If Alana Nichols wins gold at the Paralympic Games in Rio, she will be the first female U.S. athlete -- Paralympic or Olympic -- to do so in three different sports. Not that shes feeling the pressure. Well, maybe a little.Thats what its about at the end of the day, is winning a medal, she says. Theres no way around it. So, yeah, of course Im feeling that pressure. I also have a pretty substantial track record that people are expecting me to medal.Substantial might be an understatement. Nichols, 33, has already earned three gold medals -- one in wheelchair basketball at the 2008 Beijing Games and two in alpine skiing at the 2010 Vancouver Games -- making her the first female U.S. Paralympian to win in both summer and winter sports. She also earned a bronze and a silver in Vancouver. In 2014, despite a scary crash during the womens super-G sitting event, Nichols came home with a silver medal in downhill. (In London in 2012, Nichols just missed the podium with a fourth-place finish with the U.S. wheelchair basketball team.)The Rio Paralympics open on Wednesday, and in Nichols fifth Games she will hit the water as one of two members of the USAs inaugural paracanoe team. Its the first year that 200-meter sprint kayaking has been held in the Paralympics, and the races, across flat water, begin a week after the Games begin on Wednesday, September 14.This has been the biggest challenge for me as an athlete. I was part of two very skill-oriented sports. With sprint kayak, its just been about how well I can condition my body, she says.In the lead-up to Rio, Nichols adhered to an intense training schedule both in and out of the water. Most days, she was in the San Diego Bay (her home base since last year) from 6 to 8 a.m., practicing sprints of several hundred meters, and then back in again for an afternn/evening session.On land, she focused primarily on strengthening her core and lats to allow for the explosive work required of a race that will likely last just under a minute. Exercises like angled lat pull-downs, using an 8-pound balancing ball for rotational work, have become a regular part of her gym routine.Nichols works remotely with trainer Michele Eray, a former Olympic canoer from South Africa. Eray, who also trains U.S. sprint canoer Maggie Hogan, says monitoring Nichols heart rate has become crucial for improving her aerobic power and endurance.Eray uses Motionize, a device with two sensors -- one on Nichols kayak and one on her paddle -- to track things such as the length and distance of her stroke, strokes per minute and strokes per session. The information syncs up to an app on Nichols phone, which then can be forwarded to Eray to better design training sessions.[Alana] knows what she needs to do to get the most out of herself. The challenge [is] that she is pretty new to a sport that is highly technical. It usually takes about seven to 10 years to fully develop a medal-potential canoe sprinter, and she has been in the game for 1.5 years, Eray says.Nichols also incorporates CrossFit workouts once or twice a week at local gym at Alpine Ranch CrossFit, with a coach who is also an adaptive athlete. And she cross-trains at least once a week by surfing, a sport that has been her passion since 2014.I say it keeps me sane because sprint kayaking is such a focus endurance sport, that when I go surf, I get to purely have fun. Its like a revitalization, she says.Even in a new sport, everything feels very familiar to the veteran Paralympian -- down to the last-minute prerace jitters.If youre not nervous, if you dont feel like you wanna throw up, then somethings wrong. But its about being comfortable with those feelings. I had a friend tell me the other day, Its about making those butterflies fly in formation, she laughs.In Rio, Nichols will compete under a KL2 classification, which will pit her against athletes with partial leg or trunk function (e.g. single-leg amputees). Nichols, who was paralyzed from the waist down in a snowboarding accident in 2000, feels this may put her at a disadvantage, but is determined not to worry about it.Theres nothing to keep me from having my best 200-meter race at Rio, and thats what Im going to do. The podium will shake out how it will. Medaling is just the cherry on top, she says.Shes said all along that Rio will be her last Paralympic Games -- until the recent announcement that surfing will be an official Olympic sport in 2020. The Paralympic Games may follow suit in 2024, and if thats the case, Nichols may aim for one more Games.If 2024 includes surfing, I would love to compete, she says.But, first things first -- she has another chance to make history next week in Rio. Sale Nike Shoes . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Nike Shoes Outlet . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. http://www.cheapshoesnikechina.com/ .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. Discount Nike Shoes China . The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of France, 6-3, 6-3. Making his first appearance since injuring his wrist a month ago, Del Potro had difficulty with his service games in the first set. Wholesale Nike Shoes . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. CINCINNATI -- The Reds saw this ending way t many times all season.One strike away from finishing off the Cubs, Raisel Iglesias gave up a go-ahead double by Matt Szczur and a homer by Miguel Montero as Chicago rallied for a 7-4 victory on Sunday, ending Cincinnatis season in a fitting way.The bullpen has let them down right from the start.After Iglesias (3-2) retired the first two batters in the ninth, Chicago pulled ahead with a walk, a single and Szczurs double. Monteros homer was a major league record 103rd allowed by Reds relievers.The Reds blew 25 of their 53 save opportunities during the season, trying a variety of players in the closers role without much success.Thats the lessons of the position, manager Bryan Price said. You dont put a young guy in that situation without expecting a challenge.The Reds finished 68-94. Combined with last years 98 losses, its the first time theyve had back-to-back 90-loss seasons since 1933-34. Attendance at Great American Ball Park was 1,894,085, a significant drop from the 2.4 million they drew last season while hosting the All-Star Game.What matters is how we utilize 2016 to be better in 2017 and 2018 and 2019 and get more fans in the stands, Price said.The Cubs dominated the Reds all season, winning 15 of their 19 games. The comeback on Sunday gave them 103 wins overall for the season.Chicago headed back to Wrigley Field for its first playoff game on Friday against the winner of the NL wild-card game.The Cubs led the majors with their most victories since 1910. Thats no longer the reference point, however. The postseason focus is 1908, the last time they won a World Series.The final series at Great American Ball Park was more about personal milestones. Jon Lester failed to get his 20th win on Saturday, and Kyle Hendricks finished as the ERA leader at 2.13 on Sunday despite a ragged performance. He gave up four runs and six hits in five innings, forcing in one run with a bases-loaded walk.Hendricks hadnt allowed more than three earned runs in any of his last 22 starts.dddddddddddd He came into the game with a 1.99 ERA, hoping to become the third Cubs pitcher in the last 96 years to finish below 2.00.The meaningful statistic now: Hendricks 1.32 ERA at Wrigley Field this season, the best home ERA in the majors.Justin Grimm (2-1) retired the one batter he faced for the win. Carl Edwards Jr. got his second save.Cincinnatis Joey Votto singled in four at-bats, giving him a .408 average since the All-Star break. Hes the first player in the majors to bat .400 after the break since Ichiro Suzuki hit .429 in 2004.HONORING ROSSThe Reds showed a video from David Ross days in Cincinnati on the videoboard in the middle of the first inning, honoring the Cubs catcher who will retire after the season. Fans gave him a standing ovation, and he waved his cap from the dugout railing.STATSThe last two Cubs pitchers with ERAs below 2.00 were Grover Cleveland Alexander (1.91) in 1920 and Jake Arrieta (1.77) last year. ... The Cubs hit 42 homers against the Reds this season, the most by any team against Cincinnati. ... Reds pitchers allowed 258 homers overall, shattering the previous mark. The previous NL record was 239 by the 2001 Rockies.TRAINERS RMCubs: Jorge Soler was in left field after missing a week with a sore right side. He went 0 for 2 with a walk.Reds: 2B Brandon Phillips missed the last five games with a bruised left hand.UP NEXTCubs: Await the winner of Wednesdays NL wild-card playoff game hosted by the Mets against San Francisco. Manager Joe Maddon hasnt announced his pitching rotation for the playoffs, although its likely to start with Lester. Chicago will work out on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.Reds: Price got a one-year contract extension on Friday, answering the biggest offseason question.---Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay ' ' '