A viewing guide to the XXIII Olympic Winter Games
Viewing guide to the XXXIII Olympic Winter Games February 8-25, 2018 - PyeongChang, South Korea
Daily TV Schedule Shiffrin set up as Olympic downhill star; ~ Thursday, February 8 ~ NbC 8-11:30 p.m.: Figure Skating: Team Event (LIVE), Men’s Short Program, Pairs’ Short Program; Freestyle Skiing: Men’s & Women’s Moguls NbCsN 2-6 a.m.: Mixed Doubles Curling: Canada vs. Norway, China vs. Switzerland 6-10 a.m.: Mixed Doubles Curling: United States vs. Canada (LIVE), China vs. South Korea; Ski Jumping: Men’s Individual Normal Hill 8-11:35 p.m.: Mixed Doubles Curling: United States vs. Switzerland; Alpine Skiing: Men’s Downhill Training (LIVE); Luge: Men’s Training 11:35 p.m.-1:30 a.m.: Mixed Doubles Curling: United States vs. South Korea (LIVE) ~ Friday, February 9 ~ NbC 8-11 p.m.: Opening Ceremony ~ saTurday, February 10 ~ NbC 3-6 p.m.: Snowboarding: Men’s Slopestyle; Short Track Speedskating: Men’s 1500m Gold Medal Final; Ski Jumping: Men’s Individual Normal Hill Gold Medal Final; Luge: Men’s Singles 8-11 p.m.: Figure Skating: Team Event (LIVE), Ice Dancing Short Dance, Ladies’ Short Program; Alpine Skiing: Men’s Downhill Gold Medal Final 6-9:30 p.m. (MsT): Figure Skating: Team Event (LIVE), Ice Dancing Short Dance, Ladies’ Short Program; Alpine Skiing: Men’s Downhill Gold Medal Final 5-8:30 p.m. (PsT): Figure Skating: Team Event (LIVE), Ice Dancing Short Dance, Ladies’ Short Program; Alpine Skiing: Men’s Downhill Gold Medal Final 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Figure Skating: Team Event (LIVE), Pairs’ Free Skate NbCsN 2-5 a.m.: Cross Country: Women’s Skiathlon Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Mixed Doubles Curling: United States vs. China 5-7:35 a.m.: Short Track Speedskating: Men’s 1500m Gold Medal Final (LIVE) 7:35-11:30 a.m.: Ski Jumping: Men’s Individual Normal Hill Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Snowboarding: Men’s Slopestyle 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Luge: Men’s Singles 1-5 p.m.: Speedskating: Women’s 3000m Gold Medal Final; Biathlon: Women’s 7.5km Sprint Gold Medal Final; Mixed Doubles Curling: United States vs. Norway 7-9:45 p.m.: Snowboarding: Men’s Slopestyle Gold Medal Final (LIVE) 9:45 p.m.-1:30 a.m.: Mixed Doubles Curling: United States vs. Finland; Snowboarding: Women’s Slopestyle (LIVE) 1:30-2:40 a.m.: Mixed Doubles Curling: Canada vs. South Korea usa 7-9:30 a.m.: Women’s Ice Hockey: Switzerland vs. South Korea (LIVE) CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Vonn, Hirscher could play spoiler role (AP): If Mikaela Shiffrin continues to race as well as she has been, she is setting herself up to be the biggest star of the Pyeongchang Olympics. Not just of Alpine skiing, but the entire Winter Games. To put it simply: She is about as close to unbeatable as can be right now. Shiffrin, a 22-year-old American, won the first five women’s World Cup races she entered in 2018, and seven of her past eight on the circuit, competing against the best the world has to offer and outclassing them time and again. And Shiffrin is not merely winning: she is overwhelming opponents, sometimes collecting victories by more than 1.5 seconds, a large margin in a sport often decided by hundredths. Born in Colorado and raised in New Hampshire and Vermont, Shiffrin was 18 at the 2014 Sochi Games when she became the youngest Olympic slalom champion in history. Her 41st career World Cup race win, which came in January, equaled the highest total for a ski racer under 23. Now she heads to Pyeongchang as an overwhelming favorite to be the first to win consecutive slalom golds. What’s more, she will be a contender to win the giant slalom and combined, too , for a chance to match the Alpine record of three titles at one Olympics. It’s possible that she could enter the super-G and downhill, too, which would make her something never seen these days: a five-event threat. “When I go to South Korea, I’m not going to be thinking about what I did in Sochi or what I did even previously in this season,” Shiffrin said. “Hopefully, I’ll just be thinking about the task at hand.” Here are some other things to watch on the mountains in February: VONN’S RETURN AND FAREWELL Shiffrin’s U.S. teammate Lindsey Vonn was supposed to be the one to watch at the Sochi Olympics but never got the chance to defend her downhill gold medal from Vancouver in 2010 because of a knee injury. Back on the sport’s biggest stage for the last time at age 33, Vonn can add to her legacy as one of the all-time greatest ski racers (she owns a women’s record 78 World Cup wins) by earning one more medal in a speed event, downhill or super-G. ELUSIVE GOLD Marcel Hirscher is as dominant among the men as Shiffrin is among the women. The Austrian has won an unprecedented six consecutive overall World Cup ti tles and appears on his way to No. 7. As of mid-January, he put together a five-slalom winning streak. “He is just better. That’s the way it is,” said Henrik Kristoffersen, a Norwegian who perpetually ends up in second place, behind Hirscher. But for everything he’s done, Hirscher has yet
Lindsey Vonn is among a group of American medal hopefuls in the Alpine skiing events.
to win an Olympic gold medal, despite four top-five finishes in slalom or giant slalom at Sochi and Vancouver. REMEMBER THESE NAMES Some folks to keep an eye on who could spring a surprise include Petra Vlhova of Slovakia, the last person to beat Shiffrin in a slalom race before the American’s lengthy winning streak; Sofia Goggia of Italy, who will be making her Olympic debut but won two World Cup races on the mountain in South Korea in March 2017; Michael Matt of Austria, whose older brother Mario defeated Hirscher for the gold in slalom four years ago; Andrew Weibrecht of the U.S. (nickname: War Horse), who came out of nowhere to pick up medals in 2010 and 2014 and maybe: just maybe: could do it again. BYE, BODE After a U.S.-record six Alpine medals across five Winter Games appearances, Bode Miller will not be on the slopes in Pyeongchang. Other familiar faces who’ll be absent: Tina Maze, a Slovenian who won two golds four years ago; Maria Hoefl-Riesch, a German medal who collected three golds and one silver at the past two Olympics; and Ivica Kostelic, a Croatian with four Olympic silvers. NEW EVENT A team event is being added at the end of the Olympic Alpine schedule for the first time. Some athletes: notably, Shiffrin: have said they doubt they’ll participate, but it could be a way for ski racers who had a disappointing Olympics to make one last bid for a medal. ——— AP Sports Writers Graham Dunbar and Pat Graham contributed to this report. ——— More AP Olympic coverage: https://wintergames.ap.org/
Viewing guide to the XXXIII Olympic Winter Games February 8-25, 2018 - PyeongChang, South Korea
New mass start event spices up speedskating Daily TV Schedule
(AP) — The big oval is going to get a lot more crowded at the Pyeongchang Games. Speedskating is spicing itself up with the Olympic debut of the mass start, featuring up to 24 skaters racing 16 laps at the same time. That’s quite a change from the traditional time trial format in which pairs race against the clock. The sport’s big names — from Shani Davis to Claudia Pechstein to Sven Kramer and Ireen Wust — will toe the starting line in pursuit of more gold to add to their glittering collections. Speedskating begins Feb. 10 with the women’s 3,000 meters at the Gangneung Oval, which seats 8,000 and is located in the cluster of venues along the coast. Here are some things to watch on the big oval: DON’T MISS The mass start brings a bit of short track sass to long track. There are four intermediate sprints throughout the mass start. The top three skaters in those sprints earn points, as do the top three crossing the finish line. The medalists are determined by the top three finishers, while the rest of the standings are decided based on the sprint points. During the race, lasting between 7 1/2 and 8 minutes for the men and women, respectively, there will be breakaways, skaters jockeying for position and all-out sprints. There may be tactics, too, with countries deciding to work together in an effort to get on the podium. The U.S. is a medal contender in the men’s and women’s races. Joey Mantia won the world title last season, while Heather Bergsma finished third at worlds. The event closes the competition on Feb. 24. I, CLAUDIA At age 45, Pechstein could be a mother to her fellow speedskaters. The German will become the first woman to compete in seven Winter Olympics. She has a chance to become the oldest Winter Olympic medalist in an individual event and the first person to win the same individual Winter Olympic event four times (she won the 5,000 meters in 1994, 1998 and 2002). Pechstein won a 5,000 World Cup race last fall. The owner of nine
Olympic medals, she missed the 2010 Games because of a two-year blood doping ban. She denied having irregular biological passport levels and fought the ban in the court system for several years. Besides the 5,000, Pechstein is a contender in the mass start. She turns 46 during the games. ORANGE IS THE OLD GOLD Defending Olympic champions Kramer and Wust lead a strong Dutch team again. Kramer will be going for his third 5,000 title in a row, while seeking to add a 10,000 title and help the pursuit team to a second straight gold. Wust has her sights set on three more golds in the 1,500, 3,000 and team pursuit. The Netherlands dominated the dozen speedskating events in Sochi four years ago, winning eight golds and 23 medals overall. However, with rules limiting entries per nation to two instead of three skaters for some races, the Dutch may cede some spots on the podium. AMERICAN REDEMPTION The U.S. is intent on bouncing back from an embarrassing showing in Sochi, where the nation’s most successful Winter Olympic sport was shut out. Bergsma and Brittany Bowe have dominated the 1,000 and 1,500 distances internationally while trading spots atop World Cup podiums. On the men’s side, Davis is back for a fifth Olympics at age 35. The two-time gold medalist in the 1,000 isn’t as dominant, but he hasn’t lost his passion for the sport. Mitch Whitmore and Mantia are medal threats in the 500 and 1,000, while Mantia will be a favorite in the mass start. Watch for Erin Jackson, a former inliner who is the first black female skater to make a U.S. long track team. BAND & BEER The Winter Olympics herald the return of speedskating’s pep band, Kleintje Pils, which translates as “little beer” in Dutch. The group makes merry before and after competition at the oval. Playing their horns and dressed in orange, they create a party atmosphere unique to the games.
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OLYMPIC CHANNEL 5-7 a.m.: Medal Ceremonies (LIVE) ~ SuNdAY, FEbruArY 11 ~ NbC 3-6 p.m.: Speedskating: Men’s 5000m Gold Medal Final; Biathlon: Men’s 10km Sprint Gold Medal Final; Cross Country: Men’s Skiathlon Gold Medal Final 7-11 p.m.: Figure Skating: Team Event Gold Medal Final (LIVE), Men’s Free Skate, Ladies’ Free Skate, Ice Dancing Free Dance; Alpine Skiing: Women’s Giant Slalom (LIVE); Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Moguls Gold Medal Final; Snowboard: Women’s Slopestyle Gold Medal Final; Luge: Men’s Singles Gold Medal Final Runs 11:35 p.m.-1 a.m.: Alpine Skiing: Women’s Giant Slalom Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Snowboarding: Women’s Halfpipe (LIVE) NbCSN 2:40-5 a.m.: Women’s Ice Hockey: United States vs. Finland (LIVE) 5-9 a.m.: Biathlon: Men’s 10km Sprint Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Speedskating: Men’s 5000m Gold Medal Final; Cross Country: Men’s Skiathlon Gold Medal Final 1:30-5:30 p.m.: Curling: Mixed Doubles Tiebreaker; Luge: Men’s Singles Gold Medal Final Runs 5:30-8 p.m.: Biathlon: Men’s 10km Sprint Gold Medal Final 8-11:30 p.m.: Snowboarding: Women’s Slopestyle Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Curling: Mixed Doubles Semifinal 11:30 p.m.-2:40 a.m.: Curling: Semifinal Mixed Doubles (replay); Speedskating: Men’s 5000m Gold Medal Final uSA 7-9:30 a.m.: Women’s Ice Hockey: Canada vs. Olympic Athletes from Russia (LIVE) OLYMPIC CHANNEL 5-7 a.m.: Medal Ceremonies (LIVE) ~ MONdAY, FEbruArY 12 ~ NbC 3-5 p.m.: Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Moguls Gold Medal Final; Ski Jumping: Women’s Individual Normal Hill Gold Medal Final; Luge: Women’s Singles CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Viewing guide to the XXXIII Olympic Winter Games February 8-25, 2018 - PyeongChang, South Korea
Daily TV Schedule 8-11:30 p.m.: Alpine Skiing: Men’s Combined, Downhill Run (LIVE) Snowboarding: Women’s Halfpipe Gold Medal Final (LIVE), Men’s Halfpipe (LIVE); Speedskating: Women’s 1500m Gold Medal Final 5-9:05 p.m. (PST): Alpine Skiing: Men’s Combined, Downhill Run (LIVE) Snowboarding: Women’s Halfpipe Gold Medal Final (LIVE), Men’s Halfpipe (LIVE); Speedskating: Women’s 1,500m Gold Medal Final 12:05-2 a.m.: Alpine Skiing: Men’s Combined, Slalom Gold Medal Final Run (LIVE); Snowboarding: Men’s Halfpipe (LIVE) NBCSN 2:40-5:10 a.m.: Women’s Hockey: Switzerland vs. Japan 5:10-7 a.m.: Luge: Women’s Singles (LIVE); Biathlon: Women’s Pursuit Gold Medal Final (LIVE) 7-11 a.m.: Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Moguls Gold Medal Final; Women’s Ice Hockey: Sweden vs. South Korea (LIVE); Luge: Women’s Singles 11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Ski Jumping: Women’s Individual Normal Hill Gold Medal Final; Biathlon: Men’s Pursuit Gold Medal Final; Speedskating: Women’s 1,500m Gold Medal Final 8-11:30 p.m.: Curling: Mixed Doubles Semifinal (replay) 11:30 p.m.-2:40 a.m.: Snowboarding: Men’s Halfpipe (LIVE); Curling: Mixed Doubles Bronze Medal Match CNBC 5-8 p.m.: Curling: Mixed Doubles Semifinal OLYMPIC CHANNEL 5-7 a.m.: Medal Ceremonies (LIVE) ~ TuESdAY, FEBruArY 13 ~ NBC 3-5 p.m.: Speedskating: Men’s 1500m Gold Medal Final; Luge: Women’s Singles Gold Medal Final Runs; Cross Country: Men’s and Women’s Individual Sprint Gold Medal Finals 8-11:30 p.m.: Figure Skating: Pairs’ Short Program (LIVE); Alpine Skiing: Women’s Slalom, First Run (LIVE); Snowboarding: Men’s Halfpipe Gold Medal Final (LIVE) 6-10:05 p.m. (MST): Figure Skating: Pairs’ Short Program (LIVE); Alpine Skiing: Women’s Slalom, First Run (LIVE); Snowboarding: Men’s Halfpipe Gold Medal Final (LIVE) 5-9:05 p.m. (PST): Figure Skating: Pairs’ Short Program (LIVE); Alpine Skiing: Women’s Slalom, First Run (LIVE); Snowboarding: Men’s Halfpipe Gold Medal Final (LIVE) 12:05-1:30 a.m.: Alpine Skiing: Women’s Slalom, Gold Medal Final Run (LIVE); Short Track Speedskating: Women’s 500m Gold Medal Final NBCSN 2:40-5 a.m.: Women’s Ice Hockey: Canada vs. Finland (LIVE) 5-7:10 a.m.: Luge: Women’s Singles Gold Medal Final Runs; Cross Country: Men’s and Women’s Individual Sprint 7-9:30 a.m.: Women’s Ice Hockey: United States vs. Olympic Athletes from Russia (LIVE) 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Speedskating: Men’s 1500m Gold Medal Final; Luge: Women’s Singles Gold Medal Final Runs; Cross Country: Men’s and Women’s Individual Sprint Gold Medal Finals CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Ski jump champ Stoch primed for podium at PyeongChang Germany’s Richard Freitag has three World Cup wins so far this season but fell during the Innsbruck stop of the Four Hills and suffered a hip injury that could jeopardize his Olympic medal hopes. RISING STARS Daniel Andre Tande has three World Cup wins. The Norwegian could be set for a breakthrough in Pyeongchang. POTENTIAL RECORD SETTERS Another jumper to keep an eye on will be Noriaki Kasai. Known as “Legend Kasai” in his native Japan, he will be competing in his eighth consecutive Olympics. Kasai would become the sole record-holder for most Winter Olympic appearances if he competes in Pyeongchang. He currently shares the record with Russian luger Albert Dem-
chenko. Kasai made his Olympic debut at the 1992 Albertville Games in France, and has appeared at every event since. He has earned three medals, including team silver at Lillehammer in 1994, and silver for the large hill and team bronze at Sochi. He is the oldest Olympic ski jumping medalist and the oldest ski jumping World Cup individual event winner. BEST RIVALRY Germany edged out Austria in the team event four years ago and the two ski jumping rivals should provide some fireworks again this year along with powerhouse Norway. The ski jumping competition will take place at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre, which is located in the Pyeongchang Mountain Cluster.
Speedskating’s short track will be jumping
track skater. He and retired American Apolo Ohno are currently tied with eight. Ahn’s passport switch will become a story line again in South Korea, and how the crowd reacts to him will be interesting to watch. MAKING HISTORY Maame (MAH-may) Biney (BYEnee) is the first black female skater to make a U.S. short track Olympic team. The 17-year-old was born in Ghana and moved to Virginia with her father as a 6-year-old. She started skating soon after. Her explosive speed off the starting line and giggly personality could make her a star at the games even if she doesn’t medal. U.S. CHANCES The Americans’ best hope for a medal is in the men’s 5,000-meter relay. They’re ranked third in the world behind No. 1 Canada and South Korea. Three-time Olympian J.R. Celski has a shot in the 1,500. Olympic rookie Biney has an outside chance in the women’s 500. RELAY MEDALS The South Korean women will battle China for gold in the 3,000 relay. In the men’s 5,000 relay, Canada is a favorite for gold ahead of South Korea.
(AP) — Double Olympic champion Kamil Stoch is in peak form as he aims to defend his ski jumping titles at the Pyeongchang Games. When Stoch won double gold in Sochi, he became just the third man to do so. Matti Nykanen of Finland won both golds in 1988. Switzerland’s Simon Ammann won two golds in 2002 and 2010. Here’s some of what to know going into ski jumping at the Pyeongchang Games: MEDAL FAVORITES Slovenia’s Peter Prevc won silver on the normal hill and bronze on the large hill in Sochi. While he has struggled this year on the World Cup circuit he will be banking on experience that includes winning the 2016 World Cup and the 2016 Four Hills.
