but Jan Hudec can still think fast on his ski

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CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland -- Hes the elder statesman of the Canadian mens alpine team, but Jan Hudec can still think fast on his skis. Bobby Jenks Jersey . The 30-year-old from Calgary was second in a World Cup super-giant slalom event Friday for his first
career podium finish in the discipline. Hudecs previous three podium efforts all
came in the downhill, including a win Feb. 4 at Chamonix. "It was nice to get
some success in another event and show Im not just a downhiller and that I can
think a little bit too and ski some of the more technical stuff," Hudec said in
a phone interview. "It was a challenging day up there with snow conditions,
obviously it was tough for some guys. Hudec says he took advantage of a good
draw on a day when warm weather wreaked havoc on the course. "I think I backed
off the gas too much on the last pitch of the course and thats what kind of cost
me the win," said Hudec, who drew No. 6. "But moving forward I know what I need
to do (Saturday) to be on top." Didier Cuche of Switzerland won the race with a
time of one minute 33.11 seconds. Hudec was second in 1:33.27 while Austrias
Benjamin third in 1:33.32. The victory was especially sweet for the 37-year-old
Cuche, who was competing in his final World Cup in Switzerland before retiring.
"Everyone was telling me, You have to win. Im so happy that I was able to
deliver at the first race," Cuche said. "It lifts the pressure." Erik Guay of
Mont Tremblant, Que., was 13th in 1:33.93 while Jeffrey Frisch, also of Mont
Tremblant, also cracked the top 30, finishing finished 23rd in 1:34.94. Hudec
said the national team travels with a huge Canadian flag provided by Matt Price,
the squads fitness coach. And every time a skier makes the podium, he puts his
signature on the flag. Its a practice Hudec said Price began with the womens
team and started last year with the mens squad and one Hudec and his teammates
have thoroughly enjoyed with their recent success. "Its something material that
we can see our progress on and kind of hang it up on our training room wherever
we go," Hudec said. "Obviously you dont dwell on the day too much because theres
work to be done and you can always be faster. "But at the same time its nice to
know that we were on a roll and do have some momentum and the guys all feed off
that." Temperatures rose above 10 C on the south-facing Nationale course when
Cuche started, wearing bib No. 20. Hudec said Cuche was able to master the
conditions for a deserving victory. "It was bumpy when I went down but it really
got worse for the other guys," he said. "Its soft and obviously a lot of guys
are going to be complaining because the snow conditions are too soft here but at
the same time, its one of those races where the best guy on the hill won. "He
deserved to win, he had an incredible run." Hudec continued his revival as a
top-ranked skier after a series of knee injuries, which he says makes him really
appreciate his recent accomplishments. "I go from race to race and literally
take it day to day and try to enjoy the successes without dwelling on it too
much because I know the season is long and its easy to get sidetracked," Hudec
said. "But at the same time its such a pleasure to ski and not always be
thinking how my knees hurt or my back hurts. "It takes a lot of stress off me
and allows me to focus on my skiing and what I want to do on the hill and try to
take a few risks and go for the line I want to ski. It has put the fun back into
skiing, thats for sure." Cuche appeared equally surprised and elated on crossing
the line to find he was fastest on the softening snow, then delighted the crowd
further with his trademark trick of flicking his right ski end over end before
catching and kissing it. "My serviceman did a great job because the conditions
were so different from the rest of the season." Cuche, said praising American
technician Chris Krause for preparing his skis. With 100 race points, Cuche rose
to second in the season-long super-G standings, 38 behind Aksel Lund Svindal,
the Olympic super-G champion from Norway who placed ninth. Marcel Hirscher
retained the overall lead in the standings after Swiss speed specialist Beat
Feuz had a disappointing run. Hirscher started a super-G for the first time in
more than two years as he sought to defend his advantage, but finished outside
the top 30 points-scoring places, 2.74 behind Cuche. The 22-year-old Austrian is
41 points ahead of Feuz, who placed 20th. Defending champion Ivica Kostelic is
second in the standings, 12 points behind Hirscher, but is sidelined after knee
surgery. Hirscher said he "had a good course inspection" and would skip the
second super-G to focus on his specialist giant slalom on Sunday. American Bode
Miller sat out Fridays race to rest a knee injury. The U.S. team said Miller
underwent a "very minor scope" of his left knee this week. Cuche got his 21st
career World Cup win and his sixth in super-G. In 1998, he won an Olympic silver
medal in the discipline behind Hermann Maier at the Nagano Games. He moved into
a tie with Kjetil Andre Aamodt of Norway at 15th on the all-time World Cup
winners list. Millers 33 wins is seventh. Hudecs finish builds on the speed
teams recent hot streak. Thomsen was second at the last downhill in Sochi,
Russia, a result that came a week after Hudec, Guay and Thomsen finished 1-3-5
in the second downhill in Chamonix. Guay got the streak going Jan. 28 with a
second-place finish in the downhill in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. "Were
keeping it rolling," said Canadian speed coach Johno McBride. "What the secret?
