Italy -- Defending overall World Cup champion Tina Maze fina
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Italy -- Defending overall World Cup champion Tina Maze fina
CORTINA DAMPEZZO, Italy -- Defending overall World Cup champion Tina Maze finally got her first victory of the season, winning the prestigious Cortina downhill Saturday to signal a return to form just in time for the Sochi Olympics. Nike Free Run Schweiz . The Slovenian clocked 1 minute, 37.79 seconds down the Olympia delle Tofane course, which was bathed in sunshine, then performed her trademark handstand celebration during the podium proceedings. "There were a lot of emotions," Maze said. "It was a really long time. ... When I find the right feeling like I found it today I can ski fast." Marianne Kaufmann-Abderhalden of Switzerland finished second, 0.27 seconds behind, and Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein was third, 0.38 back. Maze had a record-breaking season a year ago with 11 wins. This season, she had only three podium results -- until this race. "When you win a lot you dont learn much," Maze said. "With my ups and downs its a lot of learning." Two weeks ago, Maze made a staff change in her personal team, which is run by her boyfriend and coach Andrea Massi. They replaced Walter Ronconi with former Switzerland coach Mauro Pini. The switch seems to have paid off and the timing couldnt have been better -- in the final downhill before the Sochi Games, where the womens downhill is scheduled for Feb. 12. Pini urged Maze to put more emotion into her skiing. "That was really good because Andrea was always saying to ski without feelings," Maze said. "But sometimes thats not possible. "(Pini) brought a lot of peace to our team because compared to Andrea and I hes one step in front of us," Maze added. "And thats what we were expecting from someone in that position. He came really motivated and that makes us easygoing and we have more energy for ourselves." Pini was formerly Lara Guts personal coach and he led the Swiss mens squad at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, when Didier Defago won gold in downhill. He then coached the Swiss womens team and more recently was a TV commentator. "I could sense a good feeling from the first words we shared with each other," Pini said. "Tina never forgot how to ski. She was always capable, she just needed to focus her energy better and get rid of those negative vibes." "At this level a couple different words here or there can create all the difference," Pini added. "Its not like we had to start over from scratch." With the skies perfectly clear to show off the jagged peaks that provide some of the most spectacular scenery in the Dolomite Range, Maria Hoefl-Riesch finished fourth to follow up her victory in Fridays downhill. The German said she felt some pain in her left knee after landing a jump awkwardly a day earlier. Still, Hoefl-Riesch maintained her lead in the overall and downhill standings. In another strong showing from the U.S. Ski Team without injured Lindsey Vonn, Stacey Cook matched her fifth-place finish from Friday and teammate Julia Mancuso placed seventh to match her best result of the season from a super-G two days earlier. "It always stings when you are so close to the podium, but I know this is a positive move heading toward Sochi," Cook said. This was the third of four races in four days. Elisabeth Goergl won a super-G on Thursday and another super-G is scheduled for Sunday. Weirather finished fourth and second in the opening two races this week. "Its hard to have four good races in a row but I will try," she said. Two of the races were originally scheduled for last weekend in Cortina but were wiped out by heavy snowfall. The other two were moved from Garmisch-Partenkirchen due to a lack of snow in the German resort. The womens circuit then moves to Kranjska Gora for a giant slalom and slalom next weekend -- the final races before Sochi and Mazes home event. "Im really excited to ski that slope," Maze said nike air max 90 essential herren . Words from Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicklaus, John Wooden, Jerry West, Vince Lombardi and Roy Williams are now there to be viewed by players on a daily basis. Does Boudreau have a favourite saying? "No, I think theyre all good. nike air max 90 essential . -- Blake Costanzo had been keeping busy re-tiling his bathroom back home in New Jersey and doing regular yard work.Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Anthony Davis had 21 points and 12 rebounds in the New Orleans Pelicans 92-84 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Eric Gordon added 20 points and five assists for the Pelicans, who have won two in a row. Tyreke Evans and Dante Cunningham tallied 17 and 14 points, respectively, with Evans also dishing out eight assists. We did it with our defense, Pelicans coach Monty Williams said. Thaddeus Young ended with 15 points for the Timberwolves, who have lost 10 straight at home. Gorgui Dieng contributed 14 points and 15 rebounds. Andrew Wiggins netted just 13 points on 6-of-16 shooting. I think hes hit the rookie wall a bit, Minnesota coach Flip Saunders said of Wiggins. Somehow weve got to find a way to go right through it. Hes got to find a soft spot in that wall and wwe have to bust right through it. Nike Free 5.0 Damen. Minnesota started the game on a 15-5 run, but New Orleans ended the first period on a 19-5 surge to take a 24-20 lead. The Pelicans took a 45-44 edge into the locker room. Holding a 59-56 lead with 3:26 left in the third, New Orleans ripped off seven straight points. Davis tallied the final four points to make it 66-56. But the Timberwolves ended the third on a 7-3 spurt to get within 69-63. Minnesota pulled within 82-78 with 4:17 to play, but Cunningham hit a jumper and Evans scored on a drive to the basket. The Timberwolves never got closer than six the rest of the way. 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