John Kucera's injury hurts ski team's medal hopes at Olympic Games

By Jim Morris (CP) – 16 hours ago
John Kucera's season-ending injury means one of Canada's best threats to win multiple medals won't be competing at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Kucera's leg injury, suffered in the first super-giant slalom race of the World Cup season, will also make it more difficult for Alpine Canada to reach its goal of winning at least three medals at the Vancouver Games.
"It's a huge blow," Max Gartner, Alpine Canada's chief athletics officer, said Monday in a telephone interview from Lake Louise, Alta. "He's not only a threat in downhill, but also in super-G and giant slalom.
"As far as the Olympics go, there was a couple of shots he had and they are now gone."
Kucera, the reigning world downhill champion, underwent surgery Sunday night after fracturing the tibia and fibula in his left leg in a race at Lake Louise. Dr. Christopher Irving, Alpine Canada's medical director, said in a release that the 25-year-old from Calgary won't compete at the Olympics or ski this season.
Manuel Osborne-Paradis of North Vancouver, B.C., won Sunday's race, while Erik Guay of Mont-Tremblant, Que., placed fourth and Robbie Dixon of North Vancouver was fifth.
Gartner said the results show the depth of the Canadian program.
"We figure we have about 10 athletes that have medal potential," Gartner said. "We don't have too many with multiple events. These chances are less now. It means the people who are contenders have to convert to reach our goal.
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Winter Olympics: Brits to watch

While the official team announcement is still to take place here are Sportsister’s predictions for who will be the ones to watch for Great Britain at the Vancouver Olympics. Will the nation have a new golden girl?

Skeleton
British women have a great record in Olympic skeleton racing. In this unique sport ‘sliders’ do a sprint start then literally hurl themselves down the shared bobsleigh/luge/skeleton track on a thin sled, head first, just inches from the ice using their bodyweight to steer.

It first appeared in the Games in Salt Lake City in 2002, where Alex Coomber took a bronze medal for Britain. In 2006 in Turin, Shelley Rudman went one better – winning silver.

In Vancouver next year it is likely that Shelley, along with Amy Williams (pictured right) who won a World Championship silver earlier this year, will be battling it out for a podium finish.

The track in Vancouver is the fastest in the world with top speeds touching 100mph. Every track is unique and the more you can practice on it the better. But Team GB may only have 20 practice runs before the competition in comparison to the hosts Canada, who will have up to 400 runs prior to the Games. It’s going to be tough, but the British sliders are definitely ones to watch in Vancouver.

Figure skating
Not since the most famous Brits to take to the ice, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, won Olympic gold in ’84 and bronze in ’94, has Britain found Olympic success in figure skating. But Scotland’s brother and sister duo Sinead and Jonn Kerr may change this.

Earlier this year they won Great Britain’s first major medal in 15 years with bronze at the European Ice Dance Championships in Helsinki, Finland. They are six time British Ice Dance Champions, finished tenth in Turin in 2006, eighth at the 2008 World Championships and are currently ranked seven in the world.

Britain’s number one figure skater Jenna McCorkell (pictured below right) is also one to watch on her Olympic debut. Jenna is the current six times British Senior Champion, finished 9th in last year’s European Championships and 20th at the World Championships.

Snowboarding
There are three snowboarding disciplines that women can compete in at the Winter Olympics – Giant Parallel Slalom, Half Pipe and Snowboard Cross (also known as Boardercross). Britain has never won an Olympic medal on the snow, but in Vancouver all eyes will be on Zoe Gillings. She came 15th in the Turin Olympics, is currently ranked 5th in the world and is optimistic of her medal hopes for next year.

Lesley Mckenna has competed in the half pipe event at the last two Olympics and is hoping to be in Vancouver. At the time of going to press she was well on her way to meeting the selection criteria. Kate Foster, also a Turin Olympian, looks set to be joining her.



Curling
Were you one of the 5.7 million British viewers that tuned in to see Rhona Martin, Deborah Knox, Fiona MacDonald, Janice Rankin and Margaret Morton win gold on the curling rink in Salt Lake City? It’s one of the most loved moments of Team GB at a Winter Olympics in recent times.

In 2010 look out for reigning and three time world junior champion Eve Muirhead who will be competing in her first Olympics. She will be joined by former World Champion Jackie Lockhart, who will be at her fourth Games, along with Kelly Wood, Lorna Vevers and Karen Addison. (Pictured above left).

Britain has qualified in seventh place for the Olympics. This team will also represent Scotland at the European Championships, which are staged in Aberdeen in early December. All the qualified European nations are sending their Olympic squads to this event, which will be a real marker of medal prospects in February.

Skiing
There are five disciplines in the Olympic alpine skiing schedule – Downhill, Combined, Slalom, Giant slalom and Super G. Chemmy Alcott is Britain’s only female to compete at World Cup level and will be the only one in Vancouver at this event.

It will be her third Olympics, having competed in both Salt Lake City and Turin in four of the five events (not slalom). Her best result was 11th in the Downhill in Turin. But with four more years experience, and despite a fractured ankle hampering last season’s preparations, she is back fit and ready to fulfill that childhood ambition of an Olympic medal.

Also look out for Ellie Koyander in the Mogul discipline of the Freestyle skiing. While the eighteen year olds target is a medal at Sochi 2014, she has made the qualifying grade for Vancouver. In the Olympics competitors race each other down a specially constructed slope with a multitude of bumps known as moguls. They jump off the bumps performing acrobatic maneuvers and are marked on their technique, speed and the quality of the two jumps required.
Read more...sportsister

Omega releases commemorative watches for Winter Olympics

FEATURES
SCREW-IN CROWN
UNIDIRECTIONAL ROTATING BEZEL
HELIUM ESCAPE VALVE
DATE
CHRONOMETER
LIMITED EDITION

As the clock counts down to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Omega is releasing two commemorative watches. The Seamaster Diver 300m ‘Vancouver 2010’ is being produced in 41mm and 36.25mm versions, each in an edition limited to 2010 pieces.

The Vancouver watch has a distinctive white lacquered dial with red anodized aluminium bezel rings, recalling the maple leaf on the Canadian national flag. There is a further connection to the Games with the addition of the five Olympic rings on the counterweight of the red-tipped rhodium-plated second hand. All hands and indexes are coated with white Super-Luminova, creating a soft blue reflection in low light.

The ‘Vancouver 2010’ has its caseback embossed with the Winter Olympics Games logo, including a design based on the stone cairns erected by Canada’s First Nations peoples as a greeting to visitors in their territories. Called Ilanaak – the word means ‘friend’ in Inuktitut – it is the official symbol of the 2010 Vancouver Games.

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Lindsey Vonn winning at glam game

maneuvers on the slalom course.

By RACHEL BLOUNT, Star Tribune

Last update: November 28, 2009 - 11:43 PM
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Lindsey Vonn got to meet one of her sports idols last summer, when she watched the finals at Wimbledon and scored a meeting with Roger Federer. She was a bit surprised when the tennis star's family immediately recognized her.

"They knew who I was,'' the World Cup ski champion and Burnsville native said. "I got recognized by random people at Wimbledon, and at the French Open, people stopped me and said, 'Aren't you Lindsey Vonn?' At this point, it's just a couple of people here and there. It's not to the point where I get recognized on the street.''

That might not last for long. Two World Cup overall titles in the past two seasons have earned Vonn an impressive roster of sponsors that are banking on her being the breakout star of February's Winter Olympics. She is approaching her third Olympics at the top of her game, which has already netted her endorsement deals for everything from cold medicine to mascara to bread to ski gear.

Vonn is an established star in Europe, the center of the ski racing world. She's found less fame in the cluttered American sports landscape, where her sport gets little attention save for a few weeks during the Olympics. But her consistent success, combined with her charisma, photogenic looks and unpretentious manner, have attracted a variety of sponsors eager to align themselves with an athlete predicted to win big in Vancouver.

"She has the triple crown when it comes to marketing," said Under Armour executive Steve Battista, whose company signed Vonn four years ago. "She's a great competitor and an amazing athlete, and she has a magnetic personality.

"She's already got a pretty wide portfolio, and the world is only just beginning to meet her. Like Michael Phelps in Beijing, she is absolutely going to be the face of the Winter Olympics."
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Winter gear: Tech-savvy products and cold-weather classics

By Nathan Borchelt
Sunday, November 29, 2009

As Spyder ski apparel prepares to unveil its fully re-engineered, high-tech "slippery" race suit at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, we pause to profile the latest and greatest tech-savvy products in winter apparel -- and offer some contemporary upgrades to hall-of-fame cold-weather classics. Oh, and if you're eyeing one of those new skin-tight suits, which boast 40 percent less padding and reduced thread, seam and needle-hole counts to decrease wind drag, check 'em out on the U.S. and Canadian athletes this February. And start saving. They'll be available to mere mortals next fall.

INNOVATIONS

Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket

Outdoor gear staples Mountain Hardwear have partnered with Ardica Technologies to introduce a battery-heated jacket that also powers and charges your portable electronics. A flat lithium battery that slips discreetly between the shoulder blades provides eight hours of uninterrupted warmth on the low setting (three hours on high), while simultaneously juicing up your favorite pocket gizmos, from smart phones to cameras to GPS devices. You also get a fashion-forward look with ultra-thin insulation, fleece-lined hand pockets and Velcro-closure cuffs. In short, it's a go-to jacket when you want to leave the excess power behind. $425 for the jacket, power system and connection kit;http://www.mountainhardwear.com.

