VANCOUVER -- World downhill champion Erik Guay and three-time World Cup winner Manuel Osborne-Paradis headline Canadas 23-member alpine ski team for the Sochi Olympic season. Seventeen men and six women that Alpine Canada believe have podium potential were named to the national squad Thursday. All-rounder Marie-Michele Gagnon and slalom specialist Erin Mielzynski -- the first Canadian since 1971 to win a World Cup slalom race -- lead a young group of female technical racers. Paul Kristofic, Alpine Canadas vice-president of sports, said the athletes selected were a mix of those who had the potential to do well at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, and a younger generation who are targeting 2018 and beyond. "We want to put our best foot forward at the Olympics. We recognize how important it is for our athletes and our organization," Kristofic said in a release. "Weve come up short at the past two Games with fourth and fifth places and no one is satisfied with that. Its very important that we win a medal." The mens roster includes six "Canadian Cowboys" who have won World Cup or world championship medals. Guay, from Mont-Tremblant, Que., had two fifth-place finishes at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and a fourth in 2006 in Turin, Italy, and goes into the season hoping to claim his first Olympic medal -- one of the few prizes missing from a resume that includes a Crystal Globe in super-G in 2010. He also needs just one World Cup podium to tie Steve Podborskis Canadian record of 20. If Guay claims two or more top-three World Cup finishes this season hell become Canadas most decorated male skier. "Steve has obviously been a huge inspiration and it would mean a lot to me to have that record and hopefully add to the legacy of ski racing in Canada," Guay said of Podborski, Canadas chef de mission for the 2014 Olympics. Guay said if he was "writing my own script" for Sochi, he would be gunning for gold. "But I know what it takes to win on any given day," he said. "Its one thing to be competitive throughout a season. Its another to be competitive in one race, where anybody in the top 15 could win. One mistake and I could be fifth place. Another mistake and I could be 12th place. Theres nothing cut and dried in our sport -- far from it." Vancouvers Osborne-Paradis and Calgarys John Kucera, who both returned from injury last season, plus Jan Hudec of Calgary, have all won international medals. Ben Thomsen of Invermere, B.C., won silver at the Olympic test event in Sochi, while Mike Janyk of Whistler, B.C., is a world championship medallist who will lead Canadas slalom team. Calgarys Brad Spence and Whistlers Robbie Dixon are coming back from injuries. The mens team also features six up-and-coming skiers in Dustin Cook of Lac-Sainte-Marie, Que., Calgarys Trevor Philp and Erik Read, Phil Brown of Toronto, Sasha Zaitsoff of Queens Bay, B.C. and Whistler brothers Conrad and Morgan Pridy. Veterans Julien Cousineau of Lachute, Que., and Jeffrey Frisch, of Mont-Tremblant, who are battling back from injuries, have been given "invitee status" to train and compete as part of the Canadian team. The womens team includes World Cup regulars Gagnon, from Lac-Etchemin, Que., Mielzynski, from Guelph, Ont., Marie-Pier Prefontaine of Saint-Sauveur, Que., Mont-Tremblants Britt Phelan and Elli Terwiel, from Sun Peaks, B.C., as well as Toronto youngster Madison Irwin. Veteran speed skier Kelly VanderBeek retired last season, while super-G and downhill specialist Larisa Yurkiw was not selected. Canada only has one World Cup spot for womens downhill and that is likely to be used in several races by Gagnon, who is ranked fourth in the world in combined and is considered a serious medal threat in that discipline. Gagnonis also ranked in the top 30 in slalom and giant slalom and 32nd in super-G. The World Cup season kicks off in Solden, Austria, in October. It takes on added importance as racers will battle to qualify for Olympic nomination to the Canadian team. Canada has limited spots in each discipline, but general most skiers will be looking for two top-12 World Cup finishes or a top-five result. Some spots will be available for potential future medallists. The nominees are expected to be named in January 2014. Cheap Eagles Hoodies Store . Kiriasis and brakeman Franziska Fritz finished two runs in one minute 55.41 seconds -- a mere 0.01 seconds ahead of Meyers and Lolo Jones, who likely bolstered her Olympic hopes by helping give USA-1 a huge push in the second heat. Cheap Eagles Hoodies . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. http://www.cheapeagleshoodiesjerseys.com/jason-kelce-hoodie/ . Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked. Eagles Hoodies Jerseys Sale . The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2. Eagles Hoodies Jerseys Outlet . