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Canadas freestyle ski team will have a decidedly different look this season. The likes of Justine Dufour-Lapointe, Dara Howell and Mikael Kingsbury will be there, but there was one glaring absence on the squad unveiled Wednesday. Two-time Olympic moguls gold medallist Alex Bilodeau retired after the last World Cup season, leaving a big hole on the team as it begins the long road to the 2018 Games in South Korea. Bilodeau became the first Canadian to win Olympic gold on home soil with his memorable victory at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, and he repeated the performance in Sochi earlier this year. Kingsbury, who battled Bilodeau for the last few years and finished second in Russia this winter, says he will miss competing against his rival. "The first couple World Cups, Im going to miss somebody to look up to and to learn from. Hes been a great athlete," Kingsbury said on a conference call. "He pushed me. Since I was very young, he was my role model." Kingsbury is a three-time overall World Cup champion, and while he and Bilodeau were friends away from the hill, they were fierce opponents on it. "Im going to miss him in a way, but in another way he was one of the strongest competitors to have," said Kinsbury, a native of Deux Montagnes, Que. "Im going to try to have new motivation, to continue to push and work hard to stay ranked first in the world." Kingsbury, who turns 22 next week, said Bilodeaus retirement doesnt open any doors because hes already had a lot of success in his young career. "He was the star for sure. He won the Olympics in Vancouver -- first (Canadian) gold medallist to win on home soil -- and Sochi," Kingsbury said. "He won the two days that he needed to win, but at the same time I dont think its my turn to shine because I won the Crystal Globe and he was there, I won the world championship and he was there. "At the Olympics he did his run. I tried everything I could to win but he had the run that he needed and he totally deserved it." Like the rest of the freestyle ski team, Kingsburys focus is primed on training for the coming season, with thoughts of the 2018 Olympics in South Korea also lingering. "I just want to continue what Ive been doing, and not do more because Alex is not there," he said. "If he would have continued I would have been super happy and still would have worked hard to win the gold medal in 2018. Thats my next plan. "Its four years -- four years is long. Im going to be ready for 2018 but theres many things to come." Dufour-Lapointe won gold in Sochi in womens moguls, and will now take it one year at a time as she starts to build towards the next Games. The same is true of teammate Audrey Robichaud, who finished 10th in the womens moguls in Sochi. "Personally I feel like Im still on a high from the Olympics," said Robichaud, a native of Quebec City. "What keeps me going is I feel like I can still get better and theres room for improvement." Also headlining the Canadian team for the 2014-15 season is Howell, who topped the podium in womens slopestyle in Sochi, Chloe Dufour-Lapointe -- the silver medallist in moguls behind her younger sister at the Games -- and Kim Lamarre, who finished third in slopestyle. The other Sochi medallist on this years team is Mike Riddle, who took silver in halfpipe. The rest of the Canadian freestyle team for the upcoming year includes: aerial skiers Travis Gerrits, Olivier Rochon, Jean-Christophe Andre and Sabrina Guerin; halfpipe skiers Mike Riddle, Justin Dorey, Simon dArtois, Rosalind Groenewoud, Keltie Hansen, Megan Gunning; slopestyle skiers Alex Beaulieu-Marchand, Alex Bellemare, Evan McEachran and Kaya Turski; and moguls skiers Marc-Antoine Gagnon, Philippe Marquis and Maxime Dufour-Lapointe. . A spokeswoman for the NLRB says its "a very incremental move" and does not necessarily indicate the board is close to a finding in the case. NFL owners filed an unfair labour charge against the players union in February, arguing that the union was not negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement in good faith. . -- The Denver Broncos retired John Elways No. . His fellow Finn, 21 years his junior, had just arrived in Anaheim and was hoping to stick with the Ducks. . - Olympic champion Marielle Thompson accomplished her mission of defending her skicross World Cup title at Nakiska Ski Area on Saturday. .com) - Hassan Whiteside scored 20 points with nine rebounds in the Miami Heats 83-75 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday.TORONTO - There isnt much - in fact there may not be anything - that hasnt already been written or said about Mariano Rivera. About the man: a person of faith, humble, charitable and always willing to help others. About the pitch: the cut fastball which has baffled hitters, even though they know its coming, and broken more bats than anyone cares to count. About the player: Major League Baseballs all-time saves leader with 652, whos accomplished the feat with one team in an era of rampant player movement. The legendary Yankees closer is into the final weeks of his Hall of Fame career. Hes making his last stop in Toronto as