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TOKYO -- Theyve set up the elite academy, set in motion the Gold Plan and expect Kohei Uchimura to deliver three medals of that color in Rio de Janeiro next month, all part of the Japanese Olympic Committees ambitious program leading into Tokyo 2020.Japan is sending 331 athletes to Rio, the countrys third-largest delegation at the Olympics after Tokyo in 1964 and Beijing in 2008, and has targeted 14 gold medals -- double its tally from London four years ago.Koji Murofushi, the 2004 Olympics hammer throw gold medalist who is now sports director for the 2020 Tokyo organizing committee, says Japans performance in Rio will be vital in paving the way for success on home soil in the subsequent Summer Games.Rio is a very important moment for us, Murofushi told The Associated Press. If the athletes do well in Rio, then more attention would be coming from the public, and then, throughout Tokyo 2020. So it is very important for athletes to compete well.Japan is anticipating strong performances in mens gymnastics with London gold medalist Kohei Uchimura projected to win three golds. Other gold medal hopefuls include wrestlers Saori Yoshida and Kaori Icho and swimmer Kosuke Hagino.The expectation is that success in Rio will carry over to Tokyo. Host countries have done well on the medal standings in recent editions.Japan has set an ambitious goal of third place on the table in Tokyo, a vast improvement on its 11th place at London in 2012.The goals are set out in the JOC Gold Plan, designed to improve Japans international competitiveness. A key component of that is the creation of a national youth development program called the JOC Elite Academy to identify and prepare young athletes for the Tokyo Olympics in four years.Those games are sure to have a different look than Rio. For starters, there could be five new sports added to the program under the International Olympic Committees new rules that allow a host city to propose sports.Baseball-softball, surfing, skateboarding, karate and sports climbing have been recommended for inclusion, with a decision expected from the IOC next month.While Murofushi welcomes the return of baseball and softball, which are hugely popular in Japan, the 41-year-old former Olympian says hes especially excited about new sports making a debut in Tokyo.I was a skateboarding kid too, Murofushi said. Think about the skateboarding kids doing tricks on the streets -- once they announce that in the Olympics there will be skateboarding, I know they will be so crazy and excited.While the 1964 Games were largely about Japan returning to the global stage as an economic power, 2020 will be a showcase of high-tech, safety and organizational efficiency.Tokyo is a very secure and safe city, Murofushi said. 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Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Austin Allen was talking with teammate Frank Ragnow ahead of preseason camp when a thought about the last few seasons occurred to the first-year starting quarterback of the Razorbacks.You know, I cant even remember the last time Ive been hit, Allen said.Yes, its been that long -- four years, actually -- since Allen entered a football season as his teams projected starting quarterback.However, after three seasons of largely backing up his older brother, Brandon, the younger Allen knows expectations wont be diminished in the slightest because of any rust he might have. And thats just fine with the 6-foot-1, 209-pound junior, who has used his time away from the field to transform his usual fun-loving ways into more of an all-business approach.Well, nearly all business.I cant really wait to get just decked one time, Austin Allen said, unable to contain his excitement about the season opener against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 3.If Allens outgoing personality is a bit of a shock to Razorbacks fans this season, it will largely be because they are expecting the more-reserved style they have become used to over the last three seasons from Brandon Allen.It was the same adjustment coach Bret Bielema had to make three seasons ago when Austin Allen showed up on campus. Back then, the quarterback -- fresh off leading nearby Fayetteville High School to back-to-back state championships -- made his mark by cracking jokes during practices and occasionally giving his social life the same priority as football.It was an approach that rankled Bielema from time to time, and he made a point to mention his frustration with the quarterback. And of course, the Allens are very different.You wouldnt even know they are brothers, Bielema said. (Brandon) was kinnd of a more laid back kind of guy.dddddddddddd Austin, on the other hand, is very competitive.From the younger Allens perspective, one cause of the early growing pains was simply a matter of growing up. Another was the realization that playing time was doubtful early in his career.He finally turned more serious prior to last season, when he was set to serve as the primary backup. And the extra work -- from studying game plans, doing extra film work and mimicking his older brothers work ethic -- paid off in the form of repeated compliments from Bielema and Arkansas other coaches.The first year was on me, just not being mature enough, Allen said. It happens for every freshmen, I feel like, who thinks, `Oh, I dont need extra film. Ill be fine. That just doesnt happen in college. You have to do extra.Because of the durability of his older brother, Allen attempted only three passes last season. However, he did see limited action in four games two years ago -- including playing the entire second half of a 30-0 win over Mississippi after Brandon Allen was injured.That experience played a role in helping Austin Allen earn the starting job during the spring, when Bielema said he was the unquestioned top quarterback on the roster. It was a position Allen continued to earn throughout the summer while working out with teammates five days a week.One of the things I always urged him to do was take advantage of the experience his brother was having, and I think he tried to do that the best he could, Bielema said. Its never the same, but I like the way his leadership has continued during the summer. Im excited to see him take the reins. ' ' '