DS Talk » matching Kostelics number of wins

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Andy Murray says it is a shame that many of the top players in the mens game will not play at the Olympic Games.Four of the 10 highest ranked stars, including Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, will not take part. The reigning gold medalist didnt seem overly impressed by the reasons given for their withdrawals.It was unfortunate with Roger [Federer] and Stan [Wawrinka]. They are two guys who are great players and capable of winning events like this, Murray said after his first practice session Tuesday at the Olympic Tennis Centre in Rio. It is a shame they arent here, but it is still a pretty strong field.A lot of the top 20 players are here, although unfortunately there a few of the top 10 missing, some of them citing Zika as being the reason and a couple of injuries, which is unfortunate. Normally, most players raise their game when they are playing for their country.Murray has traveled to the Rio Olympics without his family but insisted fear of the Zika virus was not the reason for his wifes absence.I spoke to my doctor, and he assured me everything should be OK. Hopefully, I dont get too many mosquito bites. I dont think it is too bad at this time of year. Kim not coming wasnt down to health concerns. She was never coming.Murray, who the British Olympic Association has claimed will spend some time staying in the athletes village, has long been an advocate of tennis at the Games and has been looking forward to a fresh challenge away from the mens tour.It is different playing for your country. The whole atmosphere surrounding an Olympics is different, he said. You are around the best athletes in the world, and you want to perform well for your country and your teammates.I remember in Beijing, although I didnt perform well, it was nice being surrounded by the best athletes in your country and seeing them come back with medals. It feels a lot more like a team environment, and I have enjoyed that throughout my career.It is my first time coming to Brazil, and I am very excited to be here. I havent played any matches for a few weeks, and I am excited to get going. Leon Gray Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. 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LEVI, Finland -- Even with less pre-season slalom training than usual, American skier Mikaela Shiffrin keeps dominating her favorite discipline.The Olympic and world champion shifted her focus in practice to super-G and even downhill, but her reign in the slalom discipline has remained unaffected.Shiffrin held on to a comfortable opening-run lead to win the first womens World Cup slalom of the season on Saturday.She finished in a two-run combined time of 1 minute, 52.71 seconds, 0.67 ahead of Switzerlands Wendy Holdener. Slovakias Petra Vlhova came 0.75 back in third.Now I almost feel like I wish there was more time before the next races so I could train more and improve more, Shiffrin said about increasing the number of speed events on her schedule.The rest of Saturdays field trailed Shiffrin by at least a second, while Swedens Frida Hansdotter, who was runner-up after the opening leg, failed to finish her second run.I am never confident, really, said Shiffrin, who has won all nine slaloms that she has competed in since February 2015. However, Hansdotter took the slalom title last season as Shiffrin missed five races because of a knee injury.Shiffrins ninth consecutive win left her one short of Janica Kostelics record. The Croatian great won 10 straight slaloms that she competed in between December 1999 and February 2001.Still, Shiffrin wouldnt take anything for granted, referring to the strength of her challengers.Frida went out, and Wendy skied really strong but she had a huge mistake the first run, the American said. Without that mistake she would have been even faster, and Petra was really good as well.The victory in northern Finland earned Shiffrin an usual prize -- a reindeer. Shee got one from her previous win here in 2013 and called him `Rudolph.dddddddddddd. This time she was going to call him `Sven -- after the reindeer from the movie Frozen.It was Shiffrins 21st career win and 20th in slalom, matching Kostelics number of wins. Only Austrias Marlies Raich (35) and Swiss pair Vreni Schneider (34) and Erika Hess (21) won more slaloms.Racing down the slope in the orange glow of the setting Arctic sun, Shiffrin took a 0.72-second lead over Hansdotter and Holdener, who shared second place after the opening run.While Holdener put pressure on Shiffrin with a near-flawless second attempt, Hansdotter straddled a gate when she entered the steep pitch and failed to finish.Shiffrin wasnt clean from the start of her final run and had lost 0.13 on Holdener at the first split, but the American accelerated to extend her lead to 0.92 before avoiding risks in the final part of her run.The victory gave Shiffrin, who placed second in the season-opening GS last month, the lead in the overall standings with 180 points, 80 clear of Lara Gut.The overall champion from Switzerland won the race last month but usually does not compete in slaloms.The 18-year-old Melanie Meillard of Switzerland, who was competing in her fourth World Cup race, started in 40th but finished sixth, 1.87 off the lead.Austrias Bernadette Schild, younger sister of retired slalom great Marlies Raich, failed to qualify for the second run after damaging the edge of a ski early in her run and finishing 3.92 seconds behind Shiffrin.A mens slalom on the same course is scheduled for Sunday. 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