Leading Off

Fly by Night
Liu Zhongqing of China soared off the ramp at Cypress Mountain last Thursday while training for the aerials at the FIS Freestyle Grand Prix in West Vancouver, B.C. Liu finished 20th in the competition, which helped test the venue for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The gold medal went to Canadian favorite Steve Omischl (inset).

Slide Show
Erin Hamlin of the U.S. won the gold medal in the women's competition last Friday at the 41st FIL World Luge Championships in Lake Placid, N.Y. (page 20). It was the first World Cup women's luge race since 1997 that had not been won by a German.

Retrofitted
For a Feb. 1 game against the Bruins at Montreal's Bell Centre, Canadiens left wing Max Pacioretty (67) and right wing Tom Kostopoulos wore the barber-pole jerseys and socks used by their team in 1912--13. Habs goalie Carey Price (inset) made 20 saves, but Boston won 3--1.