(AP) — If you like your Olympic competition staid and sportsmanlike, the short track speedskating rink isn’t the place. The skaters’ helmets and pads are a dead giveaway elbows will be flying at high speeds. Darting down low or around the pack to secure a better position can cause crashes that earned the sport its reputation as roller derby on ice. Throw in the fact that South Korea is a hotbed for short track and it makes sense that Gangneung Ice Arena will seat 12,000 spectators for the rock ‘em, sock ‘em action. How prickly and passionate is the host country about the sport that has been its best? Apolo Ohno, the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian, was once public enemy No. 1 there. At the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, South Koreans believed Ohno stole the gold from Kim Dong-sung, who finished first in the 1,500 meters but was disqualified for blocking. Ohno threw up his arms as he tried to pass Kim, as though to cry foul. When Ohno claimed his gold, thousands of angry emails shut down the U.S. Olympic Committee
server for hours. The animosity toward Ohno grew so heated that the entire American shorttrack team withdrew from a World Cup event held in South Korea in 2003, citing death threats against Ohno. In 2005, he traveled in South Korea, reportedly under police guard. Ohno will be at the rink in Gangneung doing commentary for NBC, the U.S. network carrying the games. The five days of short track begin Feb. 10 with the men’s 1,500 meters. Some things to watch in short track: VIKTOR THE GREAT Viktor Ahn returns to skate in his birth country after competing as a Russian in the 2016 Sochi Olympics. His nationality has taken twists and turns. He won his first four Olympic medals for South Korea in the 2006 Turin Games when he was known as Ahn-Hyun Soo. After a dispute with South Korea’s short track powers, Ahn switched his nationality to Russia and won three golds in Sochi. He was 0.077 seconds from sweeping all four golds. The 32year-old skater needs one more medal to become the most decorated short
Viewing guide to the XXXIII Olympic Winter Games February 8-25, 2018 - PyeongChang, South Korea
Curlers could be working overtime at Olympics
(AP) — The bobsledders may push harder. The speedskaters may go faster. The ski jumpers soar higher. Yet no one will work longer hours at the Pyeongchang Olympics than American curlers Matt and Becca Hamilton. By qualifying for both the new mixed doubles discipline and the traditional, single-gender curling event, the siblings from McFarland, Wisc., could be on the ice for as many as 50 hours — by far the longest anyone will be in live competition at the Winter Games. Depending on tiebreakers and whether they can get a bye in the semifinals, the Hamiltons could be competing for 18 straight days. “No curler’s ever done that,” Becca Hamilton said. “Not many curlers are going to be able to get the opportunity.” A 600-year-old niche sport that catches the world’s attention every four years, curling will be ever-present in Pyeongchang. Athletes will be throwing stones from the day before the torch is lit until just before the closing ceremony. DOUBLE TIME Mixed doubles will make its Olympic debut , followed on the ice at the Gangneung curling center by the more familiar, single-gender discipline. The United States was one of the few countries that allowed athletes who qualified in traditional curling to also try out in mixed. That gives the Hamiltons an unprecedented chance to claim two curling medals at the same Winter Games. Or, if they falter in the mixed doubles, get a second chance to claim only the second Olympic curling medal in U.S. history. “It’s a great chance to throw rocks we’re going to be playing,” Shuster said. “I’m sure it’s
going to be mentally daunting for them. But if he gets it rolling through mixed doubles, he’s going to come into the men’s team and not miss a beat.” Jenny Perret, who will compete in mixed doubles and also is an alternate on the Swiss women’s team, is the only other curler working double duty. O, CANADA Canada has been curling’s most dominant country, and they’re among the favorites in all three events. The country is the three-time defending Olympic men’s champion, winning silver in the two other Winter Games since curling was returned to the program in 1998. The Canadian women have two golds, a silver and two bronzes at the Olympics. Canada is also the defending men’s and women’s world champion, while finishing second in mixed doubles. But two of the four men that will represent Canada in Pyeongchang — and all four women — are rookies. “No matter who goes from Canada in any year, no matter if it’s the worlds or the Olympics, you always have a target on our back,” said lead Ben Hebert, who with vice-skip Marc Kennedy won gold in Vancouver. “The first time, we did what we were supposed to do,” he said. “Eight years, it’s been a long time and a long journey. You never know if you’re going to get back.” The Canadian women’s team is the defending world champion, going undefeated at the worlds. “That’s the first time a women’s team has ever done that,” Courtney said. “We love the pressure, we love having expectations. I think that’s a great thing.” HOME ICE How big is the home-ice advantage in curling? Shuster remembers going to his first Olympics in Italy, a country that like South Korea has very little curling tradition. After receiving a berth as the host nation, rather than the qualification process, skip Joel Retornaz led Italy to a 4-2 record in afternoon and evening matches “when they packed the place full of screaming Italians” and 0-3 when they played in the less-lively 9 a.m. session. “The Koreans are certainly going to have that advantage,” said Hebert, who rode the crowd enthusiasm to the top of the podium in 2010.
Becca Hamilton releases the stone during a match against Switzerland.
Daily TV Schedule 12:30-4:30 p.m.: Short Track Speedskating: 500m Gold Gold Medal Final; Curling: Mixed Doubles Bronze Medal Match (replay) 7-10:10 p.m.: Figure Skating: Pairs’ Short Program (LIVE) 10:10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Women’s Ice Hockey: Sweden vs. Switzerland (LIVE) 12:30-2:30 a.m.: Men’s Curling: United States vs. South Korea CNBC 5-8 p.m.: Curling: Mixed Doubles Gold Medal Match OLYMPIC CHANNEL 5-7 a.m.: Medal Ceremonies (LIVE) ~ WEdNEsdAY, FEBruArY 14 ~ NBC 3-5 p.m.: Luge: Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Final; Nordic Combined: Men’s Individual Normal Hill/10 km Gold Medal Final 8-11:30 p.m.: Figure Skating: Pairs’ Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Alpine Skiing: Men’s Super G Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Men’s Skeleton (LIVE); Speedskating: Women’s 1000m Gold Medal Final 6-10:05 p.m. (MsT): Figure Skating: Pairs’ Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Alpine Skiing: Men’s Super G Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Men’s Skeleton (LIVE); Speedskating: Women’s 1000m Gold Medal Final 5-9:05 p.m. (PsT): Figure Skating: Pairs’ Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Alpine Skiing: Men’s Super G Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Men’s Skeleton (LIVE); Speedskating: Women’s 1000m Gold Medal Final 12:05-1:30 a.m.: Snowboard Cross: Men’s Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Men’s Skeleton NBCsN 2:30-6:30 a.m.: Speedskating: Women’s 1,000m Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Nordic Combined: Men’s Individual Normal Hill/10 km Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Skeleton: Women’s Training 6:30-9:30 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: United States vs. Slovenia (LIVE) 9:30-11:30 a.m.: Luge: Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Final; Skeleton: Women’s Training 11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m.: Biathlon: Women’s 15km Gold Medal Final CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Viewing guide to the XXXIII Olympic Winter Games February 8-25, 2018 - PyeongChang, South Korea
Daily TV Schedule 1:15-5 p.m.: Women Curling: Denmark vs. Sweden 7-10:10 p.m.: Figure Skating: Pairs’ Gold Medal Final (LIVE) 10:10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Women’s Ice Hockey: United States vs. Canada (LIVE) 12:30-2:40 a.m.: Women’s Curling: United States vs. Britain USA 2:30-5 a.m.: Women’s Ice Hockey: South Korea vs. Japan (LIVE) 5-7:10 a.m.: Women’s Curling: Britain vs. Olympic Athletes from Russia 7:10-9:30 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: Olympic Athletes from Russia vs. Slovakia (LIVE) CNBC 5-8 p.m.: Women’s Curling: United States vs. Japan 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: Finland vs. Germany (LIVE) OLYMPIC CHANNEL 5-7 a.m.: Medal Ceremonies (LIVE) ~ THUrSdAY, FEBrUArY 15 ~ NBC 3-5 p.m.: Cross Country: Women’s 10km Gold Medal Final; Speedskating: Men’s 10000m Gold Medal Final 8 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Figure Skating: Men’s Short Program (LIVE); Snowboard Cross: Women’s Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Skeleton: Men’s Gold Medal Final Runs (LIVE); Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Aerials; Cross Country: Women’s 10km Gold Medal Final 5-10:05 p.m. (PST): Figure Skating: Men’s Short Program (LIVE); Snowboard Cross: Women’s Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Skeleton: Men’s Gold Medal Final Runs (LIVE); Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Aerials; Cross Country: Women’s 10km Gold Medal Final 1:05-2 a.m.: Luge: Team Relay Gold Medal Final; Biathlon: Men’s 20km Gold Medal Final NBCSN 2:40-5 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: Norway vs. Sweden (LIVE) 5-7:10 a.m.: Cross Country: Women’s 10km Gold Medal Final 7:10-9:30 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: Switzerland vs. Canada (LIVE) 9:30 a.m.-Noon: Luge: Team Relay Gold Medal Final; Speedskating: Men’s 10000m Gold Medal Final Noon-2 p.m.: Biathlon: Men’s 20km Gold Medal Final 2-5 p.m.: Men’s Curling: United States vs. Italy 7-11 p.m.: Figure Skating: Men’s Short Program (LIVE) 11 p.m.-2:40 a.m.: Men’s Curling: United States vs. Sweden; Cross Country: Men’s 15km Gold Medal Final (LIVE) USA 2:30-5 a.m.: Women’s Ice Hockey: Olympic Athletes from Russia vs. Finland (LIVE) 5-7:10 a.m.: Men’s Curling: Canada vs. Norway 7:10-9:30 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: Czech Republic vs. South Korea (LIVE) CNBC 5-8 p.m.: Women’s Curling: United States vs. Switzerland CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Driver Justin Olsen with Austin Landi, Luis Moreira and brakeman Evan Weinstock, of the United States, compete in the four-man bobsled World Cup race in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Bobsledding should find its next driving star (AP) — This could be the most uncertain Olympic bobsled competition in some time. The most wide open, too. In 2014, it was widely expected that Russia would be tough to beat in the two- and four-man races. And it was, with Alexandr Zubkov winning gold in both events, only to have those medals stripped as part of the fallout from the state-sponsored doping program that has left a giant cloud over what the home team did at the Sochi Games. In 2010, Steven Holcomb and his famed “Night Train” sled lived up to expectations and finally ended the Americans’ 62-year gold medal drought in the Olympic fourman race. In 2006, Andre Lange of Germany was the consensus pick to pull off the daunting double — gold in both events — and he delivered. Zubkov is now banned. Holcomb died last year. Lange has long been retired. So this year in Pyeongchang, a new men’s Olympic bobsled driving star will have to emerge. Germany, Canada, Latvia, Switzerland and the U.S. all will head to these Olympics believing they have a realistic chance of reaching the medal podium, and so will the host South Koreans, though they would still seem to be a longshot. The women’s bobsled race is much easier to figure out, even with 20 sleds. Five drivers are the only ones with realistic medal shots: Canada’s Kaillie Humphries is chasing her third straight gold medal. Elana Meyers Taylor and Jamie Greubel Poser of the U.S. won silver and bronze, respectively, in 2014 and German drivers Mariama Jamanka and Stephanie Schneider have also worked their way toward the top of the world rankings. MEDAL FAVORITES Germany in men’s bobsled, the U.S. and Canada in women’s bobsled. BEST RIVALRY They’re friends, but that doesn’t stop Canada’s Kaillie Humphries and U.S. star Elana Meyers Taylor from also being rivals. They finished first and second in Sochi, and Humphries is going for her third straight gold. Another wrinkle in this cold war of sorts: Todd Hays is now helping coach the Canadians.
