The Canadian Tire National Skating Championships showcased a healthy mix of fresh faces and established veterans and the team picked for the World Championships in March will include gold medal contenders and those looking to make their mark as they begin the next Olympic Quadrennial. Cheap Basketball Shoes China . A couple of teenagers will lead the charge to Shanghai in the singles events. Nam Nguyen stepped up admirably in the absence of Patrick Chan. At 16 years of age, he did not put a foot wrong in capturing his first Canadian title. His free program in particular was sensational with a quad salchow and two triple axels (the most difficult triple) and will stack up well amongst the worlds best. Having the quad and triple axels are key to his success but it is the balance that we are seeing from Nam this season that is his real strength and shows that he is not a one trick pony. He has the big tricks and consistency which is a rare combination, his skating between the jumps is delivered with care and finesse and as he matures and is gaining confidence in his jumps his artistry is rapidly progressing alongside. That balance will serve him well through his development and as he takes on the worlds best. In the Ladies event where the opportunity for a national title often produces nerves and inconsistent performances, in Kingston, the chance of the title fuelled focused and determined efforts. The three eventual medalists, new Canadian champion Gabby Daleman, Alaine Chartrande and Veronik Mallet all delivered superb performances. Veronik did not go in as one of the favourites for the title but her engaging personality and solid triples had her in the mix, in second after the short and produced season best scores for her. Teenagers Gabby and Alaine fought hard in going after what they each so desperately wanted. They both had clear shots at the title and had to bring and deliver their best. Gabby won the short program and Alaine the long with the edge going to Gabby overall. I like the way I see the rivalry between these two shaping up. Being pushed at home often drives skaters to new heights which pays off internationally. One only has to remember Kurt and Elvis, or Duhamel-Radford and Moore-Towers - Moscovitch for evidence of the benefits and while this is not yet close to the scope of the Russian ladies it has the makings of a great rivalry in Canadian skating. The talent, youth and feistiness of Gabby and Alaine create the perfect storm for an ongoing duel and dare I ask, what happens when Kaetlyn Osmond comes back? Game on! The pairs event was filled with intrigue, variety, personal bests and record breaking scores. Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford landed a throw quad salchow on their way to setting a Canadian record with their total score. Under the heading of how things change, at the 1988 Winter Olympics a teammate of mine threw a bag of bagels (my favourite snack) on the ice at the end of our performance. In Kingston, Megan was handed a bunch of kale! Kale?! Maybe thats their secret. Whatever it is, they are on a phenomenal record setting pace this season with no signs of letting up. Their next stop is Seoul, South Korea where they will meet up with the tough Chinese pairs at Four Continents and then later in March they will have their chance at the world title. The new pairing of Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch won the hearts of the audiences in Kingston. Just nine months ago they both found themselves partnerless and unsure of the future. Watching them skate together in their first major competition is to see that out of crisis can come opportunity. The irony is not lost on Lubov that the only time she had been to Canada previously was five years ago at Skate Canada, in Kingston. She said I said that I wanted to stay here and I am back. Like by magic...who could predict...the joke of life! That they relish this new opportunity is palpable. It will be fun to see how far they can take it. At the World Championships last year Canada had three teams in the top ten in ice dance. Those same three teams finished on the podium in Kingston but were tested by a strong field. Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje who are on the same kind of trajectory as Duhamel-Radford, won their first Canadian title in convincing fashion. They are world class and like Duhamel-Radford appear to be unstoppable. Weaver-Poje are undefeated and have the highest scores this season. The closest team to them in the points race on the Grand Prix circuit is an American team, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, whom they will meet head-to-head at Four Continents in two weeks. This will be a much anticipated and key match up for them a month before the Worlds. Remembering a Legend The loss of the great Toller Cranston was shocking news. My good friend Shelley Macleod had just spent Christmas with Toller at his home in Mexico and I was heartened to learn that he was at the top of his game during their visit and that his staff told her on his passing that in the end he was doing what he loved, and was surrounded by good friends. Going forward we as a skating community can be inspired by his vision. He clearly saw the legacy he wanted to leave and took his career into his own hands. For him it was about making a memorable and maximum impact and in so doing, moving an audience, bringing crowds to their feet and leaving an indelible mark on the sport. Toller once said, I brought a hammer and a chisel and I tried to wear away inhibition. May we keep that dream alive. Wholesale Basketball Shoes . -- Terrelle Pryor took the opening snap of the game, put the ball in Darren McFaddens belly and saw LaMarr Woodley crash down. Wholesale Basketball Shoes Shop . Marcus Olsson, 23, joins Blackburn on a free transfer from Swedens Halmstads. He made 139 appearances and scored 17 goals in his four years with the club. He earned his first caps for Sweden this month, featuring against Bahrain and Qatar. http://www.cheapbasketballshoesstore.net/?tag=cheap-nike-kyrie-irving-basketball-shoes-china . THE THUNDER & PACERS BENCHES: In a nutshell, not impressive at all.This week the 2013/14 Premier League season comes to a close. Here at TSN.ca we will take a look back at the season by bringing together a panel of experts to help pick the best 50 players of the season. This list is based purely on their performances this season. It is not a list of who we think the best 50 players in the league are. Fourteen members were asked to take part (panel below) and submit their top 20 players of the season. Their list was then placed into a scoring system and then the totals determined the overall positions in the top 50. Each day this week we will release the list in 10s. The sport is very much about opinions, so please feel free to write your own list in the comments below. You can read part one of the list here. Here is how the Top 20 were scored – 1st place – 30pts; 2nd place – 25; 3rd place – 22; 4th place – 20; 5th place – 18; 6th place – 17; 7th place – 15; 8th place – 14; 9th place – 13; 10th place – 12; 11th place – 10; 12th place – 9; 13th place – 8; 14th place – 7; 15th place – 6; 16th place – 5; 17th place – 4; 18th place – 3; 19th place – 2; 20th place – 1. The Panel Six members of TSNs soccer team were on the panel and were joined by eight other members from around the world who were asked to represent their specific field. Joining our staff members were two outstanding statistical experts, Jonny Blain and Simon Gleave, two brilliant reporters/commentators covering the league, Stewart Coggin and Paul Sarahs and two extremely knowledgeable tactics writers, Tim Palmer and Ritesh from the False9 website and a man who covers the development side of the league like no other, Aidan from the England Youth website. In addition, also involved was arguably one of the knowledgeable writers covering the league in the world, Michael Cox, aka Zonal Marking. Follow the Panel on Twitter Aidan from England Youth – https://twitter.com/englandyouthJonny Blain - https://twitter.com/jonoblainNoel Butler - https://twitter.com/TheSoccerNoelStewart Coggin - https://twitter.com/StewartCogginMichael Cox - https://twitter.com/Zonal_MarkingJason DeVos - https://twitter.com/jasondevosSimon Gleave - https://twitter.com/SimonGleaveKristian Jack - https://twitter.com/KristianJackTim Palmer - https://twitter.com/timhpalRitesh from The False9 - https://twitter.com/TheFalse_9Paul Sarahs - https://twitter.com/PaulSarahsPete Schaad - https://twitter.com/PeteSchaadGareth Wheeler - https://twitter.com/WheelerTSNLuke Wileman - https://twitter.com/LukeWileman 40. Kevin Mirallas (Everton) – Part of the reason for Evertons success this season has been their consistency, with many of their players, weekly, reaching a standard they require. Mirallas is not one of them. Some weeks he looks like someone who could one day be sold for a lot of money, going above that standard with electrifying runs, great positional awareness and some clinical finishing. Then, other weeks, Mirallas looks tired, unfit and easy to mark out of a game. There is room for his up and down unpredictability in a usually reliable Everton team but one wonders what road he will go down more in the future. 