导出博客文章VAL GARDENA, Italy -- Max Franz stunned the field to win a World Cup downhill Saturday, ending Austrias 13-race drought in skiings signature event with his first career victory.
Cheap Bengals Jerseys Authentic .Starting with the No. 26 bib after all of the favorites had already come down the Saslong course, Franz finished a slim 0.04 seconds ahead of Norwegian standout Aksel Lund Svindal and 0.41 in front of Val Gardena specialist Steven Nyman.The previous Austrian man to win a downhill was Hannes Reichelt in Kvitfjell, Norway, in March last year.Austria, once known as the sports Wunderteam for producing downhillers like Franz Klammer, Stephan Eberharter, Hermann Maier and Michael Walchhofer, didnt win a single downhill all of last season.Its a big relief, Franz said. We knew that all we needed was a little something and then the pressure would let up and now we can all ski without this external pressure.Matthias Mayer of Austria won the downhill at the 2014 Sochi Olympics but he had his season cut short last year with a horrific crash in Val Gardena, breaking two vertebrae. Having returned to action earlier this season, Mayer finished 17th Saturday.Franz also had injury problems last season, missing several races due to knee and ankle problems.Of course its an individual sport but this is going to help the entire team, Franz said in German through a translator.The 27-year-old Franzs previous best results were two runner-ups and one third-place.Svindal was already being interviewed as the presumed winner when Franz came down and made up a deficit in the final interval.Upon seeing his result, Franz whipped his poles around wildly while Svindal took his hat off and Nyman applauded.Svindal swept both the super-G and downhill in Val Gardena last season and was looking for his first victory since missing much of last season following a crash and knee injury in Kitzbuehel.Nyman, meanwhile, needed one more win to match Klammer and Italian standout Kristian Ghedina for a record fourth downhill win in Val Gardena.The highlights of the Saslong are the camel bumps, which launch skiers into the air for nearly 80 meters (90 yards), and the twisty and technical ciaslat section -- two areas that come right after another midway down. There are also numerous little bumps and jumps, providing constant air time.Svindal made a major error midway through his run, landing a jump far outside the race line, prompting him to brake to clear the next gate.You dont win races with mistakes, Svindal said. The other guys are too fast. ... I knew it wasnt really perfect.Nyman also struggled, sitting down on his skis while landing the bigger camel jump. Still, the American was able to regain his speed.I was just telling myself, `You got to keep pushing. The first thing in my mind was that the knees didnt pop so things are OK. Lets keep going, keep charging. Lets go, lets go, lets go, Nyman saidAll three of Nymans wins have come in Val Gardena.I cant not be happy about a podium, Nyman said. Im really happy to perform the way I did with a mistake.Adrien Theaux of France finished fourth and 2013 winner Erik Guay of Canada was fifth.In a strong day for the U.S. Ski Team, Travis Ganong came seventh and Bryce Bennett was eighth.Kjetil Jansrud, the Norwegian who had won the opening three speed races of the season -- including Fridays super-G on the Saslong, was only 12th.The men travel over the Gardena pass into Alta Badia for a giant slalom and a parallel slalom Sunday and Monday, respectively.---Andrew Dampf on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/asdampf Cheap Bengals Jerseys China . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began.
Wholesale Bengals Jerseys . The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends.
http://www.cheapbengalsjerseyselite.com/ . Pierce was ejected in the third quarter of Indianas 103-86 win Monday. George Hill stole a bad pass and was going in for a layup, and Pierce hustled back and appeared to be trying to wrap him up. SAN DIEGO -- With Steve Fishers coaching career winding down, the San Diego State Aztecs are focused on getting back to the NCAA Tournament after taking an unexpected detour to the NIT last season.Heading into his 18th season at SDSU, Fisher has built the program to the point that fans expect nothing less than an NCAA appearance. The Aztecs made the NCAA field six straight seasons, including their first two Sweet 16 appearances, before the streak ended last season.Although they won the Mountain West Conference regular-season title, they missed out on an automatic NCAA berth when they lost to Fresno State in the conference tournament championship game. Relegated to the NIT, they made it all the way to Madison Square Garden before losing to George Washington in the semifinals to finish 28-10.There was a time when it would be a big accomplishment for the Aztecs to make the NIT.No more. If its not the NCAAs, no ones happy.There are expectations. Theyre ours, also. We expect to be there, said Fisher, whose Aztecs open at Viejas Arena on Friday night against San Diego. Talking about it and doing it, weve gone six straight years. So were like the fans. We expect to be there and were disappointed when weve not there. Were talented enough to get there and yet youve got to prove it on the court. Hopefully we will do that also.Fisher, 71, is under contract through next season while his long-time assistant, Brian Dutcher, remains the associate head coach/head coach in waiting. As always, Fisher said he and his wife, Angie, will decide at the end of this season if hell return next year.The Aztecs players appreciate how Fisher has built up the program.It just shows the progress the program has made, sophomore guard Jeremy Hemsley said. Before Coach Fish got here, this wasnt really a school people considered a school to be in the tournament. That just shows the progress weve made and all the work that the coaches and players have put into the program.I can say that we will be back in the tournameent this year, Hemsley said.
Cheap Bengals Jerseys. The NIT isnt something that we will see in our near future. Were a different team. This is a different journey and the NIT isnt really an option or anything that weve even thought about.The Aztecs were picked to win the MWC in the annual preseason poll, and received votes in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll.Hemsley, junior guard Trey Kell and sophomore forward Zylan Cheatham are the returning starters. Also back are junior forward Malik Pope, senior forward Matt Shrigley and senior guard Dakarai Allen. Kell is the leading returning scorer, having averaged 12.6 points while earning all-MWC first-team honors.The Aztecs lost some height when Skylar Spencer, Angelo Chol and Winston Shepard graduated.They do welcome 6-10, 240-pound senior center Valentine Izundu, who is eligible after transferring from Washington State after earning his degree.The Aztecs will also look for contributions from 6-9 forward Jalen McDaniels, picked as the Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year along with Utah States Koby McEwen, and Montaque Gill-Caesar, a 6-6 transfer from Missouri who was named the leagues preseason newcomer of the year.The Aztecs were too inconsistent last year, hurting themselves with losses to crosstown rival San Diego, Little Rock and Grand Canyon.Whats going to be different this year, Hemsley said, is our intensity and the fun we have with each other. I think thats all it is. I think well prove ourselves very early and I think well be very consistent. I dont think inconsistency is going to be something that were going to have to worry about this year.Inconsistency was something that we did deal with last year, he added. With this team, thats where we grew up. Thats not really something that the fans or anyone watching us will see this year.---Follow Bernie Wilson on Twitter at
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