think things happen for a reason

ALTENMARKT-ZAUCHENSEE, Austria -- Canadian Larisa Yurkiw earned a spot at the Winter Olympics after finishing sixth in a womens downhill skiing World Event on Saturday, a career-best performance. Yurkiw, from Owen Sound, Ont., needed two top-12 results to qualify for nomination to Canadas Olympic team and followed up a seventh-place finish in the season-opening downhill in Lake Louise, Alta., with a strong run in Saturdays race in Austria. "Larisa skied amazing today. She was super strong. It was solid skiing, top to bottom," said Hugues Ansermoz, head coach of Canadas womens team. "Its great that she has qualified for Sochi. She was already close to qualifying but she made the Olympic team through the front door without leaving anything to chance. She deserves it and she showed that today." Elisabeth Goergl beat Anna Fenninger for an Austrian 1-2 finish, ending a two-year drought for the ski-mad nation in the sports fastest discipline. Goergl, the 2011 world champion, started 28th after the other top contenders had already gone down but had the fastest time at each interval. Goergl finished the demanding three-kilometre Kaelberloch course in 1:47.45 to deny Fenninger her first career downhill win by 0.56 seconds. "I know I had a super run. That gives me satisfaction," said Goergl, who also was the last Austrian woman to win a downhill -- in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria, in January 2012. "I am glad that I had a smooth run," Goergl said. "Winning isnt the most important to me. What really counts is skiing well. I wasnt able to show that last year." It was the first 1-2 finish in a World Cup downhill for Austrian women since 2007. Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany, who has won two downhills this season, came 0.63 behind in third and lost her lead in the overall standings to Fenninger by six points, 677-671. Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein is third with 659 points. Weirather came 0.91 behind in fourth. Marie-Michele Gagnon of Lac-Etchemin, Que., came 29th to claim her first top-30 World Cup finish in downhill to add to the seven top-10s and three top-five results shes already racked up this season in slalom, giant slalom and super-G. "Im more than happy with top 30. Its a huge stepping stone for me because being in the points shows you are part of the group," said Gagnon, who was the first Canadian alpine skier to meet the criteria for nomination to Canadas Olympic team. "I dont train downhill and we only had one training run this week. I just got brand new boots and I raced on them and totally different skis, so Im super happy with that." Starting 25th, Yurkiw -- who is racing as an independent under coach Kurt Mayr -- produced a strong run to cross the line in a time of 1:48.58. Yurkiw suffered a catastrophic leg injury in 2009 but returned to competition two years later. Yurkiw has previously had success in Altenmarkt, winning the downhill portion of a combined race -- and beating American superstar Lindsey Vonn in the process -- in January 2009. She was also seventh in the FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Altenmarkt/Flachau in 2007. "This is her hill -- shes done well here before," Gagnon said. "It great seeing her continue her streak of top results. Shes a cool girl and I think I can learn a lot from her." Gagnon, competing in downhill as part of her training for the combined discipline, achieved her aim of a top 30 finish when she crossed the line in 1:50.17. "That was the goal today, just to score some points and get (Canada) another spot in downhill," Ansermoz said. "Without skiing her best she was top 30 so anything is possible for her in the combined." Both Gagnon, who was fourth in the world in super-combined last season, and Erin Mielzynski, of Collingwood, Ont., are set to compete in Sundays super combined race. Dan Majerle Jersey . Mauer drove in two runs before leaving with an injury, Eduardo Nunez homered and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 10-2 on Tuesday night. Dragan Bender Jersey . The Detroit Tigers slugger fell short in his bid to become the first player to win the Triple Crown in successive seasons. http://www.sunsofficialshop.us/josh-jackson-suns-jersey/ . -- Billy Andrade hasnt played much competitive golf over the past four years. Brandon Knight Jersey . The Raptors have to get through the pesky New York Knicks Wednesday at Madison Square Garden and can lock up the third spot in the Eastern Conference with a win or a Chicago loss in Charlotte. Steve Nash Jersey . Simon (10-3) allowed three runs on five hits and three walks in 6 1-3 innings to break a tie with the Dodgers Zack Greinke and Cardinals Adam Wainwright for the NL lead in victories. Simon went to spring training as a relief pitcher and moved into the starting rotation when Mat Latos was recovering from elbow and knee surgeries.TORONTO – Unless the Blue Jays are laying the groundwork to promote top pitching prospect Aaron Sanchez from Triple-A, Fridays roster move is at best pointless and at worst, a hindrance. On its own, its hard to see how the acquisition of left-hander Brad Mills off waivers from Oakland on Thursday, followed by the optioning to Buffalo of right-hander Chad Jenkins on Friday, makes the Blue Jays a better baseball team. Sitting four games out of first place in the American League East entering post-All-Star Break play, the priority must be to improve the ballclub with each transaction. This results in the shuffling of back-to-back first-round picks. Jenkins (20th