RISING STARS Codie Bascue and Evan Weinstock are two sliders that the U.S. program has pointed to for years as future cornerstones of the program. Their time is now. Pyeongchang marks the Olympic debuts for Bascue, a pilot, and Weinstock, who teammates boldly predict will go down as the best push athlete in U.S. history. SLIDING MACHINES They don’t handle like race cars, but there’s race-car technology at play in bobsledding. BMW works with several national teams, including the U.S., Germany and Canada, among others. Ferrari works with the Italians, and McLaren was part of the British bobsled program in recent years. GET READY In all three sliding sports, Curve 9 will likely decide the whole race. There are other tricky spots on the Pyeongchang track, but chances are high that the driver who gets through that turn the best over four runs will reach the medal podium. WAITING AROUND Most bobsledders will likely take part in the opening ceremony, but then everyone waits around for more than a week before competition starts. Bobsled goes last in the Olympic sliding program, after luge and skeleton. There are no medals awarded in bobsled until Day 10 of the games (and the women don’t even start competing until Day 11). RULE CHANGES As with many other sliding sports, the difference at the Olympics as opposed to the World Cup circuit is that races are four heats over two days, instead of two heats in one day. DON’T MISS The two-man race might be completely wide open after six drivers combined to win the first seven World Cup events this season. OLYMPIAN EFFORT Canada’s Chris Spring, an Australian-born bobsledder, survived a frightening crash in Germany six years ago and now is one of the biggest medal threats in Pyeongchang.
Viewing guide to the XXXIII Olympic Winter Games February 8-25, 2018 - PyeongChang, South Korea
Canada country to beat in figure skating Daily TV Schedule
(AP) — The Maple Leaf could be on frequent display above the medals podium at the Pyeongchang Olympics. Canada heads to South Korea with the strongest overall figure skating team and with medal contenders in all four individual events. That’s well ahead of expectations for the United States, which would be doing well to win three medals at the Winter Games. For the Canadians, 2010 champions and 2014 runners-up Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are positioned to add more prizes to their ice dance collection. Meghan Duhamel and Eric Radford are in the mix in pairs, Patrick Chan will try to make his final Olympics more memorable than his previous visits in a wide open men’s field, and Kaetlyn Osmond and Gabrielle Daleman should challenge in the women’s event. “Canada is strong in all four disciplines,” said Brian Orser, who trains Daleman as well as defending men’s champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan and two-time world champ Javier Fernandez of Spain. “Especially in the last four years, our two ladies have really risen to top, and that is exciting. “They have the biggest team, I know that, and one of the strongest,” Orser said. “They will be in contention with that team of Russian skaters.” The Russians, of course, will not
be representing their country after the Sochi doping scandal led to sanctions against the nation by the IOC. But they will be on hand, skating under the Olympic flag, and are expected to be quite representative, particularly in women and pairs. For the Americans, Nathan Chen and his five-quad free skate could be the biggest story of the games. Chen likely is the only gold medal candidate for the U.S., though the country also has a chance to win a medal in the team competition. “The results are not up to me,” the 18-year-old Chen said. “When I am doing things the right way, I am healthy, and I clean up mistakes, I think it is possible to win. It’s important not to let any distractions get into your head. Enjoy it all, enjoy the process, and that’s usually when I skate my best.” WOMEN This seemed to be the province of Evgenia Medvedeva, the Russian dynamo who won the last two world titles and was undefeated since 2015. But in her final major competition before Pyeongchang, she lost to 15year-old training partner Alina Zagitova at the European Championships. In Moscow, no less. Zagitova’s technical brilliance could make her the front-runner at the Olympics, but Medvedeva’s track record is so impressive that she deserves top billing. Sochi bronze winner Carolina
Kostner of Italy, the veteran of the field who turns 31 the day before the opening ceremony, will need to showcase her elegance in the absence of jumping ability. Daleman upset Osmond at the Canadian championships and both will be in medal consideration, along along with Japan’s Satoko Miyahara and Kaori Sakamoto. The best shot for the U.S. could be nationals runner-up Mirai Nagasu, who finished fourth in Vancouver and whose triple axel is the wild card. MEN Chen has raised the jumping bar so high with his collection of quads that if he skates cleanly, his technical marks are good enough to join the likes of Dick Button, Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano and Evan Lysacek as Olympic gold medalist from the U.S. “Nathan technically would have so many points with the five quads he could miss a triple axel and still win,” said Indianapolis-based skating coach and former Olympian Marie Millikan. His main challengers figure to be Fernandez, fresh off his sixth European title, and Hanyu, the Japanese star who has been hampered by an ankle ligament injury and only recently got back to training. Japan’s Shoma Uno also is stout. Chan could be in the mix. And two other Americans, Adam Rippon and 17-year-old Vincent Zhou, will aim for the top 10.
