s, although the number of quality scoring chances wasnt incredibly high.Bobrovsky said hes ready to | Forum

Gwen Jorgensen, the first American to win back-to-back world triathlon titles, could have been an accountant. Cheap Air Jordan 1 .She gave up on her Olympic dream as a teenager when she realized she couldnt swim fast enough and decided shed go to college. She spent three years on the swim team at Wisconsin, where she was an All-American and Big Ten track champion, and would parlay her masters degree and CPA into a job at Ernst & Young upon graduation.Then she got a call from Barb Lindquist, at one time the worlds top-ranked triathlete and a former Olympian. She told Jorgensen that she, too, could be a world-class triathlete if she took up biking and dedicated herself to the sport.Jorgensen thought back to her childhood dreams of being the next Amy Van Dyken or Brooke Bennett.I was glued to the TV when they had Olympic trials on like they have now. It was just something that I really loved, Jorgensen said. But I came to the realization at a relatively young age, in high school, that I would never go to the Olympics in swimming. I just wasnt good enough. I wasnt making any national teams. I wasnt even making junior national teams.So, I just thought I would never be an Olympian. And then when the USA Triathlon approached me, one of the first things they said was, `You could be an Olympian. And I was shocked. I basically laughed at them. I said, `No, I tried than when I was younger and I basically dont have what it takes.She gave it a shot in 2010 and realized Lindquist was right, she was a natural and her Olympic dream was back -- even if triathlon as a sport wasnt that familiar to her. But she was hooked in no time and a few years later qualified for the London Games, where she was a favorite.Thats where the wheel came off.A flat tire doomed her to a 38th-place finish and fed her fire to make amends in Rio de Janeiro.Every race is completely different and thats something that I like about the sport, you go into the triathlon and you have no idea what could happen on race day and you have to be prepared for anything, which I think really makes it a hard race, Jorgensen said.Throw in the massive hype, crowds and logistics at the Olympics and its even more unpredictable.Every race is different and the Olympics are more different, said Jorgensen, who is a heavy favorite in the womens race Aug. 18 at Copa Cabana Beach, where the mens race will be held Aug. 20.Jorgensen, whos from Waukesha, Wisconsin, has 17 career wins and 21 medals on the ITU World Triathlon Series circuit. The sports two-time defending world champion, she had an unprecedented unbeaten streak stretching from May 2014 and April 2016 that produced a dozen consecutive first-place finishes.To ensure maximum energy and optimal condition for Brazil, Jorgensen eased up on her competition schedule this year and participated in races that were closer to her training base in Victoria-Gasteiz, Spain.I have one goal this year and that is the Rio Olympics on Aug. 20, Jorgensen declared.Other things to know about triathlon at the Rio Games:SPEED BUMPThe 1,500-meter swim, a 24.9-mile bike ride and a 6.2-mile run on Copa Cabana Beach features a challenging hill thats sure to slow the competitors and could tucker them out.The course is really good. Its tough, said Jorgensen, who qualified for Rio by winning the triathlon test event on Aug. 2 on the course. Theres a big hill on the bike and I think that makes it an honest course and everyone is going to be tired. Its going to be interesting to see how quickly you run after ... that really hard bike ride.ALL TIED UPA photo finish at the London Games led to Swedens failed attempt to have the Court of Arbitration for Sport rule the womens triathlon a dead heat. CAS said the photo finish ruling was a field of play decision by the International Triathlon Union and couldnt be challenged.That left Lisa Norden with a silver medal and Nicola Spirig of Switzerland with the gold. Spirig and Norden finished side by side and were given the same time at the end of the race but officials ruled Spirig crossed the tape first.THE RESTSarah True and Katie Zaferes join Jorgensen on the U.S. team, which is by far the best in the world. Americans Greg Billington, Ben Kanute and Joe Maloy are longshots in the mens race, where Spain sports the worlds top triathletes in Mario Mola and Fernando Alarza, currently 1-2 in the ITU World Triathlon Series rankings. Air Jordan 1 Discount .