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SIGULDA, Latvia -- Canadian Alex Gough is on a nice roll heading into the Sochi Winter Games. Clint Dempsey Jersey . The 26-year-old from Calgary capped the World Cup season off in style, finishing second in a second straight womens singles luge event Saturday. American Kate Hansen claimed the gold medal with a two-run time of one minute 23.976 seconds. Gough, the first-run leader, finished second, 0.076 seconds behind. Russian Natalia Khoreva was third, 0.176 seconds back. Gough claimed her 17th career World Cup medal. "That was a very good race today with two solid runs," said Canadian team coach Wolfgang Staudinger. "We are only at this track once every two years so to be able to perform on a track where we have minimal runs is impressive." Calgarys Kimberley McRae finished sixth in 1:24.37 while Arianne Jones, also of Calgary, was 16th in 1:24.790. In mens doubles, Tristan Walker of Cochrane, Alta., and Calgarys Justin Snith were eighth in 1:23.304. Hansen was a surprise winner Saturday, becoming the first American to prevail in a singles race on the circuit since Nov. 22, 1997. It gave both her and the team a major infusion of confidence heading into next months Sochi Games. "Of course its a great surprise for me," Hansen said. "Ive never dreamed of winning the event." Hansen was a five-year-old when Cameron Myler gave the U.S. its most recent singles victory on the World Cup circuit, which also came in Sigulda. And she wasnt even born when Germany last failed to have a woman reach the medal podium after a race on tour. Improbable as it sounds, both things happened Saturday. The 21-year-old Hansen capped her win with a track-record run in the second heat, while Germany -- which in fairness kept its top three sliders, including World Cup champion Natalie Geisenberger, out of the competition so they could prepare for the Olympics instead -- had no one finish better than seventh, an absolute rarity for the deepest team in the world. Hansens gold is the first for the U.S. in any major international race since Erin Hamlin won the world championship in 2009. "This is a momentous occasion," USA Luge spokesman Sandy Caligiore said. Germanys top slider was Dajana Eitberger, about a half-second behind Hansen. Germany had earned a medal in every World Cup womens singles race since 1988. Whether the German best were there or not, it was still a breakthrough for Hansen. The U.S. national champion held the lead at the midway point of the season-opening race at Lillehammer, Norway, then slipped all the way back to 12th in the second heat. And before Saturday, she had never even earned a medal in a World Cup race. Now shes heading to her first Olympics knowing how winning feels. "I dont know if the pressure with regard to the upcoming Olympic Games will be greater now," Hansen said. "Its a good question. But well see." Geisenberger, who clinched the World Cup title a week earlier, finished the season with 785 standings points. Gough was second with 626, Germanys Tatjana Huefner was third with 551, followed by Germanys Anke Wischnewski (493) and Eitberger (432). Edgar Castillo Jersey . The 30-year-old Texas native was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the 2001 amateur draft. Duke spent six years in Pittsburgh and also had stints with Arizona, Washington and Cincinnati. DaMarcus Beasley Jersey . Thats 14 consecutive losses to the two-time defending champs, and most of them were over before they even began. Result notwithstanding, Sundays game had a very different feel to it.MANCHESTER, England -- Arsenal and Manchester City showed no sign of slowing up in the race for the Premier League title by grabbing routine home wins on Saturday to stay 1-2 in the standings. Spain playmaker Santi Cazorla scored second-half goals in a five-minute span for Arsenal in a 2-0 victory over lowly Fulham that keeps the Gunners in the lead by a point. "We have played 22 games and have 51 points. If you compare that to any other season you will see that it is one of the best, if not the best ever," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said after his sides fifth straight league win. "So lets just continue." City put on another attacking clinic to breeze past Cardiff 4-2 and pass the 100-goal mark this season in all competitions -- after just 34 matches. Edin Dzeko, Jesus Navas, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero netted for City, which has now scored four or more goals in a game on 12 occasions this campaign. "Its not easy to score 103 goals by the middle of the season," City manager Manuel Pellegrini said. "It reflects how we think this team must play. We are always an attractive team." The Chelsea side of last season had been the previous fastest to reach a century of goals in the Premier League era, after 42 games, but Pellegrinis entertainers have set a high bar. The defeat dumped Cardiff into last place and ensured a miserable return to Manchester for its coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who spent 11 successful years across the city at United. Third-place Chelsea will look to stay a point behind City by beating Manchester United at home on Sunday in the standout game of the weekend. Liverpool lost ground in fourth by drawing 2-2 at home to Aston Villa, which raced into a two-goal lead after 36 minutes thanks to strikes by Andreas Weimann and Christian Benteke. Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard -- from the penalty spot -- salvaged a draw for Liverpool, which is now eight points behind Arsenal after spending Christmas Day on top of the table. The scrap for survival is even tighter than the battle for first place, with three teams now locked on 18 points in the relegation zone. Crystal Palace started the day in last place but Jasoon Puncheon made up for his awful penalty miss against Tottenham last week by converting from the spot against Stoke, sealing a 1-0 win. Timothy Chandler Jersey. Sunderland remains second from bottom after coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Southampton and West Ham makes up the bottom three following a 3-1 loss to Newcastle, for whom France midfielder Yohan Cabaye scored twice while compatriot Loic Remy netted the other. Norwich climbed five points clear of the drop zone thanks to a 1-0 win over Hull, secured by Ryan Bennetts 87th-minute goal. Although Arsenal is maintaining the remarkable consistency it enjoyed in 2013, it will be difficult to stop City on current form. Solskjaer was part of a string of wonderfully attacking teams during his time at Old Trafford, but none of them were as rampant as Citys class of 2013-14. Edin Dzeko brought up Citys century of goals with a scruffy opener that dribbled just over the line in the 14th minute at Etihad Stadium, with the validity of the strike confirmed by the Goal Decision System on the giant screens in the corner of the ground. Craig Noone equalized for Cardiff in the 29th minute but Jesus Navas restored Citys lead three minutes later and second-half goals by Yaya Toure and substitute Sergio Aguero kept up the teams 100 per cent home record in the league. "We are playing fantastic football at the moment," Pellegrini said. "We play with fantastic intensity and that is how we must continue. The best way to play is the way we are playing now." With Theo Walcott out for the rest of the season with a knee problem and Aaron Ramsey still not fully recovered from injury, it was Cazorlas turn to chip in with goals from midfield to ease the burden on chief striker Olivier Giroud. Cazorla delivered instinctive finishes in the 57th and 62nd minutes, the first to complete a flowing move and the second after latching onto a clearance to break down the stubborn resistance of a Fulham side that arrived at Emirates Stadium with the leagues leakiest defence. "He is one of the players who can create something special, either through his pass or through his finishing," Wenger said of Cazorla. Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap Jerseys Free ShippingWholesale Jerseys 2020 Cheap NFL Jerseys China Discount NFL Jerseys Cheap Authentic Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys ' ' '