overall in 2009) gets shuffled out. Right-handed pitcher Deck McGuire (11th overall in 2010) was designated for assignment to create space on the 40-man roster for Mills. Manager John Gibbons, left to answer for a move he likely had no say in, offered this on Mills: "Hell be our long guy," said Gibbons. This, according to Gibbons, is to facilitate a larger role for Todd Redmond. "Youll probably see him in the middle of the game, later in the game," said Gibbons. Jenkins, who was gone before media had a chance to speak to him, could be forgiven if he was scratching his head all the way to Pawtucket, where hell join his Bisons teammates and begin his fourth stint with Buffalo this season. The 26-year-old has a 3.72 ERA in 15 appearances, 19 1/3 innings, for the Blue Jays this season. Clearly, hed developed a degree of Gibbons trust, seeing use in high leverage situations late in close ballgames. Mills, 29, is a journeyman. A fourth-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2007, he posted an 8.57 ERA in 14 appearances, nine starts, with Toronto spread over three seasons starting in 2009. After a stop in Anaheim (sent west by the Blue Jays in the December, 2011 deal for catcher Jeff Mathis), Mills has spent time in the Rangers, Brewers and Athletics organizations. He made three starts for the As this season after Oakland acquired him for one dollar from Milwaukee, winning once before becoming expendable after the blockbuster trade for Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel. Redmond has had a solid year for the Blue Jays, posting a 2.57 ERA in 25 appearances but pitching mostly in low leverage situations. There have been 14 occasions when Redmond has entered the game with Toronto either leading or trailing by at least three runs. "Basically Red was pitching in blowout-type games so he wasnt getting a lot of work and hes pitched very good," said Gibbons. "Were going to give him a shot in a little bit tougher roles and see what he can do with them; pitch him more often." Redmond had been the long man with Jenkins serving a hybrid long man/high leverage role. Now, its Mills as the long man with Redmond serving a hybrid long man/high leverage role. The only thing the club has accomplished is the addition of a depth pitcher. Maybe Jenkins helps to fortify a pitching staff in Buffalo thats soon to lose Sanchez. It could be similar to the recent acquisition of Brett Wallace, meant to cover Buffalos loss of Dan Johnson, who jjoined the Blue Jays when Adam Lind went on the disabled list.dddddddddddd Then again, maybe it isnt and this is just another move in the seemingly constant waiver wire scavenger hunt that leaves Jenkins the odd man out. REYES GETS CORTISONE SHOT Jose Reyes used the four-day All-Star Break to spend time with his family at their Long Island, New York home. He didnt exercise and he didnt participate in any baseball-related activities. Reyes had good reason for it. "I didnt do anything because I had a cortisone shot in my shoulder," said Reyes. "I had to sit for a couple of days at home and rest and go from there. Today, I feel good. Its all about baseball now, you know, second half. Were still in the mix to continue competing." Reyes played in Sundays game against the Rays and received the shot afterward. Hes been dealing with soreness in his rotator cuff, soreness that comes and goes, for most of the season. Entering Fridays play, Reyes had appeared in 79 of Torontos 96 games, the majority of which have been played on the fake surface at Rogers Centre. His body needed the break. "People know on the field that we play here, on the turf, its going to hurt your body a little bit," said Reyes. "When you have the opportunity to take a day off you have to take it and enjoy it." ARENCIBIA RETURNS TO TORONTO After a two month stint with Texas Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock, J.P. Arencibia was back in the big leagues in time to begin the second half of the season in, of all places, Toronto. The irony wasnt lost on the former franchise catcher. "Its crazy the way life works. I think things happen for a reason," said Arencibia. "Obviously (its) where my whole career started; where I grew up. I mean, walking around is a little different for me but, obviously, Im here to do a job and Im excited to be back." Arencibia had a big effect on the outcome of Friday nights game. His three-run home run in the seventh inning increased the Rangers lead to 5-0. Texas won 5-1. The Rangers have a plethora of catchers now that Geovany Soto, the incumbent, has returned from a knee injury. The Rangers used a combination of Robinson Chirinos and Chris Gimenez after Arencibia was outrighted to the minor leagues in mid-May. Thanks to left ankle surgery which will keep first baseman Mitch Moreland out of action until September, possibly the rest of the season, the Rangers have a hole at first base. Carlos Pena was designated for assignment. Arencibia gets a chance to fill the void. His two months in the minor leagues were helpful. "I 100-percent needed it," said Arencibia. "I think that it was something that necessary and I went back and had to iron some things out and be who I can be. That was really the main thing, changing my mentality and really understanding myself." Arencibia hit .279/.320/.542 with 14 home runs in 48 games with Round Rock. In his first stint with the Rangers, he hit .133/.182/.233 with one home run in 20 games. The former Blue Jay was non-tendered last offseason after hitting .194/.227/.365 despite 21 home runs. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '