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Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Daily Olympic Reviews, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Luge, Olympics, Ski Jumping, Snowboarding, Sochi 2014, Speed Skating

February 8th – Sochi 2014 – Daily Review

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The first day after the Opening Ceremonies saw the US grab their first medals, a bronze and a gold, and saw the start of the women’s ice hockey tournament. Certainly a lot of bright spots on Saturday for the US.

Biathlon

Events:

  • Men’s 10 km sprint

The men’s 10 km sprint competition was held on Saturday with four Americans in the 87-man field. The competitions involves three 3.33 km laps with two shooting rounds (one standing, one prone) in between the laps. For each missed target the athlete had to ski an extra 100m penalty loop. The final standings in this event are used to set the field for the men’s 12.5 km pursuit event on Monday with each athlete starting behind the leader delayed by as much as they were behind in today’s event.

Tim Burke was the top American in the event and only missed one target in shooting. Burke turned in a time of 25:23.3 to finish 19th, 49.8 seconds behind the leader. The second American across the line was Lowell Bailey who finished 35th, missed two targets, and turned in a time of 26:04.1, 1:30.6 behind the leader. Leif Nordgren was the next across the line in 45th. Nordgren missed none of his targets but his time of 26:17.4 was 1:43.9 behind the top. The final American was Russell Currier. Currier missed four targets on his first round of shooting (tied for the most of any athlete in a round) and finished in 26:58.5. That placed him 61st and since only the top 60 move into the pursuit event he will not be a part of that. He missed a spot in the final by around three seconds.

These times will be used when the pursuit event begins on Monday at 10 AM ET.

Results Summarized:

  • Tim Burke – Missed one target, 19th best time of 25:23.3. Starts pursuit (Monday at 10 AM ET) 50 seconds behind leader.
  • Lowell Bailey – Missed two targets, 35th best time of 26:04.1. Starts pursuit (Monday at 10 AM ET) 1:31 behind leader.
  • Leif Nordgren – Missed no targets, 45th best time of 26:17.4. Starts pursuit (Monday at 10 AM ET) 1:44 behind leader.
  • Russell Currier – Missed four targets, 61st best time of 26:58.5. Did not make pursuit event as he was not in the top 60.

Cross-Country Skiing

Events:

  • Women’s 15 km skiathlon (7.5 km classic + 7.5 km free)

The women’s 15 km skiathlon is a mass start race where the athletes ski 7.5 km in the classic style then switch equipment and ski 7.5 km in the free style. Four Americans were in the field of 61.

In the classic portion of the event the top American was Sadie Bjornsen who was 22nd in 19:56.8. Jessica Diggins followed her up closely in 27th with a time of 20:01.7. Just after her was Liz Stephen who was 31st in a time of 20:14.7 while the final American was Holly Brooks in 38th with a time of 20:22.3.

Not a lot of time is gained or lost “in the pits”. Stephen was the fastest American and second fastest overall in 32.7 seconds. The slowest American was Brooks who took 37.1 seconds for 42nd best. Less than 13 seconds separated all 61 athletes.

In the free style portion both Stephen and Diggins heated up for USA. Stephen posted the seventh fastest time at 19:22.2 and finished 12th overall in 40:09.6. Diggins was just behind her in the free style with an eight place time of 19:29.5 but her overall time was quicker at 40:05.5 and she placed eight overall. Bjornsen posted the 36th best time at 20:37 finishing in 31st overall in 41:09.7 while Brooks had the 50th best time at 21:34.6 and ended up 47th overall in 42:34.

Results Summarized:

  • Jessica Diggins – 27th in classic style (20:01.7), 8th in free style (19:29.5). Total time of 40:05.5 as she finished in 8th.
  • Liz Stephen – 31st in classic style (20:14.7), 7th in free style (19:22.2). Total time of 40:09.6 as she finished in 12th.
  • Sadie Bjornsen – 22nd in classic style (19:56.8), 36th in free style (20:37). Total time of 41:09.7 as she finished in 31st.
  • Holly Brooks – 38th in classic style (20:22.3), 50th in free style (21:34.6). Total time of 42:34 as she finished in 47th.

