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TORONTO -- Curt Harnett is Canadas most decorated cyclist but he was forced to do the majority of his training south of the border. Thats why the 2015 Pan American Games in his hometown of Toronto are so close to his heart. The 48-year-old was named chef de mission of Canadas Pan Am team Thursday, and said the legacy from the Games will give young Canadian athletes opportunities he didnt have. "Toronto 2015 is a game-changer," Harnett said. Harnett is the only Canadian cyclist to win three Olympic medals, capturing silver in the 1,000 metres in 1984 in Los Angeles, and then bronze in the sprint at both the 1992 and 1996 Games in Barcelona and Atlanta. He accomplishment those feats despite spending several months of the year living and training in California because Canada didnt have a suitable velodrome. "These Games matter," he said. "They matter because of the unprecedented investment into sport in this region, its something we in sport have long waited for, and its critical, it ensures that our athletes continue to pursue excellence right here at home and that we as a sporting nation retain the world class coaching that athletes require to compete and win. "I had to travel to the United States to get access to proper facilities as I prepared to take on the world. Well to that I say No more." Its no surprise that of all the Pan Am venues going up around the GTA, hes most thrilled about the velodrome in Milton, Ont., just west of Toronto, not only because it will be a training base for Canadas top cyclists, but because of its dual use as a community centre. Three basketball courts will be built at the facility that Harnett says will also help get young kids interested in cycling. "To me thats the perfect marriage of what sport opportunity is, because not everybody is going to become a Michael Jordan or LeBron James or Andrew Wiggins," he said. "We can say the same about Sidney Crosby. I was a kid that was introduced to a sport that was off the beaten track by a guy that cared. When you have these facilities in existence that naturally occurs." Harnett said he grew up in Thunder Bay playing mostly hockey. His high school football coach -- who was also the president of the Thunder Bay Cycling Club -- suggested he take up cycling as a way to keep in shape for hockey in the summer. "I quickly learned I was more passionate about one sport than the other, and four short years later I was at the Olympic Games," said. The member of both Canadas Sports Hall of Fame and Olympic Hall of Fame is also a veteran of two Pan American Games, winning gold in the 1,000-metre time trial and bronze in sprint in 1987. The announcement was made at the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) general assembly, which has brought some 350 delegates from Olympic committees and international sport federations to Toronto. A video montage of Harnetts top sporting moments preceded the announcement, to which Harnett joked: "Talk about a flattering introduction, I havent seen that many photos of me in one place since my ex returned the Curt box back in high school." Olympic champion kayaker Adam Van Koeverden congratulated Harnett. "This is a guy who Ive been looking up to as long as Ive been an athlete . . . and as long as Ive been watching shampoo commercials on TV," Van Koeverden joked, a nod toward Harnetts famous Pert Plus commercial that aired in the run-up to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Canadian Olympic Committee president Marcel Aubut said, after listing Harnetts accomplishments, "Honestly, with those criteria there was only one real choice for us as chef de mission." Harnett will lead the largest team Canada has ever fielded for the Pan Am Games. The 1983 Pan Am Games in Caracas, Venezuela, were Harnetts first major multi-sport Games, and he said they were huge in his preparation for his silver-medal Olympic performance a year later, in terms of adapting to situations like bad bus schedules or training times that are thrown at athletes. Harnett was the assistant chef at the 2011 Pan Am Games in Guadalajara, Mexico -- and was also arguably the Canadian teams biggest cheerleader, leading cheers and handing out flags at numerous sports events. Canadas chef de mission in Guadalajara was former fencer Jacques Cardyn. China Jerseys . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. NFL Jerseys China . -- Al Jefferson found a groove just in time for the Charlotte Bobcats. http://www.cheapnfljerseysshipping.us.com/ .S. -- Nikolaj Ehlers registered a hat trick for the third straight game and Jonathan Drouin had a goal and five assists as the Halifax Mooseheads hammered the host Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 10-1 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. China Jerseys Authentic . LOUIS -- St. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach.NEW YORK -- Jabari Parker is already in the Duke record book. The heralded freshman matched his season-high with 27 points, setting the school record for consecutive 20-point games to start a career and the sixth-ranked Blue Devils beat Alabama 74-64 on Wednesday night in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off. "I think Ive got a long ways to go," the 6-foot-8 forward said after his seventh 20-point effort. "I need to be sharper in the beginning of the game. Nothing is ever too easy. I get open looks when they look at Rodney (Hood) or Q (Quinn Cook). I get those opportunities as much as possible." He takes advantage at an alarming rate. He entered the game shooting 58 per cent from the field and he improved that number by going 9 of 12 from the field. He had eight rebounds and was 9 of 10 from the free throw line in matching his point total in the Blue Devils only loss, 83-54 to No. 2 Kansas. "He gets his points in the flow of the offence and we should go through him a lot," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We had foul trouble with Rodney. Usually its through them. We went to Jabari even more." The Blue Devils (6-1), who committed a season-high 19 turnovers, will face No. 4 Arizona, which beat Drexel 66-62, in the championship game on Friday at Madison Square Garden. Its a matchup of the program with the most NIT Season Tip-Off titles -- Duke with four -- against one of three programs tied for second with three. "Arizona is older and they are really big for us," Krzyzewski said. "Over the years, we have always played really difficult schedules and this year is no different. Im just glad we have an opportunity to play for a championship. "Arizona is probably ahead of some other teams. Arizona, Michigan State, because they have guys who have played prominent roles, back. And then they have added a great guard and a great wing to their lineup, and so they are big. It will be completely different, from playing this game. They can post three guys from their starting lineup. They post their front line. Thats where we are not real big. That will be interesting how we try to get that going." Nick Jacobs led Alabama (3-2) with 18 points and seven rebounnds while Trevor Releford and Algie Key added 11 points each.dddddddddddd Duke is 25-2 in the NIT Season Tip-Off and has won 14 straight games in the tournament. The Blue Devils were coming off a 91-90 home victory over Vermont, a game that ended with the Catamounts having the ball but not getting off a final shot. It didnt get that close at the end Wednesday, but the Crimson Tide took advantage of the turnovers to be within 56-51 with 5:19 left. Alabama was within six points three times in the final 3:18 but the Blue Devils were able to go up by as many as 10 points. "Teams play well against us. Its a great opportunity for the sun to shine on a program, and so we have to expect that," Krzyzewski said. The only other Duke player to start his career with six straight 20-point games was Art Heyman in 1961-62. "Hes probably, in my eight years as a head coach, the most talented freshman Ive seen just from his size, his physicality and his skill level," Alabama coach Anthony Grant said of Parker. "Hes able to make tough shots and free himself for the open shot and hes able to get himself to the free throw line. Hes just a really, really talented player. They have got a lot of really good players around them, as well." Duke closed the firsts half on an 11-2 run to take a 33-22 lead and the Blue Devils opened the second half on a 13-6 run for their biggest lead of the game, 46-28 with 15:23 to play. The Crimson Tide, taking advantage of Dukes turnovers, used a 12-0 run to get within 46-40 with 12:07 left. "They had a pretty sizable cushion," Grant said. "We werent able to be effective enough to win the game. Whatever the turnovers were, they scored 74 points in the game, shot a pretty good clip from the field, got to the free throw line quite a bit. I would say their attack against what we were doing was pretty effective." The Blue Devils are 23-7 at Madison Square Garden under Krzyzewski and they have won 15 of their last 17 games there. Duke has won 27 straight regular-season tournament games. The loss dropped Alabama to 32-99 against Top Ten teams. The Crimson Tides last win over a Top Ten team was Feb. 18, 2006 against then-No. 8 Tennessee. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China ' ' '
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