Leading Off
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PHOTOGRAPH BY AL TIELEMANS SPORTS LLUSTRATED
Slip Stream Welcome to short-track speedskating, where you're never far from trouble. Korean speedskater Seung-Hi Park appeared to avoid the first-lap crash that claimed Great Britain's Elise Christie (116) and Italy's Arianna Fontana (124) during the women's 500-meter final in Sochi, always one of the most unpredictable speedskating races—but she lost her balance, and her footing, going into the next turn. In the end the fall didn't hurt Park: She got back on her feet and won the bronze, her third career medal. Fontana rebounded to earn silver.
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PHOTOGRAPH BY GREG NELSON FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
Throne It Down, Big Fella! The NBA Slam Dunk Contest was one of the few realms Shaquille O'Neal never ruled in his day, but he did make this year's version a lot more fun. The Big Aristotle allowed himself to be posterized by 6'5" Kings rookie Ben McLemore in the most photogenic dunk of the night last Saturday in New Orleans. It still wasn't enough to win, though: In the first year of Dunk Contest team competition, Wizards guard John Wall and the East beat McLemore's West squad.
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY BLAISE HAYWARD FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
Animal Attractions Only one pooch can win Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show—this year it was Sky, a five-year-old wire fox terrier (not pictured) from Rialto, Calif. But every dog deserves his or her day, so SI had several of the 2,845 competitors sit for portraits. 1 Armani, Xoloitzcuintli 2 Frankie, Treeing Walker Coonhound 3 Chanel, Chow Chow 4 Ally, Standard Poodle 5 Jet, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 6 Rufus, Otterhound 7 Sonnito, Smooth Coat Chihuahua 8 Nathan, Bloodhound 9 Tawney, Whippet 10 Raven, Beauceron 11 Bobby, French Bulldog 12 King, Irish Wolfhound 13 Mr. Jones, Shiba Inu 14 Alvin, 13" Beagle 15 James Littlefox, Australian Cattle Dog 16 Roger, Pekingese