Figure Skating

Events:

  • Team event – Ice dance short dance
  • Team event – Ladies’ short program
  • Team event – Pairs’ free skate

The US entered Saturday’s events in a tie for fifth place knowing they needed to make sure they had good results to ensure they’d be in the top five after the short programs when the bottom five countries were cut. Things started off great when Meryl Davis and Charlie White had the top score for the US in the ice dance short dance. Their 75.98 gave the US ten points and made it quite clear the US would be in the top five.

Ashley Wagner went to the top after her short program score of 63.10 but each of the last three competitors topped her as she finished fourth. Still the seven points she secured left the US in third heading into the second half of the event. After the bottom five countries were cut the free program pairs event was held. Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir put up a good score of 117.94 for the US but still ended up fourth. That leaves the US in third with 31 points with three rounds left. The ten point deficit to second place Canada is basically impossible to make up (if the USA finished 1st and Canada 5th in the three remaining events the US would be two ahead of them) and the Russian lead of 13 on the US is literally impossible to overcome. The US has a three point lead on Italy and a four point lead on Japan. It’s a good position for the US but they will still have to fight for the bronze.

Ashley Wagner will compete for the US in the team event on Saturday.
Ashley Wagner was fourth for the US in the ladies’ singles portion of the team event on Saturday.

Photo Credit: nabechiko29 via Compfight cc

On Sunday the final three rounds will be held with the men’s free program at 10 AM ET, the ladies’ free program at 11:05 AM ET, and the ice dance free dance at 12:10 PM ET.

Results Summarized:

  • Meryl Davis and Charlie White – Top ice dance short dance score with a 75.98.
  • Ashley Wagner – Fourth best ladies’ short program with a score of 63.10
  • Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir – Fourth place in the pair’s free program with a 117.94.
  • US Team – Currently in third place with a three point lead on fourth (Italy) and four point lead on fifth (Japan). No real chance of moving up to silver. Three rounds on Sunday: men’s free program at 10 AM ET, ladies’ free program at 11:05 AM ET, and ice dance free dance at 12:10 PM ET.

Freestyle Skiing

Events:

  • Women’s moguls qualification – Round 2
  • Women’s moguls final – Round 1
  • Women’s moguls final – Round 2
  • Women’s moguls final – Round 3

The moguls event continued on Saturday beginning with a second round of qualification. 16 competitors were left competing for ten more spots in the final. Heather McPhie was the only US competitor and her score of 18.85 placed her sixth and got her safely into the final.

In the first round of the final the 20 finalists would be narrowed down to 12 after only one run each. That knocked out McPhie who finished 13th with a 20.05, just .07 behind 12th, when she was bumped down by the final competitor, fellow American Hannah Kearney. Kearney ended up seventh in the round with a 20.95. The top American in the round was Eliza Outtrim who finished second with a score of 21.81.

In the second round of the final the 12 finalists were narrowed down to six after a single run. Kearney made this one a no-doubter as her score of 21.93 was the top in the field. Outtrim had to sweat it out a bit more as her 21.53 placed fifth but both move on to the final.

In the final Outtrim had a rough run and finished with only a 19.37. That left her in sixth place. Kearney was the last to go and needed to top a 22.44 to win the gold. She could only muster a 21.49 and ended up with the bronze.

Results Summarized:

  • Heather McPhie – Sixth in qualifying round two with a 18.85 to reach final. Eliminated in final round one after her 20.05 left her 13th.
  • Eliza Outtrim – Scored a 21.81 in final round one to place second and move into final round two. Scored a 21.53 in final round two to place fifth and move into final round three. Scored a 19.37 in final round three and finished sixth.
  • Hannah Kearney – Scored a 20.95 in final round one to place seventh and move into final round two. Scored a 21.93 in final round two to place first and move into final round three. Scored a 21.49 in final round three to win the bronze medal.

Ice Hockey

Events:

  • Women’s preliminary round – Group A – USA vs. Finland

The US got the game off to a great start as just 53 seconds in they got an even strength goal from Hilary Knight. They doubled the lead 7:42 into the second period with an even strength goal from Kelli Stack assisted by Knight and Megan Bozek. The US took advantage of a power play to score their third goal with 4:01 left in the second period. This one came from Alex Carpenter with an assist to Anne Schleper. Susana Tapani scored for Finland with 4:38 left in the game to make it 3-1 and that was the final. Jessie Vetter got the start in goal and saved 14 of 15 shots.

The USA women's hockey team will take on Finland Saturday to open their Olympic campaign.
The USA women’s hockey team beat Finland 3-1 on Saturday to open their Olympic campaign.

Photo Credit: _becaro_ via Compfight cc

Results Summarized:

  • US Team – They are tied with Canada in Group A with three points each but the US has a GD of just two while Canada has a GD of five. Likely won’t matter though as this group is likely to be determined when the US faces Canada in the final group stage match. The US will face Switzerland next on Monday at 5 AM ET.

Luge

Events:

  • Men’s singles run 1 – 9:30 AM
  • Men’s singles run 2 – 11:40 AM

The US has three athletes in the 39-man field for the men’s singles luge event. This event is four runs with the total time determining the winner. The first two runs were held on Saturday. In run one the top US competitor was Christopher Mazdzer who finished 10th in a time of 52.744, 0.574 seconds behind the leader. Tucker West came in 21st with a time of 53.142 and Aidan Kelly was 26th with a time of 53.275.

Mazdzer was again tops for the US in the second run with a 52.643 that was 12th fastest and left him in 13th with a time of 1:45.387, 1.238 seconds behind the leader. West was 23rd in the run with a 52.966 and is now 23rd overall with a total time of 1:46.108. Kelly was 26th in the run with a 53.192 and is 36th overall with a time of 1:46.467. All three will be back in action when the third run starts at 9:30 AM ET Sunday and in run four at 11:30 AM ET.

Results Summarized:

  • Christopher Mazdzer – Mazdzer was 10th in run one (52.744) and 12th in run two (52.643). He’s now 13th overall at 1:45.387 and will start 13th in run three at 9:30 AM ET on Sunday.
  • Tucker West – West was 21st in run one (53.142) and 23rd in run two (52.966). He’s now 23rd overall at 1:46.108 and will start 23rd in run three at 9:30 AM ET on Sunday.
  • Aidan Kelly – Kelly was 26th in run one (53.275) and 26th in run two (53.192). He’s now 26th overall at 1:46.467 and will start 26th in run three at 9:30 AM ET on Sunday.

Ski Jumping

Events:

  • Men’s individual normal hill – qualification round – 11:30 AM

The individual normal hill event has a 50 man first round. Ten of these spots go to the top competitors based on previous results while the next 40 were awarded in the qualification round today. Four Americans were among the 51 competing for the 40 spots today. Anders Johnson was the top American with a 26th place score of 107.9.

Peter Frenette snuck into the top 40 with a 35th place finish on a score of 105.3 while Nick Alexander grabbed the last spot as his 100.7 was good enough for 40th. The only American not to move on was Nick Fairall who finished 50th with a score of 77.3 The other three are into Sunday’s first round at 12:30 PM ET. If they are in the top 40 after the first round they will jump again in the final round at 1:35 PM ET. The two jumps are combined for a total score to determine the winner.

Results Summarized:

  • Anders Johnson – Finished 26th with a score of 107.9 to qualify for Sunday’s first round at 12:30 PM ET. He will jump fifth in the round.
  • Peter Frenette – Finished 35th with a score of 105.3 to qualify for Sunday’s first round at 12:30 PM ET. He will jump tenth in the round.
  • Nick Alexander – Finished 40th with a score of 100.7 to qualify for Sunday’s first round at 12:30 PM ET. He will jump first in the round.
  • Nick Fairall – Finished 50th with a score of 77.3 and failed to qualify for Sunday’s first round.

Snowboarding

Events:

  • Men’s slopestyle semifinal – 12:30 AM
  • Men’s slopestyle final – 3:45 AM

The men’s slopestyle semifinal began on Saturday with 20 athletes looking to vie for just four spots including three Americans desperate to reach the final. On run one Sage Kotsenburg went big time with an 89 that left him in second after the run. Ryan Stassel also scored in the top four with an 83.25 that left him fourth. Only Chas Guldemond didn’t have a great result as his 13.25 score left him last.

Run two saw Kotsenburg edge his score even higher with a 90.50, though he was still second overall. Stassel couldn’t improve his score after an 81.75 and eventually slipped from the top four to sixth and missed out on the final. Guldemond was last to go and knew beating a 84.75 would get him into the final. He couldn’t do it though as a 79.75 left him in seventh. Only one American would move on into the final.

