ed concussion spotters as part of the NHLs effort to better protect players.When I played -- one of my kids asked me if I ever got a concussion -- I ca

Dani Samuels was ruing a huge opportunity missed after finishing an agonising 44 centimetres short of a womens discus medal at the Rio Olympics.Samuels started Tuesdays final well and finished it slightly better, with her sixth throw of 64.90m leaving her in fourth spot, narrowly behind bronze medallist Denia Caballero from Cuba (65.34m).Croatian powerhouse Sandra Perkovic had only one legal throw of 69.21m, but it proved enough to give her a second straight Olympic title.Fourth for Samuels was clearly her best performance at a global championships since she became the youngest-ever discus world champion at the age of 21 back in 2009.But that was proving scant consolation.Ive come ninth and 11th at my previous Olympics and now fourth and now I think about it, those positions all suck, she said.Ninth you just missed the top eight and fourth you just missed the medals.I guess Ill have to come back for (the 2020 Tokyo Olympics) because this is the only medal I dont have.After showing nerves of steel in wet conditions on Monday night to nail a big qualifier on her last throw, Samuels carried the momentum into the opening round of the final, only to get bogged down in the middle rounds.I know I was in the shape to throw a lot further than 64 but it comes down to who performs on the day and I fell short, she said.Middle-distance runner Ryan Gregson, pole vaulter Alana Boyd and all three entrants in the womens 5000m all performed well on Tuesday.Gregson eased through his 1500m heat in second spot and looks right on track to qualify for his first major final.Gregson was checked with 200 metres to run but had the speed to run five wide down the home straight, crossing the line in three minutes 39.13 seconds behind 2008 Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion Asbel Kiprop from Kenya.That was a big step forwards and it felt great, he said.I just thought Id be patient. Thats my best way to run.Gregsons training partner Luke Mathews was eliminated after coming 12th in his heat in 3:44.51.Boyd enjoyed a stress-free progression through to the womens pole vault final, clearing 4.45m and 4.55m at the first attempt and then passing at 4.60m, confident she had already done enough.Among the other qualifiers for the final on Friday (Saturday AEST) were reigning Olympic champ Jenn Suhr from the United States and rising New Zealand star Eliza McCartney.In-form trio Eloise Wellings, Madeline Heiner-Hills and Genevieve LaCaze all booked spots in the womens 5000m final.Wellings was backing up from a big PB in the 10,000m on day one of the track and field program, while Heiner-Hills and LaCaze both recorded top-10 finishes in the 3000m steeplechase.But high-profile Michelle Jennekes campaign was over almost before it began after she was eliminated in the opening round of the womens 100m hurdles.Alex Hartmann did not advance from the heats of the mens 200m. 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PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Wayne Gretzky applauded the use of centralized concussion spotters as part of the NHLs effort to better protect players.When I played -- one of my kids asked me if I ever got a concussion -- I can honestly tell you I dont even know, said Gretzky, who was representing the Edmonton Oilers as a partner and vice-chairman. Because in those days theyd say, `Take two aspirin tonight, tomorrow youre going to skate for an hour and were going to sweat it out of you. Thats what we did.Gretzky spoke Friday as league owners and its Board of Governors wrapped up two days of meetings. It was his first board meeting since leaving the Arizona Coyotes in 2009.The NHL this season began using concussion spotters located at a central location, watching on television, to help decide if a player should be pulled out of a game for a potential head injury. The league has not released details or results from the first two months of the season, though players have generally supported the move even as a class-action lawsuit is pending against the league over its handling of injured players.We have so much more knowledge now from the doctor side of thing, from the trainers, from the players themselves and yet theres so much more to learn about it, Gretzky said. Is everybody perfectly happy when the best player gets pulled off? No. But its protocol, thats what the rules are and youve got to live with it.Oilers star Connor McDavid recently took issue with being pulled off the ice after he tripped over Minnesota Wild forward Jared Spurgeons stick and hit his chin on the ice. He reached up and grabbed his chin and that reaction was enough for the NHLs concussion spotter to call for him to be taken off.ddddddddddddNHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the spotter protocol has been discussed by the board and will be again in the next couple of months.The reason you have the spotter program is exactly for the instances that people are talking about, because players typically, and you go back through the history of this, dont want to come out of a game, Bettman said. We think being cautious, having protocols and enforcing them is the best way to ensure it. Does that mean some players are going to get pulled who didnt have concussions? Sure. But it also means were going to make sure the players who need to be off the ice are off the ice.Bettman also said there was nothing new to report on whether NHL players will participate in the 2018 Olympics in South Korea, one day after saying owners are negative about going because of concerns about expenses.I think after doing five of these, I dont know, fatigue might be a word (to describe it), Bettman said of the owners reaction.For his part, Gretzky said he hoped the league ultimately chose to attend.Im a big believer in the Olympic Games, said Gretzky, who played in the 1998 Games and built the team that won gold. I happen to love everything about the Olympic Games.Game notes Mark Chipman of the Winnipeg Jets and Geoff Molson of the Montreal Canadiens were voted to the NHLs executive committee, replacing the late Ed Snider of the Philadelphia Flyers and Peter Karmanos of the Carolina Hurricanes. ' ' '