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NEW YORK -- Canadian speedskater Anastasia Bucsis, who announced she was gay via Twitter earlier this month, is joining the fight against Russias anti-gay laws. Discount Air Max 97 . She is teaming with Athlete Ally, an advocacy group focused on ending homophobia and transphobia in sports. The organization has denounced the anti-gay laws recently passed by the Russian government and is circulating a petition that urges world leaders to put pressure on the Russians to eliminate the law, which prohibits promotion of "non-traditional" sexual relations. The law has drawn harsh criticism since it was passed in June with some activists calling for a boycott of next winters Sochi Olympics. Bucsis is one of only a handful of openly gay Olympic-calibre winter athletes around the world. While her family knew she was gay, Bucsis came out publicly during Calgarys gay pride parade in early September. "Im proud to be from Calgary, Im proud to be an athlete, and Im proud to be gay," she tweeted. On Wednesday, she said taking on an advocacy role "seems natural" because she is proud of who she is. "I started speedskating at the age of four, and wasnt aware of any other gay skaters when growing up," she said in a statement. "During my coming out I was very anxious and lonely because I lacked having an out athletic role model. I didnt have any other gay athletic friends, or any mentors that I could readily turn to for advice or support. I am ready to help any athlete out there who is considering coming out of the closet. Its the best decision I ever made." Australian snowboarder Belle Brockhoff has also joined Athlete Ally. "One of the reasons I came out was because I wanted people to find inspiration in me coming out globally," she said. "It was important for me to show in-the-closet gays and lesbians that theyre supported and loved all over the world." Bucsis and Brockhoff join New Zealand speedskater Blake Skjellerup and American figure skater Johnny Weir as the only Olympic-calibre winter sports athletes in the world who publicly identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual, according to Athletes Ally. "Four athletes is actually a record number," said Hudson Taylor, executive director of Athlete Ally. "Belle and Anastasia showed great courage when they came out in response to Russias gay propaganda laws, and now they are exemplifying the leadership necessary to help change the world." Both Brockhoff and Bucsis hope the number of out Olympic hopefuls will grow with awareness and support. "Having more LGBT athletes come out before the Sochi Olympics will help promote the positive message of acceptance and equality within sport," said Bucsis. "Sport is a human right and everyone deserves the ability to participate and play; I believe and support the Olympic Charter and the idea of the Olympic Spirit. Having more LGBT athletes come out during the lead-up to Sochi will promote acceptance, awareness and education regarding gay athletes and their contribution to sport." Air Max 97 Cheap China . -- Victor Bernardez tied the game with his second goal in the 95th minute and the San Jose Earthquakes drew 3-3 with Real Salt Lake on Saturday night. Buy Air Max 97 . Like a magic trick, the puck popped out behind Stalock in the San Jose net. While Sharks coach Todd McLellan decried the legality of the tiebreaking goal, the Los Angeles Kings celebrated their latest, greatest escape yet. http://www.discountairmax97.com/ .com) - The Grand Slam season will get underway Monday at the Australian Open in Melbourne, where a new champion will be crowned this year.Durham, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Jahlil Okafor totaled 24 points and eight rebounds as No. 2 Duke remained perfect with an 84-55 decision over Wofford at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Justise Winslow added 16 points and Quinn Cook picked up 15 for the Blue Devils (12-0), who will put their unblemished record on the line in their ACC opener on Saturday against Boston College. Karl Cochran posted 13 points and five rebounds for the Terriers (9-4), who also begin their conference slate three days from now. Final Score: (4) Wisconsin 89, Penn State 72 Madison, WI (SportsNetwork.com) - Nigel Hayes led four players in double figures with 21 points, and No. 4 Wisconsin kept rolling with an 89-72 decision over Penn State in the conference opener for both programs. Frank Kaminsky picked up 18 points and a game-high 14 rebounds for the Badgers (13-1, 1-0 Big Ten), while Sam Dekker had 17 points and Traevon Jackson totaled 16. D.J. Newbill poured in a game-high 29 points for the Nittany Lions (12-2, 0-1). Geno Thorpe and Shep Garner both picked 11 points in defeat. Final Score: (6) Villanova 67, Butler 55 Villanova, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - With stingy defense and a balanced attack, the