Larisa Yurkiw believed she should compete with the best in the world in the Olympics, and shell get that chance Wednesday in the womens downhill at Rosa Khutor. When the best Canadian womens speed racers from the 2010 Winter Olympics soon retired and Yurkiw endured injury woes with after effects that extended into years, official Alpine Canada funding dried up. The dollars were targeted at the emerging women on the team, all technical specialists. Yurkiw poured tens of thousands of her own dollars into a bid to make the Sochi Olympics, and raised more than six figures from private individuals and businesses to back her quest. Racing as an independent under coach Kurt Mayr, Yurkiw earned Tier 1 qualification for Sochi with a pair of top 12 results this season, a seventh-place finish in the season-opening downhill in Lake Louise, Alta., and a sixth place at Altenmarkt, Austria last month. The Owen Sound, Ont., native was aiming to compete at the Vancouver Games but tore up her left knee in a crash in December 2009. Yurkiw didnt participate in a full season again until 2012-13, but didnt crack the top 20 in any races, which put her at a career crossroads at just 25 years of age. In what seemed like another cruel blow after all her hard work, Yurkiw went down in a training run in Sochi last week. But she recovered to post the ninth fastest time in the last training session. The contenders There wont be a repeat Olympic downhill champion as American ski star Lindsey Vonn of the United States underwent knee surgery, but 2010 silver medallist Julia Mancuso and bronze recipient Liz Goergl are competing in Russia. Both are capable of getting back to the podium. Mancuso hasnt enjoyed great World Cup results this season, but now owns four career Olympic medals after earning a bronze in Mondays super-combined. The Hawaiian resident did so on the strength of a downhill that was nearly a half-second faster than the next best skier, Lara Gut of Switzerland. Goergls two World Cup wins this season (one downhill, one super-G) have come in the last month, while Gut, Marianne Kaufmann-Abderhalden of Austria and Slovenias Tina Maze also own downhill wins this season. Maria Hoefl-Riesch, with three, is the only skier with multiple downhill wins this season. The German veteran would have to be considered co-favourite along with Mancuso for the downhill, after winning her third career Olympic gold medal in Mondays super-combined. She is also the overall World Cup points leader. Dominique Gisin of Switzerland hasnt been on the World Cup podium since late 2011, but served notice she could be a factor with a winning training session earlier this week. Anna Wenninger of Austria and Elena Fanchin of Italy are also contender, each having been on the World Cup podium twice in downhill this season, though not yet in the top spot. Tina Weirather under normal circumstances would be considered a strong medal contender after racking up nine World Cup podiums this season, including four in the downhill. But the skier from tiny Liechtenstein, who suffered a serious injury that put her on the sidelines just days before the 2010 Olympics, is uncertain to compete after hurting her leg in a weekend training session. Vapormax Hvit Herre Norge . The 33-year-old Spaniard, who held the lead since the second round, turned in a solid final round that featured six birdies and two bogeys to finish on 22-under 266. The victory is Garcias first this year with his last win coming at the Johor Open, an Asian Tour event in Malaysia last December. Vapormax Herre Norge . Karlovic of Croatia used his big serve to beat Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic 7-6 (6), 7-6 (7). Kohlschreiber had lost all of his three previous matches against Istomin but the German broke serve for a decisive 3-2 lead in the third set and held on to reach his first final of the year. http://www.vapormaxnorge.com/nike-daybreak-norge.html.com) - Damian Lillard poured in 40 points on 11-of-21 shooting to go along with 11 assists, and the Portland Trail Blazers stunned the Oklahoma City Thunder, 115-111, in overtime on Tuesday. Vapormax Til Salg . Felton pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm. He admitted he knowingly had a large-capacity ammunition magazine and a semi-automatic pistol without a license. Nike Vapormax Billig . -- DeMarcus Cousins had 25 points and 16 rebounds to help the Sacramento Kings snap a seven-game losing streak by defeating the Chicago Bulls 99-70 on Monday night.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The new greens at Quail Hollow proved to be a good tonic for Angel Cabrera, who made seven birdies in his round of 6-under 66 to take a two-shot lead among the early starters Thursday at the Wells Fargo Championship. The club changed over to Bermuda greens as it prepares to host the 2017 PGA Championship. Cabrera hasnt had a lot go right this year, making only two cuts in nine starts on the PGA Tour. But something worked in the opening round. Not only was it his best score of the year, it was only his fourth round in the 60s. "It was a very good first round, and we have a lot to go," the Argentine said through a translator. Jonathan Byrd and Stewart Cink each had a 68 in relatively calm, humid conditions in the morning. The wind began to pick up in the afternoon when Phil Mickelson played. Rory McIlroy had six birdies and had to settle for a 69 when he failed to convert two good birdie chances late in his round. Even so, he took advantage of the par 5s, which he failed to do at Augusta National last month, and was pleased to see adjustments in his putting stroke pay off. Others at 69 included Hideki Matsuyama of Japan and Martin Kaymer, who had a wild finish to his round. Kaymer played his final four holes in 2 under without making a birdie or a par. After a bogey on the par-3 sixth, he made eagle on the par-5 seventh, chiipped in for eagle from just short of the green on the par-4 eighth and then closed with a birdie.dddddddddddd "Two eagles in a row, pretty rare. I dont think Ive ever done that before," Kaymer said. "I missed a lot of short putts today as well, so therefor, 3-under par is OK. I stayed in the tournament. But overall, it would have been nice to get a couple more shots here and there because it was possible." Quail Hollow is three years away from hosting its first major. Cabrera is acting as if its already here. He seems to show up only at the biggest events. His only two victories in America were at the 2009 Masters and the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont. He also lost to Adam Scott in a playoff at Augusta National last year. On this day, it was simply a matter of giving himself chances and making a few putts. He holed a birdie putt from 18 feet on No. 3, and knocked in a 40-footer from just off the green at No. 11. Cabrera made five birdies in a six-hole stretch around the turn, ending at No. 12 with an approach into 5 feet. Then, it was a matter of hanging on. He made tough par saves on the 16th and 17th, and appeared to be in trouble well right of the 18th fairway, blocked by trees. But he carved out a beautiful shot that reached the front of the green, and he two-putted from long range for par and his 66. "I was lucky," Cabrera said. ' ' '