STIRLING -- She has taken to the catwalk at a New York fashion show, has been lined up for a photo shoot by a British tabloid and is possibly the most famous sportswoman in Scotland. The words "curling" and "celebrity" arent usually found in the same sentence, but brilliant play on the ice is ensuring plenty of exposure off it for British womens skip Eve Muirhead. "I enjoy it, although its a bit weird," Muirhead said of her glamorous life away from the rink. "But were trying to get the sport to grow because its a sport that needs to grow. So its always good to promote curling." Already a world and European champion with Scotland, Muirhead is heading to Februarys Winter Olympics in Sochi looking to fill the gap on her curling resume. And for the second straight games, she and her British teammates will be the favourites for the gold medal. Muirhead was only 19 when she competed at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. She lost five straight games after a good start and failed to make it past the round-robin stage. "Ive looked back at it and we didnt train hard enough, didnt practice hard. We just werent good enough," Muirhead said after a practice session at the Scottish Institute of Sport training base in Stirling. "I think I learnt from that, and for this cycle Ive really stepped up everything. Its actually probably the best thing that could have happened to me." Womens curling in Britain has undergone a generational shift since Rhona Martin, a 36-year-old from a small Scottish village, led Britain to an unlikely gold medal in Salt Lake City in 2002. More than 6 million Britons stayed up into the early hours to watch Martins team, labeled the "housewife superstars" by the British media, become overnight sensations in a sport many previously didnt even know existed. Eleven years later, things have changed dramatically. British curling at the highest level has gone professional, a fund of 5 million pounds ($8.2 million) is dedicated to the countrys Olympians over four years, and there is as much gym work as practice on the ice. Sports psychologists -- in Britains case, a former Bolshoi ballet dancer -- and strength and conditioning coaches are part of the support staff. The curlers themselves are much younger. Muirhead and teammates Anna Sloan, Vicki Adams and Claire Hamilton are all between 22 and 24, making them the youngest womens team in Sochi. "Its nice to see a young aspect to the sport, to show that you do need to be fit to be a curler," Sloan told The Associated Press in an interview. "Curling had the image of being an older sport but I think with us being young and showing we enjoy it so much, thats a healthy thing and hopefully we are going to get people to try it after the Olympics." Muirheads team is being held up as Britains best chance of gold in Sochi, more than a decade after Martin delivered what is referred to in Britain as the "Stone of Destiny" in the 2002 Olympic final against Switzerland. Muirhead was just 12 at the time, and recalls being allowed to stay up late on a school night to watch the final. No surprise given her father, Gordon, won a world championship in curling in 1999. "It was fantastic," she said. "Ever since that moment, you want to go there and do it yourself, dont you? It inspired me, for sure." That night also changed Martins life. She was shocked to see flag-waving crowds greet her at Heathrow Airport on her return to Britain. She was congratulated by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair, awarded an honour by Queen Elizabeth II and invited to sit in the Royal Box at Wimbledon. Martin was stopped everywhere she went and was hounded by the tabloid newspapers. "Football (journalists) were even phoning, asking me: What do you think of the new Scotland manager? recalled Martin, who keeps her gold medal "in a cupboard, in its box, with the toilet rolls." That level of media glare is something Muirhead can expect, too, if she returns home from Russia with a gold medal. Britain doesnt have a strong tradition at the Winter Olympics, winning only nine golds since the first games in 1924. As a result, every champion is feted as a national icon. Muirhead is used to coping with pressure and attention. A youth champion in bagpiping and golf, she turned down golf scholarships from a number of American universities to take up curling, with her accomplishments on the ice tracked from the moment she won the first of her four world junior titles, in 2007. Off the ice, Muirhead was invited by actor Sean Connery to stride the catwalk at the annual Scottish-themed "Dressed to Kilt" fashion show in New York in 2010 and has a photo shoot scheduled with The Sun newspaper in Britain. She is a big name in Canada, curlings