Post by lingzi on Sept 7, 2012 7:36:29 GMT 1
To move forward Brian McKeever knows he must let go of the past. Britton Colquitt Jersey . That is easier said than done for the visually impaired cross-country skier who saw his dream of racing at the Winter Games shattered when coaching staff made the decision not to let him compete in an event he had qualified for. Burying his Olympic disappointment wont be simple, but McKeever hopes winning medals at the upcoming Paralympics will help ease the hurt. "The important thing is for it not be a distraction," McKeever said during a telephone interview from his home in Canmore, Alta., Thursday. "Whether or not I am going to take motivation from it, we will see as we come into it. "Its still a disappointment for sure. We want to have good races. We are going to get that just from our preparation." McKeever, 30, is legally blind with Stargardts disease, a form of macular degeneration that affects central vision. He made history in January by being chosen as part of Canadas cross-country ski team that would compete at the Vancouver Games. That made him the first paralympic athlete to be chosen for a Canadian Olympic team. But the emotional high McKeever rode into the Games ended in a gut-wrenching crash when coaching staff decided to use four other skiers in the event he had qualified for, the gruelling 50-kilometre race. The decision felt like a body blow. "It felt like it was an end to a dream," McKeever said. "I felt like I had lost something I had been holding on to for a very long time. That was really hard emotionally, physiologically." Devon Kershaw of Canmore finished fifth in the race, just 1.6 seconds out of a gold medal. George Grey of Rossland, B.C., was 18th; Alex Harvey of St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Que., 22nd; and Ivan Babikov of Canmore, 33rd. Thinking about the Olympics is like running his tongue over a sore tooth for McKeever. A good performance at the Paralympics, with his brother Robin acting as his guide, could be the best medicine. "We are going to try and go out and lay down the best races we can," McKeever said. "We will try to be as good as we can. "We are looking forward to getting out there and racing. That is what we do. We try not to get involved in the politics. We are athletes first. That just means our job is training and racing. I cant wait to go out there and do my job." The Paralympic Games will be held March 12-21. The alpine skiing, cross-country and biathlon events will be held in Whistler, B.C., at the same venues that hosted the Olympics. Sledge hockey and wheelchair curling will be held in Vancouver. Also among the 12 cross-country skiers named to Canadas Paralympic team Thursday is Colette Bourgonje of Saskatoon, Sask. McKeever and Bourgonje have won 15 Paralympic medals between them. Bourgonje, who will be attending her sixth Winter Paralympics, won two bronze medals in Turin and a pair of silvers in the 1998 Paralympics Nagano. She competes in the sit-skiing competition. McKeever won two gold, a silver and a bronze medal at the 2006 Turin Paralympic Games. He plans to compete in five events this year, but adding to his medal total will be a challenge. "Its getting more competitive every year," said McKeever, who also won two gold and silver at the 2002 Salt Lake City Paralympics. "We are always out there trying to raise the bar. Everybody else is gunning for us. "We are the one with the targets on our backs. As people start to realize what is possible, they are taking bigger and bigger steps forward. It is going to be harder and harder for Robin and I to stay ahead." The harder winning becomes, the happier McKeever is. "I welcome that," he said. "Its not just raising the profile of the Paralympics, but its raising the level of Paralympic sport. "Thats what everyone wants. Im hoping we will be as good as we were in Turin. Im looking forward to seeing what we can do." McKeever is battling the flu but expects to be healthy by the start of the Paralympics."I am happy its happened now and not a week from now," he said. His first event will be a biathlon on Saturdays opening day of competition. The sport, which combines cross-country skiing and target shooting, isnt McKeevers strongest event. For the shooting, the visually impaired use a rifle that creates different tones when its aimed exactly at the bulls eye target. "The shooting just adds another dimension I am not as comfortable with," McKeever said. "Im not as consistent. " Haloti Ngata Elite Jersey . -- Zdenek Okal scored two goals as the Medicine Hat Tigers advanced to the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs with a 4-1 win over the Swift Current Broncos on Tuesday. Womens Mark Sanchez Jersey . - Troy Aikman. Terry Bradshaw. Joe Namath Jersey . The team also confirmed the hiring of Ethan Moreau as part time professional scout for the NHLs Western Conference. A native of Quebec City, Donald Dufresne was selected 117th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. Youth Troy Polamalu Jersey . The UFC said a date and venue for the bout will be announced later. Lombard (31-2) is a former Cuban Olympic judo competitor, who is unbeaten in his last 25 MMA fights. Torrey Smith Jersey Womens . "Its been quite a few years since Ive been physically fit," Woods said Tuesday in his first appearance at the Abu Dhabi Championship.CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Jay Bruce homered and drove in a pair of runs, and Johnny Cueto dominated in his first opening-day start, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-0 victory over the Miami Marlins on Thursday before one of their biggest crowds. Cueto (1-0) anchored the Reds first opening-day shutout since 1980, when Frank Pastore beat Atlantas Phil Niekro 9-0. The right-hander allowed only three hits over seven innings, and a depleted bullpen finished it off. Left-hander Mark Buehrle (0-1) gave up Bruces sacrifice fly and Ryan Ludwicks RBI double over six innings. Bruce also homered off Edward Mujica. The crowd of 42,956 was the second-largest at Great American Ball Park, trailing only a playoff loss to Philadelphia in 2010. The Marlins arrived at 3 a.m. after opening their new ballpark in Miami with a 4-1 loss to St. Louis on Wednesday night. They managed only four hits off the defending World Series champions, and werent any better after a few hours of sleep in Cincinnati. Florida managed only three hits off Cueto and a bullpen depleted by the loss of closer Ryan Madson and setup man Nick Masset. Aroldis Chapman pitched a perfect eighth, and fill-in closer Sean Marshall retired the side in order in the ninth. Cincinnatis traditional home opener matched two of the majors biggest off-season spenders. First baseman Joey Votto got a loud ovation during pregame introductions, a day after he signed a new contract that gave him an additional 10 years and $225 million to be thee cornerstone of the small-market franchise. Ed Reed Youth Jersey. Votto singled and got an intentional walk in four plate appearances. The Marlins also went on a spending spree leading up to the opening of their new ballpark, shelling out $191 million to acquire NL batting champion Jose Reyes, Buehrle and All-Star closer Heath Bell in a move to make the franchise a contender overnight. They also hired manager Ozzie Guillen to oversee the fresh start. Buehrle struggled with his control in the first inning on a windy, 60-degree afternoon. He escaped a bases-loaded, one-out threat by allowing only Bruces sacrifice fly to the warning track in centre. Doubles by Scott Rolen and Ludwick made it 2-0 in the sixth. Both starters picked a runner off first, undercutting rallies. NOTES: The Marlins were the only NL team the Reds hadnt played on opening day. ... Chris Coghlan started in LF for the Marlins in place of Logan Morrison, who missed time in March with a sore knee. Morrison played on Wednesday night in Miami and went 1 for 3. Guillen is being careful with him at the start of the season. ... Reds manager Dusty Baker recalled that Guillen was his batboy when he played on a team in Venezuela in 1974. Baker gave him a glove to show his appreciation. "Hes a good tipper," Guillen said. ... Rolen, in his first game back from shoulder surgery, made two nice defensive plays at third base to prevent hits. But he also committed an error. ... Hits king Pete Rose was among those in the crowd. ' ' '