Inland Waterways » athletes try to impress a panel

Canadas Dara Howell had a hard time believing she was actually an Olympic gold medallist in the weeks following the Sochi Games.The accomplishment still hasnt quite sunk in.Some 10 months after making history in Russia as the first womens Olympic slopestyle ski champion, the 20-year-old from Huntsville, Ont., still has to pinch herself from time to time.I think when Im old and, like 50, Ill probably realize what happened, Howell said with a laugh on a conference call. But for now Im just enjoying it and taking opportunities that come my way and just keep moving forward.Howell spent most of the summer off her skis, but that moving forward she spoke of includes a Dew Tour event this week in Breckenridge, Colo.Im just getting back into it, but things are coming back the way I want them to, said Howell, who also won silver at the 2013 world championships. I think this season, its more just having fun and doing what I love to do. Thats pretty much it.In slopestyle, athletes try to impress a panel of judges with tricks and moves off jumps and rails, with degree of difficulty, style and execution factored into the scoring system.Howell scored 94.20 points at the Olympics in conditions that started off icy and fast before becoming slow and slushy as the event progressed.With the next Games not until 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, both Howell and Canadian teammate Kim Lamarre — who won bronze in womens slopestyle in Sochi — view this season as an opportunity to grow.Im looking forward to this year. I definitely want to not get ahead of myself, said Lamarre, a 26-year-old from Quebec City, Que. Theres a lot of good girls that are coming back from injury that are young and hungry. I want to keep my head in a good place and work on my tricks at my own pace.This year is not the biggest year and I just want to make sure I stay healthy for everything thats coming my way.Howell said life has been different since winning Olympic gold, but added that the title doesnt change how she prepares for events.Im just trying to go out and do the best that I can do, she said. I think that before the Olympics I put a lot of pressure on myself and I still think I put more pressure on myself than what anyone else can.The approach for this year is still to compete and still to have the mindset of competing and all that stuff, but I definitely want to keep progressing and keep learning new tricks. Stephen Gostkowski Jersey . The NFLs Defensive Rookie of the Year will be named at the NFL Honours Award show on February 1. The 23-year-old 2013 second-rounder out of Oregon becomes the third Bills linebacker to win the honour after Jim Haslett (1979) and Shane Conlan (1987. 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By the end, seat cushions were falling from the sky.The latest NHL outdoor game had a cliffhanger ending Thursday, with Troy Brouwer scoring with 12.9 seconds remaining to give the Washington Capitals a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in the leagues annual showcase.Many of the 42,832 fans at Nationals Park celebrated by flinging their commemorative red cushions high into the air, an exclamation point to an event that helped validate the nations capital as an established hockey town.The seventh Winter Classic featured a replica of the Capitol in centre field, through which the players entered the ballpark. They stood on a sheet of blue ice meant to represent the Reflecting Pool during the national anthem, then faced off under a gorgeous blue sky — too gorgeous, if truth be told.The suns glare on the white ice of the main rink made it difficult to see the puck, and Capitals defenceman Karl Alzner made good on his plan to play the game wearing sunglasses.The teams switcheed sides at the 10-minute mark of the first period to even things out as the shadows from the stands began to cover the rink.dddddddddddd It seemed totally unfair when Patrick Sharp launched a sun-to-shade slap shot that beat goalie Braden Holtby on a power play for Chicagos first goal.The NHL considered delaying the start, concerned that the sunny skies would compromise ice conditions and player safety, but the go-ahead was given after the pregame skate.Eric Fehr and Alex Ovechkin also scored for the Capitals.Brandon Saad had the other goal for Chicago.KINGS 3, CANUCKS 2VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Justin Williams and Jarret Stoll scored 53 seconds apart late in the third period to rally Los Angeles past Vancouver.Williams tied the game on a power-play goal with 2:07 left before Stoll scored the winner with 1:14 to go.Dwight King had the other goal for Los Angeles, which got 14 saves from Jonathan Quick.Radim Vrbata had a goal and an assist, and Alexandre Burrows also scored for Vancouver. 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