Sport: the best pictures from the last 24 hours

Austria's Christoph Gruber makes good speed during the men's downhill training run at the Ski World Cup in Beaver Creek, Colorado Photograph: George Frey/EPA

Burnley's Stephen Jordan, left, embraces team-mate Steven Caldwell while Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner looks away. Burnley beat Arsenal 2-0 in their Carling Cup quarter-final at Turf Moor Photograph: Paul Thomas/AP

Residents play pond ice hockey, an old Canadian winter tradition, on a cleared portion of the Vermilion Lakes in Banff, Alberta Photograph: Andy Clark/Reuters

Beate Scheffknecht of Austria tries to score but is closed down by two Russian players at the Women's Handball European Championships in Ohrid, FYR Macedonia Photograph: Valdrin Xhemaj/EPA

A record high-water mark in the lagoon city of Venice allowed Dutchman Duncan Zuur the opportunity to carve his way across a flooded St Mark's square on a wakeboard Photograph: Joerg Mitter/Stefan Stau/EPA

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Vesa Toskala pulls a face during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings in Los Angeles Photograph: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters