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CALGARY - When Wolfgang Staudinger looks over his lugers heading into a World Cup on their home track, the coach can see a cloud from Sochi still hanging over them.Its normal for athletes to feel a letdown in the season after an Olympic Games, but the Canadian luge team has been working through something akin to grief.The roller-coaster emotion of finishing fourth three times and falling just short of Canadas first Olympic medal in the sport wasnt easy to shake off over the summer.Alex Gough finished fourth among the women, Tristan Walker and Justin Snith were fourth in mens doubles and along with Sam Edney, they all finished fourth in the new team relay event in Sochi, Russia.They take little solace in what was by far Canadas best performance in Olympic luge.They suffer the Olympic hangover, which was hard and heavy, Staudinger said Wednesday after a training session. It has to do probably having to deal with the disappointment over the summer and waking up in reality because life goes on.The disappointment was big for not winning that medal. That still catches up on us.World Cup luge returns to Calgarys Canada Olympic Park on Friday and Saturday after a three-year hiatus. The women and doubles race is Friday, followed by the mens event and a new sprint race Saturday.Gough won womens gold the last time it was in Calgary in 2011.She will compete Friday against international competition for the first time since Sochi. The 27-year-old Calgarian skipped the first two World Cup races of this season to concentrate on first-year engineering studies at the University of Calgary.Canadas most decorated athlete in the sport with a pair of world championship medals and 17 career World Cup medals wrote exams this week while preparing for her first race of the winter. Im going to go out there and slide the best I can and see what happens, Gough said. Its always tough when you come in partway through the season or even the first race of the season, which is usually in Austria, I have no idea where Ill sit.It makes it kind of unnerving in some ways, but its good in some ways. I have no idea where I should sit so all I can do is focus on myself and get the best out of it that I can.Gough says shell take a lighter course load next semester, which will allow her to compete in the remaining World Cups and world championship.Calgarys Kim McRae, who finished fifth behind Gough in Sochi, is also one to watch in Calgary. The 22-year-old opened the season with a pair of top-10 results in Innsbruck, Austria, and was 11th in Lake Placid, N.Y.Edney will also compete in an international mens race for the first time since Sochi. The three-time Olympian has been dealing with a sports hernia that kept him out of the first two races.The 30-year-old Calgarian hopes he and his teammates have mentally cleared their post-Olympic hurdles to perform well at home.I almost see it as waves amongst the team. There are moments where we feel that energy of We were so close. Lets keep it going, and then there are those days where its like Shoot, we were that close, and it brings you down, Edney explained.Its a weird feeling. Seeing them now after some races, its like that energy is back there. I feel like the team is pretty energized right now.But Calgarys Snith and Walker, from nearby Cochrane, Alta., are not happy with the start to their season. They crashed in their season-opener in Innsbruck and were ninth last week in Lake Placid.Both of us can agree were not sliding anywhere near our capability, Snith said.Added Walker: Our expectations are definitely a lot higher. Thats what makes it all the more frustrating not sliding that well.All this adds up to some frustration for Staudinger, a German who has coached the Canadian team since 2007.He doesnt like tempering his expectations for the home race of this World Cup season, given the sliding talent Canada now has.For Sam and Alex, its more an orientation race. I wouldnt expect too much right now, Staudinger said. I feel like were not really in a position where we need to be athletically.I dont like my situation. I dont like the position were in. I watched the Germans and for them, theyre back to normal performance I dont see any reason why were different because we are not.We still have a bit of catching up to do and that has to do with the Olympic hangover. When you go out drinking, it hurts.The relay was an Olympic event for the first time in Sochi. The Canadians welcomed its arrival because they say it is exciting to race.Theyre underwhelmed by the introduction of the sprint race, which will be run in Calgary instead of a relay, to the World Cup circuit.The sprint is the same as a regular race except the clock starts after the first turn and the fastest to the finish wins. The top 15 in each of the other three World Cup races qualify to race a sprint.People keep asking me what the sprint race is, Walker said. Its a normal run like we would do in the race with the only difference the start line is the first curve and they tell you your speed going down.I understand the idea of trying to put in a new event like in downhill skiing with super-G. This ones just not a winner. They definitely found a winner with the relay.Its fun, exciting and people like watching it. Its got great numbers on viewership. I think we should do one every week. Ricardo Carvalho Portugal Jersey . 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The international synchronized skating competition takes place from January 31 - February 1, 2014, and features 39 teams from 10 countries, in senior, junior, and novice.MIAMI - Marlins ace Jose Fernandez was struck in the thigh by a sharp grounder and kept pitching despite discomfort. Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig slammed into the wall trying unsuccessfully for a game-saving catch and crumpled to the warning track in pain. A seesaw struggle Sunday left both teams hurting, but it stung more for Los Angeles. Miami improved baseballs best home record when Jeff Baker hit an RBI double off the wall with two outs in the ninth inning to win 5-4. Puig slammed into the wall trying for an acrobatic catch and was shaken up but not seriously hurt. Teammates ran out to check on him while the Marlins celebrated a wild victory. "Just exactly how we drew it up," manager Mike Redmond said with a grin. Fernandez avoided a serious injury in the fifth when he was hit on the back of the left leg by a sharp grounder off the bat of Dee Gordon. Asked whether he expected to make his next start, Fernandez said, "Probably I will be fine." The Marlins improved to 13-5 at home, while their 2-10 road record is the worst in the majors. "We have a comfort level here," Redmond said. "I love our approach here. We seem to play with so much confidence in this ballpark, and today you could just feel the energy." Giancarlo Stanton homered twice and drove in three runs for Miami, giving him the NL leads with 10 home runs and 36 RBIs. Teammate Christian Yelich hit his second home run. Los Angeles came from behind three times, and a blown save cost Fernandez the victory. With Marlins closer Steve Cishek unavailable after pitching in three consecutive games, A.J. Ramos (2-0) tried to protect a one-run lead in the ninth for his first career save. But Chone Figgins walked and scored on a double by Andre Ethier with no outs. A diving stop by shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria and an overturned call on a force play at second base helped the Marlins escape the inning with the score tied. Hechavarria started the bottom of the ninth with a single off Jamey Wright (2-2) and advanced to third on a sacrifice and a groundout. Baker followed with a drive to right, and a retreating Puig slammed his head and lower left leg against the fence. The ball deflected off the wall and hit Puig inn the face, and he collapsed to his stomach.dddddddddddd Puig was slow to walk off the field but passed a concussion test. The Dodgers said his status is day to day. "He hit the wall good," manager Don Mattingly said. "He seemed to be OK when he was walking in, but Im sure they are going to keep looking at him. He almost made an unbelievable play." Fernandez briefly thought his day might be done when Gordons comebacker struck him. "It hit me hard," Fernandez said. "Right away my hamstring became really tight. I didnt know if I was going to keep throwing. After that it was a little tougher to pitch. It was getting tighter and tighter and tighter." Fernandez went on to pitch seven innings, left with a 4-3 lead and remained unbeaten at home in 20 career starts. But he lacked his customary command, allowing four walks, and they led to both earned runs against him. "It wasnt an easy game," Fernandez said. "Like everybody knows, the Dodgers are one of the best teams in the league. Thats why they get paid the way they get paid." Fernandez, the 2013 NL Rookie of the Year, has yet to allow more than two earned runs in a home start. The only other pitcher in the past 100 years to allow fewer than three earned runs in 20 consecutive home starts was Orel Hershiser in 1985-86. The Marlins rank last in the NL in attendance but enjoy a bump when Fernandez pitches, and his latest win drew 30,145. Stanton lived up to his reputation for jaw-dropping homers. He hit a two-run tape-measure homer in the first inning, then lined another homer off the nightclub facade in left field leading off the sixth to put Miami ahead 4-3. "Its almost like you sort of get used to it, which is crazy," Redmond said. "The second one was like a 54-degree wedge you want to keep down in the wind. I dont know if Ive ever seen a baseball hit that hard on a line." NOTES: OF Nick Buss, designated for assignment by the Dodgers on April 30, was claimed by Oakland. ... Zack Greinke (5-0, 2.04) is scheduled to take the mound when the Dodgers open a series Monday at Washington. ... Nathan Eovaldi (2-1, 2.58) is scheduled to start Monday for Miami against the New York Mets Jonathan Niese (2-2, 2.20). Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Throwback Jerseys Camo China NFL Jerseys White NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Throwback Cheap Jerseys From China ' ' '