TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Japanese figure skater Kanako Murakami led the womens short program on Thursday at the Four Continents, a tour

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Japanese figure skater Kanako Murakami led the womens short program on Thursday at the Four Continents, a tournament she was initially reluctant to attend. Comprar Air Max 1 Baratas . Murakami gracefully executed a double triple toe jump and a triple flip jump that put her at the top of a tightly contested race with 64.73 points, just ahead of Li Zijun of China on 62.84 and fellow Japanese Haruka Imai at 62.72. Murakami was on her way to her first Winter Olympics and said the Four Continents was building her confidence and refining her program. "I didnt want to come to the Four Continents but now Im glad I came here," she said. "Of course there are things that can be improved." In ice dance, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue of the United States overwhelmed the competition in the free dance to win the gold medal by almost five points. They scored 97.20 in the free, nearly six points better than second-place Piper Gilles and Paul Poirer, and left the Canadians with the silver. Alexandra Aldridge and Daniel Eaton of the United States retained third place. "Weve learned a tremendous amount about our partnership this season," Hubble said. "I feel that we finally have proven ourselves as a strong consistent team that deserves to be at the top." Nike Air Max 1 Rebajas . The NFLs Defensive Rookie of the Year will be named at the NFL Honours Award show on February 1. The 23-year-old 2013 second-rounder out of Oregon becomes the third Bills linebacker to win the honour after Jim Haslett (1979) and Shane Conlan (1987. Air Max 1 Baratas . Tensions rose in the first period when Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik hit Bruins forward Loui Eriksson with what appeared to be a clean hit. http://www.airmax1baratas.es/ . The Mariners ace allowed just one hit over eight innings while striking out nine, and Robinson Cano backed him with a two-run homer as Seattle earned a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars plan to let veteran running back Maurice Jones-Drew test free agency. General manager Dave Caldwell said Tuesday that Jones-Drew has "earned the right" to enter the market in March. Caldwell added that the Jaguars would decide whether to match or beat another teams offer. "This is his first time, hes been a great player in this organization, hes had a great career and hes earned the right to see what his value and his market is," Caldwell said. "And its our right to decide if we want to match it and bring him back. I think thats kind of where were at now." Jones-Drew, a second-round draft pick in 2006, has 8,071 yards rushing and 68 touchdowns in eight seasons. He missed the final 10 games last season with a left foot injury and played much of this season while recovering from surgery and dealing with a strained right hamstring. The running back made it clear Monday that he wants to stay in Jacksonville, but said his decision is all about money. He just played out a five-year, $31 million contract. The deal paid him $4.95 million in 2013. Jones-Drew also acknowledged Monday that he has a number in mind, but he sounded resigned to a potential move. "Hopefully I can stay here, but thats not up to me," he said. "Its time to sit back with my family and talk and see whats best for us. I have three kids, dont want to move them around, but if thats the case, then it has to be done. Air Max 1 Comprar Online. Well see. There are some other variables." Last year, the free-agent market for running backs was relatively soft. Detroits Reggie Bush (4 years, $16 million), Atlantas Steven Jackson (3 years, $12 million), Buffalos Fred Jackson (3 years, $10.8 million) and Tennessees Shonn Green (3 years, $10 million) failed to land huge deals in the open market. Jones-Drew certainly will want at least something similar, if not better. Then again, hes coming off one of his worst seasons. He ran for 803 yards and five touchdowns in 2013. Critics argue that Jones-Drew, who turns 29 in March, has lost a step and hasnt been the same since gaining 1,606 yards on 343 carries in 2011. They also insist his running style -- he welcomes contact and gains most of his yards between the tackles -- will shorten his career. Others, including Jones-Drew, believe he will return to Pro Bowl form once he fully recovers from his foot injury. They also point to this being his first season running behind a zone-blocking scheme and that he lost both starting offensive tackles early in the year. Caldwell, though, sounded like the team is ready to move in another direction. "I think we need to upgrade," Caldwell said. "Were always looking to upgrade all positions. Step 2 is to raise that standard of acceptance, and we do have to address that. We always have to have a contingency plan in place for all positions." ' ' '