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VANCOUVER -- Canada has set a goal of finishing first in the overall medal standings at the Sochi Winter Olympics. Snowboarders will in all likelihood have to play a key role if theres any chance of meeting that lofty target. The first five members of the Canadian contingent heading to Sochi next month were unveiled Friday, led by a three-time Olympian and an unlikely superstar from the Prairies. "We definitely have an amazing group and an amazing team and to be a part of it is great," said Maelle Ricker, who won gold in snowboard cross at the 2010 Olympics. "We have strong athletes in all the disciplines and Im very honoured and excited." Sochi will be Rickers third Games, but at age 35, the West Vancouver, B.C., native is still seen as a favourite in her event where competitors race down a course side-by-side. "I would love to perform at my best (again)," she said after Fridays news conference. "Definitely every time I put my snowboard on thats what Im aiming to do and hopefully we get some good results because of it." Apart from Ricker, another Canadian expected to contend for a medal is Mark McMorris. The 20-year-old from Regina is the two-time defending Winter X Games champion in slopestyle, an acrobatic snowboard discipline set to make its Olympic debut in Sochi. "It feels amazing," McMorris said of being named to the Canadian team. "Its going to be a fun time. Ive been preparing like a mad man and I think Im ready." Other rookie Olympians named to Canadas squad were Sebastien Toutant of LAssomption, Que., Spencer OBrien of Courtenay, B.C., and Calgarys Chris Robanske. Toutant and OBrien will compete in slopestyle, while Robanske is entered in snowboard cross. The rest of the team will be named Jan. 21. Canada won 26 medals -- including three in snowboard -- at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, good for third behind the United States (37) and Germany (30). An even bigger performance will be required in Russia to accomplish the Canadian Olympic Committees goal of finishing first. "If we say we dont want to be No. 1, were striving for mediocrity and were not going to do that. We will strive to be the best," said Canadian chef de mission Steve Podborski, who won bronze in mens downhill skiing at the 1980 Olympics. "When we went into (the 2006 Games), we had no notion that we could strive to be No. 1 and now we are looking at that. "So why not? Its going to be tough, maybe impossible, but you strive for impossible dreams." The laid-back McMorris doesnt put any added emphasis on his own performance when overall team goals are mentioned. "Whenever anybody looks at you to win theres pressure," he said. "Ive been able to have a lot of success over the last three years and consistently podium or win events. "Im in one event and my goal is to win a gold medal and if I do so, that will be a big help." With the Olympics set to begin Feb. 7, OBrien said shes looking forward to being part of a team after competing for years as an individual. "Theres definitely a lot of expectations, especially on me, Mark, Seb, Maelle, everyone thats been performing so well these last of couple years," said the 25-year-old. "I think its really special. Its a unique experience to have your country behind you." OBrien won gold in womens slopestyle at last years world championship, but added the Games are on another level. "An Olympic medal, youre winning it for your country, youre not just winning it for yourself," she said. "Its such a special opportunity and Id like nothing more than to bring one back to Canada." The Olympics werent even on the 21-year-old Toutants radar until it was announced that slopestyle would be included at Sochi. "Were used to competing in front of a lot of people and a lot of cameras, but we compete for sponsors and we compete for ourselves," he said. "To be able to compete for your country is huge. "The world is going to be watching." Podborski said there will be "enormous challenges" facing athletes in Sochi, but stressed the level of Canadian sport has come a long way since he competed more than three decades ago. "These athletes are the finest our country can produce," he said. "These are sophisticated, world-class athletes and I expect them to do very, very well." Nick Ahmed Jersey . Winnipeg trailed by five points in the final minute when quarterback Drew Willy completed a 13-play, 75-yard drive with Feoli-Gudinos 18-yard touchdown catch on third down to lift the Bombers to a 34-33 victory over the Montreal Alouettes on Friday night. A. J. Pollock Jersey . Fielder ended 4-for-5 with a solo homer, while Avila was 4-for-4 with two runs scored for the Tigers, who put the brakes on a three-game skid and rebounded from a loss in Mondays opener. Victor Martinez and Austin Jackson both contributed two hits, an RBI and a run scored as Detroit maintained its healthy lead atop the AL Central. http://www.diamondbacksteamshop.com/Dia ... ds-Jersey/. The third-ranked Lewis, a three-time winner this