Mark McMorris fractured rib is steadily improving, so much so that the gold-medal favourite in Sochi plans to snowboard in a few days to "see how it goes. Hassan Whiteside Jersey ." McMorris responded in an email to The Associated Press on Friday that he feels "pretty good" nearly a week after his crash during the Winter X Games slopestyle final. He has a few more days to heal with slopestyle qualifying at the Sochi Games not beginning until Feb. 6. Last weekend, the 20-year-old from Regina caught his snowboard on the lip of a rail and landed hard on the bar, then slid down on his right side before hitting the snow. "I was in a lot of pain and I couldnt breathe," he said in the email. "I just had to get up. I couldnt lay there. I was so disappointed." He made it down the hill that afternoon under his own power and headed to the hospital, where X-rays revealed he had a fractured rib but no other damage. And now McMorris refuses to let the fall derail his Olympic aspirations. "I am really blessed and lucky I get a second chance to try and give it a shot," he said. Asked if his rib might hamper him during competition, McMorris responded: "I cant predict it until I get out there and try." McMorris arrived in Europe early so he could get accustomed to the time difference. He said hes pretty much been "in a stationary place trying to get better. Feeling Ok but my rib is still broken so its not 100 per cent. ... Every day (the rib) gets better and I still have 4 or 5 days before I compete." Sore rib and all, McMorris will still be one of the favourites as slopestyle makes its Olympic debut. He could be the biggest challenger to Shaun White, who will also try to defend his title in the halfpipe. Pressure being the front-runner? "For sure," McMorris said in an interview at Winter X, a few days before his crash. "Whenever youre at the top of the sport, people look to you to keep going. Ive proven time and time again, that I can get the result. "Now, when were talking on an even bigger level, the Olympics, its really put on my shoulders. But everybody feels pressure. You can either take it in a positive or negative way. I try to feed off of it." McMorris doesnt view White so much with a sense of awe, but rather as simply another competitor in a talent-rich field that includes fellow Canadian rider Max Parrot, who won at Winter X with back-to-back triple-cork jumps. In fact, its White whos been doing most of the chasing in this event, because McMorris has been the snowboarder with the innovative tricks. "(White) is another guy youve got to beat," McMorris said in the interview before his crash. "I go to a contest to ride the best I can. Its in the judges hands after that. Thats what everybody does. I dont think its a sport where youre trying to take down any certain person. Youre trying to win a contest and do the best you can do." Glen Rice Heat Jersey . Heyward-Bey did not practice all week because of a hamstring injury. Coach Chuck Pagano said Heyward-Bey was expected to miss at least a week and they signed former New England receiver Deion Branch to help fill the void. Justise Winslow Heat Jersey .J. Watt is a unanimous selection as The Associated Press NFL Defensive Player Of The Year for 2014.TIJUANA, Mexico -- Ecuador striker Jaime Ayovi scored twice in the first ten minutes to lead Tijuana to the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals with a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Tuesday. Ayovi scored in the 2nd and 9th minutes as Tijuana claimed a 4-3 aggregate win over the two legs of the quarterfinals. Argentine striker Dario Benedetto added a goal in the 26th minute and Richard Ruiz lengthened the lead in the 80th for Tijuana. Robbie Keane scored off an Omar Gonzalez pass in the 46th minute and found the net again in 84th for the Galaxy. Tijuana, playing for the first time in the regions top club tournament, will play either Sporting Kansas City or Mexico City-based Cruz Azul in the semifinals. The Mexicans started strong and took the lead when Argentine Christian Pelleranos shot inside the boox was deflected by goalkeeper Jaime Penedo and the rebound fell to Ayovi, who scored from two meters (yards). Glen Rice Jersey. Ayovi got his second goal off a long cross from Pellerano and dribbled the ball past Penedo before finishing finished with a soft touch. Tijuana*s third goal came when Benedetto stole the ball from Brazilian defender Leonardo Da Silva and scored with a powerful shot to the right post of the goalkeeper Penedo. The Galaxy drew one back when Landon Donovan sent a cross inside the box to Gonzalez, who headed the ball to Keane for the goal. Ruiz made it 3-1 with a powerful strike inside the box, but Keane scored again to keep the Galaxy in touch. The Galaxy pushed for a third goal that would have been enough to advance on aggregate, but the Tijuana defence held on for the win. Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys ' ' '