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CALGARY -- Canadas cross-country ski team is poised to make Olympic history next month. Leandro Barbosa Jersey . While Canadian women have stood on the Olympic podium in the sport, a Canadian man never has. Led by Alex Harvey of St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Que., and Devon Kershaw of Sudbury, Ont., that drought could end on the Psekhako Ridge in Sochi, Russia. The hard goal of Canadas cross-country team is to claim at least two medals in Sochi. Its the men who have the best chance at winning them this time. "I really feel if this team doesnt get two medals Ill feel a bit of disappointment or maybe we did something wrong," Canadian head coach Justin Wadsworth said. "That doesnt mean were incapable of four or five medals. "This is an amazing team. We could do better than two medals. We could blow other teams out of the water if everything comes together." The 11 skiers wholl represent Canada in Sochi were introduced Tuesday at an elementary school with six being present for the announcement. Harvey, Kershaw, Ivan Babikov of Canmore, Alta., Daria Gaiazova of Banff, Alta., and Perianne Jones of Almonte, Ont., were in Europe and en route to a World Cup event in Poland. Chandra Crawford and Jesse Cockney of Canmore, Torontos Lenny Valjas, Graeme Killick of Fort McMurray, Alta., Heidi Widmer of Banff and Emily Nishikawa of Whitehorse will join their teammates in Italy next week for pre-Games training. Cockney, Killick, Widmer and Nishikawa claimed their Olympic berths at last weeks trials in Canmore. They, along with Valjas, will make their Olympic debuts while the rest of the team has previous Games experience. Harvey won two races and finished in the medals four times in this seasons Tour de Ski, which is a gruelling series of 10 races spread over 16 days and three countries. Harvey and Kershaw finished first and second, respectively, in the series opening race. "I feel like our team is in a really good place," Wadsworth said. "We started out slowly this year. The results werent good early and weve built and built. I feel like were in a place where were building still in confidence. We havent peaked out in any way shape or form. "I feel like the whole team is starting to rise and its how we wanted to time it." Wadsworth is married to Canadas Beckie Scott, whose bronze at the 2002 Winter Games was eventually upgraded to gold when two Russians ahead of her were disqualified for doping. Scott was the first North American woman to win an Olympic medal in cross-country skiing. Scott and Sara Renner combined for team sprint silver in 2006 before Scott retired. Canadas cross-country skiers were shut out of the medals at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., although the men posted seven top-10 finishes. Harvey and Kershaw were fourth in the team sprint and Babikov fifth in the 30-kilometre event. Kershaw was fifth and an agonizing half a second from the podium in the 50-kilometre event. Harvey and Kershaw won world championship gold in 2011 in the team sprint. The mens sprints are fertile ground for Canada, but Babikov is also a contender in distance events. Those three and Valjas also give the Canadian squad a strong mens relay team. Medal prospects are thinner on the womens side, although Gaiazova and Jones won World Cup bronze in a team sprint in Sochi last year. Crawford, the 2006 Olympic womens sprint champion, is a wildcard. The womens sprint Feb. 11 will be a skate-ski race again as it was in 2006. The womens sprint in 2010 was a classic race and not Crawfords forte. The 30-year-old is more in her element in skating races than in classic, the striding technique requiring more finesse and less power. But Crawford has struggled first with injuries and then burnout since 2006, to the point where she cut her 2012-13 European racing season short and returned to Canmore. She trained on her own last summer instead of joining the national team at training camps. The 30-year-old isnt shouldering the same weight of expectation she did prior to 2010. "Its so different than Vancouver. Its not our Games. We have to . . . there was more of a have-to feeling," Crawford said. "Just the amount of interest was hard to process as well. "This feels like a real gift and I really appreciate the opportunity." Cockney is the first athlete of Inuit descent on the Olympic cross-country team since sisters Sharon and Shirley Firth raced in their fourth Winter Games in 1984. Cockneys father, Angus, is Inuit. Cockney was born in Yellowknife and learned to ski there before his family moved to Canmore. "Its great to have a strong connection to distinct people," the 26-year-old said. "You kind of feel a little bit more unique and for sure a different experience growing up. "My dad was a cross-country skier at a high level when he was younger and he got my sister and I involved when we were quite young. We had ski trails behind our house when we lived in Yellowknife all the way to the nordic centre. "A lot of dark, cold days in Yellowknife, cross-country skiing in the middle of winter, but that hardened us up and made us stronger." Killick beat decorated Paralympian Brian McKeever out for a spot on the Olympic squad by winning the 30-kilometre event and finishing second to McKeever in the 15k at trials. McKeever was eighth in the 30k. McKeever, from Canmore, is a legally blind skier and winner of 10 Paralympic medals who qualified for Canadas 2010 Olympic team. He was poised to become the first Paralympian to compete in a Winter Olympics, but the teams coaches decided to enter four other skiers in the 50k and not McKeever. The 2014 Olympic cross-country ski competition opens Feb. 8 with the womens 15k race. Custom Suns Jerseys . -- Thirty years ago, the Detroit Pistons beat the Denver Nuggets 186-184 in triple overtime, a game that remains the highest scoring in NBA history. Devin Booker Jersey . The Flames are in the midst of a six-game slide (0-5-1), their longest losing streak