To be successful in biathlon is to be patient, focused and have stamina to keep up with the competition

To be successful in biathlon is to be patient, focused and have stamina to keep up with the competition. Derrick Rose Jersey . Combining the endurance of cross-country skiing with the marksmanship of shooting, biathlon is arguably one of the toughest sports at the Winter Olympics. Yet for Canadian Jean-Philippe Le Guellec, all the elements an athlete needs to win in biathlon may come together for him today in the mens 10-kilometre sprint, being held at the Laura Biathlon & Ski Complex in Krasnaya Polyana. Originally born in Kingston, Ont., Le Guellec — hes nicknamed Tiji — became the first Canadian male to win a World Cup biathlon event when he won the 10K sprint in Ostersund, Sweden, in December 2012. This will also be Le Guellecs final Olympic competition. While Le Guellecs facing big challenges in his quest to land on the podium in Sochi, the three-time Olympian is looking like a real contender in an especially strong field. "I think podium is definitely possible. Everything has to fall into place, for sure. You have to have a good ski, you have to have a good shooting," says Le Guellec. "You dont need to be the fastest skier out there, you dont need to be the fastest shooter. But its an alchemy of both of them."Canadas also got two other competitors in the 10K: Nathan Smith of Calgary, Alta., and Brendan Green of Hay River, N.W.T. The 28-year-old Smith is competing in his first Olympics in Sochi, and hes feeling good about competing this time around after missing out on qualifying for Vancouver 2010. "This is my first time here. Its really quite a spectacle. All the money and work that went into it is impressive. Seeing it in person is amazing."Despite the optimism, today wont be easy for the Canadians. Theyre competing against the most decorated biathlete of all time — Norways Ole Einar Bjørndalen. Now attending his sixth Winter Olympics, the 40-year-old Bjørndalen is gunning for his seventh Olympic gold medal today. Norways got more than just Bjørndalen to contend for gold today, though: Emil Hegle Svendsen, a biathlon sprint specialist, is looking to take his third Olympic gold after winning two golds in Vancouver 2010. Svendsens closest rival is Frances Martin Fourcade, who also comes into the 10 kilometre as a medal favourite. The winner of the 2011-2012 overall World Cup title, Fourcade — he also has an older brother, Simon, thats competing in the same race — won the silver medal in the 15 kilometre mass start in Vancouver 2010 and is looking to upgrade to gold in Sochi. Theres still more competition for the top contenders, such as the home crowds favourite, Anton Shipulin of Russia. Yet the biggest competition for the athletes might be the Laura Biathlon & Ski Complex itself. Le Guellec describes the biathlon course as very tough. "The Russians have been boasting for quite a while now that its the toughest course out there. Toughest course in the world. And you know what? Theyre absolutely right," says Le Guellec. "They have vicious climbs and really technical downhills, which I absolutely love."Smith agrees that its a really challenging course. "This is my first time here and everyone told me it had a lot of hills - and it does. Its really impressive." Cheap Timberwolves Jerseys Authentic .com) - Rick Nash scored twice and Derek Stepan chipped in a goal with one assist as the New York Rangers claimed a 5-2 decision over Calgary at the Saddledome. Cheap NBA Jerseys . -- Two out of three aint bad. http://www.cheaptimberwolvesjerseys.com/ . -- Washington Capitals forward Brooks Laich is expected to miss the rest of the regular season after having an operation on a groin muscle.INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana spent the off-season investing heavily in its bench. On Wednesday night, the Pacers got the payoff. Luis Scola, Donald Sloan and Lance Stephenson combined for all 12 points in a decisive fourth-quarter run, sending the still unbeaten Pacers past division rival Chicago 97-80 and to its best start since 1971-72. "They brought all of us in to make the bench a little deeper than it was last year, and I think the guys on the bench know their role," Sloan said. "So it just fits." Perfectly. The NBAs last unbeaten team is 5-0 for the first time in Indianas NBA history. Indiana can tie its franchise record, 6-0 set by the 1970-71 ABA powerhouse, when Toronto visits Friday night. Wednesdays victory may have been the most impressive yet. Again, the Pacers played short-handed. Starting point guard George Hill missed his third straight game with a sore left hip, and swingman Danny Granger still has not played because of a strained left calf. Again, they had to rally from a halftime deficit. And again, they found a way to close it out. Paul George, the leagues second-leading scorer, finished with 21 points, six rebounds and three assists. David West had 17 points and 13 rebounds, both season-highs. Roy Hibbert had eight points, 10 rebounds and added five more blocks to his league-leading total. But Scola, Sloan and Stephenson changed the script. After missing his first seven shots and scoring just three points in the first three quarters, Stephenson had 12 points in the final 12 minutes including two big 3-pointers during the decisive stretch. He finished with 15 points. Scola added 12, none more critical than the consecutive baskets he made midway through the fourth. Sloan scored nine points including the 17-footer that tied the score midway through the fourth. "We just play hard. We feel like that we going to bring it every night on the defensive end, offensive end and we going to find a way to get that W," Stephenson said. "And we did that tonight." It sure wasnt easy against their fiercest division rival. Derrick Rose and Luol Deng scored 17 points each to lead the Bulls (1-3), though Rose scored only three points in 12 minutes in the second half and he spent the first half of the fourth quarter on the bench. "A couple players on their team made big plays, great second-chance efforts with the rebounding and Lance, I think, played great for them tonight knocking down shots and just playing hard," Rose said before answering a question about hiis minutes. Jeff Teague Jersey. "Ill leave that up to Tibs, hes the coach on this team, so Ill let him coach." Perhaps Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau thought it was better to protect Roses surgically repaired left knee in this rugged game that looked more like a boxing title bout. Bodies repeatedly crashed hard to the court all night, and the game got progressively more physical with each quarter. Pacers backup centre Ian Mahinmi left late in the third quarter with a sprained left ankle and did not return. Chicago guard Kirk Hinrich was called for a flagrant foul in the fourth. There was a resounding thud inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, too, when Chicago Joakim Noah hit the court while trying to protect his own basket late in the fourth. But until the stretch, neither team could get the upper hand. After leading 25-19 at the end of one quarter and trailing 43-37 at halftime, it looked like Indiana might break away after starting the third quarter on a 10-2 run and then coming up with a 9-2 spurt to regain the lead. When Sloan hit a 3-pointer with 1:12 left in the third, Indiana suddenly led 63-55. It didnt last. Hinrich answered with a 3, Deng hit an 11-foot jumper, drawing a foul on George, and Pacers coach Frank Vogel was called for a technical. Chicago hit both free throws to make it 63-62. The Bulls pulled even on Mike Dunleavys 3 early in the fourth and regained the lead, 67-65, on Dengs midrange jumper with 8:38 to play. Sloan tied the score at 67, Stephenson gave Indiana the lead with a 3, Scola followed that with consecutive baskets and Stephenson closed the run with another 3 to make it 77-69 with 5:16 to go. Chicago never seriously challenged again as the Pacers pulled away. "Weve had a good feel since he got here. The guys just a winner," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said of Scola. "He just goes out there and knows how to play this game. Hes one of the best players in the history of international basketball and one of the best power forwards in the game. Weve got him as a backup power forward. Its quite a luxury." NOTES: Rose opened the game with his best offensive half of the season, going 5 of 9 from the field with 12 points and one 3 in the first two quarters. ... The Bulls fell to 6-22 all-time at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. ... Chicagos Carlos Boozer came into the game shooting an NBA-best 65.9 per cent from the field and averaging 22.3 points but went just 3 of 10 with six points. ... 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