More than anything its good energy and a sense of confidence. Guys are believing
in what they are doing and believing in themselves." -- With files from The
Associated Press. Michael Jordan White Sox Jersey . The Grizzlies were missing a bevy of players in the first meeting, and the Raptors
were performing at a much higher level at that time compared to how they enter
the rematch tonight in Memphis. Early Wynn Jersey . The move came just before the series finale against Houston, when newly acquired right-hander Hector Noesi
was added to the Rangers roster. Beltre hasnt played since coming out of
Tuesdays game at Boston.PITTSBURGH -- Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons
said he sat awake in his hotel bed Saturday night, thinking about his bullpens
recent problems. He even addressed his group of relievers Sunday morning.
Dustin McGowan made those worries a nonfactor, at least for a day. McGowan
pitched three-hit ball for seven innings, Colby Rasmus hit a grand slam and
Melky Cabrera added a two-run homer as the Blue Jays beat the Pittsburgh Pirates
7-2. "We had to have that one," Gibbons said. McGowan (2-1) allowed one run,
striking out five and throwing 101 pitches. It was the second consecutive
quality start for McGowan, a diabetic who started wearing an insulin pump on the
mound in his last start. "My blood sugar still gets erratic sometimes," he said.
"But thats part of the game for me. With the adrenaline going and everything, it
does what it wants to do. I cant control it sometimes." McGowan eclipsed the
100-pitch mark for the first time since June 27, 2008. "Thats two outings
wearing that pump," Gibbons said. "Maybe theres something to that." It was just
the fourth win in 13 games for Toronto, which prevented the Pirates from
completing their first series sweep of the season. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle
and first base coach Rick Sofield were ejected by plate umpire Greg Gibson at
the end of the fourth inning for arguing a called third strike on Jordy Mercer.
The strikeout stranded two runners and ended the inning. "I think it was pretty
apparent that the low strike wasnt going to come into play," Hurdle said. "But
the fact of the matter was it got to a point where I felt a pitch that hadnt
been called a strike all day got called a strike in, for me, a very pivotal
at-bat for us." Rasmus connected in the second inning for his fourth career
slam. He also doubled and singled. The Blue Jays held on to this early lead.
Toronto wasted a 5-3, ninth-inning edge in the series opener and a 5-0,
fourth-inning advantage on Saturday night. Josh Harrison hit two triples for the
Pirates. Edinson&nnbsp;Volquez (1-3) gave up six runs and seven hits in five
innings. Ozzie Guillen White Sox Jersey. . He also allowed six earned runs in his last outing April 21 against St. Louis. Volquez
pitched himself into a jam in the second inning before Rasmus stepped to the
plate, issuing walks to Edwin Encarnacion and Juan Francisco to start the
inning. Brett Lawrie reached on an infield single to load the bases with no
outs. Rasmus hit a full-count curveball about 10 rows deep in the right-field
seats for his seventh home run of the season, giving the Blue Jays a 4-1 lead.
Rasmus said he was not necessarily looking for an offspeed pitch in that
situation. "I was just trying to be out over the plate and throw my hands at
anything because hes got a good changeup, good curveball and a good two-seamer,
and he already tried to thumb me a couple in," he said. "I was just trying to be
ready to put something in play." The slam negated an early lead the Pirates
built on Neil Walkers groundout, scoring Harrison after his triple. Harrison
also tripled in the eighth and scored on Andrew McCutchens sacrifice fly.
Torontos Jose Bautista walked in the fifth to reach base in his 31st consecutive
game, the longest active streak in the majors. But he went hitless, snapping a
career-best 13-game hitting streak. Cabrera had three hits, and extended
Torontos lead to 6-1 with a two-run homer off Volquez in the fifth. Rasmus
scored another run in the eighth on an RBI single by pinch-hitter
Dioner Navarro. NOTES: Highly regarded Blue Jays RHP Marcus Stroman made his big
league debut, allowing one earned run and one hit while getting two outs. The
Blue Jays selected the 23-year-old Stroman Triple-A Buffalo and optioned OF
Anthony Gose. ... The Pirates plan to recall LHP Jeff Locke to start against San
Francisco on Monday night. An All-Star last year, Locke struggled in the second
half of 2013 and did not make the Pirates opening day roster. ... J.A. Happ
(0-0, 4.15) is scheduled to pitch for the Blue Jays at Philadelphia on Monday
night. Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' ' 
Posted 31 Oct 2016

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