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SOCHI, Russia -- Canada is appealing the final results of the mens skicross at the Sochi Olympics in an effort to get fourth-place finisher Brady Leman of Calgary bumped up to gold. Rod Streater Womens Jersey . The French team swept the podium in the event. The Canadian Olympic Committee, along with the Slovenian Olympic Committee, are alleging that French team staffers changed the shaping of the athletes ski pants for better aerodynamics. The ad hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport is scheduled to hear the case Saturday night. Leman finished fourth in the final to Jean-Frederic Chapuis, Arnaud Bovolenta and Jonathan Midol of France in Thursdays competition. Slovenias Filip Flisar placed second in the small final and would be bumped to bronze if the appeal is won. Russia would win the silver. The Canadians and Slovenians initially requested that the world governing body of skiing disqualify the French competitors. But the FIS competition jury decided the protests couldnt be heard because they werent filed on time after the race. A decision by the CAS is expected Sunday. The Canadian Olympic Committee didnt immediately respond to an email request for comment. Leman reached Thursdays final after dominating the two previous rounds, but got off to a slow start in the medal round and then fell while trying furiously to catch up. "I was in disbelief, almost, when I was lying there," he said after the race. "But its part of skicross." It was a second Olympics in a row to end in disappointment for Leman. At the Vancouver Games, he didnt get to compete after fracturing a leg during a practice run. "I just feel slightly better, right now, than I did in Vancouver," he said. "It sucked watching my teammates from the stands, and all I wanted here is a chance. "I gave myself a really good chance today, and that Im really proud of that, but it sucks to be so close to the podium." Leman shrugged off talk he may have been intentionally shut out by the French skiers. He fell too far behind from the start and only briefly had a one-on-one battle with the last of the three leaders. "No, they were all trying for it, they were going for it," he said. "They skied the same as if it had been three different nations." "Everyone was trying to pass and thats in part why I ended up getting stuck on the outside. I probably should have tried going inside, but we have to make split-second decisions. You cant get them all (right) over a day of skicross. At some point you run out of luck -- like I did a couple of hundred metres short." Sio Moore Jersey . Van Riemsdyk scored twice and Nikolai Kulemin picked up the game-winner as Toronto snapped a three-game losing skid with a 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The Maple Leafs (12-7-1) placed the newly acquired Holland on its top line between Phil Kessel and van Riemsdyk. James Jones Jersey . Wrights first stint with Milwaukee was on a 10-day contract from March 14-23. He played in two games, averaging six points and two rebounds in 16.PERUGIA, Italy -- Italy was held to a 1-1 draw by Luxembourg on Wednesday in its final World Cup warm-up match before leaving for Brazil, with forward Mario Balotelli looking in impressive form. Claudio Marchisio headed Italy in front in the ninth minute after a splendid assist from Balotelli but Maxime Chanot levelled five minutes from time. It was Italys seventh successive match without a win, although the six draws and a defeat to Spain have all happened after securing qualification for the World Cup. "This test is absolutely not a failure, we tried to do things we had practiced in training," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said. "But its clear we have to improve. But we had to try certain things as we have very few matches. "We know that we werent brilliant, but we leave with the knowledge that we can have a great World Cup." Prandelli had said Balotelli would amaze with his improved form and the AC Milan forward was involved in most of the Azzurris best moves. He went close to scoring on several occasions and hit the crossbar as Italy dominated. Italy departs on Thursday and will play Brazilian club Fluminense in a final friendly match on June 8, six days before kicking off its World Cup campaign against England in Manaus. Prandellis side also faces Costa Rica and Uruguay in Group D. Italy started brightly and toook an early lead when Marchisio picked out Balotelli from near the halfway line. James Jones Authentic Jersey. . The forward controlled the ball perfectly before crossing for the onrushing Marchisio to head home from close range. Balotelli almost doubled Italys advantage shortly afterward but a last-ditch tackle saw his effort deflected over the bar. The tempo slowed down somewhat but Italy should have extended its lead two minutes before halftime, when free-kick specialist Andrea Pirlo saw his effort parried with a diving save by Anthony Moris and Balotelli fired just wide of the left upright as the moved continued. Moments earlier, Antonio Candreva had also fired narrowly wide. Balotelli had another chance just after the interval when he sent a snapshot past the far post. Antonio Cassano came off the bench for only his second appearance since the European Championship final in 2012 and he almost made an immediate impact with a through ball to Balotelli, who bamboozled two players before evading a tackle from a third as he unleashed a shot which crashed off the crossbar. Candreva also hit the crossbar moments later. Luxembourg had barely troubled Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon but levelled in the final minutes when Chanot headed home Mario Mutschs corner. Ignazio Abate almost immediately restored Italys advantage but was denied by Moris. Wholesale Jerseys' ' ' |
