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SOCHI, Russia -- Canada was a second-half team at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Jermon Bushrod Saints Jersey . The medal intake in Sochi is forecasted to happen at a more measured pace. Starting with Saturdays mens snowboard slopestyle and womens moguls, Canada has at least one legitimate medal shot, if not more, virtually every day until the closing ceremonies Feb. 23. Chef de mission Steve Podborski and his assistants Jean-Luc Brassard and France St. Louis intend to be present at events where a Canadian is a front-runner for a medal. "I would say were booked every day," Podborski said at a Canadian Olympic Committee news conference Thursday. The host country won 18 of its 26 medals in Vancouver during the back half of the Games. Ten of the 14 gold medals came in the second half, including four on the final weekend. Sports making their Olympic debut helped balance the schedule of Canadas medal prospects in Sochi. Mens and womens snowboard slopestyle, the figure skating team event and the luge relay are among the new events over the first eight days of competition in which Canada has solid medal prospects. Thats in addition to Canadas strength in the entrenched sports of alpine skiing, moguls, short-track speedskating and cross-country skiing. "Sure there are new sports and we happen to be very, very good in the new ones because we are a great sporting nation," Podborski said. "With the support were getting now from corporate Canada, Own The Podium and the Government of Canada, we have an opportunity to be good in the traditional sports as well and thats where well make our great gains in the areas where are athletes are getting better . . . cross-country, alpine skiing." Canadas athletes have been waging fierce foosball tournaments in their village lounge while they await Fridays opening ceremonies, according to Podborski. But Olympic competition started early for some Canadians with Thursdays preliminary rounds. Canada sat in second place, two points behind host Russia, after the first day of the new team figure skating event. Torontos Patrick Chan was third in the mens short program, then Meagan Duhamel of Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford of Balmertown, Ont., were second in the pairs short to give Canada 17 of a possible 20 points after the first two events. Sebastien Toutant of LAssomption, Que., and Max Parrot of Bromont, Que., advanced to the mens snowboard slopestyle final Saturday, while Charles Reid of Mont-Tremblant, Que., and Reginas Mark McMorris will attempt to join them via the semifinal earlier in the day. The Dufour-Lapointe sisters from Montreal -- Justine, Chloe and Maxime -- all qualified for Saturdays womens moguls finals as did Audrey Robichaud of Quebec City. Reigning world champion Spencer OBrien of Courtney, B.C., qualified for the womens slopestyle final Sunday. Hockey Canada also made the decision to replace injured forward Steven Stamkos with Tampa Bay teammate Martin St. Louis. No competition is scheduled Friday because of the opening ceremonies. In addition to slopestyle and womens moguls on opening weekend, skiers Erik Guay of Mont-Tremblant, Que., Calgarys Jan Hudec and Manny Osborne-Paradis of Invermere, B.C., are medal prospects in Sundays downhill. Canadas figure skaters are favoured to win a medal in the team event, which ends Sunday. Canadas objective in 2010 was to top the overall medal count and the target remains the same in Sochi. The host team was third in total medals, but won the gold-medal race four years ago. Because of the new sports, there are 36 more medals to be won in 2014 than in 2010. That will help fill Canadas coffers, but also those of top rivals Germany, Norway, the United States and host Russia. "Canada is here to compete and win," COC president Marcel Aubut said. "Our aim is to contend for the number one spot in medals won." "This is an ambitious goal, but we Canadians like it this way. Our athletes expect nothing less of themselves but the highest achievements." Added Podborski: "You dont try to come "somewhere up there." We expect great things in Canada now. Its an ideal approach. "We may not win the medal count this time. We may not win it the next time but one day we will because we are striving to be number one in the world in the medal count." While Canadas preparation for 2010 seems a successful model to copy for Sochi, the Canadian Olympic Committee took a different approach. The 2008 Summer Games in Beijing posed similar challenges to Sochi in terms of distance to travel, time-zone difference and unfamiliar language, food and culture. Virtually all of Canadas Olympians competed, trained or at least visited Beijing in the year prior to those Games to get comfortable with the place. The same practice was done for Sochi. There was less emphasis on pre-Games visits for the 2012 Summer Games in London. "If we look at the Beijing experience and we look at the Sochi experience, its actually very similar," COC chief sport officer Caroline Assalian says. "New and unfamiliar environment for most countries. "We ensured that the athletes and support teams as much as possible are familiar with this environment." The COC has conducted exit interviews with athletes, their coaches and support teams following Olympic Games since 2006 to better plan for the next. The athletes were asked "what made the difference in your performance?" "Their number one factor? Feeling part of a larger unified team, more than anything," Assalian said. "Thats what made the difference for them. Coaches and support team? Familiarity with the Olympic environment." And where Beijing was also a benchmark for Sochi was in Canadas conversion rate, which the number of athletes ranked in the top five at their most recent world championships make it onto the podium at the subsequent Olympic Games. The COC employs conversion rates to compare how Canadas athletes are performing compared to other countries. Even though Canada won just 18 medals in Beijing, the conversion rate there was 67 per cent compared to 59 per cent at