RIO DE JANEIRO -- The winds of change are blowing at the Rio badminton arena. Actually, those are just the gusts from the air conditioning vents: Theyre cold and theyre strong and they could pose a problem for some of the best players on the planet.After all, Olympic glory will be determined by a few feathers -- more precisely, by the flight of the 16 goose feathers stuck to the light, leather-covered round cork of the shuttle.Badminton players call these winds drifts, caused by strong air conditioning and currents that arise when hot, humid air enters from open doors and meets colder air inside an arena.Drifts can swirl in from the side, above and below. They can stop and start or blast away steadily, and do funny things to a badminton shuttle, spinning it out of a rackets path or causing a shot that should have landed in to land out.Simply turning off the air conditioning doesnt work because sweat -- on the racket, in the eyes, on the floor -- can be as big a problem as drifts.No venue is perfect, and theres no way to completely kill drifts, although players change sides during a match to try to compensate. Gripes about drift are part of badminton, even at the last Olympics in England, where the modern version of the game was developed in the 19th century.One complaint in Rio is that the multipurpose Riocentro pavilion where the badminton matches are being held wasnt built with the sport in mind. Dedicated badminton stadiums, like the ones the superstars are used to playing in, usually do a better job dealing with drifts, placing AC vents and doors in a way that minimizes air currents.Players say the drifts in Riocentro change depending on which side of the court they play on. Drifts also vary from court to court, with some saying the middle of the pavilions three courts is worse than the side courts.Experience might be the best antidote to drifts.Veteran players, especially those who play the professional tour in Asia, where heat and humidity often mean high AC in the stadiums, tend to handle drift better.They compensate for it, they get used to it, Estonian Raul Must, world No. 45, said after a loss to Jan O. Jorgensen, the world No. 5, from Denmark. The drift made it harder for me. One side, it was slow; the other side was faster. So it can be one meter shorter than what you think on the slow side, and one meter longer on the other side.Others also acknowledged the drifts in Riocentro, but noted that everyone had practiced in the venue for days before the competition started and so knew how to adjust to the bad spots.Perhaps the best strategy for drifts? Just dont think about them.I would be lying if I said it wasnt a factor. It is, but its the same everywhere, Jorgensen said. I dont want to worry about something that I cant control a single thing about.Drift is much more of a factor when top players face each other because the margins of error between the elite are so narrow, said Soren Opti, a 19-year-old from Suriname who was crushed early on by world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei, of Malaysia.The drifts in Rio were tough but by no means the worst hes seen, said Opti, ranked No. 318 internationally.During one tournament in the Dominican Republic, he said, a passing thunderstorm was so strong that rain leaked inside from the arenas roof.When I hit the shuttle, it would blow back at me, Opti said.---Follow Foster Klug at www.twitter.com/apklugBabe Ruth Jersey . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday. Chipper Jones Jersey . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. http://www.thebravesteamshop.com/Braves-Nick-Markakis-Kids-Jersey/ . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. Brandon McCarthy Jersey . 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. Orlando Cepeda Jersey . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, has been an offensive assistant on Sean Paytons New Orleans staff since 2007.Dame Kelly Holmes admits she is stepping into the unknown when she runs in her very first London Marathon on Sunday. The double Olympic champion will line up alongside 53,000 amateur runners in the 26.2-mile race, more than a decade after she stopped competing as a middle-distance athlete. Cricket girls get Holmes vote Englands 2009 cricketers are Kelly Holmes pick of 25 years of Sky Sports coverage Last year, I went to the London Marathon to support two friends and I just found the environment, the energy and the atmosphere around it just amazing, Holmes told Sky Sports News HQ. So I combined the challenge of running a marathon with the challenge of running for five charities and raising £250,000. Dame Kelly won two gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics I have been trying to blank it out but everyone keeps wishing me good luck for Sunday!Im a bit worried about whether Im eating and drinking enough, its more the whole preparation because I have no idea of what to do. Sally Gunnell sent this message to Dame Kelly Homes ahead of the London Marathon this weekend. But the first thing is to get round.dddddddddddd Im under no illusion that it is a long way and it will take a toll on my body. I think I can run under 3hr 30 mins, probably a little quicker, because I have an idea about what my average pace will be.I think I will need to control myself but the thing I am most looking forward to is that finish line.Dame Kelly, who won 800m and 1500m gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics, is raising money for Myeloma UK, Mind UK, Hospice in the Weald and the Pickering Cancer Care charity. Dame Kelly established the Trust in 2008 She is also raising funds for the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, established in 2008 to help get lives on track by using world class athletes to engage, enable and empower disadvantaged young people.One of the athletes representing the trust is British and European kickboxing champion Ruqsana Begum, who fights Swedens Susanna Salmijarvi for the world title on Saturday.I was fascinated with the work they do with young people who just need a little bit of guidance, Begum told Sky Sports.The Trust run education seminars and workshops using top-class athletes to talk about their journeys in the hope that it inspires youngsters and helps them believe that they too can be successful in life. Kickboxing champion Begum says the Trust has allowed her to give something back I have been blessed to come this far in my career and it is so important to give something back.Kelly is so down-to-earth and so humble and its great that she set up this project because her name brings a lot of awareness and attention to what the charity stands for.Kelly is such an inspiration and was one of my first role models. I remember watching the likes of her and other powerful athletes like Tessa Sanderson as a young girl. They really attracted me to sport in the first place. I know she is going to do the business on Sunday. 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