10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: United States vs. Slovakia (LIVE) OLYMPIC CHANNEL 5-7 a.m.: Medal Ceremonies (LIVE) ~ FrIdAY, FEbruArY 16 ~ NbC 3-5 p.m.: Speedskating: Women’s 5000m Gold Medal Final; Cross Country: Men’s 15km Gold Medal Final; Ski Jumping: Men’s Individual Large Hill 8 p.m.-Midnight: Figure Skating: Men’s Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Alpine Skiing: Women’s Super G Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Aerials Gold Medal Final; Women’s Skeleton 5-9:35 p.m. (PST): Figure Skating: Men’s Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Alpine Skiing: Women’s Super G Gold Medal Final; Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Aerials Gold Medal Final; Women’s Skeleton 12:35-2 a.m.: Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Slopestyle Final NbCSN 2:40-5 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: Olympic Athletes from Russia vs. Slovenia (LIVE) 5-7:10 a.m.: Women’s Curling: Sweden vs. Olympic Athletes from Russia 7:10-10:45 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: Sweden vs. Germany (LIVE); Women’s Skeleton 10:45 a.m.-2 p.m.: Speedskating: Women’s 5000m Gold Medal Final; Ski Jumping: Men’s Individual Large Hill 2-5 p.m.: Women’s Curling: South Korea vs. Switzerland 7-10:10 p.m.: Figure Skating: Men’s Gold Medal Final (LIVE) 10:10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: Canada vs. Czech Republic (LIVE) 12:30-2:40 a.m.: Women’s Curling: United States vs. Olympic Athletes from Russia uSA 7-9:30 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: Finland vs. Norway (LIVE) CNbC 5-8 p.m.: Men’s Curling: United States vs. Denmark 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Ice Hockey: Women’s Quarterfinal (LIVE) OLYMPIC CHANNEL 5-7 a.m.: Medal Ceremonies (LIVE) CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Viewing guide to the XXXIII Olympic Winter Games February 8-25, 2018 - PyeongChang, South Korea
Daily TV Schedule HOCKEY: Without NHL, Games ‘Wide Open’ ~ Saturday, February 17 ~ NbC 3-6 p.m.: Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Aerials; Biathlon: Women’s 12.5km Mass Start Gold Medal Final; Cross Country: Women’s 4x5km Relay Gold Medal Final 8-11 p.m.: Alpine Skiing: Men’s Giant Slalom, First Run (LIVE); Short Track Speedskating: Women’s 1500 and Men’s 1000 Gold Medal Finals; Skeleton: Women’s Gold Medal Final Runs; Ski Jumping: Men’s Individual Large Hill Gold Medal Final 6-9:30 p.m. (MSt): Alpine Skiing: Men’s Giant Slalom, First Run (LIVE); Short Track Speedskating: Women’s 1500 and Men’s 1000 Gold Medal Finals; Skeleton: Women’s Gold Medal Final Runs; Ski Jumping: Men’s Individual Large Hill Gold Medal Final 5-8:30 p.m. (PSt): Alpine Skiing: Men’s Giant Slalom, First Run (LIVE); Short Track Speedskating: Women’s 1500 and Men’s 1000 Gold Medal Finals; Women’s Skeleton: Gold Medal Final Runs; Ski Jumping: Men’s Individual Large Hill Gold Medal Final 11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.: Alpine Skiing: Men’s Giant Slalom Gold Medal Final Run; Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Slopestyle Gold Medal Final NbCSN 2:40-5 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: Switzerland vs. South Korea (LIVE) 5-7:10 a.m.: Men’s Curling: Canada vs. Sweden 7:10-10:30 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: United States vs. Olympic Athletes from Russia (LIVE); Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Aerials 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.: Cross Country: Women’s 4x5km Relay Gold Medal Final; Biathlon: Women’s 12.5km Mass Start Gold Medal Final; Short Track Speedskating: Women’s 1500 and Men’s 1000 Gold Medal Finals 1:30-5:30 p.m.: Skeleton: Women’s Gold Medal Final Runs; Ski Jumping: Men’s Individual Large Hill Gold Medal Final 7-10:10 p.m.: Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Slopestyle (LIVE) 10:10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: Germany vs. Norway (LIVE) 12:30-2:40 a.m.: Men’s Curling: United States vs. Japan uSa 2:30-5 a.m.: Ice Hockey: Women’s Quarterfinal (LIVE) 5-7:10 a.m.: Men’s Curling: Switzerland vs. Norway 7:10-9:30 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: Slovakia vs. Slovenia (LIVE) CNbC 5-8 p.m.: Women’s Curling: United States vs. Canada OLyMPIC CHaNNeL 5-7 a.m.: Medal Ceremonies (LIVE) ~ SuNday, February 18 ~ NbC 3-6 p.m.: Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Aerials Gold Medal Final; Speedskating: Men’s Team Pursuit; Biathlon: Men’s 15km Mass Start Gold Medal Final CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
(AP) — When Willie Desjardins coached Canada’s 2010 world junior team stacked with future NHL players Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Brayden Schenn, Alex Pietrangelo and goaltenders Jake Allen and Martin Jones, it took a wild final game with John Carlson scoring in overtime to win the gold medal for the United States. Just like Canada was the most talented team back then, Russia is likely to have that role at the upcoming Winter Olympics. Desjardins isn’t concerned about that. “In this tournament, anybody can win,” Desjardins said. Goodbye, NHL players. Hello, unpredictability. No NHL participation for the first time since 1994 threatens to upset the traditional world hockey order after Canada has won the past three best-on-best tournaments: the 2016 World Cup, 2014 Sochi Olympics and 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Russia is considered the favorite because it has former NHL players Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk and Andrei Markov, though Finland could make gold its sixth medal in the past five Games or Sweden could win for the first time since 2006. Coach Tony Granato’s American team was put together with players from European professional leagues, the NCAA and American Hockey League. “This Olympics is wide open for a lot of reasons,” Granato said. “Russia’s got the most talented players in the world. They’re going to have the team that steps on the ice with the most talented players. Does that make them the best team for two weeks? No. We all know that. We all know how sports works. All you’re looking for is an opportunity to make the most and be the best that you can be for that period of time.” Because it’s such a short tournament with three poolplay games, a qualifying round and then quarterfinals, it could come down to which team gels first after limited preparation time. Or maybe another goaltender will pull off what Latvia’s Kristers Gudlevskis almost did when making 55 saves to give Canada a scare in the quarterfinals in Sochi. Who’s the underdog? It’s fair to say host South Korea, in its first Olympics in men’s hockey, fits that bill, along with Slovenia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Germany and Norway. Yet being in a group with Slovenia, Slovakia and Russia is no easy task for the U.S., which boasts 38-year-old semi-retired captain Brian Gionta as its most experienced player. Mistake-prone play seems likely, though Gionta doesn’t think there will be any lack of sizzle. ALL EYES ON DAHLIN One of the most dynamic and offensively talented players is also the youngest: Sweden defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who’s projected to be the No. 1 pick in the NHL
draft in June. Dahlin has 11 points in 29 games playing against grown men in the Swedish Hockey League and had six points in seven games at the world juniors. He’s just 17. WHO ARE THESE GUYS? When the NHL announced it was out of these Olympics, executives from USA Hockey and Hockey Canada were quick to say every team would have 25 great stories. There are players on almost every team who are familiar because they played in the NHL at one point. Most of the rosters are made up of journeymen plying their trade in pro leagues in Europe, such as Czech Republic captain Martin Erat, Germany’s Christian Ehrhoff and Canada’s Ben Scrivens. Americans Troy Terry, Jordan Greenway, Ryan Donato and Will Borgen are currently playing college hockey. “The tournament in general is going to be built with teams with lots of guys that this is the greatest event for them and they didn’t necessarily think they were going to get this opportunity,” Canada GM Sean Burke said. WIN ONE FOR JOHANNSON U.S. GM Jim Johannson’s unexpected death at age 53 on the eve of the Olympics shocked the hockey world. Johannson glowed over getting to tell players they’d made the team, and in the aftermath of grief, USA Hockey hopes it can honor the longtime executive with a medal. “If we ever had a win one for the Gipper moment, this is it,” former executive director Dave Ogrean said. BIG ICE If the Sochi Games proved anything, it was that the international-sized ice that’s 15 feet wider than NHL rinks doesn’t create more offense. The U.S. and Canada built rosters with the bigger ice in mind, prioritizing skating and mobility and playing a more European style. That doesn’t mean European teams won’t have an advantage, but it won’t be such a stark change as when North American NHL players need a few games to get used to it. OAR PRESSURE The Olympic Athletes from Russia team is a favorite to win gold, which would be the first since the Unified Team in 1992. But Russia hasn’t medaled since 2002, including a disappointing showing on home ice four years ago. The chance to draw all its players from the Kontinental Hockey League should benefit Russia, which has won four of the past 10 world hockey championships. But something about this stage has made Russia play like less than the sum of its parts before, which makes even a star-studded team beatable. ——— Follow Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno ——— More AP Olympic coverage: https://wintergames.ap.org
Viewing guide to the XXXIII Olympic Winter Games February 8-25, 2018 - PyeongChang, South Korea
Daily TV Schedule
It’s hockey’s sister act
(AP) — Just call it a sister thing. Whenever another hockey team has sisters on the rosters, Jocelyne LamoureuxDavidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando take notice. The Olympians are twins themselves. Combine that with how few sisters play hockey or reach national teams playing internationally, it’s easy enough to notice whenever sisters are dressing up for another country. “It’s just cool to see,” Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson said. The Lamoureux sisters will have some sisterly company at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Teammate Hannah Brandt’s sister, Marissa, plays for the unified Korean women’s team, and Switzerland has two sets of sisters on the roster with Nina, Isabel and Monika Waidacher, plus twins Laura and Sara Benz. Canada nearly had its own sister act with Sarah and Amy Potomak, though neither made the Olympic team. Being sisters definitely can provide an edge in hockey. “When we get the opportunity to be on the ice together, there’s a chemistry that just never goes away,” Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson said. “It’s always there.” Even though women’s hockey didn’t debut at the Olympics until 1998 in Nagano, playing hockey simply was something the Lamoureux sisters were bound to do. They were born in Fargo, N.D., their father, Pierre, played for the University of North Dakota. The Lamoureux sisters played a year in college at Minnesota before switching to North Dakota for their final three seasons, the last in 2012-13. They have played internationally for the United States since 2006. Both play forward, though Monique also plays defense. Now 28, the sisters credit each other for their long success, which now includes a third Olympic berth. “That’s part of the reason we’ve pushed ourselves to this level and been competing at this level for quite a long time is that built-in accountability day-in, day-out even if we’re not with the team,” Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson said. Monique Lamoureux-Davidson calls it the benefit of having grown up together playing every sport together on the same team, even though they haven’t played together on the ice as much as people might think. Coaches have often
U.S. hockey players Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, left, and Monique Lamoureux-Morando pose for a portrait at the Team USA Media Summit in Park City, Utah.
spread the skill by playing them on separate lines. “It’s just that thing when we’re on the ice together, we have that undeniable chemistry,” she said. And the American sisters definitely have an Olympic edge having won silver medals in both 2010 and 2014. Jocelyne has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 10 Olympic games, while Monique has 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in the same span. The U.S. women’s team leaves Wednesday for South Korea chasing the gold medal that eluded the Americans in Sochi, where the United States blew a 2-0 lead to Canada in the final. For Monique, she’s chasing simple fulfillment. “The last four years we’ve been kind of chasing down this dream of being Olympic champions, and nearly every single day your day is scheduled around being the best athlete you can be,” she said, “and you change up your plans, you do everything you can to be the best athlete, best leader, best team you can be.” Jocelyne can’t wait for the opportunity to represent the United States once again in the Olympics with pride the emotion that bubbles up whenever she thinks of the Winter Games. It’s what the sisters have been working for most of their lives. And there’s one ultimate goal. “It’s gold,” Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson said. “We’ve come up short the last two Olympics and our ultimate goal is just to play our best. If we can do that, we truly believe we can come out on top.”