a professional baseball player and, like anything else Rivera says, you believe him when he expresses his appreciation of visiting the city so many times over the years. “Its a great city to play in,” said Rivera. “We have had here tremendous games, tough games, big games but at the same time theyve all been wonderful. Its great to play here and play against the Toronto Blue Jays for all these years.” Rivera and his wife, Clara, have run The Mariano Rivera Foundation since its founding in July, 1998. The charity provides scholarships to further the educational needs of underprivileged students and sponsors churches and youth centres. It reaches across the United States and as far south as Riveras native Panama. “I always try to do it,” said Rivera. “Not only Panama but wherever we need to help and that is something that Im proud of. Not that I want to be recognized for that, but I do it because I was helped once and I always wanted to help others. That makes me feel good - knowing that I can touch one life and we can make that life better.” During his season-long farewell tour, Rivera has met with employees from each opposing ballclub. Twenty long-time Blue Jays employees had an opportunity to spend an hour with Rivera during New Yorks previous visit in late August. Rivera shook hands, answered questions and posed for photos. It was Riveras chance to thank the people who work hard behind the scenes. “I like how people appreciate the game and those are the ones you dont even see,” he said. “Theyre the ones you dont even know about, but at the same time they do something for the game, appreciate the game and appreciate what you do.” Rivera is also known to be giving of his time to his fellow ballplayers. Earlier this season, at Yankee Stadium, he held court with the Blue Jays large contingent of Spanish-speaking players. At the All-Star Game, in New York City, but hosted by the Mets, Jays relievers Steve Delabar and Brett Cecil approached him for baseball-related conversation. Sergio Santos did the same thing, two years ago, when Santos was with the White Sox. “I had a 30-minute conversation with him out in the outfield and he was so awesome and open to letting me ask him any question I had,” said Santoss.dddddddddddd “I had just become a closer so I had a bunch of questions and he sat there and spoke with me and answered every question I had. Hes just an amazing person and an amazing player.” Santos picked Riveras brain on thought process - How should he approach hitters on days he knows he doesnt have his best stuff? What about when hes feeling too good? If a runner gets aboard, a noted base stealer, how best do you divide your attention? “Just how adamant he was about going from pitch to pitch, not letting your mind wander to the next hitter or to what the situation is or letting any of that happen,” said Santos. “Just going, really simplifying it to the max, where its pitch by pitch. You get your pitch and then you try as best as you can to execute that pitch and once that pitch is over, whether it was executed or not, you forget it, its done with and you try to go on to the next pitch.” The cut fastball, Riveras go-to pitch, remains a mystery even to the pitcher himself. In the absence of a human to credit or, more likely because Rivera truly believes it, he looks skyward when asked to explain the success hes had against hitters who dont have to consider pitch selection. “Thats the Lord. Thats God, because no one taught it to me,” said Rivera. “I cant say to you that my pitching coach taught me that. I cannot say that. It happened for a reason and thats what I attribute it to, to the Lord.” “You know, still to this day, no hitters figured it out,” said Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes. “You know its only one pitch. Hes going to go with the hard cutter. Youre looking for the cutter and still youre not able to put a good swing on that baseball. Its unbelievable what hes been able to do.” “I mean, hes a little bit different now,” added Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. “Hes working both sides of the plate now. You know, really, in his prime it would be in to lefties and away to right-handers. It was that overpowering cutter. You knew it was coming, you could see it. You just cant do anything with it. As far as a left-hander, it starts in the middle of the plate and it keeps chasing you. You think you can get out in front of it and maybe catch it out front. You cant. With the right-handers, you see it there, it disappears and basically youre lucky if you get it off the end of the bat and it usually leads to a broken bat.” Rivera has thrived in New York. Like Derek Jeter, his long time teammate and fellow Yankees legend, his behaviour has been above reproach. He has created a Yankee Stadium tradition in which Metallicas metal anthem “Enter Sandman” is followed, three outs later, by Frank Sinatras classic “New York, New York.” Trusting Sinatras words, Riveras made it in New York, which means he could make it anywhere. With 652 saves, and likely more to come, hes backed up a legends words with his own legendary actions. ' ' '
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