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SOELDEN, Austria -- Ted Ligety will be the overwhelming favourite when the Olympic ski season opens on Sunday with a World Cup giant slalom on Rettenbach glacier. The American has won this race for the past two years and finished on the podium for the past five. A year ago, Ligety didnt just win here, he dominated with a massive victory margin of 2.75 seconds. Taking advantage of extensive preparation on newly shaped skis introduced last season, he went on to win six of eight giant slaloms on the circuit. "I hope to come close to that," Ligety said on Thursday. "But people have figured out the skis by now and I cant really expect to win GS by those kind of margins." Ligety also won three gold medals at last seasons world championships -- a feat no man had accomplished since French great Jean-Claude Killy won four 45 years earlier. So how does he find motivation having already achieved so much? "Ted is internally motivated, has always been internally motivated and thats never been a question," U.S. mens head coach Sasha Rearick said. "The challenge now, after a year like that, is everyone wants a piece of him -- media, industry, commercials, the foundation, marketing. So hes been busy. But hes done a good job to make sure that hasnt interfered with his training and keeping focused on what is important. Hes working on getting better every day." While Ligety is hoping to peak for the Sochi Games in February, he also wants to win the overall World Cup. Ligety broke the 1,000-point barrier for the first time last season but he still finished third overall behind Marcel Hirscher of Austria and Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway. "The overall challenge is going to be able to execute week in and week out," Rearick said. "He was able to do that in GS consistently, now its about taking that same kind of consistency into the slalom and super-G. Last year we saw a real, big gain in his super-G and now we need to make that same jump in slalom." Ligety showed his super-G potential by winning that event at the worlds, and his main emphasis in preseason training has been on slalom. "Hopefully thats the formula to win the overall," he said. "The overall is every World Cup skiers big goal and every year I round out my skiing. Its not easy though." To help Ligety achieve his overall goal, the U.S. squad has a special multi-event team of coaches to work exclusively with Ligety and fellow allrounder Bode Miller, who is back after taking a season off to let his surgically repaired left knee fully heal. "My knee is good. Its a little puffy but its been that way for a long time," Miller said. "Overall it feels better than it has since 01." Having sat out last season, the reshaped GS skis are completely new to Miller. "Its been difficult because I havent had a chance to ski at a very high level," he said. "So when I got on the race hill here it was a bit of a shock. ... Its less fun, more work, but it seems OK." Miller also has a solid record in Soelden. He won in 2003 and 2004 and has eight consecutive top-10 finishes. Still, having not raced for so long, Miller wasnt about to make any predictions for Sunday. "Its an intimidating race hill," he said. "I hope to be in touch and gain some points." Hirscher and Svindal are again the favourites for the overall title. Hirscher took the coveted crown the past two seasons and Svindal won it in 2007 and 2009. "Im ready," Svindal said. "Last year I made the overall exciting and I want to be a part of that excitement again. If its Ted or whoever I want to make it hard for them, too. I for sure want to win it." Another overall contender could be Alexis Pinturault, the Frenchman who was sixth overall last season with three victories in three different disciplines: Slalom, super-combined and giant slalom. The only racers to win in GS last season besides Ligety were Hirscher in Val dIsere, France, and Pinturault in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. After Soelden, the World Cup goes to Levi, Finland, for slaloms on Nov. 16-17, followed by stops in the United States and Canada before the traditional races in Europe. The Sochi Games run from Feb. 7-23. Nike Free 5.0 Dam . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Billiga Nike Air Max 90 Rea . It is a cliché dragged out by fans and pundits regularly when discussions take place around which teams are better than others. http://www.skorbutikrea.eu/nike-free-3-0-v3/nike-f...3-dam.h tml . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. Nike Air Max 90 Herr Skor . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. Adidas Zx Flux Dam . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence.EDMONTON -- It appears the Edmonton Oilers have another weapon to add to their already potent arsenal. David Perron scored a goal and added an assist on Saturday as the Edmonton Oilers came away with a 5-2 exhibition victory over the Vancouver Canucks. The 25-year-old from Sherbrooke, Que., upped his pre-season totals to three goals and four points in his first three games with the Oilers since coming in an off-season trade with St. Louis for fellow forward Magnus Paajarvi. Perron was pleased when he first learned of the trade because he would be leaving a strict defensive system with the Blues and joining the likes of Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Nail Yakupov in a more free-wheeling system with the Oilers. That feeling hasnt changed since he officially arrived in Edmonton. "Im even more excited now," said Perron. "Im trying to do my best to be a factor on both sides of the puck and produce every night. Hopefully I can keep improving. This is just the start. "Its nice to be coming to a team that is a little more offensive oriented. It is not like St. Louis wasnt trying to score, but it was pretty evident that they are a defence-first hockey team." Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins believes his club could have a gem in Perron. "I think we have a lot there," said Eakins.. "He can score, he competes hard and hes not afraid to get his nose dirty. Weve let him loose on the penalty kill a little bit. I think we have a very well-rounded player and another guy who is excited to play hockey. He really likes to play the game and thats important." Sam Gagner, Ryan Smyth, Yakupov and Will Acton also scored for the Oilers (3-1-1). Mike Santorelli and Jannik Hansen replied for the Canucks (0-3-0). The Canucks got on the board with the games first shot 1:20 into the first as Santorelli snuck the puck through the pads of Oilers starting goalie Jason LaBarbera. Edmonton had a full two minute five-on-three power plaay seven minutes into the opening period after a head shot on Hall, but were unable to get a puck past Vancouver goalie Eddie Lack.dddddddddddd The Oilers tied the game on the power play with seven minutes left in the first as Perron sent a pass through the crease, giving Gagner an easy tap-in to an open net. Edmonton went up 2-1 four minutes into the second period with a short-handed goal from Perron, who picked up a rebound and sent a backhander in for his third of the pre-season. The Canucks lost centre Jordan Schroeder midway through the second as he had to be helped off the ice favouring his left leg after blocking a shot. Gagner also left the game late in the second after taking a Zack Kassian stick in the face and losing several teeth and did not return. The game stayed 2-1 until 15:58 of the third period when a puck deflected to Smyth at the doorstep and he shovelled it past Lack for a two-goal lead. Less than a minute later the Canucks responded as Hansen picked the corner on Oilers backup Tyler Rimmer to make it 3-2. Edmonton put the game away shortly afterwards, however, as Yakupov beat Lack with a quick wrist shot and Acton scored into an empty net. Notes: It was the second consecutive pre-season game between the two teams. Edmonton won the first contest 4-1 in Vancouver on Wednesday. The Oilers and Canucks will next meet in regular season play on Oct. 5 in Vancouver. Winger David Booth was expected to make his first appearance in a Canucks game since March 16th, but left the morning skate after just five minutes with what was described as groin stiffness. Chris Higgins, Alex Edler and Schroeder made their pre-season debuts for Vancouver... Neither Daniel or Henrik Sedin made the trip to Edmonton. Defenceman Anton Belov made his Oilers debut after arriving at training camp a few days late due to visa problems. The six-foot-four Russian was a coveted free agent after a career-high 26 points in 46 games for Omsk Avangard in the KHL last season. Cheap China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China ' ' '
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