Marmot Alpinist Glove

Built for extreme conditions (or for those prone to cold digits) these gloves employ Gore-Tex's new X-TRAFIT construction, which permanently bonds the glove liner and the insert by using grip tape on the inside of the glove shell. The result? No excess movement or cold spots between the glove layers, and optimal grip and dexterity. Pair that with premium PrimaLoft insulation for oven-like warmth and you've got the perfect waterproof/breathable barrier against the elements without feeling like you're wearing oven mitts. Added touches such as loops for hanging, wrist leashes, gauntlet cuffs and a removable windproof soft shell make this the only glove you'll ever need. $180; http://marmot.com.
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Olympic goalie picture taking shape

Three months.

Three months from now, the men's hockey preliminary round at the 2010 Winter Olympics will be over and we'll be heading into the sudden-death quarterfinals. Canada, the U.S. and the rest of the world will have at least an inkling of how they stack up in the first true best-on-best tournament since the 2006 Games in Turin, Italy.

Read more at...

# Respecting the game first
# Two sides of Olli Jokinen
# For profiles, news and views from the hockey world, check out The Hockey News.

Pretty exciting, eh?

We've been discussing which players will dress for what country and what type of role they'll be given for at least a year now, maybe longer. But with the NHL season cruising past the quarter-mark, we've got some performances upon which to base our prognostications. Of course, there's still a lot to figure out, so let's focus on what people often call the most important position in sports: the goaltending.

Here's a snapshot of the 'Big 7' countries — Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States — and who figures to be between the pipes when the puck drops in February:

CANADA

Netminding was supposed to be the deepest position for the country that's loaded all over the ice. And, in all likelihood, it will be. But October was a shaky month for the Canucks — and we're not talking about Vancouver. Although if we were, we'd have to mention Roberto Luongo got off to his usual slow start (for him), and then the big guy got injured. He's back, and rounding into form, but Luongo hasn't helped his case a whole lot yet.

In New Jersey, perennial Canadian puckstopper Martin Brodeur also struggled out of the gates, but the veteran has come on in recent weeks.

Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury, who sparkled in leading the Penguins to the Stanley Cup last spring, has performed the best from the beginning of the season up to this point, but it still would be a huge shock if Team Canada turned to him as the go-to guy. As the youngest goalie of the three leading contenders, Fleury might have to settle for the No. 3 job and hope the NHL returns to the Olympics in Russia in 2014. (Stay tuned on that one.)

Who else? Well, Carolina's Cam Ward and Columbus' Steve Mason were on the radar heading into the season, but the Hurricanes' struggles — and the fact Ward will miss at least a month recovering from a gash in his upper thigh — has surely de-Cammed Canada. Mason, meanwhile, is having trouble repeating the heroic play that earned him the Calder Trophy — as well as Vezina and even Hart consideration — last year.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Dominik Hasek, anyone? Just kidding, Canada. Although the 44-year-old 'Dominator' tried to come back in the Czech League this season, only to go down with a pulled thigh muscle in late October.

Florida's Tomas Vokoun will almost surely get the nod for the Czechs; he's the type of netminder who's capable of doing a pretty good Hasek impression — that is, getting on a roll and proving to be unbeatable over a short period of time. Vokoun has been a top-10 goalie in the NHL for several years now, but his penchant for up-and-down play could also prove to be his country's undoing if he hits a February cold spell.

Atlanta's Ondrej Pavelec will likely back up Vokoun. He's performed well for the Thrashers, but asking the 22-year-old to turn back the best offensive players in the world might be too much to expect.

FINLAND

If you haven't heard, the Finns have taken over from Quebec as the world's latest goalie factory. Whether it's Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff or Minnesota's Niklas Backstrom, Finland's biggest strength should be its netminding.

And on the off-chance both of those world-class stoppers falter, there's always Tampa Bay's Antero Niittymaki. Don't snicker: He was named best goalie at the 2006 Games, when Finland captured the silver medal.

Another name to consider is Nashville's Pekka Rinne, who came on strong as a rookie in the second half of last season and has continued his strong play this year.

SLOVAKIA

With the likes of the Twin Marians — Gaborik and Hossa — and others, the Slovaks will be sparked by their forward corps. Plus, they have a little guy named Zdeno Chara spanning the blueline, which would make any netminder smile.

In this case, the grinnin' goalies are Montreal's Jaroslav Halak and Colorado's Peter Budaj. Halak has stepped up when called in to relieve Carey Price this season, including five consecutive starts in late October. But there's no denying Slovakia, the seventh-best team in the 'Big 7' — has the seventh-best goaltending, too.

SWEDEN

Henrik Lundqvist is the clear-cut No. 1 goalie for Sweden. (Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images)

As long as Rangers superstar Henrik Lundqvist is healthy, the Swedes have a chance. More than a chance, actually, considering he backstopped them to gold in 2006.

There's a drop-off after Lundqvist, though, with Atlanta's Johan Hedberg and Toronto's Jonas Gustavsson the next-best bets. Read on...

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