CALGARY -- Canadian womens skeleton racer Sarah Reid shrugged her shoulders at the World Cup finish line Friday after just missing out on a chance to lock up a spot for the Sochi Games. Jake Marisnick Jersey . About an hour later, Reid was sporting an Olympic-sized grin. The winner had been disqualified after the race due to a sled handle violation. That moved everyone up one position and put Reid into sixth place, which allowed her to book her ticket to Sochi. "Its crazy," Reid said. "I feel like it hasnt really sunk in yet." American Noelle Pikus-Pace finished first in the womens race in one minute 54.88 seconds but her disqualification gave the gold to Britains Elizabeth Yarnold, who finished 0.16 seconds behind. Russias Elena Nikitina earned silver in 1:55.28 and Michelle Steele of Australia took bronze in 1:55.30. Eric Neilson of Kelowna, B.C., also booked his Olympic ticket with a fifth-place result in the mens race at Canada Olympic Park. Neilson also said the Sochi news hasnt sunk in. "Not even close," he said with a laugh. "I dont know if Ill actually believe it until the coaches say, This is our Olympic team. Eric Neilson youre on it -- go." There will be two more World Cup events before the Olympic skeleton roster is officially unveiled Dec. 18. Racers need four top-six finishes over two seasons to qualify for the Sochi Games, but at least one has to come in the current campaign. Bobsledders Jesse Lumsden and Chris Spring reached the podium later in the evening, winning bronze in the two-man event. "I think we both agree were happy, were not satisfied," Lumsden said. "My goal as a pusher is to help Chris have top-three starts every race all year long. So this was a great way to set the tone." Lumsden, from Burlington, Ont., and Spring, from Calgary, were third in 1:49.42. Americans Steven Holcomb and Steve Langton won gold in 1:49.22, just 0.16 seconds ahead of Switzerlands Beat Hefti and Alex Baumann. In the mens skeleton, Martin Dukurs of Latvia set a track record of 55.31 seconds on his second run and earned the mens gold with a two-run time of 1:51.39. Dukurs was well ahead of Alexander Tretiakov of Russia, who finished in 1:52.14. Britains Dominic Edward Parsons won bronze in 1:52.74. Neilson tied his career-best finish at a World Cup. He finished fourth at the world championships last season. Dukurs trimmed over four-10ths of a second off the previous track record (55.72) set by Canadas Jeff Pain in February 2005. The Latvian won the overall World Cup title last season. The track push record also fell Friday. Tretiakovs first start time of 4.75 seconds was a shade better than his previous best of 4.76 from November 2005. The Russian improved his mark again with a 4.71 in the second run. Calgary-based racers Dave Greszczyszyn and John Fairbairn also finished in the top 10. Greszczyszyn was sixth in his World Cup debut in 1:53.06 and Fairbairn was ninth in 1:53.17. In the womens race, officials ruled that Pikus-Pace violated Rule 14.5 by racing with additional handles on her sled. Heinz Thoma, a FIBT World Cup co-ordinator, said another team first noticed the violation and pointed it out to an official. "They look at each other carefully," Thoma said. "Were on the way to (the) Olympics." The FIBT is the sanctioning body for bobsled and skeleton. The sled was inspected and the official results were released about an hour after the race finish. Thomas said about one-third of the sleds are usually inspected after a race, adding that violations occur from time to time. He couldnt recall the last time a violation affected a World Cup race winner. Pikus-Pace later told The Associated Press that the British team complained about an extra piece of tape that was wrapped around the handle. The sled -- and the tape -- had both been approved for competition earlier in the week, Pikus-Pace said, and U.S. officials were appealing the disqualification. "Clearly, clearly, I should not have been disqualified," Pikus-Pace told the AP in a phone interview. "Im so frustrated. People get away with whatever and I get disqualified for a piece of tape? A piece of tape that they said was OK? It has no competitive advantage whatsoever." Rule 14.5 states that the saddle handles must be mounted on the construction frame, and that "no additional handles, howsoever they are constructed, are permitted on the saddle." A race official said later in the evening that the appeal would not be entertained and that the decision was final. Reid, who won bronze at the 2013 world championship, was just over a half-second off the lead with a time of 1:55.56. Calgarys Robynne Thompson was eighth and Cassie Hawrysh of Brandon, Man., was 10th. Mellisa Hollingsworth of Eckville, Alta., and 2010 Olympic champion Jon Montgomery of Russell, Man., will open the season on the Intercontinental Cup circuit. Athletes can qualify for Sochi while competing on that circuit or at the World Cup level. Lyndon Rush of Humboldt, Sask., and Calgarys Lascelles Brown were eighth in the two-man bobsled. Justin Kripps of Summerland, B.C., and Bryan Barnett of Calgary were 12th. The four-man bobsled and womens bobsled events were set for Saturday. J. R. Richard Jersey . It was just time for him to make a big play. Nicolas Batum had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Wesley Matthews scored 18 points, and the Trail Blazers overcame poor-shooting nights by two of their best players in a 94-90 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday. Josh Reddick Astros Jersey . -- Theres been so much talk about Mike Moustakas at the plate that the third baseman ignored the conversation Wednesday -- even after doing something positive. http://www.baseballastrosproshop.com/jake-marisnick-astros-jersey/ . Hall joined Bengals teammates for a voluntary workout on Monday. Hes got his mobility back and is on schedule to be ready for the season. CINCINNATI - Bengals cornerback Leon Hall is happy with his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon and expects to be ready for the start of training camp in July.