In the final Kotsenburg put up a huge 93.50 on his first run. He watched as no one matched it on that run. He tried to top it himself but came up short with an 83.25. And he watched as everyone tried to beat it again. No one could match that run and amazingly Sage Kotsenburg finished eighth in his qualifying heat, advanced from the semifinal on Saturday morning, and won a gold medal for the US.

Results Summarized:

  • Chas Guldemond – 79.75 score in the semifinals left him seventh and not in the final.
  • Ryan Stassel – 83.25 score in the semifinals left him sixth and not in the final.
  • Sage Kotsenburg – 90.50 on run two in the semifinals was the second best and qualified him for the final. In the final hit a 93.50 on the first run and no could ever match it as he won gold.

Speed Skating

Events:

  • Men’s 5000m – 6:30 AM

Three Americans were part of the 26-man field for the 5000m event. Each athlete gets one chance, best time wins. Patrick Meek was part of the first pairing but his time of 6:32.94 was only top after that pair and he finished 20th. Emery Lehman competed in the seventh pairing and put up a time of 6:29.94 and finished 16th. The final American, Jonathan Kuck, was in the tenth pairing and his time of 6:31.53 left him 19th.

Results Summarized:

  • Emery Lehman – Finished 16th with a time of 6:29.94.
  • Jonathan Kuck – Finished 19th with a time of 6:31.53.
  • Patrick Meek – Finished 20th with a time of 6:32.94.
Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Daily Previews, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Luge, Olympics, Ski Jumping, Snowboarding, Sochi 2014, Speed Skating

February 8th – Sochi 2014 – Daily Preview

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The Opening Ceremonies are over (even though you haven’t seen them yet) and the Olympics are ready to kick into full gear as the US will have competitors in nine different disciplines today. Things are about to get busy!

All times below are ET.

Biathlon

Events: Saturday is the men’s 10km sprint competition. Each athlete will start 30 seconds apart with each missed target during the shooting portions resulting in a 150m penalty loop. The fastest time is the winner, but that probably won’t be the first guy across the finish line due to the staggered start.

Four Americans are in the field. Lowell Bailey is the first to go for the US (9:43 AM), Tim Burke will start at 9:51:30 AM, Leif Nordgren starts at 10:06:30 AM, and Russell Currier is literally the last one to go, 87th overall, at 10:13:30 AM.

When:

  • Men’s 10km sprint – 9:30 AM

Live Streaming: A live stream will be available on the NBC Olympics website and on the NBC Sports Live Extra app. You will probably have to authenticate a cable subscription to watch the live streams of the Olympics.

TV Coverage: The biathlon will be included in NBC’s daytime coverage from 2:30-6 PM ET

Cross-Country Skiing

Events: Saturday is the women’s skiathlon! This is a race of 7.5km in the classic style, a switch of equipment, and then 7.5km in the freestyle. This is a mass start event so the first one across the finish line wins.

Four Americans are in the field of 61: Elizabeth Stephen, Jessica Diggins, Sadie Bjornsen, and Holly Brooks.

When:

  • Women’s 15km Skiathlon (7.5km classic + 7.5 km free) – 5 AM

Live Streaming: A live stream will be available on the NBC Olympics website and on the NBC Sports Live Extra app. You will probably have to authenticate a cable subscription to watch the live streams of the Olympics.

TV Coverage: Cross-country skiing will be shown LIVE on NBCSN during their programming from 5:30 AM – 9:30 AM ET. It will also be included in NBC’s daytime coverage from 2:30-6 PM ET

Figure Skating

Events: The team event continues on Saturday morning with the ice dance short dance and the ladies’ short program. After these two programs the top five nations will move on to the free programs while the bottom five are eliminated. The US currently sits in a tie for fifth place with Germany and France. The free programs will begin with the pairs’ free skate on Saturday before finishing on Sunday.

The US ice dancing couple of Meryl Davis and Charlie White will be the last couple to skate while Ashley Wagner will be the ladies competitor for the US and skate seventh. It’s unknown what order the pairs would go for their free skate and while it’s possible that Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir could be replaced (each team can swap out skaters in two events for the free programs) it seems unlikely that they would not compete if the US is still around.

Ashley Wagner will compete for the US in the team event on Saturday.
Ashley Wagner will compete for the US in the team event on Saturday.

