RIO DE JANEIRO -- Fabian Cancellara couldnt imagine competing at the highest level of cycling another eight years, which is how long it would take him to match American rider Kristin Armstrongs longevity.No, definitely not, the Swiss rider said. I mean, 35 or 44 or whatever age you have, its everyones own choice how long you want to continue.The answer for both of them is no more.The 35-year-old Cancellara confirmed he is sticking with his plan to retire this season after winning the gold medal in the Olympic time trial. And Armstrong also said she was content with her place in the sport after grabbing her third-consecutive time trial gold on Wednesday, the eve of her 43rd birthday.Any athlete would like to keep coming back, but there does come a point where you wont be able to perform at that level any longer, she said. Ive probably pushed it to the maximum level.Ask any athlete how he or she wants to go out and chances are youll hear: On top. Still, far too many cling to the spotlight too long, their skills diminished and ability eroded by the constant churning of time.Yet the Olympics are one place where athletes historically step away at their peak. For one thing, its the worlds biggest sporting stage. More practically, many athletes cant imagine going through four more years of the training, injuries, travel and competition that come with working toward the quadrennial extravaganza.American swimmer Mark Spitz retired at 22 after capturing a then-record seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Eight years later, Mike Eruzione led the United States hockey team to its Miracle on Ice gold-medal upset over the Soviet Union at Lake Placid, then decided to retire when he realized he could never match what he accomplished that winter.A combination of factors pushed Cancellara and Armstrong to retire.Sure, Cancellaras age was a consideration, but the Swiss cyclist also had other priorities. The amount of time he has dedicated to training over 16 years as a professional is mind-numbing, the commitment to eating right and recovering properly draining.He has a wife and two daughters, and wants to see all of them more.Two gold medals, the silver medal, and especially this gold medal in the last days and weeks of my life as a sports athlete makes me very proud, he said, and closing my history as an athlete like this, yeah, its more than anything I thought possible.Armstrong said age came into play, too, noting it took two full days of cold baths, massage and recovery following Sundays road race to be ready for the time trial. It didnt always used to be that hard.But she also has a life at home in Boise, Idaho, that beckons her. Five-year-old son Lucas was at the finish line along the Brazilian coast to greet his mom on Wednesday, and Armstrong enjoys doting on him too much to spend so much time away. Shes also the director of community health at a hospital, and wants to spend more time doing the kind of outreach that truly drives her these days.Ill go back home and everyone will be super excited, my super fans, Armstrong said, and Ill go on with my legacy -- being to help improve the health of people in Idaho.Both riders acknowledged they will never be able to fully divorce themselves from the sport, and their accomplishments make that virtually impossible. Cancellara is recognized not just in Switzerland but across Europe. He is one of the most popular riders of his generation, the powerhouse known as Spartacus.And every time Armstrong goes to an Albertsons grocery store back in Boise, an in-and-out trip to grab milk and eggs turns into an hourlong odyssey. People want to stop and chitchat, and Armstrong has a hard time saying no -- especially to the kids.My husband will be like, `Where did you really go? Armstrong said. I spend time with people in my community, and thats what Im grateful for. One of the things I cant wait for is my next school visit and to talk to kids and show them my gold medal. I cant wait. Air Max 95 For Sale Canada .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Cheap Air Max 95 Canada . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. http://www.cheapairmax95canada.com/ . LOUIS -- Rookie Tavon Austin has missed another day of practice, lessening the odds hell be ready for the St. Air Max 95 Cheap Sale . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Air Max 95 Outlet Online Store . -- Eastern Kentucky thrives off creating havoc for others. The equipment managers at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa might have a look of confusion at training camp next week when they unload Braden Holtbys World Cup of Hockey goaltending gear and come across a bag with a fold-up acoustic guitar.Expected to challenge Carey Price for the No. 1 job for Team Canada, the Washington Capitals reigning Vezina Trophy winner has overcome disappointment and bouts of self-doubt to become one of the worlds top stoppers.More than anything, Holtby credits his mental preparation, which includes a game-day jam session on a portable guitar, for his meteoric rise to hockey stardom.I knew fairly early in junior that guys were going to be better than I was, Holtby said. I had to find a different area where I could push myself to the next level, and that was the mental game.Not everyone wants to put in that kind of work and not everyone wants to buy into it because its one of those things where youre kind of the weird guy when youre doing mental exercises. Youve got to get over that hump, and thats 90 percent of the reason Im here today.Holtby acknowledged that one of his greatest disappointments in hockey came