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Kristin Armstrong could win her third straight Olympic gold medal in Rio. The womens pursuit team is favored to capture gold. Several Americans could land on the BMX podium.Will anybody in the U.S. notice? Or even care?That is perhaps the biggest challenge facing USA Cycling as the Rio Games arrive. One of the nations most popular participatory sports is dealing with aging athletes, declining membership and a vast disconnect between amateur riders and their elite counterparts.It has left USA Cycling officials to wonder just where they stand in the sports structure.There is no doubt we need to adapt as an organization, agreed Derek Bouchard-Hall, who took over as the governing bodys CEO last year after a successful career in private business.To usher the organization into the future, Bouchard-Hall spent several months examining USA Cyclings shortcomings, then came up with a three-prong approach to shake things up.First, he is championing a renewed emphasis on amateur cycling, rather than funneling so much of USA Cyclings resources to elite athletes. The idea is that by fostering growth at the grassroots level, the sport in the U.S. will become more robust in the long-term.Second, he wants to broaden the coverage of USA Cycling to encompass not just racers but the everyday cyclist, those who ride in mass events such as RAGBRAI -- the bike ride across Iowa taking place this week -- and Gran Fondos, the pseudo-races that have become all the rage.Finally, he wants an organization that is more open, transparent and willing to adjust to feedback, a customer-focused approach that stems from his previous job with bike retailer Wiggle.Thats not to say USA Cycling is abandoning elite athletes. Instead, Bouchard-Hall believes the amateur cyclist and elite cyclist go hand-in-hand, the growth of one helping the other.People say, `Where do you put your efforts, the amateurs or the elite? The answer is both, he explained. This is a balance that all national governing bodies in America face.The Rio Olympics may offer an opportunity to kick-start his plan.Sure, broadcaster NBC will focus on more glamorous sports such as gymnastics and swimming, the traditional Olympic sports that push the public needle. But whether they are mere highlights of Armstrong in the time trial or Connor Fields on the BMX track, or online streams of cycling events throughout the Olympic program, the visibility of the Summer Games is priceless.That is crucial for USA Cycling, which has always struggled to raise money.Part of its support comes from the U.S. Olympic Committee, and is based on success at world championships and other major competitions. But according to recent USOC tax returns, sports such as shooting, rowing and sailing often receive more money than cycling.Where we suffer is our federation doesnt have the funds, said Sarah Hammer, who anchors the womens pursuit team. Something like swimming, they can generate their own through sponsors.USA Cycling has rarely had that ability, even when Lance Armstrong was in the spotlight.Some worry things could get even tighter for elite athletes if Bouchard-Hall redirects some of their scant funding to support the growth of grassroots cycling. But he quickly dispels that notion, pointing toward fundraising and sponsorship plans to help fill those coffers.More importantly, Bouchard-Hall said, people should understand that his plan to revitalize USA Cycling is a long-term approach that will eventually benefit elite athletes, too.By growing the sport at the local level, Bouchard-Hall hopes USA Cyclings slow membership decline will turn around. More young people will pick up cycling, reversing a trend toward an aging demographic. And some day, the best of those athletes will advance far enough in the sport that they will compete at world championships and the Olympics.Were not even participating in track cycling in some of disciplines, which is unfortunate, Bouchard-Hall said. We believe were a really important part of the racing ecosystem, but we also believe its the right thing to do to foster participation at all levels.USA Cycling received a small bump four years ago from the London Games, where it won four cycling medals -- fifth-most of any nation. But Bouchard-Hall hopes for a bigger return from the Rio Games, where the time zone will make tuning in easier for American fans.The difficulty lies in trying to build on the visibility.Were not a sport that generates a lot of attention without big megastars and big money, Bouchard-Hall said. When we had Lance, we got a lot of attention, cycling got a lot of publicity. But our Olympians, as great as those stories are within the sport -- and people who follow the sport do love them -- they dont translate well outside of them. What we need to do is get out the stories and thats a difficult challenge.But its also a unique opportunity. The Olympics are a once-every-four-years chance to help Bouchard-Hall jumpstart his vision for the future of USA Cycling.You have to be able to change as an organization when everything around you is changing, said Mark Gullickson, the long-tenured director of USA Cyclings mountain bike program.I think Derek was faced with some really tough challenges, Gullickson said, and were still in the early phases of where youre headed. But I think were making changes that we need to make if you really want to change the direction of the program to meet the needs of the members. 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World champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 237.71 points, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch followed at 208.45 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia were third at 187. FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Geno Smith has joined Jay-Z for one big sports and hip-hop collaboration. The New York Jets rookie quarterback has chosen the rap artists new Roc Nation Sports to represent him. Smith, who slipped out of the first round last month and fell to the Jets in the second round at No. 39 overall, fired his agents -- Select Sports -- shortly after the NFL draft. The former West Virginia star met with a handful of agents before announcing Wednesday that he had chosen Jay-Zs agency, which is partnered with Creative Artists Agency. Smith insisted after practice that Jay-Z didnt play "that big of a role" in his final decision -- although the quarterback recently tweeted a photo of him with the hip-hop star. "I think its just his agency," Smith said. "When you talk about being in New York from a standpoint of what they can do in the city, the connections that they have, I think its a good move. My mother and my family were comfortable with it, and Im comfortable with it. Im just going to move on from there. Its not going to be a big deal. "Ill just remain humble and keep focusing on football." Kimberly Miale, recently hired by Jay-Z, whose given name is Shawn Carter, will serve as Smiths contract agent. Smith will be Miales first NFL client. Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano and former Notre Dame star Skylar Diggins, drafted No. 3 overall by the WNBAs Tulsa Shock, have also recently signed with Roc Nation. Smith, who is competing with Mark Sanchez among others for the teams starting job, said the decision to go with Jay-Z is not an indication that hes focused on his image and marketing opportunities -- as speculated by some.dddddddddddd "Its not that important to me, honestly," Smith said. "The only thing thats important to me is the image thats perceived around this locker room, the guy I am to my teammates, to my coaches and the work I put in on the football field. Im all about football. "Im all about getting better." Jets coach Rex Ryan also brushed off any thoughts that he and the organization might have some concern about a second-round pick signing with perhaps the biggest rap star in the world. "I dont worry about it, no, I dont," Ryan said. "This is the young mans decision, and Im sure hes done a lot of work and preparation on hiring who he thinks is the best person to represent him. I dont think theres going to be a loss of focus or anything else. I can tell you this right now: He knows that he has to focus on the job at hand here and Im confident thatll happen. "I dont even think about who he hired." Smith is not the first NFL player to sign with a hip-hop mogul. New Orleans Saints running back Ricky Williams hired rapper Master Ps No Limit Sports agency to negotiate his rookie deal, which is largely regarded as one of the games worst contracts because it included a minimum base salary and incentives that were difficult to reach. Williams later fired the agency and hired Leigh Steinberg. ' ' '