RIO DE JANEIRO -- At the request of a kid from a town named Stone, five-time Olympic rowing champion Steve Redgrave sent a signed picture with the words, No Stone Unturned.That kid, Joe Clarke, stuck the picture on his bedroom wall and used it for inspiration as he got better at canoe slalom.On Wednesday, Clarke was still pinching himself on the podium at Whitewater Stadium as the Union Jack flew highest in honor of his Olympic gold-medal triumph in kayak.In windy, rainy, gloomy conditions -- Im glad the British weather came, he said -- Clarke came down the course eighth in the 10-man final, and enjoyed a clean run, taking over first place 0.17 seconds faster than the previous paddler, two-time world champion Peter Kauzer of Slovenia.Knowing there were only two paddlers left, Clarke was assured of at least a bronze medal.I was absolutely ecstatic, he said. To then upgrade it to the silver, and upgrade it again to the gold ... is like, Olympic champion Joe Clarke, Olympic champion, like, what?Right after Clarke, Jiri Prskavec of the Czech Republic, the current world champion, was fastest through the first quarter and then penalized for touching a gate with his head. Last man, Jakub Grigar of Slovakia, the world junior champion, could place only fifth.Typically in the tight canoe community, they were his friends, so he wasnt wishing them ill luck, but he admitted to being nervous while waiting in his kayak the finish area.For sure, Ive had some luck, and you need a bit of luck in this sport to excel. Thats come today, Clarke said. I dont know what I did to deserve that but I did something right along the way.Kauzer finished with the silver medal, and Prskavec got the bronze. It was the first Olympic medals for all three, and only the second gold in canoe slalom for Britain.Thanks to government funding, Clarke and the British team came to Rio de Janeiro often enough for training camps to consider Whitewater Stadium a second home. His family believed in him enough that 20 relatives and friends were in the stands to watch, including his parents and brother.Ive certainly made it worthwhile them coming here, he said. My parents sacrificed so much for me.Clarke was initially turned away by his local Stafford and Stone Canoe Club because he was too young to join, but when some places became open for young paddlers, he was invited to write a letter to explain why he should be given a chance. He was one of eight applicants from 60 to be accepted, and joined the club when he was 11.Despite having never previously won a major race, the 23-year-old Clarke found a groove in the roaring waters of his second home to be a medal contender through the heats, where he placed second overall, and the semifinals, where he placed third. Making the final was his main goal, and a medal a bonus.As for Redgrave, hed seen him in person across a room once at Britains Rio base before the Olympics, and they finally spoke for the first time in a congratulatory radio call after the win.That was amazing to hear from him, Clarke said. I left no stone unturned out there today. Custom Kansas City Royals Jerseys .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. Custom Milwaukee Brewers Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.customjerseysbaseball.com/custom-new-york-yankees-jerseys-604x.html . 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SAN DIEGO -- The name and face are familiar but its a different Clayton Richard pitching for the San Diego Padres.Richard was sharp for six-plus innings and Wil Myers homered as San Diego defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 on Monday night.The win in the matchup between the NL Wests worst teams elevated the Padres into a fourth-place tie with Arizona.Richard (3-3) won his third straight decision, charged with two runs and six hits. He struck out two and walked two.I feel like Im better now than I have been in my career, Richard said.Arizona manager Chip Hale was impressed.He did a good job, pitched in, used his changeup and his breaking ball well, he said.Richard, in his second stint with the Padres, has resurrected his career as a starter. Used mostly by the Chicago Cubs as a reliever the last two years, Richard has allowed two runs or less in six of his seven starts with the Padres.Once a strikeout pitcher coming straight over the top, Richard now pitches from the stretch and with a three-quarter delivery. Since San Diego acquired Richard on waivers on Aug. 6 hes become the teams most consistent starter.I didnt have expectations when I can here, Richard said. I just wanted the opportunity to get on a big-league mound and show what I could do.Brandon Maurer pitched the ninth for his 11th save in 13 chances as the Padres snapped a three-game losing streak.Braden Shipley (4-4), who had won three of his last four starts, was gone after four innings. Shipley surrendered three runs -- two earned -- and six hits with three strikeouts.I just didnt feel like I had the command that I normally do, especially with my offspeed stuff, he said.Richard wasnt in trouble until the seventh when Kyle Jensens triple scored Yasmany Tomas. Philip Gosselin drove in Jensen with an infield hit when Richard was late coveringg first base on a grounder to the right side.ddddddddddddrad Hand relieved Richard and induced pinch-hitter Rickie Weeks to hit into an inning-ending double play.Brad came into a difficult situation with the momentum going and he stopped it, said Richard, who lowered his ERA as a starter to 1.71.The Padres scored three times in the fourth inning.Myers solo blast started the rally, coming on an elevated outside 93 mph fastball. He went the opposite way over the fence in right field for his 26th homer of the season and a franchise-record 16th at Petco Park.The big thing for me is to stay on the fastball, Myers said. To hit it the other way is good. I wasnt late. I was trying to work the ball that way.Alexi Amarista, who had two hits, followed with a two-run single to left, pushing the Padres ahead 3-0. It came after Derek Norris liner ricocheted off shortstop Chris Owings glove for an error.Padres general manager A.J. Preller started his 30-day suspension for breaking Major League Baseballs protocol for medical record-keeping on Monday.TRAINERS ROOMDiamondbacks: OF A.J. Pollock (strained groin) ran for the first time since getting hurt on Sept. 9.Padres: OF Jabari Blash (sprained finger), who has been out since Aug. 19, could rejoin the team at the end of the week.UP NEXTDiamondbacks: RHP Archie Bradley (7-9, 5.07) has produced three quality starts in his last five outings, going 3-1 with a 5.19 ERA. He has split his two decisions in three starts against the Padres.Padres: RHP Paul Clemens (3-5, 4.94) has dropped three of his last four starts, but the win came in his last one. He threw five innings of scoreless ball when the Padres blanked the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 12. ' ' '