No. 6 Villanova Wildcats opened Big East play with a 67-55 win over the Butler Bulldogs. Ryan Arcidiacono led Villanova (13-0, 1-0 Big East) with 15 points and five assists. JayVaughn Pinkston netted 13 points and Daniel Ochefu chipped in 10 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots. The Wildcats limited the Bulldogs to 35.5 percent shooting, including just 5-of-21 inside the arc in the second half. Butler (10-4, 0-1) was paced by Andrew Chrabasczs and Alex Barlows 12 points each. Kellen Dunham netted 10 points, but Roosevelt Jones was limited to eight on 4-of-15 shooting. Final Score: (9) Iowa State 83, Mississippi Valley State 33 Ames, IA (SportsNetwork.com) - Naz Long went 7-of-10 from 3-point range in a 24-point effort that highlighted No. 9 Iowa States 83-33 blowout win over Mississippi Valley State. Long added five assists in a game the heavily favored Cyclones were never threatened en route to their 500th victory at Hilton Coliseum. Matt Thomas chipped in 11 points and Jameel McKay had 10 along with six rebounds to help Iowa State (10-1) record its seventh consecutive triumph. Mississippi Valley State (1-12) shot just 24.1 percent from the field and went 1-of-17 from beyond the arc, with no Delta Devils player finishing with double-figure points. Isaac Williams and Jeffrey Simmons scored six each in defeat. Final Score: Seton Hall 78, (15) St. Johns 67 Newark, NJ (SportsNetwork.com) - Sterling Gibbs poured in 25 points to lead five Seton Hall players in double figures, as the Pirates opened Big East play with a 78-67 victory over 15th-ranked St. Johns on Wednesday at the Prudential Center. Jaren Sina matched a season high with 14 points and keyed an early second-half run with two of his four 3-pointers in the victory. Gibbs also sank five from beeyond the arc, including one with the shot clock winding down late in the contest to help quell a St. Air Max 97 Cheap Online. Johns rally. Angel Delgado and Brandon Mobley each contributed 13 points for the Pirates (11-2, 1-0 Big East), whose lone losses have come on the road against Georgia and nationally ranked Wichita State. Seton Hall welcomes another ranked squad to the Rock on Saturday when No. 6 Villanova makes the trip up the New Jersey turnpike. DAngelo Harrison scored 25 points and Phil Greene IV added 15 for the Red Storm (11-2, 0-1), who had a seven-game winning streak stopped and lost for the first time since a 73-66 setback to Gonzaga in late November. Final Score: (16) Wichita State 66, Drake 58 Des Moines, IA (SportsNetwork.com) - Ron Baker scored 15 of No. 16 Wichita States final 18 points to help the Shockers fend off Drake, 66-58, Wednesday. Baker finished with 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting for the Shockers (11-2, 1-0 MVC), who have now won 19 straight games against fellow Missouri Valley conference teams. Tekele Cotton chipped in 17 points and no other Shocker reached double figures. The Bulldogs (3-10, 0-1) were led by Jacob Enevold with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Gary Ricks Jr. added 11 points as Drake finished its four-game homestand with a 2-2 record. Final Score: (18) Oklahoma 61, George Mason 43 Norman, OK (SportsNetwork.com) - Buddy Hield turned in a game-high 17 points as No. 18 Oklahoma claimed a 61-43 win over George Mason at Noble Center. Isaiah Cousins netted 11 with six rebounds for the Sooners (9-3), while Jordan Woodard added seven points and eight boards. Shevon Thompson totaled nine points and 11 rebounds for the Patriots (5-7). Isaiah Jackson picked up nine points while Jalen Jenkins had eight points and seven rebounds in a losing cause. Final Score: (24) Colorado State 71, Boise State 65 Fort Collins, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - John Gillon led all scorers with 23 points as No. 24 Colorado State opened conference play with a 71-65 victory over Boise State on Wednesday. Gillon made 6-of-11 shots from the field and was a perfect 4-of-4 from 3-point range. J.J. Avila scored 13 points and Daniel Bejarano supplied 11 points and eight rebound for the Rams (14-0, 1-0 MWC), who extended their franchise-best winning streak to open a season. Mikey Thompson paced the Broncos (10-4, 0-1) with 20 points in his teams second straight loss. Final Score: Xavier 70, (25) Georgetown 53 Cincinnati, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Jalen Reynolds finished with 17 points and four rebounds as Xavier opened Big East play with a 70-53 victory over No. 25 Georgetown on Wednesday. Remy Abell and Dee Davis each scored 12 points and James Farr chipped in nine points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for the Musketeers (10-3, 1-0 Big East), who improved to 8-0 at home this season. DVauntes Smith-Rivera had a game-high 18 points and Joshua Smith supplied 10 points and four boards for the Hoyas (8-4, 0-1), who had a three-game winning streak snapped. ' ' '