Photo Credit: nabechiko29 via Compfight cc

When:

  • Ice dance short dance – 9:30 AM
  • Ladies’ short program – 11:10 AM
  • Pairs’ free skate – 1:05 PM

Live Streaming: A live stream will be available on the NBC Olympics website and on the NBC Sports Live Extra app. You will probably have to authenticate a cable subscription to watch the live streams of the Olympics.

TV Coverage: The figure skating will be shown LIVE on NBCSN from 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM ET. It will also be included in NBC’s evening Olympic coverage, 8-11:30 PM ET, and the late night coverage, 12-1 AM ET Sunday morning.

Freestyle Skiing

Events: The women’s moguls competition that started on Thursday will be wrapped up on Saturday. Ten athletes moved into the final on Thursday leaving 20 more to compete for the final ten spots on Saturday. We know that the field won’t be a full 20 though as American Olympian Heidi Kloser tore her ACL on Thursday in warm-ups and won’t compete. There are two other athletes that didn’t start on Thursday, not sure if they will be part of the field this time. Heather McPhie will be the first competitor down the slope and is the only American in the field. A top ten score will place her into the final later on Saturday.

We know already that two Americans will begin the final: Eliza Outtrim and Hannah Kearney. The final consists of three rounds that will knock the field down bit by bit. Each round consists of one run for each athlete and the top scores move on. The first round will get us down to the top 12, the second round gets us down to the top six, and the final round of six athletes will be for the medals.

When:

  • Women’s moguls qualification – round 2 – 9 AM
  • Women’s moguls final – round 1 – 1 PM
  • Women’s moguls final – round 2 – 1:35 PM
  • Women’s moguls final – round 3 – 2:10 PM

Live Streaming: A live stream will be available on the NBC Olympics website and on the NBC Sports Live Extra app. You will probably have to authenticate a cable subscription to watch the live streams of the Olympics.

TV Coverage: The freestyle skiing will be included in NBC’s evening Olympic coverage, 8-11:30 PM ET.

Ice Hockey

Events: The women’s ice hockey competition will kick off on Saturday with the US taking on Finland in Group A. Remember that all four teams in group A will move into the knockout round, but the top two get byes to the semifinals while teams three and four have to play quarterfinal matches. The US will be looking to open up the Olympics with a win and get an early leg up on one of those byes.

The USA women's hockey team will take on Finland Saturday to open their Olympic campaign.
The USA women’s hockey team will take on Finland Saturday to open their Olympic campaign.

Photo Credit: _becaro_ via Compfight cc

When:

  • Women’s preliminary round – Group A – USA vs. Finland – 3 AM

Live Streaming: A live stream will be available on the NBC Olympics website and on the NBC Sports Live Extra app. You will probably have to authenticate a cable subscription to watch the live streams of the Olympics.

TV Coverage: The game will be LIVE on NBCSN at 3 AM ET.

Luge

Events: The men’s singles event starts on Saturday with the first two runs out of four. Three Americans are in the field of 39. Christopher Mazdzer will be the fourth competitor to drop in, Tucker West goes 25th, and Aidan Kelly is 27th off the line. The second run will be started in the order of the times from the first run with the fastest competitor going last.

When: 

  • Men’s singles run 1 – 9:30 AM
  • Men’s singles run 2 – 11:40 AM

Live Streaming: A live stream will be available on the NBC Olympics website or on the NBC Sports Live Extra app. You will probably have to authenticate a cable subscription to watch the live streams of the Olympics.

TV Coverage: The luge will be included in NBC’s late night coverage, 12-1 AM ET Sunday morning.

Ski Jumping

Events: The men’s normal hill event begins on Saturday with the qualification round. 51 competitors will be competing for 40 spots in the main event. Ten other competitors are already qualified from their past results and will automatically be in the main event. The US has four competitors in the field. Nicholas Alexander will be the first competitor to go, Anders Johnson is going 13th, Peter Frenette goes 19th, and Nicholas Fairall goes 20th.

When:

  • Men’s individual normal hill – qualification round – 11:30 AM

Live Streaming: A live stream will be available on the NBC Olympics website and on the NBC Sports Live Extra app. You will probably have to authenticate a cable subscription to watch the live streams of the Olympics.

TV Coverage: The ski jumping will be included in NBC’s daytime coverage from 2:30 – 6 PM ET.

Snowboarding

Events: Thursday is the end of the men’s slopestyle competition. First will be a semifinal round that will qualify four more athletes into the final that already has eight competitors. These four spots will be contested among 21 competitors including three Americans: Chas Guldemond (21st and last to go), Sage Kotsenburg (14th to go), and Ryan Stassel (12th to go). The start order is based off of the results from the qualification and will be the same for both runs. In the semifinals each competitor gets two runs and their best score counts. The top four scores move into the final.

If any Americans do get into the final they will be part of a 12-man field that will each take two runs. The top scoring run is all that counts and each athlete gets two runs to get their best score. The run order will start with the four from the semifinal in the reverse order they finished followed by the eight already into the field in the reverse order of their scores from Thursday. The second runs will be done using the reverse order of the scores from the first run. The top scoring athlete on the first run will get the chance to see what everyone else has done before his second run.

When: 

  • Men’s slopestyle semifinal – 12:30 AM
  • Men’s slopestyle final – 3:45 AM

Live Streaming: A live stream will be available on the NBC Olympics website or on the NBC Sports Live Extra app. You will probably have to authenticate a cable subscription to watch the live streams of the Olympics.

TV Coverage: The snowboarding will be included in NBC’s evening Olympic coverage, 8-11:30 PM ET.

Speed Skating

Events: Speed Skating gets underway Saturday with the men’s 5000m event. This event has athletes going two at a time with the times ranked for our final standings. Three Americans are in the 26-man field. Patrick Meek will be in the first pair while Emery Lehman is in the seventh pair. Finally Jonathan Kuck will be in the 10th pair.

When: 

  • Men’s 5000m – 6:30 AM

Live Streaming: A live stream will be available on the NBC Olympics website or on the NBC Sports Live Extra app. You will probably have to authenticate a cable subscription to watch the live streams of the Olympics.

TV Coverage: Speed skating will be shown LIVE on NBCSN during their programming from 5:30 AM – 9:30 AM ET. It will also be included in NBC’s daytime coverage from 2:30-6 PM ET

Olympic Previews, Olympics, Sochi 2014, Speed Skating

Speed Skating Preview

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The US has the most gold medals in speed skating at the Olympics but the US has struggled some in recent years, especially on the women’s side. Can an experienced team for the US top the four medals from Vancouver or will the medal count continue to fall off?

Speed Skating’s Olympic History

Speed skating made its Olympic debut at the very first Winter Olympics in 1924, but it nearly began earlier than that. In 1916 speed skating was on the program for the Summer Olympics in Berlin. Unfortunately those Olympics were cancelled because of World War I and speed skating had to wait eight more years for its Olympic debut. Speed skating began with five men’s events, just one less than there is today, and four of the original events are still contested today. Women’s speed skating was a demonstration sport in Lake Placid in 1932 but didn’t become an Olympic sport until 1960 when it had just as many events as men’s speed skating. For a few Olympics there was one more men’s event than women’s, but the number has been balanced since 1988 and today there are six events for men and for women.

Two countries, the Netherlands (82) and Norway (80) have more medals than the 67 won by the US. No country though has more golds than the US with 29. The Netherlands are close behind with 27 while Norway has 25. There have been medals won by 23 different countries with 17 countries winning a gold medal.

How the Speed Skating Competitions Work

While there are a lot of events in speed skating there isn’t a lot of difference between the events other than distance. The individual races involve the athletes doing 400m laps around the rink enough times to cover the distance. Two athletes will go at a time with an inner and outer lane. Since the inside lane is shorter than the outside lane the athletes have to swap lanes after each lap so that they each cover the same distance. The only exception is the 500m races. 500m is not much longer than the track’s 400m length so it’s not possible for each athlete to do a lap on each lane. To overcome this each athlete will skate two races with their second race in the opposite lane as what they used in the first. The combined time from the two races determines the final standings.

The only event not done with this format is the team pursuit events. In the team pursuit events teams of three skaters will take to the ice in head-to-head competition. Whichever team finishes first moves on. The skaters will alternate leading their team as the leader will face the most air resistance. The team’s time is based on when their final skater crosses the finish line. The two teams both start at the same time on opposite ends of the track so there’s no need for an inside and outside lane.

