Allgemeines Forum » email that Del Boscos victory Thursday

Chris Del Bosco entered this weeks World Cup skicross competitions in France knowing that a podium appearance would probably lock up a spot on the Canadian team for the Winter Olympics. He won gold Thursday in a weather-hampered event at Val Thorens, but he likely needs to do more to book his ticket to Sochi. The race was halted due to high winds and Del Bosco was given the victory based on his qualification results and win in his first heat. However, hell need to return to the podium Friday to really strengthen his chances for inclusion on the Sochi roster. "I definitely felt like I could have kept going, it was kind of frustrating because you want to win by winning the final but it was out of my control," Del Bosco said in a release. "Theres not really any more I could have done. "It was getting down to crunch time and I knew what I needed to do. I needed to podium. Sochi qualification is kind of a grey area. I dont really know how that works — Im going to just regroup here and get ready to give er again tomorrow." The second of back-to-back World Cup events will be held Friday at the same venue. The Olympic qualification window for skicross closes Sunday, so it will be the last chance for Canadians to qualify for nomination. The qualification process is very complicated and there are several freestyle events on tap this week. The selection committee will analyze all the results and data on Sunday and formally announce their decision the next morning. There are 26 spots available in the five disciplines that fall under the freestyle skiing umbrella —skicross, slopestyle, aerials, moguls and halfpipe — and there can be no more than 14 selections from either gender. The committee will look at results from previous years but performances this season have the biggest impact. For Del Bosco, all he can do is try again Friday and hope for the best. The 2011 world champion and X Games gold medallist has struggled of late and now has loads of pressure on him for the stretch drive. The 31-year-old Montreal resident finished second in the test event in Sochi last season but his best result prior to this week was a 15th-place finish in Innichen-San Candido, Italy. His victory Thursday didnt really offer much sway because he only raced one heat. "Chris is probably one of the most interesting and difficult situations," said Canadian Freestyle Ski Association CEO Peter Judge from Park City, Utah. "But certainly hes helping his cause today and hopefully hell get one more good go at it tomorrow and be able to remove all doubt." Sanna Luedi of Switzerland took gold in the womens competition Thursday. Marielle Thompson of Whistler, B.C., was the top Canadian in fourth to retain her hold on the red bib as overall leader. The depth of the national skicross team and the Canadian freestyle team as a whole leaves athletes who are on the bubble in a tough spot. Some very talented competitors arent going to make the cut because Canada is stacked in several events. Del Bosco competed at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, where skicross made its Olympic debut. He made the final heat of four skiers but crashed just before the finish while making a late push to move into a better position. A spokesman for FIS, the sports governing body, said in an email that Del Boscos victory Thursday would be treated just like any other result on the World Cup circuit, regardless of whether the race was cut short due to weather. That gives Del Bosco 100 points and moves him to 11th place in the World Cup standings. Dave Duncan of London, Ont., was seventh. He slipped to second in the mens overall standings, falling behind Andreas Matt of Austria. Tristan Tafel of Canmore, Alta., was 15th on Thursday and Brady Leman of Calgary was 18th. Georgia Simmerling of West Vancouver, B.C., was sixth in the womens event. Kelsey Serwa, the 2011 world champion from Kelowna, B.C., was seventh in the first qualification round but didnt start her heat. Thompson is the only Canadian who has met the qualification criteria for nomination to the Sochi team. Duncan, Leman and Serwa are considered virtual locks for inclusion. Martin St. Louis Jersey . Bring on Freddy Garcia. The well-travelled 36-year-old right-hander earned his second NL victory since 2007, and his first since he joined the Atlanta Braves last month, pitching six innings to help beat Miami 6-1 Thursday. Brayden Point Jersey . The rookie is rewarding their faith with a stellar first season. MacKinnon had a goal and two assists, Jamie McGinn had two goals and an assist, and Colorado beat the Buffalo Sabres 7-1 on Saturday. http://www.lightninghockeystore.us/Customized/. Trailing by a goal after 20 minutes of play, Joe Pavelski responded with three goals and an assist as the Sharks snapped a two-game losing skid with a 5-2 victory over the struggling Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Steven Stamkos Jersey . Huntelaar also had a penalty saved by Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio. The two goals brought Huntelaars total for the season to 18, level with Bayern Munichs Mario Gomez for most in the league. Nikita Kucherov Jersey . Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.PORTO, Portugal -- Colombia striker Radamel Falcao is in a race against time to get fit for the World Cup in June after undergoing knee surgery Saturday, with his doctor giving him a better than 50-50 chance of making it. Falcao, known as El Tigre, is Colombias star player, and the hopes the country places on him merited a bedside visit from Colombias president after Falcao awoke from his anesthetic. Juan Manuel Santoss presidential plane made a detour on his way home from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to check on Falcao at Trindade hospital in downtown Porto, northern Portugal. "Hes in good spirits, hes very optimistic," Santos told reporters outside the hospital. Santos said Colombia, which will face Ivory Coast, Greece and Japan in Group C at the tournament in Brazil, has a strong group of players "but Falcao has become a symbol of the national team." The Portuguese doctor who performed the surgery said it went according to plan. Dr Jose Carlos Noronha said a torn antterior cruciate ligament, which Falcao contracted in his left knee, can often take more than six months to heal.dddddddddddd However, he wouldnt rule out the possibility of the player recovering in time for Colombias World Cup opener against Greece on June 14. "It went well," Noronha said of the surgery to graft a tendon onto Falcaos knee. "The light at the end of the tunnel isnt small." Every patient recovers at a different pace, he said. "Theres a possibility of him going to the tournament," Noronha said. "Its not out of the question." The 27-year-old Falcao injured his knee playing for Monaco in the French Cup on Wednesday. Inflammation from the original injury had gone down relatively quickly, Noronha said, allowing surgery to go ahead three days later. However, Noronha warned that Falcao "cant rush his recovery." Falcao is set to be released from the hospital on Monday. Noronha said he expected Falcao to continue his recovery in Monaco. ' ' '