LEVI, Finland -- Canadas Marie-Michele Gagnon continued her strong start to the season with a fifth-place result in the first World Cup slalom of the year on Saturday, while teammate Elli Terwiel was a career-best 11th. Gagnon, from Lac-Etchemin, Que., all but secured her spot on Canadas team for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games with a 10th-place finish in last months giant slalom opener in Austria and the versatile 24-year-old followed that up with two determined, attacking runs Saturday amid strong winds and varying light. After two races she is sixth in the overall ladies World Cup rankings. "Im stoked -- just super happy that this race brought me fifth place and so, so happy for Elli. She was awesome today," said Gagnon, who had a two-run combined time of one minute 56.80 seconds. "It was a weird race -- it was a bit of a free-for-all. "I knew I wasnt far out after the first run. I skied just like I do in training -- it was just like a normal run." Terwiel, from Sun Peaks, B.C., found herself sitting seventh after an incredible first run and although she fell back a little on her second run an 11th-place finish represents her best-ever result in a World Cup race. Britt Phelan of Mont-Tremblant, Que., Anna Goodman of Pointe Claire, Que., and Erin Mielzynski of Collingwood, Ont., did not qualify for the second run. Terwiel, whose best World Cup results before Saturdays race were two 17th-place finishes -- both in January, 2013 -- took advantage of the wind dying down to put together a superb first run. "When I came down at the end of the first run I was fourth and I did a little bit of an open-jawed spin-around in the finish. It was a little too good to be true," said Terwiel, 24, who had a two-run combined time of 1:57.30. "A lot of things can go sideways so I tried to just focus on my skiing and the things Ive been working on in training this summer. This is my best result ever and its a top 12, which is one of the things I need for Olympic qualification. Its really exciting." American phenom Mikaela Shiffrin made a big mistake at the end of her second run but still dominated to win with a two-run combined time of 1:55.07. Germanys Maria Hoefl-Riesch was second (1:56.13) and Slovenias Tina Maze was third (1:56.68) -- just twelve-hundredths ahead of Gagnon. The 18-year-old Shiffrin led by half a second after the first run and raced seamlessly at the top of the hill in the second to extend her advantage, overcoming a mistake near the end to clock a combined time of 1 minute, 55.07 seconds. "Im really happy with how the day went and Im also really excited because it looks like there are some pretty fast girls in the back of the pack," Shiffrin said. "Im excited for the Olympics for sure but there are a couple of races between now and then, so hopefully I can just keep this going." The basic qualification criteria for nomination to Canadas Olympic team in alpine skiing is two top-12 World Cup results, with at least one this season. A single top-five result this year also counts, so Gagnon effectively cemented her place at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games with Saturdays result. Shes the only Canadian to have pre-qualified in alpine skiing to date. . He was 40. Firefighters were called about 11 a.m. Friday because Brown was unresponsive at his home near the Inner Harbor, fire spokesman Battalion Chief Kevin Cartwright said. He said Brown was dead when firefighters arrived. . "It was a little weird looking over and seeing all the green uniforms," he said of his first game against the Boston Celtics.
http://www.cheapsenatorsjerseysauthenti ... nna-jersey. The hard-serving 22-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., became the first Canadian to be ranked in the Top 10 on the ATP World Tour thanks to his runner-up performance at Rogers Cup in Montreal. .The Ottawa Senators winger was relegated to a corner seat in the locker-room to allow Daniel Alfredsson to return to his regular stall one last time. .Y. - Through three quarters, the Brooklyn Nets could not shake the NBAs worst team.DALLAS -- DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin found a way to win without Chris Paul. The big men for the Los Angeles Clippers are going to have to keep it up because their star guard will be out at least a few weeks. Jordan scored a career-high 25 points to match Griffin, and the Clippers rallied to beat the Dallas Mavericks 119-112 Friday night after losing Paul when he separated his right, shooting shoulder. Jordan and Griffin combined for 10 points on a 16-2 game-closing run to wipe out a 110-103 deficit in the final 4 minutes. Jordan was 11 of 14 from the field and had 18 rebounds, while Griffin added 15 boards. Then they found out that Paul, who had 19 points at halftime, will be out three to five weeks. Coach Doc Rivers said Paul could be out longer and will go to Los Angeles for evaluation while the Clippers head to San Antonio to face the defending Western Conference champion Spurs on Saturday night. "It changes for everybody," said Darren Collison, who figures to start in Pauls place and had a season-high 22 points in his first game against the Mavericks after playing one season in Dallas. "Everybodys got to step up and play big. But well be fine." Dirk Nowitzki was a game-time decision with a sprained left ankle but hit six of his first seven shots and had 14 points at halftime on his way to 24 for the Mavericks, who were up 13 in the first half and didnt trail until the third quarter. After Shawn Marion put the Mavericks up 110-103, Griffin had an alley-oop dunk on an assist from Jordan, and Jordan followed with a three-point play. Nowitzki broke a 110-all tie with a jumper, but Griffin sent the Clippers back in front for good on a three-point play. He was 11 of 13 on free throws. "Theyve got those two big guys and I know its a load, but weve got to do a better job," said Dallas guard Monta Ellis, who had 13 points and nine assists. "That was a tough one." The Mavericks missed six of their last seven shots and had two late turnovers, inclluding one when Ellis dribbled off himself with Jordan guarding him and the Clippers up 115-112.dddddddddddd "As hard as we worked to get the lead back up to seven in the fourth, we just gave it up too easy," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "Defensively, they went right through us, and offensively, without getting stops, the shots get harder." With the Clippers leading by two, Paul was tripped by Ellis while dribbling around a screen. He rolled over and stayed on the floor holding his shoulder while being attended to by trainers. Paul stayed down for about a minute before going to the locker room with 6:43 remaining in the third quarter. "I dont think you could find one guy in the league, maybe LeBron or whoever, but besides that theres no one guy who can make up with what Chris brings," said backcourt mate Jamal Crawford, who had 15 points and a jumper that pulled the Clippers even at 110. "For us we have to lean on each other." The Mavericks had a season high for points in a half but led just 70-67 at the break. Paul made his first five shots -- all from 3-point range -- before a miss from beyond the arc in the final seconds of the first half. Jordan had three of the Clippers five dunks in the first half, but Los Angeles kept giving up easy slams to a Dallas team that doesnt make a habit of them. Marion, who finished with 20 points, had two of the Mavericks five first-half dunks. NOTES: Marion passed the 17,000-point mark and joined Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone and Kevin Garnett as the only players with at least 17,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 1,500 steals and 1,000 blocks ... Collison had five steals in the New Years Day win over Charlotte. It was his first five-steal game since Nov. 27, 2012, in his only season with Dallas ... With their recent 3-0 trip, the Mavericks swept at least three games on the road for the first time since February 2011, their championship season. ... Nowitzki scored in the first quarter for the first time in four games. ' ' '