year on the LPGA Tour, had a 9-under 135 total at Emirates Golf Course in the Ladies European Tours season-ending tournament. Zack Greinke Jersey . James Erskine said Tuesday that Thorpe was "quite sick" in a Sydney hospital but dismissed media reports the swimmer might lose the use of his left arm. "Hes not in the intensive care," Erskine said. Taijuan Walker Jersey . -- The Sacramento Kings have signed first-round pick Nik Stauskas to his rookie contract.MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Its NCAA chances all but gone, West Virginia showed it still has some fight left in a lacklustre season. West Virginia built a 25-point lead and had to withstand 41 points by freshman Andrew Wiggins and a furious comeback by No. 8 Kansas to upset the Jayhawks 92-86 in their Big 12 regular-season finale Saturday. "We just had to stay composed, not get too down, dont say, dang, theyre going to come back," said Eron Harris, who led West Virginia with 28 points. "Youve got to always have confidence in your team that youre going to win." The Mountaineers (17-14, 9-9 Big 12) could have finished with a thud like they had in losing four of their five previous games that reduced them to playing for a spot in the NIT. The young Mountaineers, who have no seniors, watched Kansas tear into the deficit behind Wiggins, who set a season high for scoring and a freshman record for the Jayhawks before fouling out in the final seconds. He also eight rebounds, four blocks and five steals, to go along with 12-of-18 shooting from the field. Ben McLemore has the Kansas single-game freshman scoring record with 36 last season. West Virginia made some clutch free throws in the final minute to thwart the comeback and keep coach Bob Huggins sanity intact. "When we get a little more experience, well handle those things a little better," said Huggins, who earned $25,000 for beating Kansas in the regular season, one of the bonus clauses in a 2012 contract extension. Juwan Staten added 24 points and Devin Williams, WVUs star freshman, had a season-high 22 points along with 13 rebounds. It marked the first time this season that Kansas had allowed three opposing players to score 20 points. "I thought Staten controlled the game," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "Harris was terrific and Williams was by far the best big in the game. "They were terrific and then we didnt guard at all. Weve gone through stretches this year where we havent guarded well, but thats probably as poor as weve been. But give them credit, they were a lot better than us offensively than we were defensively." West Virginia shot 53 per cent from the floor and outrebounded Kansas 37-31. Perry Ellis added 14 points for Kansas (23-8, 14-4), whicch clinched its 10th straight regular-season title a week ago and had little riding on this game.ddddddddddddThe Jayhawks will have a first-round bye in the conference tournament that begins Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo. Kansas was without 7-foot freshman Joel Embiid, who sat out his second straight game to rest a lower back strain. Tarik Black, starting in Embiids place, went to the bench with his second foul four minutes into the game. The Mountaineers led nearly the entire game but fell apart down the stretch. Still, West Virginia managed to beat a ranked team for the third time in seven tries over the past month. Kansas went more than seven minutes without a field goal spanning the halves and found itself with its biggest deficit of the season, 64-39, with 16:43 left in the game after a Harris 3-pointer. But the Mountaineers have had trouble holding double-digit leads this season, and Kansas -- especially Wiggins -- was hardly done. West Virginia struggled against Kansas full-court press, and Wiggins followed Landen Lucas three-point play with four free throws and a 3-pointer over a 47-second span to pull Kansas within 78-68 with 6:13 remaining. Wiggins scored 14 straight points at one point for the Jayhawks. Frank Masons 3-pointer trimmed the deficit to 85-80 with 1:24 left. But West Virginia made 7 of 8 free throws in the final minute to hang on. Backups Lucas and Jamari Traylor couldnt keep up with Williams, who scored 10 straight points for the Mountaineers at one point. He had 18 in the first half to give the Mountaineers a 50-38 halftime lead -- the most points given up by the Jayhawks in the first half this season. "I thought Devin played really well," Huggins said. "(He) scored it through contact and made open shots, which he does in practice. And then he rebounds the ball for us. Hes the one guy who can really go rebound it in a crowd." West Virginia had its second sellout of the season, thanks to hundreds of Kansas fans who made the 900-mile trek east and those especially coming to see Wiggins, who played his high school ball on the other side of the state at Huntington Prep. "Ive never seen him play like that," Huggins said. "When he makes shots hes really difficult to defend." 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