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7 p.m.-Midnight: Figure Skating: Ice Dancing Short Dance (LIVE); Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Halfpipe (LIVE); Speedskating: Women’s 500m Gold Medal Final; Two-Man Bobsled; Cross Country: Men’s 4x10km Relay Gold Medal Final 4-9:35 p.m. (PST): Figure Skating: Ice Dancing Short Dance (LIVE); Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Halfpipe (LIVE); Speedskating: Women’s 500m Gold Medal Final; Two-Man Bobsled; Cross Country: Men’s 4x10km Relay Gold Medal Final 12:35-2 a.m.: Snowboarding: Women’s Big Air NBCSN 2:40-5 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: Czech Republic vs. Switzerland (LIVE) 5-7:10 a.m.: Women’s Curling: Canada vs. Switzerland 7:10-10:15 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: Sweden vs. Finland (LIVE); Two-Man Bobsled 10:15 a.m.-1 p.m.: Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Aerials Gold Medal Final; Speedskating: Women’s 500m Gold Medal Final, Men’s Team Pursuit; Biathlon: Men’s 15km Mass Start Gold Medal Final 1-5 p.m.: Cross Country: Men’s 4x10km Relay Gold Medal Final; 7-10:15 p.m.: Figure Skating: Ice Dancing Short Dance (LIVE) 10:15 p.m.-1:30 a.m.: Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Aerials Gold Medal Final; Women’s Ice Hockey: Semifinal (LIVE) USA 7-9:30 a.m.: Men’s Ice Hockey: Canada vs. South Korea (LIVE) CNBC 4-7 p.m.: Men’s Curling: United States vs. Norway OLYMPIC CHANNEL 5-7 a.m.: Medal Ceremonies (LIVE) ~ MONdAY, FEBrUArY 19 ~ NBC 3-5 p.m.: Ski Jumping: Men’s Team Large Hill Gold Medal Final; Speedskating: Men’s 500m Gold Medal Final, Women’s Team Pursuit 8-11:30 p.m.: Figure Skating: Ice Dancing Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Halfpipe Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Bobsled: Two-Man Gold Medal Final Runs
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Viewing guide to the XXXIII Olympic Winter Games February 8-25, 2018 - PyeongChang, South Korea
Daily TV Schedule 6-10:05 p.m. (MST): Figure Skating: Ice Dancing Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Halfpipe Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Bobsled: Two-Man Gold Medal Final Runs 5-9:05 p.m. (PST): Figure Skating: Ice Dancing Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Halfpipe Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Bobsled: Two-Man Gold Medal Final Runs 12:05-1 a.m.: Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Halfpipe (LIVE) NBCSN 1:30-4:30 a.m.: Women’s Curling: United States vs. Denmark 4:30-7:10 a.m.: Men’s Curling: United States vs. Canada 7:10-11 a.m.: Women’s Hockey: Semifinal (LIVE); Ski Jumping: Men’s Team Large Hill Gold Medal Final 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Bobsled: Two-Man Gold Medal Final Runs; Speedskating: Men’s 500m Gold Medal Final, Women’s Team Pursuit 12:30-3:30 p.m.: Men’s Curling: United States vs Canada 7-10:10 p.m.: Figure Skating: Ice Dancing Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Alpine Skiing: Women’s Downhill Training 10:10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Men’s Hockey: Elimination Round (LIVE) 12:30-2:40 a.m.: Men’s Curling: Canada vs. Japan CNBC 5-8 p.m.: Women’s Curling: United States vs. China OLYMPIC CHANNEL 5-7 a.m.: Medal Ceremonies (LIVE) ~ TuESdAY, FEBruArY 20 ~ NBC 3-5 p.m.: Biathlon: Mixed Relay Gold Medal Final; Nordic Combined: Men’s Individual Large Hill/10km Gold Medal Final 8 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Alpine Skiing: Women’s Downhill Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Figure Skating: Ladies’ Short Program (LIVE); Women’s Bobsled; Snowboarding: Men’s Big Air (LIVE) 5-10:05 p.m. (PST): Alpine Skiing: Women’s Downhill Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Figure Skating: Ladies’ Short Program (LIVE); Women’s Bobsled; Snowboarding: Men’s Big Air (LIVE) 1:05-2 a.m.: Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Ski Cross Gold Medal Final; Short Track Speedskating: Women’s 3000 Relay Gold Medal Final NBCSN 2:40-5 a.m.: Ice Hockey: Men’s Elimination Round (LIVE) 5-7:10 a.m.: Women’s Curling: United States vs. South Korea 7:10-9:30 a.m.: Ice Hockey: Men’s Elimination Round (LIVE) 9:30 a.m.-Noon: Nordic Combined: Men’s Individual Large Hill/10km Gold Medal Final; Biathlon: Mixed Relay Gold Medal Final Noon-5 p.m.: Nordic Combined: Men’s Individual Large Hill/10km Gold Medal Final; Short Track Speedskating: Women’s 3000 Relay Gold Medal Final; Women’s Curling: United States vs. South Korea 7-10:45 p.m.: Figure Skating: Ladies’ Short Program (LIVE) 10:45 p.m.-2:40 a.m.: Women’s Curling: Canada vs. Britain; South Korea vs. Olympic Athletes from Russia uSA 7-9:30 a.m.: Ice Hockey: Men’s Elimination Round (LIVE) CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Chloe Kim jumps, twists and flips her way to Olympic games (AP) — Ask U.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim what she thinks the “Chloe Kim Story” really is this year and she hesitates just a moment, before deciding on “The California girl that went to the Olympics.” It’s perfect, easy, and oh-so-fitting for the 17-year-old from Torrance, California, who loves music and the mall almost as much as she loves stomping her runs — and the competition — in the halfpipe. But Kim, whether it’s fair or not, has come to represent more than that for these Olympics. Her parents are from South Korea. Among the handful of relatives who live there is Chloe’s grandma, who has been known to brag about her high-flying granddaughter if, say, she’s out to tea with her friends and a picture of Chloe happens to appear in the newspaper, which happens fairly often. “They’ve never seen me compete before,” Chloe says. “I’m excited to have them there.” Though it’s tempting to turn Kim’s story into a bigger narrative about a lifelong wish to win a gold medal in her family’s country, that narrative is not the right one. She admits to not having all that much more familiarity with South Korea than the average 17-year-old American kid, and the fact is, more than any grand plan, it was the quirks of the calendar, the International Olympic Committee and a hundred other things that will place her in Pyeongchang for her Olympic debut. Kim was so good at age 13, she might have won the Sochi Olympics had she been old enough . But with the Olympics not allowing anyone in under 15, she did not make the cut. And though her father sacrificed much time, effort and sleep to further Chloe’s career, the thought of doing it so his daughter could make her first Olympic splash in his native country was never part of the equation. “When we started, Korea was not declared as hosting the Olympics,” Jong Jin Kim says. “I thought I had a chance to bring her to the Olympics, so it was amazing and very lucky that they matched together.” Jong Jin Kim moved to the U.S. in 1982 to pursue his engineering degree. He met his wife, Boran, in Switzerland. Chloe, the youngest of three sisters, was born in 2000, and when she turned 4, Jong Jin bought her a snowboard and dragged her onto the mountain. Chloe took lessons, and by the time she was 7, she was winning contests. By the time she was 8, she was living in Switzerland with her aunt, and was regularly waking up at 4 a.m. for long train rides to the mountain. At age 10, Chloe was back in California, and her folks were rearranging both her and their lives with the thought she might become a professional snowboarder. Home-schooling and 2 a.m. wake-up calls became routine. In 2014, a month before the Olympics she could not attend, she took her first Winter X Games medal — a silver. She won her first Winter X Games the next year, and after her victory in Saturday night’s halfpipe contest, she now has
three under her belt. What separates her from the pack on the halfpipe is her ability to do back-to-back 1080-degree jumps. She first pulled that off at a contest in 2016. Though there are other riders who can challenge her — Americans Arielle Gold and Maddie Mastro pushed Kim hard in Saturday night’s X Games and 34-year-old Kelly Clark remains on top of her game — Kim has the tricks and the style to win the Olympics if she executes. Since they met in a lift line 10 years ago, Clark has been impressed with Kim, in part because she has been a firsthand witness to the teenager’s work ethic. “She rides longer than anyone, takes more runs than anyone. For me, that’s been a core value to my snowboarding,” Clark says. “Talent can get you only so far. It’s about putting in that hard work and extra effort that makes a difference.” If Kim wins the gold in Pyeongchang, she would cash in on all the hopes that sponsors (Toyota, Monster and Target among the many), her fans (157,000 Instagram followers and counting) and NBC (she’s a prominent figure in its preGames hype machine) have placed in her. For all that hope and hype, though, she is hardly dominating the coverage in South Korea, which boasts a former figure skating champion in Yuna Kim who, though retired, was key in bringing the games to Pyeongchang and may still be the country’s most recognizable Olympic star. The women’s hockey team, especially now that it has combined with players from North Korea, along with short track speedskaters, also are part of the pre-games story line in the host country. “Snowboarding just doesn’t have the same exposure there, and she doesn’t have the same accomplishments yet as someone like Yuna Kim,” says Jean Lee, a global fellow at the Wilson Center, who previously served as Associated Press bureau chief in Pyongyang, North Korea. “But she has the potential. If she goes home with a medal, and I think she probably will, she’ll become a huge star in South Korea.” For now, though, Kim is content being a star on whatever halfpipe she’s dropping into at the moment, whether it be in Colorado, California or South Korea. She dotes on her Australian shepherd , Reese, enjoys heading to the beach and, of course, she lives for the mall. Her favorite day used to be the first of any month, when her mom would give her that month’s $100 allowance. While she’s well aware that the upcoming Olympics are more than just another contest, she may not fully grasp how big they could become for her. And maybe that’s the takeaway message in all this. Chloe Kim is 17, having fun , trying to live a normal, California kid’s life in a not-so-normal world in which she flies higher than anyone else. “I’m very thankful my parents make sure I have a normal life of some sort,” she says. “It’s still so crazy to think about the fact that I’ll be 15 feet in the air one minute, and the next minute, I’m in my pajamas, watching a movie.”
