RIO DE JANEIRO -- Isadora Cerullo got no medal at these Olympics. A ring will have to suffice.Cerullo is a rugby player for Brazil and her team finished ninth at the Rio Games out of a 12-team field, well out of medal contention. When the competition was over, a venue manager walked onto the pitch and eventually got around to asking her a question.The manager was her girlfriend, Marjorie Enya. The question was will you marry me? And as others surrounded them and held red heart-shaped balloons, Cerullo said yes.Unlike the Sochi Games two years ago, where gay rights were called into question over anti-gay laws enacted by Russias government, the Rio Games seem to be increasingly tolerant by comparison. It hasnt been flawless -- for example, homophobic slurs were shouted by some in the stands at a U.S. womens soccer match as the games opened -- but theres certain signs of progress on the inclusion front.Thats what I hope for and I feel like our society is going in the right direction, said U.S. womens basketball star Elena Delle Donne, who came out and announced her engagement last week. Thats not a story. Its normal.The new normal, perhaps.Gay marriage is legal in Brazil, though tolerance seems far from universal. One gay rights group says that on average since 2013, about one LGBT person each day has been killed in Brazil. The organization called Grupo Gay da Bahia calls Brazil the world champion of crimes motivated by homophobia and-or transphobia.I know all the prejudice that exists in society against homosexuals, said 2012 Olympic beach volleyball bronze medalist Larissa Franca of Brazil, who is competing again in Rio. We dont choose our feelings, let alone control them.So far in these Olympics, there seems to be far more cheering than prejudice.Whether it was a transgender model appearing in the athletes parade at the opening ceremony, two men kissing during their leg of the torch relay along Copacabana Beach or the British womens field hockey team including two teammates who are married -- an Olympic first -- it has already been a games unlike any other for the LGBTQ community.A lot of support, Delle Donne said.Thats as the International Olympic Committee intended, too. After Sochi, the IOC required future Olympic host cities to abide by rules that forbid any kind of discrimination, including with regard to sexual orientation.Its in the charter that we dont accept any discrimination on grounds of race or religion and sexuality is now included in that. But this kind of takes it even further, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Tuesday. Its a celebration of that and certainly made me feel good this morning when I heard about the story. So its excellent, excellent news.Cerullos engagement quickly made global headlines given the stage on which it occurred. Enya appeared, gave a rather impassioned and emotional speech about how Cerullo is the love of her life, and the couple sealed the moment with a kiss.That certainly made her very happy, said Brazil rugby player Rachel Kochhann, one of Cerullos teammates. We felt this joy in our group.Outsports.com reported that there are at least 46 publicly known LGBT athletes in the Rio Games, the highest number of any Olympics. British diver Tom Daley won a bronze medal in the synchronized competition, with his fiance in the stands to cheer him on -- and whatever buzz that created didnt seem to overshadow the medal accomplishment whatsoever.Daley came out in 2013 and said hes never been happier.Im at my most consistent, Daley said. I feel ready physically, psychologically, everything, so Im really excited.Daley said the support hes gotten has been empowering, and British racewalker Tom Bosworth can relate. When Bosworth revealed his sexuality publicly last year, he said he was blown away by the support from those who already knew and people he never met.Its actually spurred me on, Bosworth said. Its actually given me more motivation. ... Now I feel like Im doing it for even more people than before.For Cerullo and Enya, it was an Olympic moment theyll never forget.The stadium was largely empty when Enya walked onto the grass with a microphone, volunteers gathered around as she spoke about what Cerullo means to her. The ring that Enya gave Cerullo was a simple piece of ribbon.Gold ribbon, that is. After all, it was at an Olympics.I wanted to show people, Enya said, that love wins. NCAA Jerseys For Sale . Only three players drafted by NHL clubs were included on the Czech selection camp roster on Wednesday. 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Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. John Wall and the Washington Wizards spawned nightmares for the Orlando Magic the last three years.The two division rivals play each other four times each season and each time the Washington Wizards have come out on top. The Wizards have beaten the Magic in every way imaginable, it seems, in that stretch.Some of that is understandable of course. The Magic were a rebuilding team with young players not quite ready to win and far out of the playoff race. And the Wizards were a team thinking about advancing in the playoffs or just outside the playoff picture.They get their first crack at one of their primary torturers Saturday night at Amway Center in Orlando. It is a game players who have been on the Magic for multiple years know carries some importance.They beat the (heck) out of us the last two years, Magic guard Evan Fournier said after practice Friday. They always beat us the same way, playing physical, punking us. No way is it going to happen again tomorrow.Fournier and the Magic have suffered their bad beats to the Wizards. But confidence is at a high after gutting out two straight wins following a disappointing 0-3 start to the season.Slowly but surely the Magic are building a defensive identity and eking out wins with that defense and transition game.Against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, the Magic used energy from defensive plays by Bismack Biyombo and used a 16-point defensive fourth quarter to secure a win over the Sacramento Kings. It was the second straight game the Magic held an opponent to less than 20 points in the final quarter to pick up the win.That could spelll trouble for the Washington Wizards, who have struggled to score throughout the season.dddddddddddd The Wizards ranked 21st in the league in offensive rating, scoring 98.6 points per 100 possessions, entering Fridays 95-92 home win over the Atlanta Hawks. That is only slightly better than the Magic.Washington though knows it is better than it has played so far this season.We know were better than 0-3, Wizards guard Bradley Beal told The Washington Post. I feel like we should be 3-0 right now, but we gave up some tough games. The crazy thing is we know what were doing wrong. Its just a matter of us just doing it.The Wizards started to right the ship it seems with a 29-16 second quarter that gave them a lead large enough to hold onto in the second half Friday against the Hawks. Bradley Beal scored 28 points and John Wall scored 21, but the two combined to shoot 13 for 33 from the floor. The team shot 38.8 percent from the field overall.Wall is still one of the most dangerous players in the league, particularly in the open floor. And that gives them a chance.But the Wizards have lost their defensive edge -- their 112.1 points allowed per 100 possessions is the worst in the league entering Fridays action -- and they may have lost that physicality the Magic have struggled with for the last three years.Now it seems Orlando has all the momentum and a chance to fight back in this divisional series as the two teams meet at Amway Center in Orlando on Saturday. ' ' '