39. James McCarthy (Everton) – There were a couple of people on the panel who loved McCarthy and pushed hard for his place on this list (this writer included). It is hard to believe he played some Championship games for Wigan this season. Although his move to a bigger club was long overdue, being reunited with Roberto Martinez ensured Everton, once again, ticked a key box for the club by selling a bigger player for more money (Marouane Fellaini) and replacing him with a better one for less. 38. Asmir Begovic (Stoke) – Under new manager Mark Hughes, Stoke City slowly went about a modified change in style this season which meant they allowed more shots and goals conceded but none of this fell on the shoulders of Begovic. He remains one of the leagues best goalkeepers and had another standout campaign, which also included a goal! Not sure how much longer teams liike Arsenal, for example, will allow a much superior goalkeeper to play for a team like Stoke. Cheap Basketball Shoes Authentic. 37. David Marshall (Cardiff) – The relegated team went through a lot of turmoil this season but had no such worry in goal. "I wouldnt swap him for anyone, thats for sure," said manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the Scot has backed him up, making more saves than any goalkeeper in the league. His save on Aston Villas Andreas Weimann in February was one of the best youll ever see. 36. Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) – Another goalkeeper from a team who had a season full of turmoil, Lloris gets his spot after an outstanding season. The modern day goalkeeper is required to be an excellent distributor and the Frenchmans reflexes off the line often see him playing as a sweeper. Too bad for Lloris that the defence in front of him got worse as the season went on. 35. Dejan Lovren (Southampton) – Many of Lovrens team-mates have received plenty of plaudits for a record-breaking season for the Saints but you could make the case that the most valuable of all of Southamptons players was the Croatian international. It is hard to believe he is only 24 years old. When he first joined Lyon he struggled for a while in the French league but grew in stature and showed tremendous poise on the ball. He brought those qualities and more to the Premier League this season and the Saints may have a hard time keeping him away from some of the bigger clubs. 34. Sylvain Distin (Everton) – What a player. At 36, Distin has arguably been one of the most underrated players in world football for half a decade. This season he went past the 400 Premier League appearances mark and has now played more games in the league than any non-British outfield player. All for a player who never received one cap for his country. Selling Joleon Lescott and buying the Frenchman for a quarter of the price, back in 2009, remains one of the smartest pieces of business the league has ever seen. 33. Rickie Lambert (Southampton) – The Englishmans 12 goals this season give him a total of 27 over the last two seasons and that is quite a haul for a man who spent most of career in the lower leagues of English football. However, Lambert is not on this list purely for his goals. This season, under Mauricio Pocchetino, he evolved as a player, comfortably playing wide, dropping deep, and making up the triangles needed in Southamptons breathtaking attack. His total of ten assists shows his improvement in this regard. 32. Wilfried Bony (Swansea) – Last season Michu led Swansea with 18 goals and 110 shots and no other player at the club had half that amount in either category. No one saw Michus rise to fame coming and the smartest thing Swansea did was not betting on it to continue. They needed a proven goalscorer at that level and, as many clubs have shown, those are not easy to find. The Dutch Eredivisie doesnt always get much respect but last seasons top scorer was poached and the Ivorian has more than delivered, scoring 15 goals on 106 shots. The most impressive thing about Bony is the range of different goals he scores. He looks like a player who has a big future at this level and could one day reach that special 100 in the Premier League. 31. Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea) – When the season entered its fourth month, the Spaniard was unhappy. He had played less than 30 minutes combined in just three substitute appearances, and was back on the bench again at Newcastle in early November. Chelsea would lose 2-0 that day and for the next game the right back replaced Ashley Cole at left back. For the next five months he has played at such a high level that the high-profile Englishman hasnt deserved his spot back. Azpilicueta is versatile, a tremendous reader of the game, excellent defending in one-on-one situations and is, crucially, comfortable defending narrow, closer to his centre-back, which has helped Jose Mourinhos side become very difficult to break down. Its been a season that deserves his spot on this list and in Spains World Cup squad, which is no mean feat after all. ' ' '