the Winter Games of both 2010 and 2006, according to Assalian. The Canadian team needs at least match Beijings conversion rate to be in the hunt for the overall title in Sochi. "Our bar now is Beijing," Assalian says. "We know we need to convert better than we ever have at any Winter Olympic Games." The Canadian team will attempt this without the advantage it had in Vancouver and Whistler of home ice and home snow. Own The Podium chief executive officer Anne Merklinger says many winter sport teams have stronger leadership and better coaches since 2010. Both areas were priorities coming out of Vancouver and Whistler and she hopes improvements there compensate for the additional challenges of Sochi. "Weve come a long way in that regard," she says. "Without coaches, were behind the 8-ball. Its the most important success factor. "I think there are a number of examples where weve brought in great coaches, but weve lost some too. We need to find a way to continue to retain the good ones we have and attract new ones." "Were investing in that. Thats what it takes. Its a competitive industry." OTP oversees athletes competitive lives between Olympic Games and allocates about $62 million a year in federal government funding between summer and winter sports. The COC prepares athletes for the Games environment and looks after their needs and wants on the ground in Sochi. TreQuan Smith Jersey . The 29-year-old Mills started three games for Oakland this season, posting a 1-1 record with a 4.41 earned-run average. He opened the season appearing in 14 games and making 12 starts for the Milwaukee Brewers triple-A affiliate in Nashville, posting a 4-2 record with a 1. DeMario Davis Jersey . The last team in the NBA that will have any sympathy for the Thunder is the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are showing signs of putting everything together after two years of devastating injuries. http://www.officialsaintslockroom.com/rick-leonard-saints-jersey/ . With timely hitting and good pitching, the Marlins are one win away from sweeping the slumping Houston Astros.BARCELONA, Spain -- Getafe fought back for a sorely needed 3-1 victory at Valencia on Sunday, breaking a 15-round winless streak and escaping from the Spanish leagues relegation zone. Getafes first away win since Oct. 31 and first under new coach Cosmin Contra lifted the struggling Madrid-based side one point clear of the drop. Forwards Angel Lafita, Ciprian Marica and Pedro Leon scored for Getafe after Eduardo Vargas opened at Mestalla Stadium. Tempers flared in the final moments after Leon apparently provoked the crowd following his goal. Valencia defender Jeremy Mathieu was sent off for slapping Leon before Contra was also banished from the dugout. Valencia joined a group of teams fighting for an upper-table finish and a European berth who all dropped points this round. Real Sociedad was held to a 1-1 draw at Osasuna and Villarreal drew 1-1 at home with Elche, so none were able to fully capitalize of the losses by Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla, and Espanyol on Saturday. That left Bilbao in fourth place and in control of the last Champions League spot. Sevilla and Real Sociedad are six points behind in fifth and sixth places, while Villarreal is a further point back in seventh. Valencia had the goal of returning to the Champions League next season, but with this stinging loss it looks set to not even make the Europa League as it sits nine points adrift of Villarreal and in ninth place. "The reality is that right now we are not better than" Getafe, said Valencia coach Juan Pizzi. Valencia appeared to be in control after Vargas headed in Dani Parejos well-placed corner kick six minutes into the match. But Lafita unleashed a blistering low strike between two defenders that went in off the post in the 25th, and two minutes later Ciprian Marica dived to head in a pass, beating Valencias offside trap on a set piece. Getafe goalkeeper Jordi Codina palmed Philippe Senderos header over in the 64th and was fortunatte Paco Alcacers shot rattled the woodwork a minute later before Leon sealed the win in the 88th. Marcus Davenport Jersey. "This is very important because the team was in a very delicate situation," Contra said. "This gives us a little bit of breathing room. I believe with this attitude and character we can turn this around." Sociedad also started well in Pamplona, with forward Gonzalo Castro hitting in the seventh from Carlos Velas unselfish pass following a defensive lapse from Osasuna. But Osasuna settled down and began to threaten from corners and free kicks, while Sociedad defender Inigo Martinez almost scored in the 49th from the centre line with a long lob that hit the crossbar. Osasuna striker Oriol Riera finally converted on his fourth shot attempt from a set piece when he headed in Roberto Torres cross in the 59th, and Sociedad needed goalkeeper Claudio Bravo to protect the point after Osasuna pressed them into their area in stoppage time. Villarreals quest to catch Bilbao was likewise frustrated in a dull match against Elche. After American sprinter Justin Gatlin took the honorary kickoff at El Madrigal Stadium, Elche went ahead in the 31st when Damian Suarez converted a penalty following Jeremy Perbets foul on Alberto Botia. Forward Jonathan Pereira scored the hosts equalizer a minute before halftime when he used one touch to turn in a high ball that fell to him in the box in one of few scoring chances. Valladolid beat 10-man Almeria 1-0 at home in a match between two teams fighting to avoid relegation. Valladolid striker Manucho scored what proved to be the winner in the sixth. Almeria defender Marco Torsiglieri was dismissed in the 75th with his second yellow card for fouling Manucho. Almeria was left in the drop zone along with Osasuna and Real Betis. Atletico Madrid leads the league by one point over Barcelona and three points ahead of Real Madrid with seven games to play. Cheap Jerseys Store Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap NFL Black Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Jerseys Camo China NFL Jerseys ' ' '