MOSCOW (AP) Most Filip Forsberg Jersey , but not all, of Russia¡¯s top sports stars are backing Vladimir Putin in this weekend¡¯s presidential election.Ahead of Sunday¡¯s vote, a host of Olympic gold medalists and NHL player Alex Ovechkin have thrown their support behind Putin. Ovechkin even launched a ¡±Putin Team¡± campaign on social media.On the other side, there¡¯s Yevgeny Kafelnikov.The former No. 1-ranked tennis player is the only major Russian athlete to back opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has been barred from taking part in the election.With Putin poised to win as much as 70 percent of the vote, according to state pollsters, Kafelnikov told The Associated Press he won¡¯t vote. Navalny has called on his supporters to boycott what he sees as an unfair election.¡±You don¡¯t need to be a rocket scientist to understand (that Putin will win),¡± said the 44-year-old Kafelnikov, who stopped playing professionally in 2003. ¡±My choice, who I was willing to give my voice to at the election, he was not allowed to run for the presidency.¡±Sports stars have long been a fixture in Russian political campaigns, while boxer Nikolai Valuev and tennis player Marat Safin are among a host of athletes who have represented the United Russia party in parliament. Kafelnikov said he, too, was approached in 2003 to take a parliamentary seat for the party, but declined because he felt he wouldn¡¯t be allowed to express his real views.¡±After two days thinking, I thought something is a bit dodgy and I don¡¯t want to be involved,¡± he said. ¡±My voice isn¡¯t going to be counted as whatever I think. So I said I don¡¯t want to be there just for pressing the button (to vote).¡±Athletes are being increasingly exploited as symbols of prestige for those in power, Kafelnikov said.¡±I always thought sports and politics should not collide together on the same path Juuse Saros Jersey , should be completely separate. Unfortunately as of late ¡­ someone¡¯s using the professional athletes for their own benefit,¡± he said. ¡±I¡¯ve been always open-minded and people obviously know that Yevgeny Kafelnikov is not for sale. There is no chance that I could sell myself for something like this.¡±I¡¯m sure other athletes who are supporting so-called Putin¡¯s team, they do have a choice but they¡¯ve chosen the path which they¡¯re comfortable with. I¡¯m not going to judge each one, why they did this.¡±Kafelnikov¡¯s 24,000 followers on Twitter are treated to a mix of political commentary, occasional banter between him and Navalny, and copious chat about Kafelnikov¡¯s beloved Spartak Moscow soccer team.It¡¯s a contrast to Ovechkin¡¯s Instagram, where the Washington Capitals forward launched his Putin Team in November. It started as a loose affiliation of athletes and other celebrities sharing a hashtag, but has since become a formal campaign organization which held a rally Sunday in central Moscow¡¯s Gorky Park.Ovechkin said in November he had ¡±a good relationship¡± with Putin, who gave Ovechkin and his wife a tea set when they married last July.¡±I just support my country, you know? That¡¯s where I¡¯m from, my parents live there, all my friends,¡± Ovechkin said. ¡±Like every human from different countries, they support their president.¡±Golos, a non-governmental organization which monitors possible election violations, flagged up Sunday¡¯s Putin Team rally. Promises of free gifts for attendees could be seen as bribery, the watchdog said.Putin Team did not respond to a request for comment on that accusation. It also hasn¡¯t said who funds the organization Kyle Turris Jersey , which has offered valuable prizes such as GoPro cameras to its supporters.Besides Ovechkin¡¯s group, Putin also has soccer goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, heavyweight boxer Alexander Povetkin and biathlon champion Anton Shipulin as registered campaign surrogates.Putin held a rally on March 3 at Moscow¡¯s vast Luzhniki Stadium, which will host the soccer World Cup final in July. With him was 15-year-old figure skating gold medalist Alina Zagitova, fresh from the Olympics in Pyeongchang, and the entire gold medal-winning men¡¯s hockey team. Zagitova¡¯s participation prompted concerns from some opposition activists that the Putin campaign was improperly using a child for electioneering.Putin himself practiced judo in his youth, and some of his former partners went on to become billionaires under his rule. Now he tends to play hockey, often scoring numerous goals in televised exhibition games against former NHL players.Many Russian athletes rely on the government for their livelihood. In most Olympic sports, the Sports Ministry wields wide-ranging power over funding, and even hires and fires individual coaches. Many of Russia¡¯s top clubs in soccer and hockey are funded by state-controlled companies.It¡¯s hard to say exactly how many Russian athletes back Putin wholeheartedly or have opposition sympathies.Kafelnikov said he doesn¡¯t believe athletes are coerced into backing the government, but added he¡¯s in contact with other opposition-minded athletes who don¡¯t talk politics openly.¡±I¡¯m sure there are plenty. I¡¯m hoping so,¡± he said. ¡±There are some who share my thoughts toward what¡¯s happening and what¡¯s going to happen. I do have some supporters.¡± GOLFSOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) The return to a classic U.S. Open course brought back the kind of scoring that gave this major its reputation.Dustin Johnson played some of his best golf and yet the world¡¯s No. 1 player barely beat par in the treacherous wind at Shinnecock Hills. Johnson holed a bunker shot for birdie, kept his mistakes to a minimum and joined Ian Poulter, Scott Piercy and Russell Henley at 1-under 69 for a share of the lead.Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and a long list of golf¡¯s bests had their hopes crushed in gusts that approached 25 mph that made fairways look more narrow and the shin-high rough difficult to avoid.In his return to the U.S. Open after a two-year absence, Woods opened a major with a triple bogey for the first time in 15 years. He added back-to-back double bogeys on the back nine and staggered to a 78.Spieth shot 80 Youth Matt Irwin Jersey , his highest first-round score in a major.Jason Dufner opened with a 70, and even those at 1-over 71 felt as though they put in a hard day¡¯s work, a group that included Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson.GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) ¨C Kelly Shon played her last six holes in 6 under for an 8-under 64 and a share of the lead with So Yeon Ryu in the Meijer LPGA Classic.Shon had a 7-under 29 on her final nine, the front nine at Blythefield Country Club. The former Princeton star played the five par-5 holes in 5 under with an eagle on No. 8.The sixth-ranked Ryu birdied four of the par 5s in a bogey-free round.Anna Nordqvist, Su Oh and Celine Herbin shot 66. Sophia Popov, Caroline Masson and Lee-Anne Pace were at 67, and Lexi Thompson, the 2015 winner, had a 68. Ariya Jutanugarn, making her first start since winning the U.S. Women¡¯s Open, matched defending champion Brooke Henderson, Michelle Wie and Lydia Ko at 69. Annie Park, the ShopRite LPGA Classic winner last week in New Jersey, had a 76.SPORTS BETTINGOCEANPORT, N.J. (AP) ¨C New Jersey¡¯s governor bet that the New Jersey Devils will win the Stanley Cup, while basketball legend Julius Erving bet that Philadelphia¡¯s football team will repeat as champions, placing the wagers the day betting on professional sports became legal in the state.The action took place at Monmouth Park Womens Mattias Ekholm Jersey , a racetrack in Oceanport near the Jersey shore, and at the Borgata, Atlantic City¡¯s first casino to jump into the sports betting market since New Jersey won a Supreme Court case a month ago clearing the way for all 50 states to offer it should they choose.New Jersey fought for eight years against a federal law that had limited sports betting to four states ¨C Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon.BASEBALLPHILADELPHIA (AP) ¨C Vince Velasquez took a no-hitter two outs into the seventh inning, Rhys Hoskins and Nick Williams hit solo homers and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3.Trevor Story lined Velasquez¡¯s 105th pitch to left for an RBI double, ending Velasquez¡¯s bid for the fourth no-hitter in the majors this season. Velasquez retired 20 of the first 21 batters and got a standing ovation as he walked off the mound after the hit.The Phillies won a series for the first time since taking two of three from Atlanta on May 21-23. They¡¯re 7-12 since.NEW YORK (AP) ¨C Gleyber Torres hit another three-run homer and Domingo German struck out a career-high 10 for his first major league win as the New York Yankees edged the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 in the opener of a four-game series.Aaron Hicks also homered off Blake Snell as New York beat the blossoming left-hander for the second time this season and ended his four-game winning streak.German gave up a home run to Matt Duffy on the first pitch of the game but quickly recovered to strike out the next three batters. Making his seventh start in place of injured Jordan Montgomery, the rookie right-hander allowed three runs, five hits and two walks in his 19th career appearance.Chad Green and Dellin Betances set up Aroldis Chapman for his 19th save in 20 attempts.NFLENCINITAS, Calif. (AP) ¨C Former NFL tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. has been arrested on charges of rape and other sex crimes on the day he was to appear in court on an unrelated burglary charge.The San Diego Union-Tribune reports sheriff¡¯s deputies arrested Winslow at his home in the San Diego suburb of Encinitas.The 34-year-old Winslow was charged with two counts of rape, two counts of kidnapping with intent to commit rape and single counts of forcible sodomy, oral copulation and indecent exposure. He¡¯s free after posting $50,000 bail.Winslow was due to appear in court after being charged with burglary following an incident last month at a mobile home park. He now faces arraignment Friday.HOCKEYTORONTO (AP) ¨C Andreas Johnsson had two goals and an assist to help the Toronto Marlies win the American Hockey League¡¯s Calder Cup, 6-1 over the Texas Stars in Game 7.Mason Marchment also scored twice, Carl Grundstrom and Ben Smith added goals, and Garret Sparks made 29 saves for the Toronto Maple Leafs¡¯ top farm club.The Marlies led the AHL with 112 points during the regular season and won 10 straight playoff games before being pushed to the distance by the Stars, Dallas¡¯ top development team.The last Toronto AHL affiliate to win the Calder Cup was the New Brunswick Hawks in 1982.BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) ¨C The Buffalo Sabres stocked up on another Boston University product by acquiring defenseman Brandon Hickey in a trade that sent forward Hudson Fasching to the Arizona Coyotes.Buffalo also acquired minor-league forward Mike Sislo in the deal.Hickey joins three former Boston University teammates on Buffalo¡¯s roster P.K Subban Jersey , including star center Jack Eichel. Hickey was the Terriers¡¯ captain in completing his senior season, and finished his career with 21 goals and 54 points in 147 games.Arizona later acquired forward Adam Helewka from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Kyle Wood.The Sabres also signed prospect goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to a three-year, entry level contract. Luukkonen is from Finland and was Buffalo¡¯s second-round pick in last year¡¯s draft.COLLEGE BASKETBALLNEW YORK (AP) ¨C Simone Westbrook is going to be able to play college basketball again after the NCAA granted her a rare seventh year of eligibility.The former Florida player is believed to be one of the first in women¡¯s basketball to get a seventh year, according to the NCAA.It¡¯s been a long, drawn-out process for Westbrook, who hasn¡¯t played since 2016 after tearing a knee ligament in August that year. She was finally healthy enough to play this past season, but the NCAA originally didn¡¯t grant her a sixth year of eligibility. Florida appealed in January, and the NCAA reconsidered its decision and allowed her to play.The Florida graduate discussed with the new Gators coaching staff, which came in before the 2017-18 season, that she was going to transfer if granted another year of eligibility. By the time the appeal came through, it was too late for her to transfer and play immediately.After the season ended, the Gators put together another appeal to get the 5-foot-8 guard a seventh year and it was finally approved.