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Joined: 19-04-2024
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Subject :BOSTON - Every night for the last three weeks, Jeremy Abbott had the same nightmare. [url=http://www
BOSTON - Every night for the last three weeks, Jeremy Abbott had the same nightmare. Andrelton Simmons Braves Jersey . Hed implode in the short program of the U.S. Championships, buried in seventh place with an Olympic berth out of reach. "I would wake up crying, and it was just horrifying," he said. The reality Friday was nothing like that. A spotless performance set a U.S. record with 99.86 points in his final nationals before retiring. "I wouldnt say it was a dream, because I was very in it," Abbott said. "I was very focused and very aware of what I was doing the entire program. I think thats why it was as good as it was." The three-time U.S. champ leads Richard Dornbush by 7.82 points heading into Sundays free skate. "Honestly, I have much more confidence in the long program than I do in the short program," Abbott said. The only time he came close to falling was when he nearly tumbled during his celebration afterward. The three jumps were perfect, his footwork exuberant. Hes dazzled like this before at U.S. Championships, but there have been few of these moments since his last title two years ago. Abbott often struggled as he overhauled his training program. "When things didnt work at competition, I believed in what weve done," he said. "And I just kept plugging at it, and it paid off tonight." Usually he bubbles with energy in the lead-up to nationals, his favourite event. The 28-year-old Abbott felt strangely nonchalant this year until the day before he headed to Boston. "I just realized that I was leaving and this was the last one," Abbott said. "I had this flood of emotion and excitement and fear and dread and passion and everything. Since Ive been here, its been really joyous." World champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White felt the same way earlier Friday in their short dance. The 2010 Olympic silver medallists are well on their way to a sixth straight U.S. title. Skating to selections from "My Fair Lady," Davis and White broke their own record with 80.69 points to build more than a seven-point lead on Madison Chock and Evan Bates. Siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani were third; three teams will go to Sochi. The free dance is Saturday. "This is the first time we felt comfortable enough to let things happen naturally," Davis said. "This is the fifth time were competing the program. With this program, its all about being comfortable enough to let things happen naturally, and when you reach a point where it can be just fun, thats what we really enjoy about skating." Abbott has enjoyed U.S. Championships far more than major international competitions in his career. He beat Evan Lysacek at the 2010 nationals before the last Olympics, only to finish ninth when his countryman captured gold in Vancouver. Abbott held the previous U.S. mark for a short program, 90.23 at the 2012 nationals. Dornbush, 22, has struggled since coming in second in 2011 and didnt even compete in the Grand Prix series this season. Only the second skater of the night, he was spectacular from the get-go Friday, landing a perfect quad and triple axel that had the fans entranced. By the time his 2 1/2-minute program was done, the crowd was on its feet, Dornbush was on his knees throwing an imaginary punch through the air and celebrating a career best. "Im not sure any thoughts went through my head," he said. "I was pretty excited, pretty pumped." Jason Brown was in third after a smokin skate to Princes "The Question of U." He even wore a black and purple costume embellished with rhinestones around his neck and down his back and side, plus Princes "love symbol" on the back. He nailed a triple axel and a triple flip-triple toe loop with gorgeous flow to open the program. Brown, who just turned 19, added a lutz with both hands above his head, footwork that meshed with every element and with every nuance of the music, and speedy spins that had the crowd roaring. "I think the whole season has pushed every guy to just really push themselves to their limits because anything is possible at this event," he said. Defending champion Max Aaron was fourth, one of five skaters to land a clean quad. The U.S. will send two men to Sochi. Abbott knows exactly what stands between him and a shot at Olympic redemption: eight jumping passes, 13 jumps, three spins and two series of footwork. "That was just fun," he said. "I love to figure skate. When you hit all the technical stuff and you do all the athletic part, thats when you can really enjoy the performance." ___ AP Sports Writers Barry Wilner and Jimmy Golen contributed to this report. Mark Barron Alabama Jersey . -- Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew practiced in a limited capacity Friday, a positive sign he might be able to play against the Tennessee Titans. Roberto Alomar Orioles Jersey .J. -- After getting permission from his 7-year-old daughter, New York Giants offensive lineman