ROME -- Italian medalists from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics wrote to Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi on Thursday pleading with her not to drop the capitals bid for the 2024 Games, saying it would be a mistake to close the door on a unique opportunity.Raggi has voiced opposition to the bid but has not formally rejected it. She is scheduled to meet with Italian Olympic Committee President Giovanni Malago this month.Rome, one of four candidates in the international bid race, is trying to bring the Summer Olympics back to Italy for the first time since the city hosted the 1960 Games.Those of us who had the opportunity to experience the Rio Games and to win a medal, putting Italys name on the podium, are convinced that bringing the games back to our country and our capital would give future generations the necessary optimism to believe in a better future, said the letter, signed by the 68 athletes. You can give a decisive push to our dreams and a reason for enthusiasm for all Italian sport.Raggi, who represents the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, became Romes first female mayor in June and, at age 37, also its youngest.She maintained throughout her campaign that she wants to focus on everyday items before extraordinary ones and has pointed to the high costs faced by Olympic cities.IOC guidelines for bid cities require undivided support from the city, the national Olympic committee and the government.We ask you not to leave out your support for Romes bid, the letter said. We ask you with the passion we have shown recently in our competitions and which allowed us to excel. We appeal to your sensitivity as a mayor and your love as a mother.If we play together no match can ever be lost. United we can win. You showed that by becoming mayor. We showed that by winning in Rio. We are certain you share our sentiments. Dont close the door on a unique opportunity.Previous Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino formally submitted the bid to the International Olympic Committee last year after a city council vote showed overwhelming support.The other 2024 bidders are Los Angeles, Paris and Budapest, Hungary. The IOC will select the host city in September 2017.If the bid is rejected, it would mark Romes second withdrawal in four years after then-premier Mario Monti in 2012 stopped Romes bid for the 2020 Games for financial reasons.Rome is our capital and we are all by your side in the battle you are leading to get it back to ancient glories, the athletes said in their letter to Raggi. We would be happy to be able to compete now, together, to achieve a dream, a hope: Rome 2024. A sporting embrace. Vans Shoes Clearance . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. Discount Vans Shoes Online . 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DENVER -- Wayne Simmonds handed his own stick to Pierre-Edouard Bellemare in the middle of a late onslaught by the Colorado Avalanche and continued to try to block shots with his body.It was the kind of all-out effort the Philadelphia Flyers needed to preserve their longest winning streak in 31 years.Roman Lyubimov and Brayden Schenn scored 1:46 apart in the third period and Philadelphia held on for its 10th straight victory, beating Colorado 4-3 on Wednesday night.The Flyers have their longest winning streak since a franchise-best run of 13 games in 1985, but this one didnt come easily.Colorado had chance after chance to score the equalizer after pulling goalie Calvin Pickard with 1:31 remaining. Steve Mason helped deny the Avalanche with several clutch saves as his defense scrambled in front of him.Just an all-out battle, Mason said. Guys were giving everything they could to block shots, try to clear pucks. We had a broken stick, a failed clear on a wrong-way stick. Its a heck of a way to close out a game. It was pretty chaotic.Off a Colorado turnover in its own zone, Lyubimov slapped the go-ahead goal past Pickard 3:30 into the third. Schenn added to the lead with his fifth goal in his last three games.Simmonds and Michael Del Zotto also scored, and Mason stopped 26 shots.The Flyers know they cant be satisfied in a competitive Metropolitan Division, though. They are tied with New York Rangers in second place at 41 points.But still, the streak is appreciated.Ive never won 10 in a row in any league, never mind the NHL, Simmonds said. So its pretty special.Pickard, starting in place of injured Semyon Varlamov, made 21 saves. Matt Duchene had two goals and Rene Bourque also scored for the Avalanche, who have lost five straight at home and eight of 10 overall.Duchene scored his second goal of the night to make it 4-3 with 4:45 remaining, and thought he nearly had his third in the last minute.I missed one by I think an inch from tthe backdoor, Duchene said.dddddddddddd. We pressed, we didnt give up -- which is good. But we put ourselves into too many bad positions this year. The starts of periods are killing us this year and tonight was no different.Duchene put back a rebound off Mason to give Colorado a 2-1 lead 16:34 into second, but Simmonds tied it 23 seconds later with his 16th goal of the season, fourth-most in the league.The Flyers appeared to score again 78 seconds after that, but Bellemares goal was overturned after video replay deemed that he tipped in the puck with a high stick.Things got chippy after that. Gabriel Landeskog laid out Michael Raffl with a big hit, causing Landeskog and Jakub Voracek to drop the gloves. Both got in a few shots before Voracek fell to the ice.I dont think I picked the right city to fight in, Voracek cracked. I felt like I ran a marathon out there. I was tired.The Flyers got on the board first with Del Zottos goal 4:01 into the second. Del Zotto took a crossing pass from Claude Giroux, but Pickard slid across the crease to deny his initial chance. The puck fluttered into the air and dropped back into the crease before Del Zotto swiped his own rebound into the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season.Bourque tied it 12:14 into the second with his ninth goal.You lay it all on the line and you dont get any results, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. Its frustrating, for sure.Game notes The Avalanche recalled goalie Spencer Martin from San Antonio to serve as the backup while Varlamov is day-to-day with a groin injury. ... Philadelphia D Shayne Gostisbehere returned after missing one game with a swollen right hand. Fellow defenseman Mark Streit is expected to be out two weeks with a shoulder injury.UP NEXTFlyers: At Dallas on Saturday night.Avalanche: Host Florida on Friday night. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '