MONTREAL -- Charles Hamelin took another step toward the overall world championship title, but the bad luck goes on for Canadas relay team. Hamelin overcame a weak start to win bronze in the 500-metre race behind winner Wu Dajing of China and American J.R. Celski on Saturday at the world short track speed skating championship. The Ste-Julie, Que., skater cut to the outside in a desperate bid for the win and came close to catching Celski at the finish line with the large crowd at the Maruice Richard Arena in a frenzy. "The four guys in that final were the four best 500-metre skaters in the world, so it was tough," said Hamelin, who was coming off a win in the 1,500-metre event on Friday. "I made a little mistake at the beginning. "I got passed by the Russian (Victor An) and was back in fourth place. I had a lot of speed. I went outside. It was my last option. I tried my best and was almost second." The 29-year-old, who has twice been runner-up for the overall title but never won it, leads the standings heading into the final two individual events -- the 1,000 and 3,000 metres -- on Sunday. An, a five-time overall world champion formerly known as Ahn Hyun-Soo, finished fourth. Park Seung-Hi of South Korea won the womens 500-metres ahead of Elise Christie of Britain and Fan Kexin of China. Disaster struck for the Canadian team in the mens relay semifinals when veteran Olivier Jean got caught in traffic and missed an exchange with Hamelin with only eight laps to go. The mishap dropped Canada from second to last place among the four teams and they couldnt catch up. Only the top two, Russia and Britain, earned a spot in Sundays relay final. "We got passed by the Chinese guy on the corner where we exchanged and it got mixed up.," said Michael Gilday of Yellowknife. "We didnt get our exchange in until a lap later and the other teams had already launched away. "Olivier was supposed to exchange with Charles on the corner where he got pushed out. There were a bunch of skaters and they couldnt tag together. It was a mess." At the Sochi Olympics three weeks ago, Canadas favoured relay team was eliminated in the semifinals when Francois Hamelin stepped on a marker disc and fell. "Thats short track," said Gilday. "It sucks. Clearly we havent had the breaks this year." South Korea and the Netherlands will also contest the mens relay final. Canada will have a team in the womens final. Jean opted not to talk to the media. The Lachanie, Que. skater, who was celebrating his 30th birthday, had been eliminated in the 500-metre quarter-finals along with Charle Cournoyer of Boucherville, Que., the bronze medallist in the event in Sochi. Marianne St-Gelais of St. Felicien, Que., and Marie-Eve Drolet of Laterriere, Que., were both ousted in the womens semifinals. "Im pretty happy, actually, because its not my best distance," said Drolet, who will have a better shot at a medal in the 1,000-metre race. "Im not a great sprinter, so it was super-fun to see that I could be fast and do a good race." St-Gelais said she may have psyched herself out before her semifinal because of an outside starting position. "I think I got scared at the (starting) line," she said. "I was thinking I would be squished behind two girls. Usually I dont think about those kinds of things, but that idea crossed my mind just before the start. I knew my race was done at that point." It was a happier day for Christie, who was shut out of the medals in Sochi after being penalized three times. The Scottish skater shot out to the lead off the start, only to be passed on the next-to-last lap by Park. It looked like the two might collide, but Christie said she backed off of any contact. "I probably could have won, but in the back of my head I was thinking about the fact that I got penalties, so when Park came through I let her go," said Christie. "I didnt try to get past because I just didnt want to get another penalty, to be honest." Christie came to the world championship seeking to redeem the Sochi setback and now is looking forward to her best event, the 1,000-metres. "It is my beat distance, but again, Ill be racing quite withdrawn," she said. "Im trying to stay out of fights and stuff, so that could play to my disadvantage. But maybe now that Ive got a medal, I might just go for it." Park won bronze in the 1,500-metres on Friday. She was a gold medallist in the 1,000-metre and the womens relay and got bronze in the 500-metres in Sochi. The Olympic 500-metre champion, Li Jiarrou of China, is not competing at the world championship. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys . The 25-year-old Lu, a regular on the Japan LPGA Tour after giving up her LPGA Tour membership in 2010, shot an 8-under 64 in windy, wet conditions at Kintetsu Kashikojima. Cyber Monday Soccer Jerseys . He had spent 16 days on the disabled list before being activated Thursday. He was batting just .203 when he came to bat in the 11th inning on Sunday. https://www.fakesoccerjerseys.com/. Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers were left fretting over an MRI on the stars left knee. Paul George scored 21 points, Roy Hibbert added 19 and the Pacers used a dominant fourth quarter to blow out the Cavaliers 91-76 on Tuesday The Pacers (25-5) have won eight in a row over Cleveland, their longest active streak against any opponent. Authentic Soccer Jerseys . The Ravens werent about to let it happen again. Carleton picked up its fourth straight national mens basketball title, and 10th in the last 12 years, with a 79-67 victory over its crosstown rival on Sunday. Fake Soccer Jerseys . Theres little time for rest, too. The Flyers and Rangers play again Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Simmonds scored in the first period and twice more in the second for his first career post-season hat trick. Mason survived a busy first period and stopping 31 straight shots until Carl Hagelin scored late in the third.PITTSBURGH -- The weary Chicago Cubs bullpen needed a break. New manager Rick Renteria needed a win. Jason Hammel did a pretty solid job providing both. The veteran right-hander pitched two-hit ball into the seventh inning and the Cubs edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 on Thursday for their first victory of the season. "I didnt think it was going to be such a relief but it is quite a relief," Renteria said. "Its nice to win. These games were tough. Taking the last one was very gratifying." Particularly considering the first two were so draining. The Cubs lost in 10 innings on opening day and in 16 innings on Wednesday night -- actually, early Thursday morning -- in a 5-hour, 55-minute marathon that marked the longest Major League Baseball game (by time anyway) ever held in Pittsburgh. Hammel and four relievers needed only 2:39 to help the Cubs avoid their first 0-3 start since 1997, when the club lost 14 straight to begin the season. The 31-year-old Hammel allowed one run in 6 2-3 innings with one walk and five strikeouts. "He couldnt have been any better," Renteria said of Hammel. "He got to 97 pitches, got us into the seventh inning to help save the bullpen. He worked through a pretty good lineup pretty easily." The Cubs signed Hammel to a one-year, $6 million contract in February hoping he can provide some stability in the middle of the rotation. He was sharp in his Chicago debut, allowing singles in the first and third innings but otherwise keeping the Pirates in check. "We played three great games here," Hammel said. "There is no reason to hang our heads because we only won one. We played great but it looks like were going to be one-run warriors. Youve got to win these type of games and we did. We got some timely hits, good defence and played well for 27 outs." Emilio Bonifacio went 2 for 4 and scored twice to continue his torrid start. The Chicago centre fielder hit 11 for 16 (.688) during the opening three-game series.dddddddddddd Mike Olt hit the first home run of his career for the Cubs. Tony Sanchez hit a two-run single in the seventh for the Pirates but Pittsburgh couldnt put together its first 3-0 start since 2007. Wandy Rodriguez (0-1) struggled early in his first start in 10 months but settled down late. The left-hander allowed three runs on five hits with a walk and five strikeouts. He retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced after missing most of 2013 with tightness in his left forearm. "(Rodriguez) finished up very efficiently, very strong, a very good outing," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "A big confidence boost for him and a momentum builder." After slogging through 26 innings in the first two games of the series, things moved a bit more briskly on a cold, wet day at PNC Park thanks in part to a pair of pitchers who werent in the mood to nibble at the plate. Hammel left the seventh after walking Neil Walker with two outs. Pittsburgh took advantage of another shaky performance from Chicagos bullpen with Sanchez -- who provided the walkoff hit on Wednesday -- smacking a two-run single up the middle off Justin Grimm to pull the Pirates within a run. Pittsburgh put the tying run on base leading off both the eighth and ninth, but Strop got Sanchez to line into a game-ending double play. NOTES: Renteria said the club will wait to decide whether RHP Carlos Villanueva will make his scheduled start on Sunday against Philadelphia. Villanueva pitched 1 1-3 innings and took the loss on Wednesday night. ... The Cubs open the 100th season at Wrigley Park on Friday against the Phillies. Travis Wood starts for Chicago against Roberto Hernandez. ... The Pirates open a three-game series on Friday against defending NL Central champion St. Louis. Gerrit Cole, who took the loss in Game 5 of the NL division series against the Cardinals last year, starts for Pittsburgh against Shelby Miller. ' ' '