matchups.Spain came to the Olympics an aging tea

Lewis Hamilton insists he relishes the toughest challenges as he aims to hunt down Nico Rosberg, but worries reliability failures could still ruin his title charge. Hamilton arrives for the Mexico GP 26 points behind his Mercedes team-mate, and accepts that he realistically must win all three of 2016s final races to stand a chance of sealing a fourth world championship.And asked whether being the underdog and picking the hardest route possible in a quest for glory appealed to him, the Brit was insistent that he would never want an easy option. WATCH: Would Nico deserve it?I dont feel I ever arrive at a grand prix, or any kind of competition, and want it to be easy, he told reporters. I love doing things that are difficult. If I go rock climbing, I dont go for the easiest wall to climb, I always go for the hardest first. Its almost like your eyes are too big for your belly and you go for a bigger plate.Would I like to be in a different position right now? Of course. All I know is that Ive got this challenge ahead of me and Im ready to go, Im ready to fight. If theres any time to be the best Ive ever been, its in these last three races. Lewis Hamilton says hes just focusing on himself and not teammate Nico Rosberg ahead of this weekends Mexican Grand Prix Hamilton ended a seven-race spell without a victory in Austin last weekend, cruising to victory from pole position. After a frictious few months both on and off the track, the world champion has appeared much more relaxed in recent weeks. Would that continue as he looks for a first win in Mexico?I approach it the same as I generally approach every race, he added. Maybe slightly more relaxed than I had others because Ive accepted that there are things that are out of my powers, out of my control.All I can do is control what happens in the car and what I do. So as long as my focus is all towards that then hopefully I can get results like I did last weekend. If I dont then you move forwards.The Formula 1 Gossip ColumnI dont think Ill be taking more risks than I usually do. I think Im a relatively risky driver but I dont think Ill be taking more than others. Ill definitely be cautious of my surroundings.Im going for it, thats for sure. While my hearts still beating and Ive still got that drive to win, and theres still a possibility, even if its one per cent, Im going to be going for it.But another failure of his W07 obviously still troubles him. Prior to the US Grand Prix he told Sky F1 that an engine concern, in the end only costing him around half a second over the whole race, was on my mind. After sealing victory, he claimed he was petrified that his car was going to break down.Honestly, that will probably continue until we cross the flag in Abu Dhabi, a cautious Hamilton noted. Particularly as its a feeling Ill have more often because Im on my eighth engine, Ive experienced a lot more than the other side has had to this year. Sky Sports F1s Ted Kravitz and David Croft step into the ring to settle their debate on who will win this years drivers championship They [engineers] cant really ease it any more. Theyve tried, and everyone is working as hard as they can and thats all I can ask from them. But in Malaysia I had a new engine and Paddy told me you can use full power the whole race, so I had no concerns - and the thing blew up!I guess you just have to take everything with a pinch of salt and Im hoping and praying that my car stays in tact through these next three races.I am in a position where if a gearbox or engine goes, then that is it. Right now its about being very smart with what I have.Dont miss the Mexican GP on Sunday evening. The race is live at 7pm on Sky Sports F1; Watch with a NOW TV day pass - £6.99, no contract Also See: The Formula 1 Gossip Column WATCH: Would Nico deserve it? Bernie: F1 needs more danger Max: No more arrogant radio Air Max 270 Australia Sale . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. Cheap Air Max 270 Free Shipping . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. http://www.wholesaleairmax270australia.com/ . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. Cheap Air Max 270 For Sale .ca. Hey Kerry, big fan of yours, just finished reading your book. I think that we all saw the Canucks/Flames line brawl just after puck drop. It was obvious that something was about to happen, even to the referees because the fourth lines were on to start. Air Max 270 Australia . 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. RIO DE JANEIRO --?Gone was the all-offense, all-action play that turned the last two gold-medal games into classics.To get by Spain again, the U.S. Olympic mens basketball team would have to win ugly, so unusual its practically un-American.It was just a real different game today, coach Mike Krzyzewski said.Same result, though.The U.S. advanced to its third straight gold-medal game win an 82-76 victory Friday, another tight matchup between the teams that met in the last two championship games.Klay Thompson scored 22 points for the Americans, who will play Serbia on Sunday for their third consecutive Olympic title. Serbia routed Australia 87-61 in the second semifinal. Australia and Spain will vie for the bronze medal prior to the gold-medal game.This is where we wanted to be, Kevin Durant said. We talked about it all summer and to be here for the final game, to win the gold, for all the marbles, we like our chances.The Americans pulled away to win 118-107 in 2008 and held on for a 107-100 victory in London, but the defenses made their mark in this one. The U.S. was just good enough again against Spain, with bodies falling more than shots and several technical fouls keeping the teams from finding an offensive flow.It certainly wasnt pretty, but Olympic gold never loses its luster.Its an amazing feeling now, center DeAndre Jordan said.?We really want to accomplish this.It was the lowest-scoring game for the Americans in the Olympics since the 2004 semifinals, when they managed 81 in a loss to Argentina.But Jordan made his presence felt in the middle with 16 rebounds and four blocked shots to go with his nine points.Durant added 14 points on the day he moved past LeBron James into second place on the U.S. Olympic career scoring list.Kyrie Irving had 13 for the U.S.Pau Gasol scored 23 points for Spain, which made it tough on the Americans for the third straight Olympics, but again had to settle for coming close against the worlds No. 1 team.I think the key of the game was their defense, Spain coach Sergio Scariolo said. Their athleticism, their size, they made our offense get difficult during most of the possessions.Gasol said after he believed Spain missed its best chance to beat the U.S.They are not playing as well as other times theyve played, but they are still a very talented team individually, Gasol said. ``I just (feel) like if we had been a little sharperr with our shots, if we would have moved the ball a little better, if we would have boxed out more, and make it a two- or three-possession game, then youre talking about a whole different story.ddddddddddddSpain shot just 39 percent and couldnt get any consistent option other than Gasol, who played with a wrap covering his sore right calf. It was the kind of defense the Americans thought they could play but hadnt much in the tournament.Serbia and France both surpassed 90 points against them and Australia scored 88, as the team with 10 Olympic newcomers took longer than hoped in grasping international offenses.This time they contained a team that was as explosive as themselves over the last four games, as Spain had averaged 97.3 points and won by more than 25 per game after dropping its first two in Brazil.The Americans finally built a comfortable lead when they opened the fourth quarter with six straight points to go ahead 72-57. But Spain was able to keep the gap from getting any bigger and chipped away at it in the final minutes, the margin ending up smaller than in the previous matchups.Spain came to the Olympics an aging team without one of its top players, Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, who couldnt make it back from a broken right foot sustained during the season.But the Spanish, as they had in the previous two Olympics, found their stride just in time to run into the Americans. Thompson scored 17 in the first half, including a 3-pointer with 26 seconds left that made it 45-39 at the break.Both teams were called for multiple technical fouls in the tense first half. One of them, on Durant, gave him a third foul, as technicals also count as personal fouls in international play.Nikola Mirotic then picked up a personal and technical on the same play later in the period, sending him to the bench with four after he led Spain with 23 points in its quarterfinal rout of France.The Americans were far off their usual offensive play, shooting only 42 percent for the game and complaining about a wet ball in the first half. But they grabbed 21 offensive rebounds in their 24 straight Olympic victory. Now they need one more to stay on top.You want to get there, two-time gold medalist Carmelo Anthony said. You want to have that feeling. ' ' '