BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Javier Fernandez of Spain successfully defended his European figure skating title ahead of two Russian rivals despite several small mistakes in the free skate on Saturday. Fernandez, coached in Toronto by former two-time Olympic silver medallist Brian Orser, scored 267.11 points and is the first champion to successfully defend since Russias Evgeny Plushenko in 2005 and 2006. Sergei Voronov was second with 252.55 points and Konstantin Menshov had 237.24 in third as neither could challenge the Spaniards lead from the short program. Coming two weeks before the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, the championships offered competitors a chance to assess their preparation. Fernandez, who had an awkward landing after a quad salchow and managed only a double lutz when a triple was planned, said it was essential to eliminate errors to be able to contend for a first Olympic medal. "There are mistakes where you lose points and points and points," said Fernandez, who skated to Henry Mancinis "Peter Gunn" and "Harlem Nocture," a jazz standard. "In a competition like the Olympics, every single point matters." At last years Europeans, Fernandez became the first Spaniard to win a major figure skating title. Plushenko, the Olympic champ in 2006 and a two-time silver medallist, skipped the Europeans but his absence nearly overshadowed the Russian mens trio. One of the biggest figure skating stars of the past 15 years, Plushenko is scheduled to perform a short and a free program behind closed doors for Russian skating officials on Tuesday for a chance to claim the countrys only mens slot at Sochi. Leading up to the Europeans, Voronov and Menshov were mentioned behind Russian champion Maxim Kovtun as contenders for the title and the position of Plushenkos main challenger. But Kovtun finished fifth here and afterward seemed resigned to his fate. "After the third quad attempt, I understood this wasnt going to happen," Kovtun said. "I dont really know what happened because it was all fine in the warmup and I had a great practice on (Friday)." Voronovs silver was his best result in international competition. Though he won the Russian nationals twice, in 2008 and 2009, his career had stagnated. He refused to speculate about Plushenkos tryout, but made it clear that if he were to be selected by Russia, he was ready for the Olympic challenge. "Of course I want to go, who doesnt want to go to the Olympics?" Voronov said. "Plushenko is an authority in figure skating but we all want to go and there is only one spot. Its not us who decides." Adding to the intrigue, International Skating Union President Ottavio Cinquanta was showered with questions by reporters in Budapest and had to explain at length the ISUs policy allowing countries to replace injured or ill skaters at the Olympics between the team event and the individual events. The team event makes its Olympic debut on Feb. 6, a day before the opening ceremony. With a solid free skate which included two quad jumps, Menshov managed to climb to third overall after finishing 11th place in the short program. "It seems like I always have to overcome some difficulties," Menshov said. The risk of a second quadruple jump in the short program, which he failed to complete both here and at the Russian nationals, made him fall so far behind. "Im not confident on it yet," he said. The Europeans end on Sunday with the pairs free skate. Fake NBA Jerseys .C. -- Duke sophomore Rodney Hood is entering the NBA draft. Fake Hockey Jerseys . Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton and Kole Calhoun all homered to help the Los Angeles Angels get their first win of the season with an 11-1 rout of the Houston Astros. https://www.fakejerseys.us.com/ . He was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 5th. The 34-year-old Laval, Que. native has played six seasons with the Penguins. Fake Soccer Jerseys . -- Thirty years ago, the Detroit Pistons beat the Denver Nuggets 186-184 in triple overtime, a game that remains the highest scoring in NBA history. Fake Football Jerseys .C. -- The Charlotte Bobcats said head coach Steve Clifford underwent a successful procedure Friday to have two stents placed in his heart.The Canadian womens soccer team has left virtually no stone unturned ahead of next years World Cup.Coach John Herdman has looked to have his team play in tournament venues to familiarize themselves with hotels, training facilities and locker-rooms. Theyve even timed the drive from the hotel to the stadium.Weve said this to the players. The one thing well do is make sure that were the most organized and prepared team for a home World Cup and really take advantage of the fact that we are at home, said Herdman. With the support thatll we get and the Canadian roar behind us, I think the other piece that we can make sure is that there isnt any logistics that we havent had experience of. There wont be too many things tripping us up. But Saturdays draw at the Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., is out of Herdmans hands, although the Canadian braintrust has been studying the possible permutations for months.With the field not set until Tuesday (Ecuador beat Trinidad and Tobago to became the 24th participant), FIFA has yet to divulge details of the draw procedure. That will happen at a news conference in Ottawa on Friday when the seedings and pots are announced.As host, eighth-ranked Canada will be placed atop Pool A and will play its first two games in Edmonton and the third in Montreal.Each of the other five pools will get a seeded country to keep the elite teams apart in the round-robin stage.The U.S., Germany and defending champion Japan, currently ranked No. 1 through 3 in the world, are certainties to be seeded. No. 4 France is also likely to earn a seed.That leaves No. 5 Sweden and No. 6 Brazil favoured for the final seed with No. 7 England and No. 9 Norway also in the running.Canada will be kept away from the U.S. and No. 40 Costa Rica in the pool stage to spread the CONCACAF content. You cant really get a good prediction until after the draw, said Herdman, a native of Newcastle, England, who took over Canada after a disastrous 2011 World Cup. But what is guaranteed is we know who the seeded teams are likely to be. And you know which teams that your worst-case scenario, group of death, might be.A worst-case scenario for Canada could be a group with Africa champion Nigeria (widely seen as far better than its No. 35 ranking), Asian runner-up Australia (No. 10) or No. 14 China, and No. 7 England or No. 9 Norway.There are definitely somme challenges, said Herdman.ddddddddddddThat includes just about any European team. The lowest-ranked of the eight European entries is No. 18 Switzerland.Theres no pushovers at the world level now of womens football. But there definitely are some Tier 1 teams we dont want in our group and some Tier 2 and 3 teams that will be more preferable, said Herdman.You expect to play five Tier 1 teams in a World Cup to get to a final, he added. You may actually have one of those teams in your group which impacts the rotation of your squad, your substitutes, your planning, et cetera et cetera. These things have to be considered.How may games does (captain Christine) Sinclair have to play back-to-back? Can she go all seven if we have a tough group? These are things we have to consider and be one step ahead of the curve if we can.The draw was not kind to Canada, then ranked sixth in the world, at the 2011 tournament in Germany. The Canadians, under coach Carolina Morace, went 0-3-0 while being outscored 7-1 in a pool with European champion Germany, African champion Nigeria and France.Canada could finish as low as third in its group and still advance to the knockout stage. But its route will be easier in terms of opposition and geography if it wins its pool.The 2015 tournament is slated for June 6 to July 5 in Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver,Herdmans team has already played friendlies in Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal and Winnipeg this year.Its been a tough schedule despite the familiar surroundings with Herdman testing out talent and tactics. Canada went 4-5-2 this year with the losses coming against Japan (twice), the U.S., Germany and England. Saturdays draw will impact Canadas pre-tournament schedule, with Herdman looking to play teams similar in nature to those awaiting at the competition. He expects Canada will play around 13 games in advance in 2015. NOTES ? Officials from other teams get their own chance to inspect the Canadian venues next week ... FIFA president Sepp Blatter is not slated to attend the draw although at least 23 of the coaches are (Brazil, which hosts a four-team tournament next week, is a question-mark) ... With only Canadas Sinclair expected at the draw among the participant player pool, talk of the ongoing artificial turf debate may be limited.Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter ' ' '