Gallerie » proclaimed himself fit but sprayed shots

BEAVER CREEK, Colo. -- Jessica Lindell-Vikarby won a World Cup giant slalom Sunday, holding off the 18-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin with a fluid final run. The Swede finished the two runs on a demanding Beaver Creek course in 2 minutes, 17.92 seconds, with Shiffrin 0.09 seconds behind. Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein took third. Shiffrin was spurred on by a frenzied home crowd, but all the noise down low didnt appear to rattle Lindell-Vikarby, who won a World Cup race for the first time since 2009. "I tried to stay focus and do my own run," she said. "I cant do anything else than just ski." There was not a trace of disappointment from Shiffrin, though. She was quite pleased with her first top-three finish in the event. After all, Shiffrin is a slalom specialist who just recently started working on improving her giant slalom technique. Being this quick, this fast was something she didnt expect, even if it is her favourite hill, with her home about 10 minutes away. Her solid performance salvaged an otherwise forgettable weekend for the Americans as the team struggled at Beaver Creek. "I followed through with my plan. I really just wanted to go out and ski as well as I could today," Shiffrin said. "Im really happy with how today went." The teenager was accorded the Lindsey Vonn treatment by the large crowd. They cheered the skier from nearby Eagle-Vail by ringing bells and holding up signs with her picture on it. Shiffrin could very well be the face of the Sochi Games for the U.S., especially with Vonn trying to come back from a right knee injury following a recent crash in training. This was a difficult course, too, with Lara Gut of Switzerland struggling and failing to finish the first run. Gut won the downhill and super-G the last two days. "Of course, Im a bit angry after today," Gut said. "But its even better than I couldve imagined." Shiffrin placed sixth in the GS in Soelden, Austria, for her best World cup result in the event. But she knew she could ski better. This time, she went for it. After finishing her run, Shiffrin pumped her fist in the air, then took off her ski, pumping that in the air, too. With only Lindell-Vikarby left, a win looked very possible. It wasnt to be. Not on this day. In between runs, Shiffrin actually looked at video of Lindell-Vikarbys run and had a feeling she was going to throw down another fast one. "I knew that going out of the gate had to give it my all," Shiffrin said. In the week leading to the race, Shiffrin kept a low profile. But she couldnt avoid the spotlight after Sunday, not after this kind of performance. Little kids lined the fence begging for her autograph. Shiffrin happily obliged. "Its awesome to be here, feel the crowd and see everybody so excited about skiing," Shiffrin said. After winning the World Cup overall slalom title last season, Shiffrin decided to branch out over the off-season and work on her GS. "My only expectation is to ski as well as I can," Shiffrin said. "Try to put my training into the races. The biggest bummer is coming down in a race and thinking that I left something on the hill. Im trying to not do that -- ever." No reason to fear that at Beaver Creek. "Shes a phenom," said Bill Marolt, the president and CEO of U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. "She has the athletic ability, the mental tenacity to do what shes done and will continue to do." It wasnt a stellar weekend for Julia Mancuso or the rest of the U.S. skiers. They couldnt gain traction on their home hill. Apart from Shiffrin, no American finished in the top 10. "When things are going fast, it feels easy. When things are going bad, you feel like you want to give up," Mancuso said. "But its definitely one of those sports where one thing can click and you can go from being in last to winning. And Ive done it myself. Ive gone from 50th place in a downhill and won the next one. "Its tough. Ski racings one of those things you have to keep fighting. If youre off by just a little bit, it adds up every gate. But its definitely the right direction." Tracy Walker Jersey .C. - Blair Jones scored the eventual winner in the third period as the Abbotsford Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Oil Barons 3-2 in American Hockey League action on Friday. Luke Willson Jersey . Pinch-hitter Tommy Medica singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in their first home game since Gwynn died of cancer Monday. http://www.officialdetroitlionsfootball....l-jersey-womens. The judge sternly instructed the prosecutor to restrain himself and he apologized -- then went right back to trying to pick holes in the testimony of the double-amputee runner. It was a harsh day of cross-examination for Pistorius, challenged relentlessly about his account of the moments just before he killed Reeva Steenkamp, as well as circumstances related to several firearms charges against him, including the firing of a gun in a crowded restaurant. Kerryon Johnson Jersey . The Toronto Argonauts signed the veteran linebacker to a three-year deal Tuesday, hours after the start of CFL free agency. Barry Sanders Jersey . Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane came up big when it counted, tallying two goals and an assist. He scored the game-winner with 4:45 remaining in the third period, stopping on the right hashmarks, carrying the puck up through the top of the Kings zone, then firing a wrist shot from the top of the circles past Jonathan Quick, who had his view obstructed by Andrew Shaw.LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- For Rory McIlroy, the shockingly bad shot came out of nowhere. No worries. By the time he walked off the 18th green, there was little doubt he was still the man to beat at the PGA Championship. McIlroy ripped off four straight birdies on the back side and closed with another at the 18th hole, shooting a 5-under 66 at Valhalla that left him one shot off the lead Thursday. Fridays second round coverage begins with live streaming on TSN.ca at 8:30am et/5:30am pt while TSNs coverage begins at 1pm et/10am pt. Coming off wins at the British Open and Firestone, McIlroy came into the final major of the year as an overwhelming favourite. Even with a major blunder at the 10th, where he knocked his second shot over a fence and took double bogey, he was right on the heels of Lee Westwood, Ryan Palmer and Kevin Chappell. "Im really happy with everything," McIlroy said. "Ive got a good thing going right now. Im trying to ride that momentum as much as I can." Then theres Tiger Woods, who cant seem to get anything going. Playing just four days after his back flared up at Firestone, forcing him to withdraw, Woods proclaimed himself fit but sprayed shots all over the course on the way to a 74 that left him tied for 111th late in the day. "That wasnt very good," said Woods, who made only one birdie -- and had to hole out from the fairway to do that. "A lot of bad shots." One landed in a creek. Another sent the gallery scrambling. Yet another rolled into a fenced-off area where fans can use cellphones, a good 30 yards right of the fairway. Too bad Woods couldnt call for help. "I didnt play as well as I wanted to. I didnt get a putt to the hole," he said. "Thats not a good combo." McIlroy was cruising along when he got to the 10th, having made three birdies on the front side. After putting his tee shot right in the middle of the fairway at the par-5 hole, he yanked the next one out of bounds. A man talking on his cellphone along the fence, not concerned at all with getting in the way, was stunned with he looked up to see a ball sailing over his head. Especially when he learned whose ball it was. "I was really annoyed," McIlroy said. "That second shot at 10 is the worst shot Ive hit in weeks. It came out of the blue." He took a penalty and a drop and missed the fairway with his next attempt as well, resulting in a 7. Still shaken by that miscue, McIlroy made bogey at No.dddddddddddd 11 to slip to even on the day. Just like that, he pulled himself together. Four straight birdies pushed McIlroy right back up the leaderboard, and it could have easily been five in a row. A 12-footer slid over the edge of the cup at the 16th. At the final hole, McIlroy reached the green in two for an eagle try to share the lead. If curled off at the end, leaving him with a tap-in -- his eighth birdie of the round. "It could have been better," he said. "But a 66 the first day, thats a solid start." Westwood matched his best round ever at a major, making nine birdies as he carried over the momentum from a closing 63 at Firestone. The 41-year-old Englishman also had a double bogey on his 10th hole of day -- at No. 1, after starting on the back -- but closed with four straight birdies. "The golf course was all there in front of me. I just play it as I see it," said Westwood, who has had numerous close calls but never won a major championship. "Last week, I felt like I turned a corner." Chappell, a 28-year-old Californian in his fourth year on the PGA Tour, turned in a bogey-free round. The final major of the year has produced some unlikely champions -- remember Shaun Micheel? -- and Chappell hopes to be the latest. "I cant complain about being in the lead of any golf tournament," said Chappell, whose only professional win came on the Web.com Tour in 2010. "I just look forward to keeping it rolling." Palmer birdied five of the nine holes on the back side, which is where he started his round. He said the greens were more inviting than he expected. "I was surprised how soft they were," he said. "It was a pretty easy, relaxing nine for me." McIlroy was joined at 65 by Jim Furyk, Henrik Stenson, Edoardo Molinari and Chris Wood. For Furyk, it was another strong start in a tournament he nearly won a year ago. He took a lead to the final day at Oak Hill, only to lose to Jason Dufner by two strokes. Dufners title defence lasted only 10 holes. Plagued by a sore neck, he withdrew after a triple-bogey left his score at 8 over, probably ending his Ryder Cup hopes as well. He came in ranked No. 8 in the standings and hoping to somehow play well enough to stay in one of the nine qualifying spots. "I tried to do what I could to be able to compete some and give it a go," Dufner said, "but it is just pointless." 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