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. Air Jordan 1 Outlet . Three came down to the fourth quarter while quarterbacks continued to shine in all four games; so important to the overall quality of the game. https://www.cheapairjordan1outlet.com/ . -- Hunter Smith scored the winner with just 12 seconds remaining in the third period as the Oshawa Generals edged the host Sarnia Sting 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Team Europe versus Czech Republic, 3 p.m. ET (ESPN2)In a game with significant implications for Team USA, Team Europe will try to build off its shocking 3-0 victory over the Americans -- and thus move to 2-0 in the tournament -- as it takes on a Czech Republic team that was mauled 6-0 by Canada on Saturday. That score does not indicate how even the first half of the first period was nor the speed that the Czechs brought to the game. But they wilted under a relentless Canadian attack, giving up three goals in the last half of the first period. I believe we were ready to play, Czech Republic assistant coach Vaclav Prospal said after the game. But after the first goal, it almost seems like we stopped playing and started making bad plays, and they filled our net.Can Team Europe -- which played a patient, opportunistic game against the Americans, scoring three goals on just 17 shots -- force the Czechs off their game in a similar fashion? Team Europe appears to have more firepower, although the Euros were 0-for-4 on the power play against the U.S. The Czechs could not get the early goal they needed against Canada and were a grisly 0-for-6 on the power play in the opener. If theyre going to get back in the tournament, Jakub Voracek and Tomas Plekanec are going to have to get going offensively. Itll be interesting to see if the Czechs go with Petr Mrazek in net after Michal Neuvirth was thrown to the lions against the Canadians, who launched 50 shots at the Czech net. Both Mrazek and Neuvirth were very good during the pretournament schedule. Team Europe will be looking for Jaroslav Halak to continue his stellar play. The?New York Islanders?goalie stopped all 35 U.S. shots, including 17 in the third period. If Team Europe can continue its early roll and defeat the Czechs, that would force the Americans into a must-win situation against Canada on Tuesday night in order to keep their hopes of advancing beyond the three-game preliminary round alive. If the Czechs win, it sets up the much more remote possibility that the Americans could still advance via tie-breakers even with a loss to Canada.Line Watch: The expectation was that Team Europe would go only as far as captain Anze Kopitar and his linemates would take it. But the forward trio of Frans Nielsen, Marian Gaborik and Mats Zuccarello did significant damage for Team Europe, and if they can continue to contribute, it will take more pressure off Kopitar and enhances their teams chances of victory. Air Jordan 1 Retro. --Scott BurnsideRussia versus Team North America, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN2)In their first game of group play on Sunday, Team North America played with high levels of skill, speed, offensive firepower and puck-possession -- very much like their next opponent has historically played during international tournaments. One day after announcing their arrival by crushing Finland 4-1, North America takes on a powerful and angry Team Russia. Its a fantastic test for the kids.Russia blew an opportunity to beat a Henrik Lundqvist-less Team Sweden on Sunday and now enters their game against the North Americans desperate and hacked off. Its one thing to take on Patrik Laine, who will be good in the NHL at some point in the near future. Its quite another to take on Alex Ovechkin, one of the all-timers.Team Sweden limited the Russian offense by keeping many of the shots to the outside and removing time and space. They could do that with a defense featuring Norris Trophy candidates Victor Hedman and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. North America doesnt feature a blueline of that caliber but their forwards more than made up for it by using their speed to track back and help out defensively.North America, led by McDavid, has world-class speed up and down the lineup that Russia will have issues containing. Team Russia doesnt have the most mobile defense, something the speedy forwards on Team North America should have an opportunity to exploit.This has a chance to be a high-octane shootout if both forward groups get going.Line Watch: Both teams have the disadvantage of playing back-to-back games to open group play, something that can be taxing on starting goalies Sergei Bobrovsky?of Russia and Matt Murray?of North America.?Bobrovsky was tested much more than Murray was in the opener, facing 29 shots from Sweden, making a number of good saves. Against Finland, Murray went long stretches without even seeing a shot, finishing with 24 saves, although the number of quality scoring chances wasnt incredibly high.Bobrovsky said hes ready to go but the Russians have a quality goalie in Semyon Varlamov waiting for an opportunity.?With Team North America, Murray is the clear-cut No. 1 and coach Todd McLellan announced on Monday that he will get the start against Russia.?--Craig Custance ' ' '