#1

Now theyll want to play us because they will want to try

in Mariah Carey Mon Nov 04, 2019 10:35 am
by Cl11234566 • 330 Posts

CALGARY - Alex Bilodeau retired this year after defending his Olympic gold medal in moguls, but silver medallist Mikael Kingsbury has no shortage of competition from within his own Canadian team.In the years between winning his gold medals in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Games, Bilodeau was constantly challenged, and often beaten in World Cups and world championships by the upstart Kingsbury.The Canadians were each others measuring sticks, which helped propel them to the top two steps of the podium in Sochi, Russia, in February.When Bilodeau announced in October that he was putting away his skis to study accounting, the question was who could step up and challenge Kingsbury? But such is Canadas depth of talent in mens moguls that just making the national team requires being among the best in the world.Heading into Saturdays World Cup at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Kingsbury is chasing teammate Phil Marquis for the overall World Cup lead.Marquis, a 25-year-old from Quebec City, won the season-opening dual moguls last month in Ruka, Finland, to don the World Cup leaders yellow bib.Dual moguls, in which two skiers race each other to the bottom of a course, is not yet an Olympic event but is a staple of the World Cup circuit and world championships.Skiers are judged and scored on their turns, acrobatics and speed in single moguls, which is an Olympic event.Saturdays single moguls race in Calgary is the first of the 2014-15 World Cup season. Kingsbury has won gold in Calgary four straight years.Its a pretty tricky course, said the 22-year-old from Deux-Montagne, Que.You have to be very smart and I think Im a smart skier. I make good decisions. Theres a big pitch change here and you have to control your speed. Thats something Im good at.I dont want to focus on winning, but I want to focus on my skiing. If I do that, I put myself in a very good position to win here again in Calgary.Marc-Antoine Gagnon of Terrebone, Que., is also in the mens field Saturday. He nearly made it a Canadian podium sweep in Sochi by finishing fourth. Marquis was ninth to put four Canadian men in the top 10 at the Winter Games.The womens field Saturday features Montreal sisters Justine Dufour-Lapointe and Chloe, who won Olympic gold and silver respectively in Sochi, as well as two-time Olympian Audrey Robichaud of Quebec City.The top 12 from morning qualification advance to the final, followed by the top six moving onto the super final.Kingsbury knew his rivalry with Bilodeau was good for both of them. Another one developing with Marquis can keep him sharp and hungry in this post-Olympic season.This year Phil has the yellow bib, so its kind of bringing it back to that rivalry I had with Alex, Kingsbury said. Its always fun to have that with your friends and teammates.Ive been training with Phil all summer. Hes getting better every day. Hes going to be a good challenge all year. Hes feeling confident now that he wears that yellow bib. Im planning on getting it back, but one day at a time.The reigning world moguls champion edged Bilodeau by one point last season to win the overall World Cup crown for a third time in his career. Kingsbury finished ninth and Gagnon sixth in dual moguls in Finland to start this season.Marquis hopes he and Gagnon can be what Bilodeau was to Kingsbury with the intra-team competition driving them all to international success. In the past, weve seen Mik and Alex kind of being the one-two punch of the team, Marquis said. For now, I think we have way more depth.The three of us who have been to the Olympics have the potential to reach new heights. All of us kind of pushing each other every day on and off the slopes, is whats going to make the Canadian freestyle team super-strong.The World Cup in Calgary is the second of eight stops on the circuit for the moguls skiers this season. The moguls team has another home race Feb. 7 in Val Sainte-Come, Que.The 2015 world freestyle ski championships are Jan. 15-25 in Kreischberg, Austria. Kingsbury wants to defend his singles title as well as win dual moguls to sweep gold there.Im having fun with what I do, Kingsbury said. Im taking it very seriously. Im trying to make the little details make the difference. Theres no secret. Im just skiing and trying to look good when Im skiing. Red Air VaporMax 2018 On Sale . LUCIE, Fla. Cheap Air VaporMax 2018 . -- Martin Kaymer never lost sight of opportunity even amid so much evidence of trouble in the closing stretch Sunday at The Players Championship. http://www.cheapairvapormaxfreeshipping.com/. Coach Randy Carlyle didnt know the severity of Bozaks injury. Bozak left the bench and went down the tunnel early in the second period, returned to play a handful of shifts and then did play in the third. Blue Air VaporMax 2018 Online .J. - Trying to learn and absorb the new West Coast offence being installed by new offensive co-ordinator Ben McAdoo, the New York Giants wrapped their final organized team activity Thursday before a three-day mini-camp next week. Womens Air VaporMax 2018 .com) - The Atlanta Hawks have stepped up to every challenge during their 14-game winning streak and will face another daunting task Friday with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder in town.TORONTO -- For