n, but she vows she wont back off between now and February,

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LAKE LOUISE, Alta. -- With the Winter Olympics coming over the horizon, its tempting to want to wrap Canadas top athletes in bubble wrap so they stay in one piece over the next few weeks. Sorry, cant happen, says snowboarder Maelle Ricker, the reigning Olympic champion in womens snowboard cross. The start of Rickers season was delayed by a concussion, but she vows she wont back off between now and February, when the Winter Games will be held in Sochi, Russia. "You cant be hesitating or hanging back or holding things back," she said Friday at Lake Louise. "It doesnt work that way. Thats just not the way to look at it. Youve got to keep your level of riding, keep progressing and hopefully you peak in February." Ricker became the first Canadian woman to win a gold medal in a home Games when she won in 2010 in Vancouver. She says a training crash "sent me on my head" earlier this month in Austria. The 34-year-old from Squamish, B.C., returned to Canada with a mild concussion instead of racing the first World Cup of the season in Montafon, Austria. The cobwebs cleared in time for Ricker to compete at the Sportcheck Snowboard World Cup in Lake Louise, which is the closest boardercross race to home shes had since winning gold on Cypress Mountain. Ricker and Dominique Maltais of Petite-Riviere-St Francois, Que., qualified Friday for the womens quarter-finals, semifinals and finals Saturday. Calgarys Chris Robanske was first in mens qualifying. Hell be joined in Saturdays main event by teammates Rob Fagan of Squamish and Kevin Hill of Vernon, B.C. Robanske, Ricker and Maltais have already qualified for Sochi. Ricker is also the reigning world champion after winning this years title in Stoneham, Que. Maltais, 33, won the overall World Cup snowboardcross title each of the last three years and was a bronze medallist at the 2006 Winter Games. Robanskes World Cup win at Blue Mountain in Collingwood, Ont., last season was the first by a Canadian male since 2007. Maltais opened this season finishing second in Montafon. Shes been a model of consistency and her reward has been the crystal globe that goes to World Cup champions. "You have to be on it pretty much every race," Maltais said. "I love what Im doing. Im always looking to improve myself. "Everything Im eating, everything Im touching is to make me a faster, better athlete and a better person too." Maltais and Ricker make Canada a double medal threat in womens boardercross in Sochi. The two women are supportive of each other and will high-five each other even before going head-to-head in a final. "I have so much respect for Dom when were on course," Ricker said. "Shes really pushed the level the last few years. Its really made our whole girls team rise up. "When were on course, were definitely not trying to take each other out. Thats not the idea. The idea is we both get to stand on the podium." Instead of racing each other in four-boarder heats as they do Saturday, the snowboarders race alone against the clock in qualifying. The top 32 men and 16 women advance. Maltais was second and Ricker fifth among women. Robanske was the fastest man with Fagan third and Hill 16th. Lake Louise is a rare race close to home for Robanske, who learned to snowboard at Calgarys Canada Olympic Park at the age of nine. He crashed in Montafon and is racing with injured soft tissue in his right elbow. "What we do is extreme and injuries happen," Robanske said. "If anything, its kind of an advantage for me. I put less pressure on myself when I have something wrong or somethings not working. I think Im going to have a good day tomorrow." Ricker has achieved the pinnacle of her sport, but she doesnt see Sochi as a place where she cant do better than she did in Vancouver. "I dont think about that at all," she said. "If youre thinking about that then maybe youre kicking yourself in the butt. "The big thing that most of us are looking for is that feeling of the perfect run where everything comes together. I really hope its going to produce a good result, but one thing I definitely realized in Vancouver was it was the whole journey leading up to that day and thats sort of where Im at right now." Cheap jerseys . