Geschichte, Literatur » doldrums. But the Wizards were a combine

CALGARY -- The defending Olympic womens bobsled champions are back in the same sled once again. Canadas Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse will reunite at this weekends season-opening World Cup at Canada Olympic Park as they begin their buildup to the Winter Games in Sochi. Humphries won a world title last year and has reached the podium at 13 straight events. Moyse, who competed in track cycling and rugby while taking a break from bobsled, has returned in top form after undergoing hip surgery a year ago. The veteran brakeman from Summerside, P.E.I., has set personal-best start times since coming back and won a push challenge event last weekend. She also set a new start record during selection races in Whistler, B.C. "That just made me excited about what I can possibly contribute and what I can give back to this team this year," Moyse said in a recent interview. "Because of that excitement and being named to the team as Canada 1 and being put into Kaillies sled, I think that excitement is just transcending. "Kaillie and I are both really excited about what we can do and what we can possibly experience this year." Humphries and Moyse first started sliding together in January 2009 and won Olympic gold a year later. Off and on, they have spent about 2 1/2 years together as a duo. They were all smiles after two practice runs on Thursday. "It went straight to comfortable mode," Humphries said of being back with her old partner. "I know shes in the best shape shes ever been in and its really exciting going into this season." Humphries, from Calgary, won the overall World Cup title last season with Chelsea Valois of Zenon Park, Sask. Valois will team with Edmontons Jenny Ciochetti in the Canada 2 sled for the season opener. Moyse suffered a serious ankle injury at the 2010 Rugby World Cup. She later took up track cycling before deciding about a year and a half ago to concentrate on both bobsled and rugby. She underwent hip surgery last fall and now feels as strong as ever entering the Olympic season. Her performance at testing made the decision to return to the Canada 1 sled with Humphries an easy one. "Based on the results, it was a no-brainer in terms of teaming us up together," Moyse said. There will be some changes in the mens sleds as well. Pilot Chris Spring of Calgary will team with Jesse Lumsden of Burlington, Ont., in the two-man and four-man sleds. Lumsden won the World Cup title with pilot Lyndon Rush of Humboldt, Sask., last season. Spring and Lumsden will be joined by Ottawas Cody Sorensen and Ben Coakwell of Saskatoon in the four-man sled. Rush will team with Calgary brakeman Lascelles Brown in the two-man and four-man sleds. David Bissett and Neville Wright, both of Edmonton, will join them in the four-man. The other Canadian sled will feature Justin Kripps of Summerland, B.C., who will drive Torontos Tim Randall, James MacNaughton of Newmarket, Ont., and Graeme Rinholm of Medicine Hat, Alta. The Canadian skeleton team is also looking strong this season. Calgarys Sarah Reid, who won bronze at the 2013 world championship, leads the womens side this week. She will be joined by Cassie Hawrysh of Brandon, Man., and Calgarys Robynne Thompson. The mens lineup for the season opener includes Eric Neilson of Kelowna, B.C., and Calgary-based racers John Fairbairn and Dave Greszczyszyn. "We have a really strong team," Neilson said. "We came out in selections, thats always the most stressful part. So the team is ready to go." Mellisa Hollingsworth of Eckville, Alta., and 2010 Olympic champion Jon Montgomery of Russell, Man., will open the season on the Intercontinental Cup circuit. Athletes can qualify for Sochi while competing on that circuit or at the World Cup level. Some 350 skeleton and bobsled competitors from 30 countries are expected to participate this week, including World Cup four-man champ Alexsandr Zubkov of Russia and World Cup skeleton champions Martins Dukurs of Latvia and Marion Thees of Germany. Competition kicks off Friday afternoon with the skeleton races. The two-man bobsled follows in the evening. On Saturday, the four-man bobsled is set for the morning with the womens bobsled Discount Vans Shoes . -- Maxence Parrot of Bromont, Que. Cheap Vans Shoes For Sale . -- Officials have approved a deal to build a new $672 million stadium for the Atlanta Braves away from the downtown Atlanta area that has traditionally been its home. http://www.vansoutletcheap.com/ . - Kentucky freshmen Stanley Boom Williams, Dorian Baker, Drew Barker and Tymere Dubose have been charged with disorderly conduct for their involvement with air pistol shots being fired near a residence hall on the South campus Sunday night. Buy Vans Shoes Wholesale . Kripps, of Summerland, B.C., and Edmontons Barnett used a terrific second run to move up two spots, putting the Canadian duo in medal contention with the final two runs set for Monday (11:15 a.m. ET, streaming live at cbc. Vans Shoes China Wholesale .J. -- While Martin Brodeur wasnt willing to say he stole one for the New Jersey Devils against the Columbus Blue Jackets, almost everyone else was.WASHINGTON -- Ted Leonsis doesnt believe hes getting it done, at least not where it counts the most. The NHL and NBA owner graded himself Tuesday in an interview with reporters and editors from The Associated Press, and the marks reflect the mixed results and shifting expectations regarding both franchises since he took over the Capitals in 1999 and the Wizards in 2010. A "failing grade" for the Washington Capitals, but thats grading on the curve. An incomplete for the Washington Wizards, but its time to take a step forward. A "strong B" for the business side of both teams, even though both teams are still in the red. "When I bought the teams, I said it was a left-brain, right-brain experience," Leonsis said. "Left-brain being about the emotion and the competitiveness and the higher calling of bringing a community closer together by winning a championship and finding some kind of immortality for the fan base and the players." By contrast, the right brain is the nuts-and-bolts: ticket sales, merchandise, ratings, building the "brand." Thats where Leonsis is a natural, bringing marketing expertise honed while he was an executive at AOL. The Capitals are no longer a D.C. afterthought -- they sell out every game and have made the playoffs sixth straight years with three-time NHL MVP Alex Ovechkin. Leonsis said the Capitals have about 15,000 season ticket holders, a long way from the fewer than 3,000 when he bought the team, a statistic that by itself makes a case for the "strong B." But he also notes that a team that has one of the leagues best records in recent years should have success defined whether its won a championship; thee Capitals havent even made it past the second round of the playoffs under his tenure.dddddddddddd "I have to give us a failing grade, which is rating harshly. ... But were past now saying making the playoffs makes for a successful season, and we want to win a Stanley Cup and we havent done that," Leonsis said. "So I have to say Im failing because thats my and our ultimate goal." Leonsis inherited a mess with the Wizards, and hes embarked on a rebuilding process similar to the one that brought the Capitals out of the doldrums. But the Wizards were a combined 86 games under .500 over the last three NBA seasons, and eventually the longsuffering fans need to get their payoff. Its worth noting that both team president Ernie Grunfeld and coach Randy Wittman are in the final year of their contracts. "I believe that were good enough and now mature enough -- John Wall is our most tenured player, and hes still on his rookie contract -- but its the fourth year of the rebuild," he said. "And were spending right to the (salary) cap and frankly more, since we amnestied Andrey Blatche. ... Now I believe its time for the Wizards to take that next step." Even so, Leonsis isnt a fan of the "playoffs or bust" mantra. "Playoffs or bust, what does that mean?" Leonsis said. "Shut the team down if we dont make the playoffs for the Wizards? We would certainly, if we dont make the playoffs, for both teams we would do our due diligence in a more hypersensitive manner, right? Because we didnt meet our expectations. But the teams not going bust. The fan base isnt going bust. It would just heighten the scrutiny that we have to do." ' ' '