TORONTO -- The family of a Canadian skicross racer killed two years ago at a World Cup event feels vindicated now that sport authorities no longer blame him for the tragedy and instead have made safety improvements to course design, their lawyer said Monday. Vans Shoes Clearance Outlet . Lawyer Tim Danson said the family of Nik Zoricic feels his legacy has become something positive and to be celebrated. "We were not prepared to accept that Nik was responsible for his own death," Danson told The Canadian Press. "We just wanted the truth to be acknowledged." In the immediate aftermath of his fatal crash at an event in Grindelwald, Switzerland, on March 10, 2012, ski officials angered the family and others in the skiing community by suggesting Zoricic, 29, was to blame for his death. The family responded by arguing the death was "entirely avoidable" and blasted the course finish line for being a "death trap." In a letter to his parents this month, the International Ski Federation (FIS) called Zoricic a "talented, experienced, and skilled" World Cup skier who did not take unnecessary risks. "It would therefore not be right to describe his accident as a freak accident or pilot error, the federations president and secretary general wrote. The letter further states that the federation has updated its safety guidelines and beefed up the staff and experts who help organizers construct a course and its safety measures. In skicross, several racers hurtle down a mountain at the same time, making jumps and taking curves on the way. Zoricic, who grew up in Toronto, had raced on the World Cup circuit for more than three years and was competing in his 36th event in Grindelwald when he was killed at the finish line of a tight three-way race. Video showed he was going as fast as 90 km/h when he veered to the right after the final jump, landing about a metre to the right of the official course line in "crud" rather than on a groomed shoulder. He snagged safety netting and tumbled into hard-packed snow, smashing his head. Among more stringent guidelines now in place is one calling for a much greater distance between the finish-line post and fencing. Hard objects, such as large mounds of packed snow, will no longer be allowed near the finish. "The fact that were making these significant changes is that there really are lessons learned from his death that will hopefully mean this kind of tragedy will never happen again," Danson said. The International Ski Federation also said it would commit $250,000 over five years to the Nik Zoricic Foundation, which aims to improve skicross safety. Neither Zoricics father Bebe, himself a veteran ski coach, nor his mother Silvia were immediately available to comment. Danson said it was a "difficult time" for them given the second anniversary of their sons death, but said they were "delighted" their son had been vindicated. At the Sochi Olympics last month, Canadian skicross racers wore denim-style ski pants as a tribute to their late teammate, who was known for wearing jeans on the mountain. Zoricic was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and moved with his father to Canada at age 5. He raced on the World Cup circuit for more than three years, placing fifth in the 2010-11 World Cup standings and eighth in the seasons world championship at Deer Valley, Utah. Cheap Nike Vapormax China . The All Blacks played their best rugby of recent years when they beat South Africa 38-27 in Johannesburg two weeks ago, clinching the Rugby Championships in a match which has been hailed as one of the best ever played. Cheap Vans Shoes Online . Dalton completed his only pass and led the Bengals to a touchdown in his only drive -- one that took four minutes to finish -- and the Cincinnati Bengals ended the preseason with a 27-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night. http://www.outletsneakersclearance.com/fake-air-vapormax.html . Mike Ribeiro had a goal and an assist as Phoenix held on to snap a two-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Friday. DALLAS -- Former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent wasnt drunk, as police contend, when he wrecked his Mercedes in a crash that killed a teammate, Brents lawyer told jurors Monday at the start of his trial. Brent was "guilty of being stupid behind the wheel of a car," not driving drunk on the night of the December 2012 crash that killed his close friend and teammate, Jerry Brown, defence attorney George Milner said. Milners opening remarks signalled that he would try to discredit evidence of Brents drinking central to the states case, including a blood test that allegedly pegged Brents blood alcohol content at more than twice the legal limit and dash cam video that jurors saw Monday showing Brent failing a field sobriety test at the scene. If convicted of intoxication manslaughter or manslaughter, Brent could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. Milner argued in his opening statement that the tall, lumbering Brent, who was a 320-pound lineman when he played for the Cowboys, could drink more than the average person without becoming intoxicated. "Josh Brent is as big as a house," Milner said. "Hes got a heart -- better yet a mind -- of a person much younger than he really is." Prosecutor Heath Harris said receipts would prove that on the night of the crash, Brent bought cocktails with several shots of liquor in them and three bottles of Champagne at a night club. Brent told officers right after the crash that he hadnt had any hard liquor. "This is not a difficult case, ladies and gentlemen," Harris said. "There will be no disputing the fact that he was drinking that night." Dash cam video played for the jury Monday showed an officer asking Brent about how much he had had to drink while paramedics were trying to save Brown, a linebacker on the Cowboys practice squuad who was also a teammate of Brents at the University of Illinois. Wholesale Jordan Free Shipping. "Ive had a reasonable amount," Brent is heard saying on the video. The officer, Kevin Palms, testified that Brent had watery eyes, an odour of alcohol and occasional issues with speaking. The video shows a field sobriety test in which Brent occasionally stumbles as he tries to walk in a straight line and takes more steps than the officer asked. But Milner told jurors during his opening remarks that nobody could have passed a field sobriety test after such a fiery wreck. Brent suffered scrapes to his head in the crash, and the video shows him taking the test with a wrap around his head. "Nobodys going to be able to do the tricks on the side of the road" after a crash of that severity, Milner said. Milner raised several alternate reasons for Brent failing the tests: His size made it hard for him to balance, the powder from his cars air bags made his eyes watery, and the crash had a lingering impact on him. Palms started to grow exasperated as Milner repeatedly questioned why officers made him take the tests. "We gave him every opportunity to go to the hospital," Palms said. "If he says no, (paramedics) cant force him to go. Am I supposed to just let him walk home?" Brents attorney has argued his client deserves probation, and Browns mother says she has forgiven her sons college teammate and friend. But prosecutors have made Brents case a priority, and it comes on the heels of another well-publicized case in neighbouring Tarrant County in which a teenage driver was sentenced to probation in a drunken crash that killed four people. Brent, a defensive tackle, had played in all 12 games of the 2012 NFL season prior to the crash. He retired in July. Brown was signed to the Cowboys practice squad that season. ' ' '