Viewing guide to the XXXIII Olympic Winter Games February 8-25, 2018 - PyeongChang, South Korea
Sungbin leads pack in skeleton
(AP) — Korean skeleton star Yun Sungbin is absolutely obsessed with Iron Man. He may be called Gold Man soon. South Korea has 26 gold medals in its Winter Olympic history — all on ice, all with skates involved, most from speedskating. The nation doesn’t have much of a sliding history, but has made great strides as it builds momentum to host the Pyeongchang Games. Yun was the only slider to finish first or second in each of the first six World Cup races this season. If there’s any pressure on him as he goes into his second Olympics, it’s not showing. He will face serious competition from the Latvian brother duo of Martins Dukurs and Tomass Dukurs, while Matt Antoine of the United States has been trying to build his entire season around peaking in Pyeongchang. In women’s skeleton, Britain might have a chance at a third straight gold from a third different woman. Laura Deas will look to carry on her team’s tradition. of winning the sport’s biggest race, after Amy Williams in 2010 and Lizzy Yarnold in 2014. Since skeleton returned to the Olympic program in 2002, a British woman has won gold, silver or bronze every time. Here’s some of what to know going into skeleton at the Pyeongchang Games: MEDAL FAVORITES The women’s race could be wide
open with no fewer than 10 medal contenders from seven countries. Yun will be the men’s favorite, and since the host Koreans have far more runs down the track at the Alpensia Sliding Center than anyone else his familiarity there could be the edge he needs. WHAT IS IT No, you may not call it “headfirst luge.” Skeleton sliders go down the track headfirst, on a very different sled than those in the luge world, but can reach speeds exceeding 80 mph (128.74 kph). There’s a sprint at the start as racers hang onto their sled, then they jump aboard and go on a wild ride for the next minute or so. BEST RIVALRY Nothing like a sibling rivalry, and in this case, poor Tomass Dukurs. The Latvian is one of the sport’s very best sliders right now, but is also secondbest in his own family. His brother Martins Dukurs finishes ahead of him more than 90 percent of the time when they’ve both been entered in the same international competition. RISING STARS The future of women’s skeleton is clear. Germany’s Jacqueline Loelling is 22, Canada’s Elisabeth Vathje is 23, and they have been consistently better than everyone else this season. This could be the start of a real Olympic rivalry. RULE CHANGES A World Cup has two heats on one day; an Olympic competition has four heats over two days.
DEFENDING SOMETHING These are strange times in the Olympic world because of the still-developing fallout from the doping scandal that ensnared the host Russians at the Sochi Games four years ago, one that led to many medals getting stripped — but not yet reallocated. So Martins Dukurs, who finished second in 2014, may go to Pyeongchang and still not know if he’s the defending gold medalist in his event. Katie Uhlaender, the hard-luck American veteran who has spent half her life chasing an Olympic medal, might be getting one because she finished fourth behind a since-banned Russian in Sochi four years ago. “I have to focus on what I can control, and I have to focus on myself,” Uhlaender said. DON’T MISS Dave Greszczyszyn of Canada is a 38-year-old who once was a teacher and part-time bus driver before deciding to pursue his Olympic skeleton hopes. He’s called Alphabet, for obvious reasons. OLYMPIAN EFFORT John Daly of the U.S. will make headlines for his super-coiffed hair. He retired after a last-run disaster in Sochi, then came back while holding down a full-time job, and everything he’s done over the last two years has been about getting ready for this race. He’ll go for broke, and it may net him a medal.
Daily TV Schedule CNBC 5-8 p.m.: Men’s Curling: United States vs. Switzerland 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Ice Hockey: Men’s Quarterfinal (LIVE) OLYMPIC CHANNEL 5-7 a.m.: Medal Ceremonies (LIVE) ~ WEdNEsdAY, FEBruArY 21 ~ NBC 3-5 p.m.: Speedskating: Team Pursuit Gold Medal Finals; Cross Country: Men’s Team Sprint Gold Medal Final 8-11 p.m.: Alpine Skiing: Men’s Slalom, First Run (LIVE); Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Halfpipe Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Bobsled: Women’s Gold Medal Final Runs; Cross Country: Women’s Team Sprint Gold Medal Final 6-9:35 p.m. (MsT): Alpine Skiing: Men’s Slalom, First Run (LIVE); Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Halfpipe Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Bobsled: Women’s Gold Medal Final Runs; Cross Country: Women’s Team Sprint Gold Medal Final 5-8:35 p.m. (PsT): Alpine Skiing: Men’s Slalom, First Run (LIVE); Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Halfpipe Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Bobsled: Women’s Gold Medal Final Runs; Cross Country: Women’s Team Sprint Gold Medal Final 11:35 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Alpine Skiing: Men’s Slalom Gold Medal Final Run (LIVE) NBCsN 2:40-5 a.m.: Ice Hockey: Men’s Quarterfinal (LIVE) 5-7:10 a.m.: Men’s Curling: United States vs. Britain 7:10-10:45 a.m.: Ice Hockey: Men’s Quarterfinal (LIVE); Bobsled: Women’s Gold Medal Final Runs 10:45-1:30 p.m.: Speedskating: Men’s & Women’s Team Pursuit Gold Medal Finals; Cross Country: Men’s & Women’s Team Sprint Gold Medal Finals 1:30-5 p.m.: Men’s Curling: United States vs. Britain 7-10:45 p.m.: Women’s Curling: Canada vs. Olympic Athletes from Russia 10:45 p.m.-2 a.m.: Hockey: Women’s Gold Medal Game (LIVE) usA 2:30-5 a.m.: Ice Hockey: Women’s Bronze Medal Game (LIVE) 5-7:10 a.m.: Men’s Curling: Sweden vs. Norway 7:10-9:30 a.m.: Ice Hockey: Men’s Quarterfinal (LIVE) CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Viewing guide to the XXXIII Olympic Winter Games February 8-25, 2018 - PyeongChang, South Korea
Daily TV Schedule On third try, Sweeney makes Olympics CNBC 5-8 p.m.: Women’s Curling: United States vs. Sweden OLYMPIC CHANNEL 5-7 a.m.: Medal Ceremonies (LIVE) ~ THursdAY, FEBruArY 22 ~ NBC 3-5 p.m.: Biathlon: Women’s 4x6km Relay Gold Medal Final; Nordic Combined: Men’s Team Large Hill/4x5km Gold Medal Final 8 p.m.-Midnight: Figure Skating: Ladies’ Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Alpine Skiing: Women’s Combined, Downhill Run (LIVE); Snowboarding: Women’s Big Air Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Short Track Speedskating: Men’s 500, Women’s 1000, Men’s 5000 Relay Gold Medal Finals 5-9:35 p.m. (PsT): Figure Skating: Ladies’ Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Alpine Skiing: Women’s Combined, Downhill Run (LIVE); Snowboarding: Women’s Big Air Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Short Track Speedskating: Men’s 500, Women’s 1000, Men’s 5000 Relay Gold Medal Finals 12:35-2 a.m.: Alpine Skiing: Women’s Combined, Slalom Gold Medal Run (LIVE); Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Ski Cross Gold Medal Final NBCsN 2-5:20 a.m.: Snowboarding: Men’s & Women’s Parallel Giant Slalom; Nordic Combined: Men’s Team Large Hill/4x5km Gold Medal Final; Curling: Men’s & Women’s Tiebreaker 5:20-7:45 a.m.: Biathlon: Women’s 4x6km Relay Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Nordic Combined: Men’s Team Large Hill/4x5km Gold Medal Final (LIVE) 7:45-10:45 a.m.: Short Track Speedskating: Men’s 500, Women’s 1000, Men’s 5000 Relay Gold Medal Finals 10:45 a.m.-1:45 p.m.: Curling: Men’s & Women’s Tiebreaker 1:45-4:45 p.m.: Curling: Men’s Semifinal 7-10 p.m.: Figure Skating: Ladies’ Free Program (LIVE) 10 p.m.-2 a.m.: Curling: Men’s Semifinal; Short Track Speedskating: Men’s 500, Women’s 1000, Men’s 5000 Relay Gold Medal Final CNBC 5-8 p.m.: Curling: Men’s Semifinal OLYMPIC CHANNEL 5-7 a.m.: Medal Ceremonies (LIVE) ~ FrIdAY, FEBruArY 23 ~ NBC 3-5 p.m.: Biathlon: Men’s 4◊7.5km Relay Gold Medal Final; Figure Skating: Ladies’ Review 8-11 p.m.: Alpine Skiing: Team Event Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Snowboarding: Men’s Big Air Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Four-Man Bobsled; Speedskating: Men’s 1000m Gold Medal Final 6-9:35 p.m. (MsT): Alpine Skiing: Team Event Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Snowboarding: Men’s Big Air Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Four-Man Bobsled; Speedskating: Men’s 1000m Gold Medal Final 5-8:35 p.m. (PsT): Alpine Skiing: Team Event Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Snowboarding: Men’s Big Air Gold Medal Final (LIVE); Four-Man Bobsled; Speedskating: Men’s 1000m Gold Medal Final CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
(AP) — Emily Sweeney owns no clothing with the Olympic rings emblazoned on them. She’s refused to wear anything bearing that logo, instead sometimes staring at those who were and wondering if her chance would ever come. At long last, it’s here. Sweeney is one of three women on the team that USA Luge is sending to the games, after clinching her spot earlier this month and ending an eight-year odyssey that had more twists and turns than the ice-coated winding chutes that she slides down to make a living. “It doesn’t feel real,” Sweeney said. “I feel exactly the same as I did before.” Much like a luge track itself, Sweeney’s path to the Olympics has been long, cold, bumpy and treacherous. She lost a race-off for the final spot on the 2010 U.S. Olympic team — to her sister. She missed out again when trying to make the 2014 team for the Sochi Games, doomed in part by injuries. She’s barely a year removed from surgery on a wrist that is still giving her problems. This time, she handled every challenge. Sweeney is ranked eighth in the current World Cup standings, won a gold medal in a sprint race in Germany earlier this season and survived a U.S. team selection process that went down to the final weekend. Her spot was clinched in a most unceremonious fashion: It became mathematically secured on a night when she wasn’t even at the track, and instead was alone doing laundry at the Olympic Training Center that she’s called home for years. “She’s resilient, right? She had a goal and she went for it,” said a teary-eyed and beaming Megan Sweeney, Emily’s sister — the winner of that race-off a week before Christmas 2009 for that winter’s Olympic berth, one where she got the right to race in British Columbia while her kid sister watched from the stands. “She was so aggressive. She’s way better than I ever was.”
