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. Bradley Chubb Broncos Jersey . 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. DaeSean Hamilton Broncos Jersey . Kalish got his first hit since Sept. 11, 2012, when he rapped an RBI triple in the first inning Sunday in the Chicago Cubs 8-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Case Keenum Broncos Jersey . The NFLs Defensive Rookie of the Year will be named at the NFL Honours Award show on February 1. The 23-year-old 2013 second-rounder out of Oregon becomes the third Bills linebacker to win the honour after Jim Haslett (1979) and Shane Conlan (1987. http://www.broncosproauthentic.com/Black-Friday-Josey-Jewell-Jersey/ . - Rookie Kyle Larson will start from the pole position Saturday night in the NASCAR race at Richmond International Raceway after a thunderstorm arrived just in time to wash out qualifying. TERESOPOLIS, Brazil -- Brazil striker Hulk left a training session due to a muscle injury in his left leg Sunday but said he expects to be fit to play Mexico on Tuesday in his teams second World Cup match. Hulk practiced for less than 15 minutes before leaving the field. He said the injury wasnt serious and "hopefully" it wouldnt keep him from playing in the next match. "I felt a small discomfort and decided to leave as a precaution," Hulk said. "I was already thinking about the next match, its only two days away and in the World Cup you dont want to miss any match. I hope to be ready so I can help the national team again." Hulk said he had the injury before the opening win over Croatia, when he was replaced late in the match, and felt it again after a few shots on goal on Sunday. He walked off the field without a limp, but then sat down on a bench and lowered his head in apparent dismay. Hulk, who plays for Zenit in the Russian league, put his hand on his left leg when team medical staff arrived to treat him. A few moments later he went to the locker room accompanied by one of the teams doctors. "I was feeling down when it happened because yoou always think about the worst," Hulk said. Courtland Sutton Jersey. "But then I talked to the doctors and they told me that it wasnt anything too serious. Im going to undergo treatment and hopefully Ill be able to play." The Brazilian federation said Hulk wouldnt need additional tests and would travel as planned with the rest of the squad to the northeastern city of Fortaleza later Sunday. "At a World Cup you have to overcome every challenge," Hulk said. "We prepare our entire lives to fulfil our dreams of playing in the tournament. Im feeling well." If Hulk is ruled out, 21-year-old Shakhtar Donetsk striker Bernard would be his likely replacement. Chelseas Ramires is also an option. Brazil had been injury free since it started