stronghold, and even bigger in Scotland, where the sport originated. Muirhead remains level-headed, though -- in her own words, a "normal down-to-earth person." And with Martin now coach of the British womens team, Muirhead couldnt have a better mentor in her corner heading into Sochi. "Obviously there is a target on their back." Martin said. "They are world champions so thats just reality. They know every single game there will be tough but . they have the potential. Its just about performing on the right day." Tyler Austin Jersey . "Yeah, [I heard them]," he said. "They made me miss the free throw." A year ago, Lowrys post-game antics may not have been so well received but what was snide and snarky is now endearing quick wit. Corey Knebel Brewers Jersey . And once again, Team Homan emerged as the victor with the reigning national champions defeating Team Sweeting at the Pintys All-Star Curling Skins Game Friday night in the tournaments opening draw at The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre in beautiful Banff National Park. https://www.cheapbrewers.com/1699y-loren...rewers.html.com) - The Toronto Raptors set their sights on a second straight victory with the Oklahoma City Thunder visiting the Air Canada Centre tonight riding a two game streak of their own. Ryan Braun Brewers Jersey . -- The Toronto Maple Leafs are tightening the race for second place in the Atlantic Division. Mike Moustakas Jersey . Smiths former Atlanta teammates were glad to hang on for an ugly win.LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Aaron Harrison scored 19 of his 28 points in the first half and No. 1 Kentucky started all freshmen for the first time in rolling to an 87-49 victory over Robert Morris on Sunday night. After three games of starting four freshmen around sophomore 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein, coach John Calipari rolled out a rookie lineup of Harrison and twin brother Andrew, James Young, Marcus Lee and Julius Randle. That look lasted just 51 seconds as Cauley-Stein replaced Lee, but the Wildcats (3-1) used other combinations of highly touted recruits. Harrison ended up grabbing the spotlight instead of leading scorer Randle, shooting 7 of 12 from the field and making all 10 free throws. He also had four rebounds and three assists. Randle added 10 points and 15 rebounds and Young had 10 points in the rematch of last springs NIT game won by Robert Morris. The game quickly turned into a mismatch as the bigger, faster, Wildcats jumped out to a 17-2 lead and led by as 40 points. Kentucky shot 28 of 57 from the field (49 per cent), outrebounded the Colonials 56-33 and dominated the inside 36-16. Cauley-Stein finished with a career-high 13 rebounds, and Andrew Harrison had eight points. Karvel Andersons 16 points led Robert Morris (2-2), which shot just 16 of 69 (23 per cent). The game itself was intriguing with the Wildcats facing the team that ousted them from the NIT with a 59-57 NIT loss outside Pittsburgh in March, sparking Colonials fans to storm the small home court in celebration. In many ways that contest typified Kentuckys disappointing and inconsistent season witth a four-man group including big man Nerlens Noel -- whose season-ending knee injury hastened the downfall -- and guard Archie Noel.dddddddddddd Both are now gone to the NBA. Calipari hasnt watched the tape of that game, but the lingering memory of the loss stayed with veterans such as Jon Hood up until practice. As for this years eight-man crop of talented newcomers, they were trying to get over Tuesdays 78-74 loss to No. 2 Michigan State in Chicago. On both counts, the Wildcats succeeded quite easily. Kentucky faced a Robert Morris lineup featuring three returning starters from that game plus leading scorer Karvel Anderson, but the Colonials played nothing like last springs upset-minded squad. They started 1 of 10 from the field, and that first basket came on Aaron Tates jumper at the 11:36 mark. By then the Wildcats were up 17-4 and rolling toward a 44-20 halftime lead built on Aaron Harrisons hot start including 4-of-8 shooting and eight free throws. Everybody else was 9 of 22 as Kentucky shot just 43 per cent and committed 10 turnovers, none of which mattered because the Colonials were just 6 of 30 (20 per cent). What pleased Calipari was his teams 29-14 rebounding advantage including a 12-8 edge offensively. Cauley-Stein had 10 and Randle eight, just what the coach wanted to see. Then again, Kentucky had something to prove, none of which involved getting revenge against Robert Morris. Though the sting of Tuesdays loss subsided, the disappointment was something the Wildcats didnt want to feel again and thoroughly proved that against Robert Morris. ' ' '