Larisa Yurkiw believed she should compete with the best in the world in the Olympics, and shell get that chance Wednesday in the womens downhill at Rosa Khutor. Vans Sk8 Low Sale . When the best Canadian womens speed racers from the 2010 Winter Olympics soon retired and Yurkiw endured injury woes with after effects that extended into years, official Alpine Canada funding dried up. The dollars were targeted at the emerging women on the team, all technical specialists. Yurkiw poured tens of thousands of her own dollars into a bid to make the Sochi Olympics, and raised more than six figures from private individuals and businesses to back her quest. Racing as an independent under coach Kurt Mayr, Yurkiw earned Tier 1 qualification for Sochi with a pair of top 12 results this season, a seventh-place finish in the season-opening downhill in Lake Louise, Alta., and a sixth place at Altenmarkt, Austria last month. The Owen Sound, Ont., native was aiming to compete at the Vancouver Games but tore up her left knee in a crash in December 2009. Yurkiw didnt participate in a full season again until 2012-13, but didnt crack the top 20 in any races, which put her at a career crossroads at just 25 years of age. In what seemed like another cruel blow after all her hard work, Yurkiw went down in a training run in Sochi last week. But she recovered to post the ninth fastest time in the last training session. The contenders There wont be a repeat Olympic downhill champion as American ski star Lindsey Vonn of the United States underwent knee surgery, but 2010 silver medallist Julia Mancuso and bronze recipient Liz Goergl are competing in Russia. Both are capable of getting back to the podium. Mancuso hasnt enjoyed great World Cup results this season, but now owns four career Olympic medals after earning a bronze in Mondays super-combined. The Hawaiian resident did so on the strength of a downhill that was nearly a half-second faster than the next best skier, Lara Gut of Switzerland. Goergls two World Cup wins this season (one downhill, one super-G) have come in the last month, while Gut, Marianne Kaufmann-Abderhalden of Austria and Slovenias Tina Maze also own downhill wins this season. Maria Hoefl-Riesch, with three, is the only skier with multiple downhill wins this season. The German veteran would have to be considered co-favourite along with Mancuso for the downhill, after winning her third career Olympic gold medal in Mondays super-combined. She is also the overall World Cup points leader. Dominique Gisin of Switzerland hasnt been on the World Cup podium since late 2011, but served notice she could be a factor with a winning training session earlier this week. Anna Wenninger of Austria and Elena Fanchin of Italy are also contender, each having been on the World Cup podium twice in downhill this season, though not yet in the top spot. Tina Weirather under normal circumstances would be considered a strong medal contender after racking up nine World Cup podiums this season, including four in the downhill. But the skier from tiny Liechtenstein, who suffered a serious injury that put her on the sidelines just days before the 2010 Olympics, is uncertain to compete after hurting her leg in a weekend training session. Vans Shoes Sale . The post-season, Pierce said repeatedly, is no time to panic. And the Heat, apparently, are nothing to fear. Vans Slip On Sale . Everton Preview West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has been around the game long enough to not get too high when things are going well and not get too low when they arent. http://www.vanssalestore.com/vans-old-skool-clearance.html . The England international raised his middle finger toward Manchester City supporters during Saturdays game at Etihad Stadium, which Arsenal lost 6-3. The incident was not seen by match officials at the time but the FA charged Wilshere retrospectively after a study of video footage.PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Eagles could be without their top defensive playmaker as they face a team coming off a 41-point output last week. Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks, who suffered a calf injury in last Mondays win over the Indianapolis Colts, missed practice for the second straight day, Thursday, in preparation for Sundays game against the Washington Redskins. "Right now hes very doubtful for today, actually hes out today," Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said before Thursdays practice. "Well see how he does Friday and Saturday." Kendricks had a MRI taken this week, but Kelly said he did not have the results. "I dont know," Kelly said. "I dont ask. Can we get this out of the way? Im never going to ask. I dont care. Just tell me if they can play or cant play. Thats all I ever ask. Im not a doctor. So its grade 32. I dont know what that means. You dont know what that means. Just tell me if he can play or cant play thats the conversation I have with (trainer) Chris Peduzzi and Dr. (Peter) DeLuca." Kendricks injured his calf late in the third quarter of Monday nights game on a 2nd-and-8 play from the Colts 34 on the drive that led to Indianapolis taking a 27-20 lead. He did not return. The Eagles came back to win, 30-27, on a final second field goal from Cody Parkey. Kendricks absence would create a hole in an Eagles defence that has struggled in the first half of both of its wins, but played better in the second half. Washington, which rolled up 41 points last week against Jacksonville, will test the Eagles defence with a balanced offence behind quarterback Kirk Cousins and running back Alfred Morris. "I think Mychal has just been a continuation of last years improvement," Eagles defensive co-ordinator Billy Davis said Wednesday. Vans Slip On Cheap. "I think you saw Mychal get better and better. We talk about it often with his understanding of the defence. Hes been highly productive in the first two games weve had. So I think hes on an ascent and still is. Hes an ascending player." Last year, his first in Davis 3-4 scheme, Kendricks was second on the team in tackles with 137. He also had four quarterback sacks, six quarterback hurries, a team-high three interceptions and a team-high four fumble recoveries. In the first two games this year, Kendricks leads the Eagles in tackles with 13, has one of the teams three sacks and three of the teams five quarterback hurries. If he cannot go Sunday, hell be replaced by either Casey Matthews or Emmanuel Acho. Matthews immediately replaced Kendrick during the Colts game, but Acho then replaced Matthews on the Colts final drive. Both backup linebackers have been splitting time with the first unit in practice Wednesday and Thursday. Davis said the two are basically equal. "We have complete confidence in both of them," the co-ordinator said. "Well see how the week plays out, but it could be Casey or Acho, or a mix of both. Theyre both very intelligent guys that can set our front. They understand the defence thoroughly. So very similar skill sets, not a lot of differences between them." Acho, 6-2, 240, has played in a total of seven games in his three-year career and has never started. Matthews, 6-1, 245, was a fourth-round draft pick of the Eagles in 2011. Hes played in 50 games over his four years, including four starts as the middle linebacker in the teams old 4-3 scheme. ' ' '