Erin Hamlin is going to her fourth Olympics for the U.S., and Summer Britcher is going to her second. Sweeney, who has spent 14 of her 24 winters on a luge sled, is the lone rookie on the women’s team. In a sport where the Germans have always dominated and figure to do so again at these Olympics, the Americans are closing the gap. Hamlin won Olympic bronze in Sochi. It would not surprise anyone if any of the U.S. women found their way to the podium in Pyeongchang. And Sweeney, at 24, just figures to keep getting better. “Not making the team in 2010 is one thing,” Sweeney said. “It was fine. It obviously wasn’t fine. I would have loved to have been there and competed with my sister. Not making the team in 2014 was a little crushing to me. It took me a long time to come back from that.” She took six months off after Sochi, didn’t do much training, didn’t go to those Olympics as a spectator. Retiring wasn’t an option, but the zest for sliding was certainly waning at that point. The U.S. Army helped her get back on track. Sweeney is a sergeant and part of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program. She needed to go through some scheduled military training a few months after Sochi. After three weeks of training, she knew she was ready to get back on the sled. “Can’t say no to the military,” Sweeney said. And now, the Olympic dream — the one she decided to pursue as a 7-yearold — is realized. “I didn’t have much doubt that she would get through this year,” said Hamlin, Sweeney’s close friend and longtime roommate. “She’s been sliding really well and has the speed, for sure, to even contend for the podium at the games. She just had to have that confidence, she did and it’s really nice to see. I went to the games with her sister in Vancouver, so I’ve come full circle. It’s exciting.” Hamlin has had her Olympic gear for more than a decade, and that means
Emily Sweeney celebrates as she slides to the finish after a women’s World Cup Luge sprint event in Park City, Utah.
Sweeney has had to be in close proximity to all those shirts and hats and jackets and whatever else is part of the massive perk package bestowed on those who make the team. Hamlin can relate to Sweeney’s reluctance to wear any Olympic apparel — since she subscribes to the same theory. “Not until you make the team,” Hamlin said. “I wouldn’t even wear Pyeongchang stuff until I made the team. No chance. You haven’t earned it yet. You can’t wear the garb if you haven’t earned it.” It’s now been earned. The day after she clinched the Olympic berth, Sweeney joined Hamlin and Britcher at an autograph-signing for fans at the team’s home track in Lake Placid. Over and over, smiling the whole time, she scribbled her signature — then wrote “USA” in the space between the elongated Y’s at the end of her first and last names. “Lake Placid to Pyeongchang,” the cards said. Had her spot not been officially clinched, there’s no way Sweeney would have touched those cards. But the quest is over. She’s an Olympian. “It’s been a very long road,” Sweeney said. “I’ve learned how to deal with disappointment. I haven’t really learned how to deal with this yet.”
Viewing guide to the XXXIII Olympic Winter Games February 8-25, 2018 - PyeongChang, South Korea
BIATHLON: Fourcade plans to keep medals Daily TV Schedule
(AP) — Martin Fourcade regularly gives away his World Cup biathlon medals to fans after races. But don’t expect France’s star biathlete to give away any bronze, silver or gold hardware that he wins at the Olympics. He’s keeping those for himself. “I love to give medals to the kids,” Fourcade said. “It’s something I usually do. ... But I will not give (away) my Olympics medals — the ones I have and the ones I hope to win.” The 29-year-old has been the sport’s most dominate competitor since the 2011-12 season, when he won the first of six straight World Cup total score championships. He won two golds and a silver at the Sochi Games in 2014 and remains the No. 1 biathlete in the world. He already has more medals than any French Olympian in history and now has a chance to leave South Korea as one of the most decorated athletes at this year’s Winter Games. WHAT IS IT: Skis and guns — say what? The biathlon combines the strength and speed of cross-country skiing with the marksmanship of shooting a rifle. Racers ski around a course with .22-caliber small-bore rifles strapped to their back, then stop at various locations and shoot at targets 50 meters away. Athletes are penalized for misses, so the sport requires poise to settle the nerves following the exertion of energy from skiing. Skiers often train for the event without snow. WHAT THEY’RE COMPETING FOR: There will be five men’s, five women’s and two mixed biathlon events at the Pyeongchang Games. MEDAL FAVORITES: While Fourcade is the favorite for the men, don’t count out Johannes Boe of Norway, who is second in the World Cup rankings. He is plenty capable of beating Fourcade on a good day. The women’s side is a bit more crowded at the top, with Finland’s Kaisa Makarainen currently atop the World Cup standings , and Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier and Slovokia’s Anastasia Kuzmina also in the hunt.
France’s Martin Fourcade is considered a favorite to take home gold in South Korea in the biathlon.
THE AGELESS WONDER: Like Elvis in music or Richard Petty in auto racing, Norway’s Ole Einar Bjoerndalen is simply known as The King to those who follow the biathlon. The 44-year-old has won 13 Olympic medals — including eight golds — which is more than any man in Winter Olympics history. However, it’s unclear if he’ll even qualify for the Pyeongchang Olympics, and age appears to be catching up with him. He recently finished 52nd in a 10-kilometer sprint race at a World Cup event, more than 2 minutes behind Fourcade. “It’s clear you want to go to the Olympics. But it’s not just about getting there. You also want to compete,” Bjoerndalen said. “It’s possible to get into better form ahead of the Olympics. I know I can do it.” But never count him out. Bjoerndalen wonder won two golds in Sochi four years ago. RISING STAR: Belarus’ Darya Domracheva was a star in Sochi, winning three of the four women’s individual events. It marked the first time a female biathlete had earned three gold medals in a single Winter Olympics. She’s not quite at the top of her game but certainly thrives in pressure situations and can’t be counted out. ALL IN THE FAMILY: Bjoerndalen and Domracheva, by the way, are married, which means the couple can decorate their 1-year-old daughter Xenia’s room with 16 Olympic medals in all. It’s hard to imagine that girl not becoming a biathlete when she grows up.
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11:35 p.m.-1 a.m.: Snowboarding: Men’s & Women’s Parallel Giant Slalom Gold Medal Finals NBCSN 2-5 a.m.: Ice Hockey: Men’s Semifinal (LIVE) 5-6:30 a.m.: Speedskating: Men’s 1000m Gold Medal Final (LIVE) 6:30-9:30 a.m.: Ice Hockey: Men’s Semifinal (LIVE) 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Men’s Curling: Bronze Medal Match 12:30-4 p.m.: Curling: Women’s Semifinal 8 p.m.-Midnight: Biathlon: Men’s 4◊7.5km Relay Gold Medal Final; Curling: Women’s Semifinal (replay) Midnight-3 a.m.: Cross Country: Men’s 50km Gold Medal Final (LIVE) CNBC 5-8 p.m.: Curling: Women’s Semifinal OLYMPIC CHANNEL 5-7 a.m.: Medal Ceremonies (LIVE) ~ SAturdAY, FEBruArY 24 ~ NBC 3-6 p.m.: Speedskating: Men’s and Women’s Mass Start Gold Medal Finals; Cross Country: Men’s 50km Gold Medal Final 8-11 p.m.: Figure Skating Gala (LIVE); Bobsled: Four Man Gold Medal Final Runs (LIVE) NBCSN 3-6:30 a.m.: Curling: Men’s Gold Medal Final 6:30-9:30 a.m.: Ice Hockey: Men’s Bronze Medal Game (LIVE) 9:30-11 a.m.: Speedskating: Men’s and Women’s Mass Start Gold Medal Finals 11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Curling: Women’s Bronze Medal Match 4-7 p.m.: Curling: Men’s Gold Medal Final (replay) 7-10:30 p.m.: Curling: Women’s Gold Medal Final (LIVE) 10:30 p.m.-2 a.m.: Hockey: Men’s Gold Medal Game (LIVE) OLYMPIC CHANNEL 5-7 a.m.: Medal Ceremonies (LIVE) ~ SuNdAY, FEBruArY 25 ~ NBC 3-6 p.m.: Cross Country: Women’s 30km Gold Medal Final 8-10:30 p.m.: Closing Ceremony NBCSN 2-4 a.m.: Cross Country: Women’s 30km Gold Medal Final
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