pitch into the centre-field bleachers

Its arguably the first marquee event of every Winter Olympics, and the mens downhill in recent Olympics has provided surprising storylines. Clearance Air Vapormax . “The one thing about the Olympics especially in the speed disciplines, it so very rarely goes to the favourite, the favourite has so much pressure, and the variables are greater in downhill,” says CBC alpine analyst Kerrin Lee-Gartner, a 1992 downhill winner. “ Its not to say its a flukey thing, its just that everything has to align right, its harder for the favourite to make it align right in downhill.” In the last 20 years there have been four Olympic downhill winners who had fewer than three World Cup victories before making history: Tommy Moe of the U.S., Frenchmen Jean-Luc Cretier and Antoine Deneriaz, and 2010 winner Didier Defago of Switzerland. The Canadian Cowboys - Erik Guay, Manuel Osborne-Paradis and Jan Hudec - wouldnt qualify as surprise winners from an individual standpoint, but breaking a 20-year Olympic medal drought for the country in alpine skiing certainly would make fans take notice. No Canadian man has ever won a gold or silver medal in alpine. Steve Podborski (1980) and Ed Podivinsky (1994) each won bronze in the downhill. Guay is the likeliest contender to break through. Hes achieved two of his three career goals after winning a Crystal Globe season title in the super-G in 2010 and winning a world championship in downhill a year later. The Mont-Tremblant, Que., native is only missing an Olympic medal, preferably gold, after three separate top five finishes at the Winter Games. Guay has battled back this season from a knee injury to break Podborskis World Cup podium record for Canadian men. He finished seventh in the opening training session on Thursday. Hudec, he of the seven knee surgeries and more recent back injury, has also reached the podium this season. The Calgary native took silver in the super-G in Val Gardena, Italy in December. Osborne-Paradis is waiting to take that next step. Since coming back in late 2012 from a knee injury, the North Vancouver native has had top 10 finishes, but has been unable to reach the podium. Ben Thomsen of Invermere, B.C., finished second on a slightly different Sochi course two years ago, but hes struggled mightily this season.There are two strong international contenders to buck the recent trend of surprise Olympic downhill champs. Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway, who won a medal of every colour in Vancouver, has run his total of World Cup downhill wins to eight this season with a pair of victories. Bode Miller of the United States has wowed ski fans again this season, coming back at the age of 36 after more than a year off to reach the World Cup podium once each in downhill, super-G and giant slalom. Millers yet to win since his comeback, but coming up golden for a sixth career Olympic medal would be just his style. The following men would also not be surprise winners: Dominik Paris and Christof Innerhofer of Italy, Adrian Theaux of France and Patrick Kueng of Switzerland. Even 36-year-old Didier Defago put his name into consideration again after his first victory in over two years last month, a super-G at Kitzbuehel. The lengthy course has received mostly positive feedback from the skiers, with many remarking on the "big air" jumps. 2010 Olympic downhill: Didier Defago, Switzerland (G), Aksel Lund Svindal, Norway (S), Bode Miller, USA (B) Olympic alpine skiing schedule: Sunday, Feb. 9: Mens downhill Monday, Feb. 10: Womens super-combined Wednesday, Feb. 12: Womens downhill Friday, Feb. 14: Mens super-combined Saturday, Feb. 15: Womens super-G Sunday, Feb. 16: Mens super-G Tuesday, Feb. 18: Womens giant slalom Wednesday, Feb. 19: Mens giant slalom Friday, Feb. 21: Womens slalom Saturday, Feb. 22: Mens slalom Vapormax For Sale . JOHNS, N. Fake Vapormax . He scored two highlight-reel goals in a three-minute span -- the second on a sideways bicycle kick in the 78th minute -- to give the Whitecaps a 2-2 draw with the Portland Timbers before a crowd of 20,303 at B. https://www.cheapvapormaxoutlet.com/ . Canada wasnt in the game from the outset. Head coach Dan Church left Calgary in the morning without addressing the players. He told The Canadian