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Starling Marte swung so miserably at the first two sliders he saw from Arizona Diamondbacks closer Addison Reed in the ninth inning that the Pittsburgh left fielder knew more were on the way. So he stepped out of the batters box, took a deep breath and waited. "I was struggling the first two pitches but I was thinking about the pitch I want," Marte said. "He threw me a slider and it was a good chance to hit the ball." Was it ever. Marte turned an 81 mph slider over the middle of the plate into a game-tying, two-run double and then scored on pinch-hitter Ike Davis single two batters later as the Pirates rallied for a 3-2 win Tuesday night. "Every time were up to bat theres a chance we do something," Davis said. "Its hard to shut us down for nine. Weve done it a lot this year ... anything is possible with us." The Pirates were shut down for eight innings by Arizona starter Wade Miley before rallying in the ninth. Neil Walker and pinch-hitter Gregory Polanco started the inning with singles against Miley. One batter later, Marte turned an 0-2 count into a tie game. "He got a ball that he could get a barrel on," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "He slowed it down and put a good swing on it and hit it to the big part of the ballpark." Andrew McCutchen was intentionally walked and Davis hit a broken-bat single to right, scoring Marte easily as the Pirates won for the fourth time in five games. Ernesto Frieri (1-3) earned his first win with the Pirates after working a scoreless ninth. The abrupt ending ruined an otherwise stellar outing for the struggling Miley, who is winless since May 10. The left-hander retired the first 14 batters he faced and allowed four hits in eight-plus innings, striking out 10. Despite the slender lead, Arizona manager Kirk Gibson didnt hesitate to send Miley back out for the ninth in search of his first career shutout. Things changed quickly, however, when Walker and Polanco reached. "I didnt make good pitches," Miley said. "Actually, the pitch to Walker was a good one, a slider down and in, but I hung a pitch to Polanco. I was making pitches all night long but I didnt make them when I needed to." Until the late miscues, it appeared Miley was on his way to his firrst victory in nine starts. Justin Verlander Jersey. Miguel Montero and Aaron Hill produced consecutive RBI singles in the fifth off Pirates starter Jeff Locke. Paul Goldschmidt went 2 for 4 with a run for the Diamondbacks, who fell to 27-2 when leading after eight innings. "I want to be the guy out there with the game on the line," Reed said after blowing his fourth save. "Sometimes it doesnt go the way I want or my teammates want it to." Locke lacked Mileys crispness but allowed only two runs over eight innings, yielding eight hits while walking one and striking out three. The Diamondbacks stranded six runners in the first four innings and were on their way to doing it again in the fifth before catching a break thanks to some sloppy defence by the Pirates. Goldschmidt singled with two outs and was attempting to steal second when the Pirates sniffed it out. Locke threw to Gaby Sanchez at first to start the rundown, but the burly Goldschmidt was safe at second when Sanchezs throw to shortstop Jordy Mercer sailed into left field. Montero followed with a single that brought Goldschmidt home, and Montero scored moments later on Hills flare to shallow right. Given some room to work with, Miley didnt let it go to waste. He struck out the side in the seventh and had little trouble in the eighth. Arizona nearly extended its lead to 3-0 in the ninth, only to have Gerardo Parra thrown out at home trying to score on a single to right by Ender Inciarte. Less than 15 minutes later, the Pirates were celebrating their second win in 35 games when trailing after eight innings. NOTES: Pirates LHP Francisco Liriano is scheduled to pitch four innings in a simulated game Wednesday. Liriano, on the disabled list with a strained left oblique, threw 52 pitches without an issue in the bullpen on Sunday. ... An MRI on Arizona SS Chris Owings left shoulder Monday revealed no structural damage. Owings went on the disabled list Sunday with a left shoulder strain. Gibson called the injury just a bruise. Owings wont hit for about a week, but Gibson is confident the rookie will be able to return when his 15-day stint on the DL is up, barring any setbacks. ... The series continues Wednesday when Arizonas Chase Armstrong (5-3, 3.63 ERA) faces Pittsburghs Charlie Morton (4-9, 3.41). ' ' '