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. Luke Kuechly Youth 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." Brian Burns Youth Jersey . That Ginette Reno can sing. Cam Newton Jersey . Bjoergen pulled away from Swedens Charlotte Kalla on the final straight to win in 38 minutes, 33.6 seconds and defend her title from the 2010 Vancouver Games. Kalla was 1.8 seconds back. Heidi Weng of Norway took bronze. http://www.thepanthersofficialstore.com/authentic-greg-little-panthers-jersey/ .com) - Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Edwin Encarnacion has been named the American League Player of the Week for the period ending May 11.For Novak Djokovic to play his best tennis against the very best in this era is a truly astonishing feat, believes Sky Sports tennis expert Barry Cowan. Djokovic joined the tennis greats when he downed Andy Murray 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-4 on Sunday to claim his maiden French Open title and hold all four Grand Slams at the same time.The world No 1 recovered from a nervous start to impose his pace on Court Philippe Chatrier and clinch the title he craved after three previous failures in a Roland Garros final. He became only the third man after Don Budge and Rod Laver to hold the four majors at the same time, and the eighth man to triumph at Wimbledon and the French, US and Australian Opens.Djokovic, who is now on a 28-match winning streak in majors, moved level alongside Roy Emerson with his 12th Grand Slam crown and is now just two behind Pete Sampras and Rafa Nadal and five behind Swiss great Roger Federer. Djokovic wins French Open Novak Djokovic beats Andy Murray to win French Open for first time And Cowan says the Serbians achievements have not come easy since beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to lift his first major title in Australia eight years ago.Djokovic joins an elite group now, he told Sky Sports. To think that its 12 majors hes won now while Federer has won 17 with Nadal 14 and Sampras 14 - hes joint fourth on the list. Apart from the first one which was against Tsonga in 2008, his last 11 wins, hes had to beat Nadal, Federer and Murray in the final in each of those last 11.So its not as if the draw has opened up. To play his best tennis against the very best in this era is truly astonishing.Djokovic is the model of consistency. The last time he failed to make at least the quarter-finals of the majors was when he slipped to a third-round loss at the 2009 French Open. He became the first player to break through the $100m barrier in prize money this year and has now hammered home his right to be regarded as the greatest player of all time following his victory in Paris. Greg Little Womens Jersey. I think if he does win Wimbledon, then it would arguably be his biggest effort of any, added Cowan. Barry Cowan gives his assessment after Novak Djokovic clinched a career Grand Slam in Paris Now hes achieved what hes wanted to achieve. You would have thought if hes human, you would think he would have a bit of a let down.Djokovic has surprised so many of us in the last couple of years. At 29, and when he started 2016, the question was can he achieve what he did last year?Most of us in the game felt yes, because there is still room for improvement. I still feel there are areas of his game that Novak can get better and right now in big matches, he just knows hes going to win. Also See: Djokovic wins French Open How Djokovic beat Murray Murray v Djokovic: The Rivalry The Djokovic years ' ' '