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zake201
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May 19 2014, 01:12 PM
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Calgary gymnast Nathan Gafuik can start packing his bags for London after the final three contenders for Canadas lone Olympic berth in mens gymnastics came up short at a World Cup meet in Ghent, Belgium on the weekend. Gafuik, the man to beat after establishing the highest Olympic qualifying score at the Canadian championships at the end of May, clinched the coveted berth after Jackson Payne of Edmonton, Jayd Lukenchuk of Saskatoon and Mathieu Csukassy of Montreal all failed to meet the qualifying standard at the last of four selection meets for the Canadian men. Payne, one of the strongest contenders in a group of 11 gymnasts in the running, came tantalizingly close in the high bar qualification, but troubles with a basic move known as a "kip cast" early in his high-powered routine effectively ended his Olympic bid. "The big skills and release moves were perfect but somehow he missed a really simple move that led to touching his hands on the dismount," said his longtime coach, Liang Cheng of Edmonton. "I think he probably would have scored high enough to get the Olympic berth if he didnt make that mistake," said Cheng. "Hes very disappointed. But thats sports. Somebody wins and somebody loses." Payne wound up 19th in the high bar qualification, 35th on parallel bars and 44th on pommel horse. Lukenchuk finished 15th on parallel bars and 16th on high bar and Csukassy was 18th on floor and 30th on rings. "Our selection process worked well and I think weve got the guy with the best chance of winning a medal going to the Games," said Canadian mens program director Jeff Thomson of Vancouver. "If you look at the scores that are coming out of these World Cup competitions, Gafuik is in the ball park. If he can improve the quality of that same routine he used to qualify he has the potential to win a medal at the Olympics." In the womens World Cup competition, Stefanie Merkle of Waterloo, Ont., was the only Canadian to reach a final, placing 6th on Sunday in the floor exercise. Merkle just missed qualifying for the beam final in 9th place. Rounding out Canadian results, Sabrina Tomassini of Montreal placed 13th on floor, 19th on uneven bars and 20th on vault. Paraskevi Babalis of Montreal was 13th on beam. wholesale nfl jerseys . -- Canadas Graham DeLaet is quietly becoming the Cinderella of these FedEx Cup playoffs. cheap nfl jerseys . On Thursday, the club signed free agent Maicer Izturis to a three-year, $9M deal. http://www.authenticchinacheapnfljerseys.com/ . -- Giving Braylon Edwards another shot might have seemed like a move of desperation but it may turn out to be a shrewd decision by the Seattle Seahawks. cheap jerseys from china . 1. Indianapolis Colts Andrew Luck - QB - Stanford After months of knowing he would be the next quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, Luck finally heard his named called on Thursday night. wholesale jerseys . -- The Oakland Raiders thin receiving corps got a boost Thursday when Denarius Moore returned to practice from an injury and the team signed Derek Hagan.The Oldershaw family has been waiting a long time for this moment. Canadas Mark Oldershaw won Olympic bronze in the mens C-1 1000m on Day 12 of the London 2012 Olympic Games; and he accomplished it in the same city where the Oldershaw Olympic legacy all started. His grandfather, Bert Oldershaw, began the tradition at the London 1948 Olympic Games. Marks father and two of his uncles also competed in previous Olympic Games. Prior to the race, the 29-year-old canoeist from Burlington, Ont., rubbed the Oldershaw name on the side of his canoe. "I guess it worked," he said after the race. Germanys Sebastian Brendel won gold; David Cal won silver. A third-generation Olympian, Mark is the fifth member of the Oldershaw family to paddle at an Olympic Games. None had medalled--until now. This bronze victory came just minutes after Oldershaws friend and training partner, Adam van Koeverden, won silver in the mens K-1 1000m. "Im just so happy, I donnt even know what to say," said Oldershaw.dddddddddddd Oldershaw posted a strong race throughout, staying with the leaders to claim the first-ever Olympic medal for the Oldershaw family, as well as the 13th medal for Canada at these Games. His late sprint to claim bronze made for an exciting end to the race. "It wasnt a wait--it was a boost," Oldershaw said of his sprint to the finish line. "This whole week has been one of the best weeks of my life and to cap it off with a bronze medal is just amazing." Prior to London 2012, Oldershaw had never even medalled at a World Championship. London 2012 marks Oldershaws second Olympic Games. He also competed at Beijing 2008, but failed to advance beyond the semi-finals. Using that as motivation, Oldershaw had a strong start at London 2012. He placed second in his heat on Day 10, followed by another second-placed finish in his semi-final race behind Frances Mathieu Goubel. More to come ... ' ' '
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