS-APPEAL

Louisville must vacate basketball title as NCAA denies appeal

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville has been stripped of its 2013 men's basketball title and will have to vacate 123 victories, along with millions in conference revenue from the 2012-15 NCAA tournaments.

The NCAA Infraction Appeals Committee says the association has the authority to take away championships for what it considers major rule violations. It also refuted Louisville's position that the NCAA exceeded its boundaries and didn't follow its own precedent established in other cases.

The punishment follows an embarrassing sex scandal involving former basketball staffer Andre McGee, who was accused of hiring an escort and other dancers to strip and have sex with recruits.

NBA-HORNETS-GM

Struggling Hornets fire general manager

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The struggling Hornets have fired general manager Rich Cho.

Team owner Michael Jordan announced the news in a release Tuesday, saying "we're deeply committed to our fans and to the city of Charlotte to provide a consistent winner on the court."

Charlotte is 24-33 and on the verge of failing to reach the playoffs for the second straight season.

Jordan's college teammate Buzz Peterson was hired last year as the team's assistant general manager is a potential replacement. Cho was hired as GM in 2011 and assumed day-to-day responsibilities of the basketball operations department in 2014.

NFL-NEWS

Titans, kicker work out extension

UNDATED (AP) — Tennessee Titans kicker Ryan Succop (SUK'-ahp) has agreed to terms on a multiyear contract extension. Succop scored a career-high 136 points in 2017 to tie Al Del Greco's 1998 franchise record. He also set an NFL record last season by hitting 56 consecutive field goal attempts from inside 50 yards, a streak that began in 2014.

Also in the NFL:

— The Houston Texans have released veteran linebacker Brian Cushing, who appeared in just five games last season. The 2009 Defensive Rookie of the Year is the franchise's all-time leader in tackles with 664, but his career has been marked by two suspensions for violating the league's policy on performance enhancers. Cushing has had several major injuries in his career and played 12 games combined in 2012 and 2013 because of knee injuries and a broken leg.

— The Jaguars have exercised club options on veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis and backup offensive linemen Tyler Shatley and Josh Wells. The 33-year-old Lewis is the longest-tenured player on the team's roster. He is due to make $3.5 million in 2018.

MLB-NEWS

Nats' Murphy unsure he'll be ready for opener

UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Nationals could open the season without Daniel Murphy.

The second baseman says he isn't sure his surgically-repaired right knee will be ready by opening day. Murphy underwent an operation to repair cartilage shortly after last season, a procedure than included micro-fracture surgery.

Doctors told him recovery time would be four to six months, and the 32-year-old Murphy already has full range of motion in his knee.

Murphy led the National League with 43 doubles last season while batting .322 with 23 homers, 93 RBIs and 94 runs scored.

In other MLB news:

— The Twins have finalized their one-year, non-guaranteed contract with pitcher Anibal (AH'-nih-bahl) Sanchez. The right-hander led the American League in ERA five years ago, but he's just 20-30 with a 5.67 earned run average in 88 games over the past three seasons.

— Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda has been hospitalized in the Bay Area. The Giants had no further details. The 80-year-old Cepeda has been a regular at Giants home games and attended an 80th birthday event for Hall of Famer Willie McCovey last month.

NHL-NEWS

Flyers lose Simmonds for 2-3 weeks

UNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia Flyers will spend the next two to three weeks without forward Wayne Simmonds because of an upper-body injury suffered in Sunday's win over the Rangers. He was involved in a first-period tussle in Sunday's game and landed a fight-ending left hand to the side of Tony DeAngelo's helmet. Simmonds has 20 goals and 37 points in 59 games for the Flyers, who are also without starting goaltender Brian Ellott and backup Michal Neuvirth (NOY'-vurth).

Also in the NHL:

— The Maple Leafs have traded forward Eric Fehr (fehr) to the Sharks for a seventh-round draft pick in the 2020 draft. The 32-year-old Fehr played in four games with the Leafs this season and was loaned to the AHL's San Diego Gulls, where he has provided 17 goals and 28 points in 34 games since arriving there in November.

— The Rangers have shipped defenseman Nick Holden to the Bruins for minor league defenseman Rob O'Gara and a third-round pick in this year's draft. Holden skated in 135 games with the Rangers over parts of the last two seasons, scoring 14 goals and 46 points.

— The Canucks have signed defenseman Erik Gudbranson to a three-year contract extension worth $4 million a season. The 26-year-old Gudbranson has two goals and two assists with a minus-4 in 41 games this season.

— Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe will miss the remainder of the season to have surgery to repair a shoulder injury that has nagged him for much of the year. The third-year player had three goals and nine assists for 12 points in 53 games this season.

GOLF-RYDER CUP

Woods, Stricker to be vice captains at Ryder Cup

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods will be in France this year for the Ryder Cup as a vice captain. Still to be determined is whether he gets to play.

U.S. captain Jim Furyk appointed Woods and Steve Stricker as two more of his vice captains for the Sept. 28-30 matches at Le Golf National.

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