as an 18-year-old when, despite being taken by the Capitals in the fourth round of the 2008 NHL draft, he was not one of the eight goalies invited to Team Canadas camp for the 2009 World Junior championships.Growing up, that was a huge goal of mine, to play on the World Junior team, Holtby said. It took me quite a while to get over that. Obviously, there was a little bitterness. It was one of those negatives I was able to turn into a positive. It was one of those points in your career where you can either use it as negative energy or put it toward proving people wrong.Holtby spent parts of four seasons with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, trapped behind Capitals goalies Semyon Varlamov, Michal Neuvirth and Tomas Vokoun, before bursting onto the NHL scene during the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs when he helped the Capitals upset the defending Stanley Cup-champion Boston Bruins in the first round.Holtby has been Washingtons No. 1 ever since and last season he tied Martin Brodeurs NHL single-season record with 48 victories, making him an overwhelming choice for the Vezina Trophy and giving him a leg up on Price when the World Cup begins on Sept. 17, one day after Holtbys 27th birthday.Im sure the coaches have a plan in place, said Holtby, a native of Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. For me, its a huge honor just to be named. You look at the roster and youre pretty amazed youll be able to play alongside those guys. It will be a lot of fun and it will be amazing to see the atmosphere in Toronto, being on home soil. It will be pretty cool.Whether hes strumming along to the folksy rock of Bob Dylan, the island sounds of Jack Johnson or the indie rock of The Black Keys -- He can play awesome, and hes actually got a really good voice too, said Capitals backup goaltender?Philipp Grubauer?-- Holtby reintroduced music to his busy game-day routine last season.When youre a young guy coming in, you dont really do those things, he said, noting he taught himself guitar as a teenager. You try to blend in as opposed to stand out.Holtby said his affection for music was passed down from his grandparents, who were musicians, and his mother, Tami, who was the lead singer of Canadian country band Tami Hunter and Walkin After Midnight in the late 1980s annd early 1990s.ddddddddddddIt kind of calms me down and calms everyone else around me, Holtby said. Game days can be pretty stressful and if you liven things up a bit and make it fresh, its better than sitting there by yourself waiting for the game.For a typical 7 p.m. game, Holtby will begin his preparations at 5:30 with a quiet 10-minute meditation, followed by hand-eye exercises in which he tosses a rubber ball against a wall. When the clock strikes 6, Holtby finds a place in the arena, often behind the players bench or in the stands behind the net, rests his chin on his goalie stick, and begins darting his eyes throughout the arena.Hes looking for things to focus on, said Capitals goaltending guru Mitch Korn, who coached six-time Vezina Trophy winner Dominik Hasek when he played for the Buffalo Sabres. Pekka Rinne would do the same thing in Nashville, but hed sit in his locker stall and find the O in a nameplate, then find an A. Like another player warms up his body, Braden warms up his eyes.Holtbys unorthodox eye exercises take place just before the arena doors open to the public, but he said the arena crew at Madison Square Garden seems to have caught on.At MSG they play some weird music, Holtby said. I dont know if its from the Muppets or what, but I think they wait to test their stereo system until Im out there.Moments before the puck is dropped, Holtby will rock to the rhythm of the national anthem, spray water on his thick mane, kiss the names of his children on his mask, then buckle up for a 60-minute ride.When he allows a goal, Holtby will break into another routine. Leaning against his crossbar, hell squirt water into the air and follow each droplet as it descends in front of his face.It started as an eye trick, Holtby said of the post-goal routine he began in junior hockey under the direction of sports psychologist John Stevenson. Sometimes when youre feeling a little lost, your vision starts to shake a bit when youre trying to focus for too long on the puck.One of our tricks is to zone in on something really small and focus on that, and it kind of brings your eyesight back into focus. It reminds me to focus on the next shot.Korn, who has seen Holtby win more games in consecutive seasons (89) than any NHL goalie since Brodeur (92 wins in 2007 and 2008), said he was so concerned with Holtbys idiosyncrasies that it was one of the first discussions they had when Korn joined Barry Trotzs staff in Washington two summers ago.I asked him about the routine and whether it was too much and whether it wore him out, Korn said. His response was, I control my routine. My routine does not control me. It was the right answer and I never brought it up again.Holtby said that while he would like to lead Canada to a gold medal in the World Cup, his primary focus is preparing himself for the 2016-17 season, where the Capitals will try to build on last years 120-point season and finally reach the Eastern Conference finals.My main goal through all of his is to make sure Im prepared for the season, he said. Thats No. 1 and itll never change from No. 1. I get to spent a month practicing and playing with the best players in the world and if I can use that to my advantage to be a little sharper for the start of the season, that would be a good thing. ' ' '