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RIO DE JANEIRO -- When Lily Zhang, the American table tennis ace, decided she wanted to make her sport a priority, she took a year off from college to devote to practice, including three months playing with pros in Austria. It paid off, landing her on the Olympic team for the second time.But her decision -- leaving behind friends, family and studies at the University of California at Berkeley to put in grueling six-hour-a-day sessions for months -- highlights an unfortunate truth for U.S. table tennis: In the quest to build a team of professionals to challenge powerhouse China, school is the enemy.To succeed in a sport like table tennis that demands obsessive practice but provides little financial support, young athletes often must give up their education, at least temporarily.Many end up eventually choosing college, even if theyre good enough to make the Olympics.It was very hard to balance, Zhang, 20, who lost in the third round in singles and plays in the team event on Friday, said of her freshmen year at Berkeley. I found myself only practicing once every two weeks or even once a month.Zhang, who hunched over a PC after a recent practice session in Rio registering online for classes for her delayed sophomore year, knows that her practice time will plunge again when she returns to school later this month.I definitely cannot play professionally during university, she said. It would be very difficult to play six hours a day.And theres the dilemma.Its natural, though often painful, for young athletes playing under-funded, less popular sports like table tennis to choose college. But it puts the Americans perpetually in the hole against China, Japan and Europe, where table tennis often enjoys government support.The two things in the U.S. are currently not compatible, Massimo Costantini, the U.S. table tennis coach, said of college and high-level table tennis.To be a professional table tennis player, he said, you cant do anything else. But to do so you need support. ... What if we had the same support as other countries?A good example of the quandary table tennis faces in the United States can be seen with Ariel Hsing, a young player who made a run at the London Olympics, losing a hard-fought game in the third round to the eventual gold medalist from China.But when she started at Princeton, Costantini said, education took over. You cant make a living from table tennis for the rest of your life. Several good players, they suddenly stop because of college. ... I understand, but it is hard. I have regrets for what might have been.Kanak Jha, a 16-year-old American who was the youngest male ever to qualify for table tennis in Olympic history, takes online classes and trains with professionals in Sweden.Table tennis is a sport where you have to play many hours every day to get better, and when youre so focused on school and table tennis it gets really tough mentally and physically, Jha said.Money can be as big a problem as finding practice time.Another young American, Yijun Feng, 19, who, like Jha, lost in the first round in Rio but will play in the team event Friday, took a year off after graduating from high school to practice six hours a day in China.Feng, who will attend the University of Georgia after the Olympics, says he may take time off again after his freshman year to train and hopes to get an equipment sponsorship; in the meantime, he and his parents pay for everything, including expensive equipment and tours that can cost as much as $5,000.Leaving the sport can sometimes bring as much relief as grief.Michael Landers, a promising young table tennis talent who ultimately failed to make the 2012 Olympic team, is shown in the documentary Top Spin weeping after missing his chance for those games. Later, after enrolling at New York University, he described the intense pressure of juggling friends, family, school and table tennis.Everything I felt was just riding on my back. And then just to be finished with that, he said of his tears after the loss. I was really, really happy to just be done with it, even though I was crushed.---Follow Foster Klug at www.twitter.com/apklug Gilbert Perreault Jersey . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. Benoit Pouliot Jersey . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. http://www.sabresauthority.com/authentic-jacob-josefson-sabres-jersey/ . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. 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DETROIT -- Jordan Zimmermann didnt last long in his return from the disabled list, and its not clear when hell be able to pitch again.Zimmermann allowed homers to Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia in a five-run second inning, and the Detroit Tigers had their eight-game winning streak snapped in a 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.Zimmermann had been out since June 30 because of a right neck strain, and now a lat issue has come up. The right-hander was to have an MRI, and the Tigers were taking a wait-and-see approach on his next start.His lat was a little bit tight, not really related to what the issue was when he was on the DL, manager Brad Ausmus said. He just couldnt seem to get loose. There was no pain, he was just having trouble getting extended and locating the ball.Zimmermann (9-5) allowed six runs and six hits in 1 2/3 innings, failing to strike out a batter. Jose Quintana (9-8) allowed three runs and eight hits in 7 1/3 innings.David Robertson pitched the ninth for his 26th save in 30 chances, and Chicago won for only the second time in eight games.Miguel Cabrera and Ian Kinsler homered for Detroit, but the Tigers fell to three games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland.Zimmermann labored through the first, allowing a run on Justin Morneaus sacrifice fly, but it was the second inning that was his undoing. Garcia homered into the second level of bushes beyond the wall in center field to give Chicago a 2-1 lead. Not long after that, trainer Kevin Rand went to the mound to check on Zimmermann, but the right-hander remained in the game.Melky Cabrera added an RBI single, and Adam Eaton hit a sacrifice fly. Abreu then made it 6-1 with a two-run shot to left.Abreu hadnt homered since June 23.Its been a long time, and I think somewhere in there, its been dragging on him, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said.dddddddddddd I think his swings today were great, and he hit a lot of balls right on the nose, which is a good sign for him.It was Zimmermanns shortest outing since he also went 1 2/3 innings for Washington against Miami on April 9, 2014.MORE SUPPORTQuintana had received one run or fewer of support in nine of his previous 14 starts. He protected the big lead without much drama Thursday after a shaky first inning.POWERKinslers homer was his 21st of the season and Miguel Cabreras was his 25th.Hes mostly on the corner, and it was no exception today, Kinsler said of Quintana. For myself, I just got one over the middle -- basically right down the middle. Miggy hit a bad ball, it looked like.Kinslers leadoff homer tied the game at 1, and the Tigers nearly scored again in the first on J.D. Martinezs double, but the relay home was in time to retire Nick Castellanos for the third out.In the seventh, the Tigers scored on an RBI single by Tyler Collins, and Miguel Cabrera hit his solo shot an inning later.TRAINERS ROOMWhite Sox: Rookie SS Tim Anderson left in the first inning with a bruised left hand after being hit by a pitch. X-rays were negative.Tigers: OF Cameron Maybin sat out with a sprained left thumb.UP NEXTWhite Sox: Chicago hosts Baltimore for three games. Miguel Gonzalez (2-5) of the White Sox faces Yovani Gallardo (3-3) of the Orioles on Friday night.Tigers: Justin Verlander (11-6) takes the mound against Noah Syndergaard (9-5) in the opener of a three-game series against the New York Mets.---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister Cheap Adidas Hockey Jerseys Wholesale College Jerseys Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Cheap Football Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Baseball Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Jerseys From China Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Nike NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Soccer Jerseys China Cheap NCAA Jerseys China Stitched NFL Jerseys Cheap Custom Jerseys China Cheap Basketball Jerseys Authentic NFL Jerseys China Cheap College Jerseys Wholesale Football Jerseys ' ' '