once, expectations are sky high at the start of Toronto FC training camp. A team that has long been the MLS doormat --Toronto has won six, nine, 10, nine, six, five, and six games since coming into the league in 2007 -- enters the 2014 season as a shooting star thanks to the hoopla over high-priced signings Jermain Defoe, Michael Bradley and Giberto. "Its a bloody big deal" is the already tired slogan around the acquisition of England striker Defoe. But the atmosphere is unmistakable. "Theres a buzz," said general manager Tim Bezbatchenko. The players started arriving late this week and most trained indoors Friday, although manager Ryan Nelsen did not involve those who were are the recent Canadian national team camp in Florida. He also gave Bradley a pass, given his recent involvement in Serie A. "Michaels had a lot of football," Nelsen said. "He doesnt need it now. He just probably needs a little rest." Captain Steven Caldwell sat out with a minor calf knock while the club waited on visa paperwork for Brazils Gilberto and Jackson. Toronto leaves Sunday for Florida. The 31-year-old Defoe will remain with Englands Tottenham until the end of February. Toronto opens the season March 15 in Seattle. Nelsen says the team will give Defoe time to bed in when he gets here. "We have to be very careful and we have to judge it. Hes here for four years, its not like were going to rush him back, patch him up if we have to and throw him out on the field. We have to think long-term. "So when hes ready to play, hell be ready to play. If thats Game 1, then brilliant. If its Game 4, so be it." In his second year on the job, the 36-year-old Nelsen finds himself in a totally different situation. He arrived last year with minimal knowledge of the talent that awaited him. He has the squad of his choice largely in place this time. "In all honesty I thought it might take a couple of years to get to the situation where we are right now," said Nelsen. There was short-term pain for long-term gain last season. Some 27 players came in -- if you count Israeli defender Tal Ben Haim whose loan deal from QPR never quite happened -- and 26 exited. The revolving door has slowed ahead of 2014 but those coming in have been quality additions. The three DPs are joined by American Justin Morrow and Englands Bradley Orr on defence, Jackson and Canadian star Dwayne De Rosario in midfield and teenage Canadian forward Jordan Hamilton. The team still has some roster work to do on the status of Argentine midfielder Matias Laba and English fullback Richard Eckersley. Laba is in camp while Eckersley, with the teams blessing, is not. Laba also has a designated player deeal, meaning Toronto is one over the three DP limit.dddddddddddd So the club has to find a way to restructure his contract or move him on. The club likes the Argentine, who at 22 has many years ahead on him. Heres guessing the team finds a way to farm him out without losing track of him. Eckersley is a victim -- sort of -- of a rich contract that grew fatter this year when the team was forced to restructure his deal to help ease its salary cap burden last season. Toronto could take a one-time contract buyout to get out from under the Eckersley contract burden without taking a salary cap hit. Toronto can also reach a settlement with Eckersley or deal him while eating some of the contract, which would impact the cap. Other MLS teams are unlikely to take Eckersley at his current number. Still, Bezbatchenko is confident he can find a way. Given his background as a former MLS insider and the leagues seemingly fluid rules, he is likely to succeed. When it comes to his starting lineup, Nelsen often says his players -- not him -- pick the team with their performance on the pitch. When all his pieces are in place, one would expect a likely starting 11 of Joe Bendik in goal behind a backline of Morrow, Caldwell, Canadian Doneil Henry and Orr, a midfield of Jackson, Bradley, De Rosario (or fellow Canadian Jonathan Osorio) and Alvaro Rey with Gilberto and Defoe up front. Its a good-looking team sheet, although the rest of the roster is young. Nelsen likes what he sees but is realistic. He knows it takes time to turn around a franchise and establish a winning culture. "It doesnt matter who you put out on the field, the clubs got to learn how to win ... we know weve got a long way to go." Nelsen adds: "I say that with one side of my face. The other side says if theres a group of guys that can live up to any expectations, I feel like these guys will really enjoy it and will enjoy the pressure. "It will be different for them because we will have a target on our back. Everybody will want to beat us. Everybody wanted to play us because they knew they could beat us in the past. Now theyll want to play us because they will want to try to prove a point to beat us. "Its a different mentality and its going to be difficult. But its a lovely challenge to be in." A one-year partnership with the North Carolina-based Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL Pro League gives TFC a place to give some of its younger talent a chance to play. Toronto may also look to loan a player within MLS. Bezbatchenko was part of the process in getting the newly installed loan format approved while he was working in the league office. Canadian international Issey Nakajima-Farran is in the Toronto camp on trial. ' ' '

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