Press he felt the organization lacked confidence in his ability to defend the Olympic gold medal in February.BOSTON -- Jonny Gomes go-ahead shot into the centre field bleachers left him just one pinch-hit homer behind the Red Sox all-time leader. And Gomes wanted to make it clear that there was no comparison. "You can go ahead and get it out there," he said with a little grin. "Im not chasing any of Ted Williams records." Gomes two-run homer capped a four-run sixth inning that gave Boston a 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night. In two seasons with the Red Sox, six of his 19 homers have come as a pinch hitter. "For me, thats the opportunity I feast on," the right-handed hitting platoon outfielder said. "I hope I didnt shock anyone." He did have Royals manager Ned Yost questioning his decision to bring in lefty Scott Downs (0-3) to face lefty Jackie Bradley Jr. only to see Gomes step into the role he relishes. "I gambled and lost," Yost said. "Theyve pinch hit one time in the last three games in the seventh inning, a bunch in the eighth and ninth. I wasnt sure if they were going to do it in the sixth, so I gambled right there. Bad decision." Another two-run shot in the sixth by Xander Bogaerts off James Shields had cut the deficit to 4-3. The Red Sox maintained their momentum after winning four of their last five games before the All-Star game. They entered the break in last place in the AL East but were coming off Clay Buchholzs 11-0 complete-game win over Houston, their season high for runs. "The way that guys fought back tonight that was sort of reminiscent of last year" when the Red Sox won the World Series, Buchholz said. Buchholz (5-5) allowed four runs in six innings against Kansas City. Koji Uehara allowed Omar Infantes two-out double in the ninth, but got his 19th save in 21 chances. Eric Hosmer had three hits and two RBIs for the Royals as he extended his hitting streak to 14 games. Daniel Nava started Bostons four-run rally with a one-out single that slid out of left fielder Alex Gordons glove as he dove. Bogaerts was in a 14 for 123 (.114) slump, but hit Shields 1-1 pitch into the centre-field bleachers for his seventh homer of thee year. Wholesale Vapormax. Stephen Drew, batting .158 in 29 games since joining the Red Sox in late May, followed with a ground-rule double. After David Ross struck out, Downs came in. Gomes drove a 2-2 pitch to nearly the same spot where Bogaerts homer landed. It was Gomes sixth homer of the year and his second as a pinch hitter. "He stays prepared and anticipates the moment," Boston manager John Farrell said. The Royals had taken a 1-0 lead in the first on a double by Infante and an RBI single by Hosmer. The Red Sox tied it in the second on Brock Holts RBI single. Kansas City made it 3-1 in the fourth on run-scoring singles by Salvador Perez and Gordon then added a run in the fifth on Hosmers RBI single. David Ortiz led off the third for Boston and was out on a strange play. He hit a towering popup to the first-base side of the mound. Shields appeared uncomfortable trying to catch it so first baseman Hosmer and third baseman Mike Moustakas raced in to help. Hosmer raised his glove, but the ball ticked off it and Moustakas cradled it for the out. "Tough sky," Hosmer said. "Moose was playing over there for the shift so we are both running after it. I kind of saw it last second, tried to put a glove on it and it hit off my glove. Lucky, Moose was right there to save me." More strange glove work occurred in the top of the fourth when Hosmer hit the ball sharply down the first-base line. A ball girl, seated beside the low fence in foul territory, fielded it cleanly then quickly dropped it. It was too late, though, and Infante, who had singled, was stopped at third while Hosmer reached second. Both ended up scoring anyway on the singles by Perez and Gordon. Yost argued that Infante should have been allowed to score but "my judgment doesnt count." Notes: Boston is 33-0 when leading after the eighth, the only team that hasnt lost with a lead going into the ninth. ... Gomes sixth pinch hit homer broke a tie with Joe Cronin for second most in team history. ... Danny Duffy (5-9) pitches for the Royals against Rubby De La Rosa (2-2) in the second game of the series Saturday night. ' ' '