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds.BALTIMORE, Maryland - Josh Johnson, the Blue Jays 67" right-hander, gave up seven runs in six innings in Sundays loss to the Orioles. No cute play on numbers could lessen the ugliness of Johnsons latest outing in the 7-4 defeat, which cost Toronto another series against a divisional opponent and dropped the club to 7-13 in 20 games since an 11-game win streak captivated the city. "Well they hit him around pretty good," said manager John Gibbons. Did they ever. Baltimore went single, single, fly ball out, RBI single, two-RBI double, fly ball out, RBI single, strikeout in the first inning. Four runs, five hits and Toronto was in an early hole. Johnson, whose size alone should command a presence, once again pitched small. His fastball too often caught too much of the plate. The Orioles lineup, which has belted 132 home runs on the season, by far the most in baseball, made him pay on two occasions. Chris Davis hit a two-run shot in the third (that two-RBI double in the first, also Davis) and Adam Jones hit a solo dinger in the fifth. Johnson remains stuck on one win; the Blue Jays have won only three of his 12 starts. Its been a difficult season, obviously, which Johnson admitted to TSN.ca. "More frustrating, I guess," he said. "Its not for a lack of effort or anything like that or being hurt or feeling anything in there that youre unsure about. Its just frustration, feeling good and not being able to get outs and get as deep into a game as you want to. Its just frustrating. You want to throw the ball better for this team." Baseball is a game of failure. The best hitters make out seven times out of 10. Its a good season for a pitcher if he wins 15 of his 33 starts. R.A. Dickey has written and talked about "managing regret." Johnson has struggled to do so at times, forgetting that hes good and giving hitters too much credit. "I think whenever you struggle you can get away from that," said Johnson. "You can kind of be like, okay, this guy is hitting this pitch or whatever. Thats whenever you start getting those mental voices in your head that are talking. Sometimes it is and sometimes it isnt but I think a little bit it was early on, or a couple of starts ago." There are the phone calls and the text messages. Loved ones and friends with an encouraging word, even some with advice but Johnson has closed ranks when it comes to baseball talk. He keeps close to teammates, particularly Mark Buehrle, and he works closely with pitching coach Pete Walker. "Even when you have a track record like him and guys that have been around the game a lot and pitched a lot of innings they still go through a period where maybe they second guess thheir stuff a little bit or dont give themselves enough credit," said Walker.dddddddddddd "I think he went through a little bit of a period during the season when that was the case." Bullpen coach Pat Hentgen recalled his toughest season in the big leagues, in 1995, when he went 10-14 with a 5.17 ERA out of the players strike. Calling it a serving of "humble pie" after All-Star seasons in 1993 and 1994 (Johnson also is a two-time All-Star, with Florida in 2009 and 2010,) Hentgen says he refocused in the offseason and bounced back with a 20-win campaign in 1996. He won the Cy Young Award. Hentgen can relate to Johnsons crisis of confidence. Just one problem: there isnt an offseason right around the corner to correct the mind. In its stead, Hentgen offers some advice. "I think first off, after spending seven years in the National League, you come over here and you dont realize the knowledge that youve acquired during that span," said Hentgen. "I think right now he doesnt know the hitters as well as he did in the National League and that has an effect. Thats one. Two, I would think that he just needs to get ahead more and get out of the middle. It sounds easy but its not. If it was easy a lot of guys would do it. Josh has got great mechanics, hes got great fastball command, theres no reason why he shouldnt be able to get strike one on hitters and even get strike two and then go to work." Despite the inconsistency on the mound, Johnson has been steadfast in his assertion that he is not looking ahead to his impending free agency. Ask him today and you get the same response you did in spring training. "Just the here and now," he said. "This team, this is who Im with and you cant sit there and say all right, what if I do this, what happens if this, and nothing happens and youre worrying about all that for nothing. All I worry about is going out there, working hard everyday to make sure Im ready for the next start and throwing the ball well." Its unlikely Johnson has much, if any, trade value at the moment. It makes more sense for general manager Alex Anthopoulos to keep Johnson and make him a qualifying offer. Johnson could accept and return on a one-year deal at a dollar amount reasonably similar to this seasons $13.75-million price tag. Maybe he bounces back in 2014 and the move pays off. Johnson could also reject the qualifying offer, leaving him to test the free agent waters but assuring the Blue Jays a compensatory draft pick. Those are matters for another day. As it stands, if the Blue Jays are to contend or tease contention this season, Johnson must be better. Much better. And until he proves otherwise, thats a pretty big "if." Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '