|
NAKISKA, Alta. cheap jerseys . -- Canadian ski cross star Marielle Thompson accomplished two goals in one race Saturday. She opened the World Cup season with an impressive victory and locked up a spot on the Olympic team in the process. Thompson held off defending champion Fanny Smith of Switzerland in the womens final to lead a two-medal day for Canada at Nakiska Ski Area. Brady Leman of Calgary took the mens bronze, finishing just behind Jonas Devouassoux of France and defending champion Armin Niederer of Switzerland. Thompsons powerful start served her well in all four heats and helped her lead from start to finish in the final. "She had a simple plan today, it was just keep nailing that start and go," said Canadian head coach Eric Archer. "I go, If you can think about the start only, youre going to be skiing with the lead all day. "She never saw anybodys butt today and it was awesome." Thompson, from Whistler, B.C., won a Crystal Globe last year as the overall World Cup champion and took the silver at the 2013 world championship. She said it was hard to believe that she had booked her ticket for Sochi. "I dont know if its really hit me yet," she said. "I dont even know. Its just super wild that I can represent Canada at the Olympics." Thompson was the only Canadian to pre-qualify for Sochi through method-A criteria, meaning she needed just one top-12 result this season to be all but guaranteed a spot at the Games. She fought off a nagging cold and frigid conditions on the long Mighty Peace course for the win. "Its all about the start on this course," Thompson said. "I was in that far gate so I knew Id really have to have a rocket-fast start and I pulled one off and just led the whole way down." Ophelie David of France won the bronze. In the mens final, Leman made a desperate push before coming away with a third-place result. "It was close to getting silver there for sure, maybe a ski length or so," he said. "I just ran out of room there at the end." Kelsey Serwa, the 2011 world champion from Kelowna, B.C., won the small final to finish fifth overall. It was a solid result in her first major race since undergoing left knee surgery earlier this year. "I couldnt ask for more," Serwa said. "I was aggressive and making passes and stepping all over skis in front of me. I messed up the start a few times and that got me I think, but other than that Im really happy with the outcome." Georgia Simmerling of West Vancouver, B.C., was ninth and Calgarys Danielle Sundquist was 19th. Mathieu Leduc of Comox, B.C., was 12th overall on the mens side. Dave Duncan of London, Ont., was 17th and Louis-Pierre Helie of Berthierville, Que., was 31st. Montreal resident and 2011 world champion Chris Del Bosco had a poor qualification run a day earlier and didnt advance to the heats. Two World Cups were on the original schedule this week but one event was cancelled Friday due to cold temperatures. It was a tad warmer Saturday, but it was still a frosty -24 C during the final runs. The Canadian ski cross team is expected to officially unveil its Olympic roster in mid-January. Qualification criteria is complicated because ski cross athletes must compete with other freestyle disciplines in order to lock up spots for Sochi. The Canadians didnt reach the podium at Nakiska last season in the events inaugural edition. Head coach Eric Archer was quite pleased with the results this time around. "Its awesome, its a good start," Archer said. "Now its race season. Were ready to go." Canada won the Nations Cup as the No. 1 team on the World Cup circuit in four of the last five years. cheap nfl jerseys . A Swiss Federal Tribunal ruling published Friday said that FIFAs disputes panel and the Court of Arbitration for Sport correctly imposed the sanction for Nantes enticing Guinea forward Ismael Bangoura to break his contract with Dubai club Al Nasr in January 2012. cheap jerseys from china . Entering the day in second place behind overnight leader Vincenzo Nibali, the 41-year-old Horner pulled away from the Giro dItalia champion over the final meters of the uphill ascent to turn a three-second deficit into a three-second lead with just two days to go.Gary Harris is going pro, thanks in part to coach Tom Izzos recommendation. The Michigan State shooting guard is entering the NBA draft, choosing to skip his last two years of college. "Its time to follow my dream," Harris said in a statement released by the school. Izzo told reporters after the season that he would advise Harris to make the jump to the league if his research led him to believe the native of Fishers, Ind., would be among the top guards drafted in June. "Not only do I fully support and celebrate Garys decision, but after my information gathering process, I recommend it," Izzo said in a statement. "I expect Gary to be a high pick in the draft, but more importantly, I know that he is well prepared for a long career." Harris averaged a team-high 16.7 points last season, helping his team win 29 games, including the Big Ten tournament championship. He shot 43 per cent overall and made 81 of 230 3-point shots. Harris was an Associated Press All-America honourable mention, All-Big Ten and all-conference defensive player. The 6-foot-4 Harris, who was voted team MVP by his teammates and the media, was among 15 finalists for the Wooden Award last season. "My two seasons at Michigan State have been an amazing experience," Harris said. "I have a lifetime of memories, including some incredible games in some incredible places, NCAA Tournaments, and cuttting down the nets after a Big Ten tournament championship. wholesale jerseys. " He scored 1,025 points in two seasons, becoming the third player in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark as a sophomore. The other two were Magic Johnson and Mike Robinson. Last year, Harris became the first player in Michigan State history to be named Big Ten freshman of the year and to be voted MVP by his teammates. After debating whether to be a one-and-done player, he chose to become a sophomore. "Just like last season, I had to make a tough decision," Harris said. "There hasnt been a single day where I regretted my decision to return for my sophomore season. It was the right decision for me and Im better prepared for a successful NBA career because of it. On top of that, I have another season of memories from being around this years team." Michigan State has not announced if Branden Dawson will return as a senior or join Harris in the draft. Dawson averaged a career-high 11.2 points last season. The 6-foot-6 forward flashed some of his potential, scoring a career-high 26 points in an NCAA tournament win over Harvard and scoring 24 points in his next game, helping the fourth-seeded Spartans beat top-seeded Virginia in the round of 16. After scoring in double digits for six straight games, Dawson scored just five points in the season-ending loss to the seventh-seeded Huskies. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' ' |