David Diehl has retired after an 11-year career that included two Super Bowl championships. http://www.cheapjerseysforwholesale.us.com/devils-sun-stitched-ncaa-gold-jersey-basketball-harden-13-james.html . The teams all-time leading scorer, DeRo has won everything there is to win in MLS.CHICAGO -- Even without Patrick Kane -- and despite a run of sloppy plays and penalties -- the Chicago Blackhawks found a way to buckle down and beat the Carolina Hurricanes. Jonathan Toews short-handed breakaway goal early in the third period snapped a tie, and lifted the Blackhawks to a 3-2 victory on Friday night. Patrick Sharp scored his team-leading 30th goal and Kris Versteeg ended an eight-game drought to help the Blackhawks pull out a win without Kane, the teams leading scorer who was placed on long-term injured reserve after sustaining a lower-body injury in Chicagos victory over St. Louis on Wednesday. The Blackhawks were also without injured forwards Brandon Saad and Bryan Bickell, and defenceman Michal Rozsival. "Thats one of those things, we have to learn how to play without our best players," Toews said. "Weve done it without Hoss (Marian Hossa), and now Sadder and Kaner. "It doesnt matter. If someones nursing something, we have to find a way to fill that void." Sharp has scored at least 30 goals four times in his career. He has reached the mark in the past three full NHL seasons. Corey Crawford made 26 saves as defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago tightened up defensively and overcame mistakes late in the second period and early in the third that helped the Hurricanes fight back from a two goal deficit. "Thats a game we can look back on during the playoffs as being able to shut a team down in the last five minutes," Crawford said. "I dont think they got a shot in the last five minutes. Thats the way you want to play." Carolinas Alexander Semin scored his 20th and 21st goals 3:36 apart, but the Hurricanes lost to Chicago for the second time this season. The Blackhawks beat Carolina in a road shootout on Oct. 15 in their only other meeting this season. Semin tied it off a faceoff during a 5-on-3 power play at 2:58 of the third. Eric Staal won the draw and fed Semin, who fired in a screened shot from the top of the left circle. Semin had cut Chicagos lead to 2-1 with 37.7 seconds left in the second. He was open in the right circle, took Staals pass from the left boards and fired a quick shot past Crawfords glove. "We gave them some excitement to their game at the end of the second," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We took six penalties in a row, a stretch of six penalties that got them right back in the game. "Then Johnnny scored a huge goal for us, which was very timely. Paul Goldschmidt Diamondbacks Jersey. quot; Toews third short-handed goal at 3:29 of the third put Chicago ahead for good. A shot by Staal rimmed all the way around the boards in the Chicago zone and came out to centre ice. Toews got the puck, skated in alone, and beat Anton Khudobin with a high backhander. "Obviously I missed the shot down the wing," Staal said. "I wanted to go high glove, and they got a good bounce and good player going the other way on a breakaway." Once Toews put Chicago in front, the Blackhawks sparkled defensively in the third period and held on to extend their point streak to four games (3-0-1). Khudobin stopped 22 shots after a career-best 46 saves in Carolinas win at Columbus on Tuesday. Kane, who could miss the rest of the regular season, was injured in a collision with St. Louis Brenden Morrow. He left the ice under his own power, favouring his left leg. Earlier Friday, Chicago recalled top prospect Teuvo Teravainen and forward Jeremy Morin from Rockford of the AHL. The 19-year-old Teravainen, Chicagos first-round selection in the 2012 draft, didnt play against Carolina. The Blackhawks came out flying in the scoreless first and outshot Carolina 11-4. The Hurricanes didnt record their first shot until Nathan Gerbe forced Crawford to make a glove save 11:21 in. Sharp opened the scoring on a breakaway at 3:09 of the second. He took a stretch pass up the middle from Andrew Shaw and accelerated past defencemen Justin Faulk and Ron Hainsey. He beat Khudobin with a high backhander on the stick side. Versteeg made it 2-0 with 3:34 left in the second during 4-on-4 play. Defenceman Nick Leddy carried the puck down to the left corner, then centred a pass to Versteeg, who beat Khudobin on the glove side. NOTES: Kane must sit out a minimum of 10 games and 24 days. Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said there is "no reason to think he wont" be ready for the playoffs. ... Morin has one goal and four assists in 15 games with Chicago this season. ... D David Rundblad played in his second game with the Blackhawks since being acquired from Phoenix. ... Carolina D John-Michael Liles returned after missing six games with a concussion, C Jiri Tlusty came back after sitting out two with a lower-body injury, and C Elias Lindholm and D Justin Faulk played after missing the previous game because of illnesses. 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