Bayern Trupp » hope that we like both

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Gracie Gold is convinced the day will come when she wins a major international competition.For now, the U.S. champion is looking up at the Russians.Gold finished third in the Skate America womens competition on Sunday behind two-time world junior champion Elena Radionova and Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia.I just feel Im on the brink of breaking into that gold and silver medal, said Gold, who took fourth at the Sochi Olympics in February and fifth at the world championships. Ive had a string of bronze medals and obviously being (among) the top ladies in the various competitions, everybodys so good and everybodys doing all the tricks. As soon as I can get back that confidence and just really go out there and attack it, I know I can break into the gold medal, silver medal, at the other competitions.The 15-year-old Radionova, who was too young to compete at Sochi, overtook countrywoman Tuktamysheva in the free skate to capture the gold medal with 195.47 points. She had a slight stumble on her first jump, a triple lutz, but settled in after that.Tuktamysheva, the leader after the short program, finished with 189.62 points and Gold took the bronze with 179.38.Yuka Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov of Russia won the pairs competition in convincing fashion earlier in the day.Radionova would have been in the mix for the Olympic team had she been old enough. Instead, she was invited to participate in the gala at Sochi.Her country, meanwhile, had enough depth to take the team title and Adelina Sotnikova became the first Russian or Soviet to win Olympic gold in womens figure skating.The fact that I was invited to skate at the exhibition at the Olympic Games in Sochi was a very big experience for me and I felt really special, Radionova said. I really felt the Olympic atmosphere and I was nervous. I wasnt competing, but I still was nervous because I wanted to go out and skate my best and represent my country very well.This weekend, Radionova put on a good enough show to come away with her first victory at a Grand Prix series event and beat out her countrywoman.Gold, who used to train in the Chicago suburbs before moving to Los Angeles to work with coach Frank Carroll, committed mistakes in both the short and long programs. She was happy with her performance overall, but couldnt beat the Russians.Im much older than they are at 19, she said. I remember when youre younger, consistency is much easier. When I was 14 or 15, I thought doing all my triples like that was consistent, but it does get harder as you get older. But it just motivates me to be more consistent, and I just need to get into the season and get going again. As previous seasons show, I get more consistent and more confident as the as season continues.In the pairs, Kavaguti and Smirnov outclassed the field and came through with another solid performance in the free skate after taking the lead in the short program. The 2010 Olympians finished with 209.16 points to win by a wide margin.Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier (183.84) took second, the highest finish for a U.S. pair at Skate America since 2008, and Chinas Peng Cheng and Zhang Hao were third at 182.43.Kavaguti and Smirnov are re-establishing themselves after Smirnov injured his knee in a fall at a competition in St. Petersburg, Russia, a year ago. He had surgery and went through more than six months of recovery, and the duo missed the Sochi Games.They were clearly the class of this event, but Denney and Frazier were thrilled with their performance Sunday. Skating to the Lion King soundtrack, they moved up a spot to second after taking third in the short program, and left the ice to a rousing ovation.I would have to say that when I first got out there to skate for warmups I was a little shaky in the knees and I was a little nervous, Frazier said. I told myself when they called our names out, Dont think too much; just give everything you have and let your training take over.When we got done, the feeling of, Wow, I cant believe that happened. That was probably the best long weve ran and to do that at a competition I always wanted to compete at was just an astounding feeling.Vanessa Grenier of Sherbrooke, Que., and Maxime Deschamps of Loretteville, Que., were sixth in their senior Grand Prix debut.We each made an error in our free program but we feel we made a good impression this weekend, said Grenier. We were able to manage our stress level and we know what we need to work on. Fake Vans . When the next inning rolled around Wednesday, though, Nationals manager Matt Williams sent Strasburg to the mound to face the top of the Dodgers order in what would become a 3-2 victory for Washington, the first time this season the No. Fake Vans 2020 . Fans holding laudatory signs started showing up at Yankee Stadium when the gates opened at 4 p.m. Monday, an hour early in order to give them a chance to watch the New York captain take batting practice. https://www.vansfake.com/. Coaches are now allowed to challenge both called and potential defensive pass interference fouls under certain conditions. Fake Vans For Sale .A. Dickey earned an American League Gold Glove on Tuesday to become the first Toronto Blue Jays pitcher to win the award. Fake Vans Cheap . "Last year we were in a ton of situations, late-game situations we couldnt pull out. Wed kind of fold under the pressure, get frustrated or let a big shot frustrate us," guard DeMar DeRozan said. WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are taking a serious look this week at two of their top contenders for the first round of next months CFL draft -- a pair of offensive linemen who, they hope, are capable of starting this season and filling a hole at centre. "Pierre Lavertus here now, Matthias Goossens coming in tomorrow," general manager Kyle Walters said Tuesday. "Were going to let (offensive line coach) Bob Wylie take a look at these guys, put them through a workout. The offensive staff will get them up on the board, you know, start talking about some of our systems, see how they react." McGills Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Montreals David Foucault are currently ranked first and second in the draft but both offensive linemen also are expected to draw a lot of interest from the NFL. Lavals Lavertu and Simon Frasers Goossen are the next top-ranked offensive linemen -- Lavertu at third overall currently and Goossen at ninth. Goossen made a big jump in the CFL winter rankings to No. 5 spot from 15th and Lavertu was also ranked a spot ahead of Foucault in the January list. All four are highly regarded. Miles Gorrell, who played 19 CFL seasons as an offensive lineman including four with Winnipeg, was scouting for the Ottawa Redblacks at this years CFL combine and spoke highly of their talent. "Their footwork and hand placement are very good, its clear theyre well coached," Gorrell said. "You see guys like Pierre Lavertu, David Foucault and Matthias Goossen stepping up to the plate and being able to prove to the coaches and scouts theyre ready to take the next step." With the No. 2 pick in this years draft May 13, Walters soounded pretty confident they can get one of the players theyve identified as meeting their needs.ddddddddddddBut despite Winnipegs last-place finish last season, they have to stand in line behind the expansion Redblacks, who get to pick first. The Bombers lost free agent Justin Sorensen, last seasons starter at centre, to the Edmonton Eskimos. The Eskimos, like the Bombers, are trying to strengthen their offensive line. The Bombers took a chance on their top pick last season, defensive lineman Andy Mulumba, and lost. He signed with the NFLs Green Bay Packers. Walters, who took over after former general manager Joe Mack was sacked last season, wants this year to be different. "Were doing everything we can to make sure we make the right pick and get the right guy we want here in Winnipeg." He says there have been a few calls from other teams interested in their No. 2 pick but either nothing serious or, in the case of the only solid offer, nothing they would even remotely consider. This season their wish list and the draft seem to be aligned reasonably well. "Obviously sitting at No. 2, youre sure if youve got two guys that you like you can get one of the two . . . If thats not the case, then you maybe go down a different route," Walters said. "In a perfect world we hope that we like both these guys and if Ottawa takes one were perfectly fine with the other." At the same time, he didnt limit their interest to Lavertu and Goossen but said theyre the only two players they could bring in right now. "Some of the guys that weve reached out to, the agents havent been overly receptive to bringing them in," he said. ' ' '