since an 0-6-3 skid from Jan. 11-28, 2010. They havent won since Nov. 3 in Chicago and most recently went winless on a three-game homestand. http://www.officialsunsfanstore.com/ . A rainy day saw the former champion Djokovic handle 14th-seeded Frenchman Jo- Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) under the roof on the famed Centre Court.TORONTO – It appears Melky Cabreras time with the Blue Jays wont extend beyond two seasons, general manager Alex Anthopoulos all but assuring that with Wednesdays trade with the Mariners, a one-for-one which sends pitcher J.A. Happ to the Pacific Northwest in exchange for outfielder, and Canadian, Michael Saunders. The hump day business didnt end there. Less than 24 hours after non-tendering Justin Smoak, the Jays signed the first baseman to a $1-million contract for 2015. Saunders, a 28-year-old from Victoria, B.C., can play all three outfield spots but with Jose Bautista locked down in right field and a number of options including Dalton Pompey and Kevin Pillar for centre field, Saunders is being pegged as the everyday left fielder. A left-handed bat, Saunders projects to hit toward the bottom of the order, an obvious comment considering Jose Reyes, Russell Martin, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Donaldson appear locks at the top. Saunders is arbitration eligible, coming off a year in which he made $2.3-million, so hell get a raise but hell be cheaper than Happ (due $6.7-million). Thats nothing to sniff at as Anthopoulos looks for ways to accrue talent while prudently spending available dollars. Its believed the Blue Jays and Cabrera still cant agree on the players value. Now 30, it was in the middle of the 2012 season when Cabrera was baseballs leading hitter. He was closing in on a five-year extension with the San Francisco Giants, believed to be in the neighbourhood of $75-80-million, a deal which got shelved in the wake of Cabreras positive test for a performance enhancing drug. Cabrera is trying to recoup as much of that lost contract as possible. The Jays see it differently, thrilled with Cabreras 2014 but just as concerned about investing in a player with drug and health history. Anthopoulos is careful not to compare Cabreras and Saunders offensive abilities, but he thinks hes hit on something with Saunders glove. Hes an above average defender in left field, which is important, said Anthopoulos. I mean, I know this wasnt talked about that much, but at least our internal evaluations, from a metrics standpoint, we were below average defensively in the outfield last year. Were trying to get better. Im not calling any player out. Im saying overall, as an outfield group, we didnt have the greatest year so were looking to get better if we can. The Blue Jays dont have a defined ace starting pitcher. Guys like Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey would benefit from improved outfield defence. The problem didnt fall solely in Cabreras lap, however. When Anthony Gose wasnt in centrefield, there were problems there and that affects the corner outfielders. Saunders was limited to 78 games last season thanks to shoulder and oblique injuries, but if he can duplicate his numbers (eight home runs, 126 wRC+, . Dragan Bender Jersey. 791 OPS) over a full year, the loss of Cabreras offence (16 home runs, 125 wRC+, .808 OPS) wont sting quite as badly. Also, as stated before, Saunders wont occupy Cabreras spot in the batting order and so he wont be expected to set the table for Bautistas, Encarnacions and Donaldsons thunder. By dealing Happ (4.22 ERA, 4.26 FIP, 133 strike outs in 158 innings pitched last season), Anthopoulos clears a spot in the rotation for Aaron Sanchez. The 22-year-old dazzled in 24 relief appearances (1.09 ERA, 2.80 FIP, 27 strikeouts and 14 hits allowed in 33 innings pitched) following his July promotion. Anthopoulos was clear, Sanchez will have to earn the job in spring training, but assuming he does it doesnt sound as though hell be working under an innings limit. People say 20-percent, 30 innings, well is 30 innings if you threw 100 the year before the same as if you threw 180? Is 20-percent of 100 the same as 20-percent of 180 and wheres the science to it, said Anthopoulos. You do monitor. You give him rest. You stay on top of it and I dont think you stay locked in to a number. As of now the starting rotation, in no particular order, consists of Marcus Stroman, R.A. Dickey, Sanchez, Mark Buehrle and Drew Hutchison. The likes of Marco Estrada, Daniel Norris, Todd Redmond, Liam Hendriks and Jeff Francis will back fill. Estrada and Redmond would start the season in the bullpen. Norris, a top prospect coming off of elbow surgery to clean out bone spurs, would continue his seasoning at Triple-A Buffalo. Hendriks and Francis, on minor league deals, also would toil for the Bisons. Smoak has the inside track to get most of the starts at first base; Encarnacion will get most of his starts as the designated hitter. Theres concern about Smoaks offence, and rightfully so, but hes a steady-handed defender who should better pick throws in the dirt. Getting out of the American League West and into the East, playing at Rogers Centre and visiting Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park and Oriole Park often should benefit Smoaks bat. Its difficult to imagine he wont improve on last seasons dismal .202/.275/.339 with the Mariners. The club still has questions in centrefield – do you hand the spot to Pompey after just 17 big league games? How does Kevin Pillar figure in? What about second base? Theres much to be desired amongst the group, which includes Maicer Izturis, Ryan Goins, Steve Tolleson and Devon Travis. Theres also the matter of the bullpen, which Anthopoulos considers to be his top priority now. The general manager, who prefers to conduct his business away from the frenzy that is the annual winter meetings (which take place next week in San Diego), has more to do. But Anthopoulos win-now roster is starting to take a clearer shape. ' ' '