TOKYO -- Paige Lawrence of Kennedy, Sask., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., took sixth spot on Saturday in pairs at the NHK Trophy ISU Grand Prix figure skating competition. Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 236.49 points. Cheng Peng and Hao Zhang of China were second at 182.18 and Wenjing Sui and Cong Han, also of China, were third at 171.32. It was the second competition this season for Lawrence and Swiegers who are hoping to regain top form in time for the national championships in January after an injury earlier this year to Swiegers. "It wasnt perfect but we feel like it was a step forward and part of the process," said Lawrence. "We are going to take the positives and adjust our training accordingly." Swiegers said he was too tentative. "I left a lot on table," he said. "Ive been skating better than what I showed today. Still we went out there and fought everything. It is important for us to keep everything in perspective. Our big goals are nationals and qualifying for the Olympics." In ice dancing, Torontos Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Unionville, Ont., stand fifth after the short dance. It was the couples first event this season. Poirier was out three months after sustaining a serious injury to his leg this past spring. Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the U.S., lead the field with 73.70 points. The free dance is on Sunday. Air Force 1 España . -- Chris Crawford hit a 3-pointer with 1:36 left to put Memphis ahead to stay, and the 21st-ranked Tigers beat seventh-ranked Louisville 72-66 Saturday, sweeping the season series from the Cardinals. Air Force 1 Baratas España . -- Pinch-runner Rajai Daviss decision to steal third base just as Oakland catcher Derek Norris was throwing the ball back to the pitcher caught most everyone by surprise -- including several of his Detroit teammates. http://www.airforce1baratas.es/ . Ashley Wagner will skate in the womens short program for a U.S. team thats in seventh place. Davis and White won the silver medal at the Vancouver Games and are two-time world champions. Air Force 1 Rebajas . Viewers in the Canadiens region can watch the game on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt and listen on TSN 690. The Canadiens have won three in a row and four of their last five games and recently put the finishing touches on a 3-1-0 road trip. Air Force 1 España Baratas .com) - Guard Greivis Vasquez and forward Patrick Patterson, two key pieces to the Toronto Raptors run to an Atlantic Division title in 2013-14, were both given qualifying offers by the team on Saturday.The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected the appeal by the Russian Olympic Committee and 68 Russian athletes to compete at the Rio Olympics. Russias track-and-field athletes were banned by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and CAS - sports highest court - has backed the ban that has been in place since November 2015.That sanction was imposed after a damning World Anti-Doping Agency report into widespread doping in Russian track and field athletics. A second WADA-backed investigation has now revealed a similar doping programme extended to almost all Olympic and Paralympic sports in Russia.Earlier this week, WADA and others asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee to ban Russia entirely from the Rio Games and the IOC subsequently issued a statement in relation to CASs decision. Usain Bolt discusses the decision to uphold Russias Olympic ban The IOC takes note of the announcement of the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, it read.We will now have to study and analyse the full decision. The IOC decision on the participation of the Russian athletes will be taken in the coming days. Damning report Russian doping was state-sponsored with secret service backing at Sochi Games The IAAF also responded to CASs decision by stating their decision to support the ban would ensure a level playing field for athletes.While we are thankful that our rules and our power to uphold our rules and the anti-doping code have been supported, this is not a day for triumphant statements, IAAF presiident Sebastian Coe said in a statement on the IAAFs official website.ddddddddddddI didnt come into this sport to stop athletes from competing. It is our federations instinctive desire to include, not exclude. IAAF President Sebastian Coe has backed CASs decision to reject Russias appeal Beyond Rio the IAAF Taskforce will continue to work with Russia to establish a clean safe environment for its athletes so that its federation and team can return to international recognition and competition.Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko was critical of the decision, however, with the IOC having previously stated Russian athletes could no longer be considered innocent with regard to doping.I regret this decision, he said. Unfortunately, a certain precedent has been established for collective responsibility, Matthieu Reeb, secretary general of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, delivers the statement on Russias appeal Gregory Ionanndis, a lawyer at CAS, also expressed concern about the assumption all Russian athletes may be guilty of doping.We are destroying the well-established doctrine of the presumption of innocence, Ionanndis told Sky Sports News HQ.What we are saying is that if you are a Russian athlete, you must be using performance-enhancing substances, and this cannot be right.And Dick Pound, founder of the World Anti-Doping Agency, believes the suspension should go further, insisting failure to implement a total ban on the Russian team for Rio would undermine the whole ethos of the IOC. Dick Pound urges IOC to take control of its Games Speaking to SSNHQ, he said: This is really a tipping point for the IOC, It has been saying that doping-free sport is our objective and that we have zero tolerance for doping.We have zero tolerance for doping... unless of course its Russia. So I think it is important for the IOC to take control of its Games and to impose the ethical standards of fair play and no cheating that it espouses.If it doesnt do that then I think it will lose an awful lot of respect around the world. Also See: WADA reinstates Rio lab Putin questions WADA report ' ' '