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In Norwalk, Connecticut, bleary-eyed Shi Jinglin walked out of the hotel elevator on a scorching July early afternoon, yawning, apparently still waking up from her power nap.Normally I will be asleep at this hour, she said. Napping has been part of my routine for years. I wouldnt be able to survive those twice-a-day, high-intensity trainings without it.Shi spoke to ESPN.com during a photo shoot for ESPN W as the Chinese Olympic swim team practiced for three weeks in southern Connecticut, and Chinas top female breaststroke swimmer wasnt shy about sharing her ambitions for Rio de Janeiro.I hope to make it to the (Olympic) podium, said the first-time Olympian from the eastern Chinese city of Changzhou. In Rio, Shi will compete in 100- and 200-meter individual events, as well as the womens 4x100-meter medley relay. Sunday will be the 100-meter backstroke.At last years World Swimming Championships in Kazan, Russia, Shi finished fifth in the 100-meter competition, but made headlines after winning a 200-meter bronze medal in a rare three-way tie with Spains Jessica Vall Montero and Denmarks Rikke Moller Pedersen. She was also a member of Chinas 4x100-meter womens medley relay team that won gold.To Shi, everything about the Olympics is so fresh and intriguing -- not only the razzle-dazzle at the worlds largest sporting event, but also the journey leading up to it. For Shi and her Chinese teammates, the routine remained unchanged despite training in Norwalk -- practice, eat, rest and repeat. She said he had little time to venture out and explore, not even reaching New York City, which is just one hours drive south.But this tranquil New England town provided a nice respite from the media spotlight at home and in Rio. It also helped the team adjust to the Olympic time zone, which is only an hour ahead of the Eastern Standard Time.I struggled, Shi said of overcoming the 13-hour time difference, her biggest challenge at the moment. I am slower than the rest of the team. They had fully adjusted to it, whereas I was only halfway through.My days and evenings are reversed, and my naps at noon and sleep at night are messed up.It feels as if my soul is wandering outside my body, she joked on her personal Weibo (a Twitter-like Chinese social media platform).She broke the metronome of her routine during an ESPN W photo shoot. I didnt bring any cosmetics with me, she jokingly pleaded with the photographer. Please dont show the pimples on my face or make me look too big.In the pool, however, Shi is all business. During the underwater filming, she followed the photographers instructions and glided tirelessly in every take. I just realized I look very serious, she joked after seeing the photos.Shi demonstrated that intense focus at Chinas swimming national championships last April, snatching the 100-meter gold while wearing a suit that was accidentally torn just before the competition.It had happened several times before during the practice, she said. I just did what I had to do.In Rios 100-meter breaststroke competition, 19-year-old Lithuanian and defending Olympic champion Ruta Meilutyte will be Shis biggest rival. Meilutyte, who won gold four years ago in London, holds a significant lead over Shi in personal record. Another challenger is American Lilly King, also 19, who became the third-fastest American female breaststroker in history during the recent U.S. Olympic trials.The womens 100-meter breaststroke preliminary heats start Sunday.Shi said her biggest focus, though, must be herself.My tactics and strategies are designed based on my own pace, She said. 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Haas said he "felt a lot of pain" in his right shoulder when he slammed his racket to the ground in frustration after losing his serve at 3-3 in the first set. Saddened reactions to the death of Craig Sager and heartfelt remembrances of the witty, flamboyantly dressed sports reporter filled social media after he died Thursday at age 65 following a battle with cancer.There were plenty of outpourings from the world of basketball, of course, where he was best known.He was an amazing guy. The courage that he showed the last few years was incredible in his fight, reigning NBA Coach of the Year Steve Kerr said before Golden State hosted the Knicks with a tribute planned. Its just a tough day.Having worked with Sager for eight years in television, Kerr noted, He had a spirit and an energy that very few people Ive ever met possess.Others around the NBA celebrated Sager- from teams such as the Chicago Bulls or Indiana Pacers and individual current and former players such as LeBron James , who called him a friend. Los Angeles Clippers star Chris Paul said Sager was 1 of a kind.Thank you for being you! Golden State Warriors star and two-time MVP Stephen Curry tweeted. Brought the best out of everyone you met. (hash)sagerstrongDwyane Wade looks straight into a camera for a video in which he movingly speaks about Sagers legacy, which will never be forgotten, and notes how he left us with so many stories to tell. The Philadelphia 76ers posted a video of an ailing Sager interviewing recent Hall of Fame inductee Allen Iverson , who tells the reporter, I love you, man.Long Live Craig, Warriors star Kevin Durant tweeted. We love you! Rest in Paradise.Young Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns posted a photo on Instagram of Sager interviewing him after he won the skills competition during All-Star weekend in Toronto last year, and wrote Words cant explain how honored, humbled, and excited I was to be interviewed by a legend like you at this moment. The sports world will never be the same without you.Former Detroit Pistons Bad Boy Dennis Rodman once told Sports Illustrated that Sager tracked him down when Rodman went AWOL in 1993 annd talked him out of committing suicide.ddddddddddddCraig Sager thanks for saving my life when I was in dire need of help in Detroit back in 1993, Rodman tweeted on Thursday. Condolences to your family. RIP my friend.And there were offerings of condolences from college hoops, too, including reigning NCAA mens champion Villanova , which accompanied its message with a photo of Sager speaking to Wildcats star Kris Jenkins at this years Final Four.But Sager was known to, and appreciated by, folks from far outside his area of expertise, so tributes came from all over, whether from the World Series champion Chicago Cubs or the Pro Football Hall of Fame , which called him one of the greatest broadcasters in all of sports.Condolences and respect also poured in from the broadcasting world, which held Sager in the highest regard. Rachel Nichols, an ESPN reporter who previously worked with Sager at Turner Sports, gave a touching tribute at the open of her NBA show, The Jump.I have to tell you, having had so many conversations with him and his family along the way, the way Craig fought this spoke so much to the kind of life that he lived, the kind of values he had and the family he had around him, Nichols said. His son was one of his bone marrow donors. His wife, Stacy, who has been incredible by his side. They just celebrated their anniversary yesterday, and I know it was important to Craig to be able to do that.One simple indication of the breadth of Sagers appeal away from the world of sports: Those commenting on Twitter ranged from the likes of Vice President Joe Biden, who wrote that Sager died as he lived -- with courage, passion, perseverance, to rappers Drake and Lil Wayne, who declared that Sager is Gone but never forgotten.Rest in peace Craig aka Shiny Suit Man, Drake posted on Instagram . Glad I got to talk with you at All Star. ' ' '