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. Etoo gave Jose Mourinhos team a decisive lead from Oscars back pass in the 34th. jerseys from china . "Today was a very great day for me. It was always my dream to be good in GS," Wierather said. "I took quite a long time to get there. It feels awesome to have my first win (in GS)." Wierather leads overall with 595 points from Lara Gut (568), who finished second, and Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany (535). www.cheapjerseysnflchinawholesale.com/ . -- Derek Jeter says the New York Yankees have no choice but to move forward now that Alex Rodriguez has accepted his suspension for the 2014 season. nfl jerseys china . -- With two words, Jay Cutler dismissed the notion that the Green Bay Packers would be able to disrupt the Chicago Bears new-look wide receiver corps with physical play: Good luck. wholesale nfl jerseys .J. -- The New York Jets have promoted Tony Sparano Jr.GREEN BAY, Wis. - Go ahead, take shots at the Green Bay Packers and their barely-above .500 record. Question the defence, and make light of how they needed to scratch and claw to win three of their last four games. All that matters to coach Mike McCarthy is that Green Bay won the NFC North and is in the NFL playoffs. "I love our defence. I love our football team. Throw the stats out the window," a rejuvenated McCarthy said Monday at Lambeau Field. "You can throw the bad ones at me and Ill throw the good ones back at you. "Were a playoff football team. Our identity has changed. This team has embraced it, and we know its going to take the full game to get it done, and thats the way we play." The Packers (8-7-1) have grown accustomed to nail-biters on their way to winning a third straight division crown. The most important close call came Sunday at Chicagos Soldier Field, when Aaron Rodgers found Randall Cobb for an unlikely 48-yard touchdown catch on fourth-and-8 with 38 seconds left to cap the comeback from an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a 33-28 win. Whats more, it sent the Bears — Green Bays fiercest division rival — home for the winter. The victory and touchdown reception that featured two key Packers who returned from injuries had sports talk radio shows buzzing throughout Wisconsin on Monday. "Oh man, Its a great a feeling," running back Eddie Lacy said Sunday night about watching time expire on the clock. "Were about to go to the (playoffs), and now we have to keep it going." But the Packers had only Sunday night to celebrate. "Im sure some guys went past midnight," McCarthy said. It was back to business on Monday in Titletown, and as if to emphasize the point, McCarthy sported a suit and tie when he spoke to reporters. "It is playoff time, and were focused on the 49ers," he said. Coach Jim Harbaughs team will visit Lambeau Field on Sunday for an NFC wild-card game. The 499ers beat the Packers 34-28 in San Francisco in Week 1, back in September.dddddddddddd Last season, the 49ers eliminated Green Bay from the playoffs en route to the Super Bowl. As much as McCarthy would like to disregard the statistics, on defence at least, the numbers dont paint a pretty picture. Green Bay is 25th in the NFL in total defence, giving up 372 yards a game. After a solid start to the season, the Packers have fallen to 25th against the run, allowing 125 yards per game. It is unknown if pass-rushing linebacker Clay Matthews will return to action after breaking his right thumb for a second time this year. He wont play on Sunday. But the Packers do have Rodgers back after the 2011 NFL MVP missed nearly two months because of a fractured left collarbone. He is the ultimate game-changer, a franchise quarterback who can help mask other flaws on the team. McCarthy said he cant think of a better two-minute drill in his coaching career than the one the Packers executed Sunday night to help win the game. "I think this is probably his finest hour as a Green Bay Packer," McCarthy said of Rodgers. The road back to the post-season has been strewn with obstacles. Besides Rodgers, Cobb and Matthews, injuries have also deprived Green Bay of tight end Jermichael Finley, defensive end Johnny Jolly and cornerback Casey Hayward. Projected left tackle Bryan Bulaga was lost in training camp. But McCarthy believes a team identity has emerged late in games over the last month. The defence staved off the Bears last-ditch drive with an interception by cornerback Sam Shields. Call em the "never-give-up" Packers. "When you really have to earn it to get in," McCarthy said, "yeah, its very rewarding." Notes: Lacy has been bothered by a sprained right ankle the last three games, but McCarthy said Monday that early information indicated the rookie came out of Sundays game in better condition than after the previous game. ' ' '