US Team

The team is made up of nine men and eight women. Nine of the 17 athletes were on the team in Vancouver while three of them were also on the team in Turin.

Links are to twitter accounts for the athletes.

US Speed Skating

Men:
Shani Davis** – 500m, 1000m, 1500m
Tucker Fredricks** – 500m
Jonathan Garcia – 1000m
Brian Hansen* – 500m, 1000m, 1500m, team pursuit
Jonathan Kuck* – 1500m, 5000m, team pursuit
Emery Lehman – 5000m, 10000m
Joey Mantia – 1000m, 1500m
Patrick Meek – 5000m
Mitchell Whitmore* – 500m

Women:
Brittany Bowe – 500m, 1000m, 1500m, team pursuit
Lauren Cholewinski* – 500m
Kelly Gunther – 1000m
Maria Lamb** – 5000m
Heather Richardson* – 500m, 1000m, 1500m, team pursuit
Anna Ringsred – 3000m
Jilleanne Rookard* – 1500m, 3000m, team pursuit
Sugar Todd – 500m, 1000m

* – Was on team in Vancouver
** – Was on team in Vancouver & Turin

A Sochi 2014 Speed Skating list on twitter including all of these athletes

US Team’s Olympic History

Shani Davis was one of the US stars in Vancouver. Davis competed in four events and had some success and some disappointment. In the first 500m race Davis came in 18th and was too far behind to be in medal contention. There were some issues with the ice so the event had some delays and he choose to pull out of the event since he was out of contention. In the 1000m race Davis took home the gold medal while he grabbed a silver in the 1500m race. Davis also competed in the 5000m race where he ended up 12th. Davis took home the same combination of medals in Turin, and from the same races! A gold in the 1000m and a silver in the 1500m. Davis also competed in the 5000m race and came in seventh.

Tucker Fredricks competed in just one event for the US in Vancouver, the 500m. In the first race he ended up 15th but posted a strong ninth best time in race two to end up 12th overall. Fredricks competed in the same event for the US in Turin. Fredricks was 25th after the first run and ended up 25th in the end.

Vancouver saw the Olympic debut of Brian Hansen, but he competed in just one individual event, the 1500m, where he finished 18th. Hansen’s best moments came though as part of the team pursuit team that beat Japan and the Netherlands before falling to Canada in the final and taking home a silver. Hansen took part in the races against the Netherlands and Canada.

Jonathan Kuck’s Olympic debut in Vancouver was much like that of Hansen. Kuck was also part of the silver medal winning team pursuit team and was part of the three-man team for all three races. Kuck also competed in the 10000m race where he finished eighth.

Another first-time Olympian in Vancouver was Mitchell Whitmore. Whitmore competed in only the 500m event for the US finishing in 39th in race one and 34th in race two for a 37th overall finish.

Lauren Cholewinski also debuted at the Olympics in 2010. Much like Whitmore she competed only in the 500m event and finished 29th in race one and 32nd in race two for a 30th overall finish.

Maria Lamb came to Vancouver with some experience and competed for the US in the 5000m event. She finished in 15th. In Turin she had skated the 1500m event where she finished 27th and took part in the team pursuit event. Lamb competed for each race for a US team that lost their quarterfinal to Canada and lost the fifth place final to the Netherlands to end up sixth.

Heather Richardson took part in three events for the US in Vancouver. She made a good run at a medal in her first Olympics as she finished sixth in the 500m event, ninth in the 1000m event, and 16th in the 1500m event.

The final skater who debuted in Vancouver was Jileanne Rookard. Rookard competed in three individual events for the US and had her best finish (eight) in the 5000m event. She finished 12th in the 3000m event and 24th in the 1500m event. Rookard was also part of the team pursuit event and was part of the US team in all three races they had. The US shocked Canada in the quarterfinals but lost to Germany in the semifinals and missed out on a bronze when they lost to Poland in the 3rd place final.

Schedule

All Times ET, * indicates medals awarded
Saturday, February 8th
*6:30 AM – Men’s 5000m

Sunday, February 9th
*6:30 AM – Ladies’ 3000m

Monday, February 10th
8 AM – Men’s 500m Race 1 of 2
*9:55 AM – Men’s 500m Race 2 of 2

Tuesday, February 11th
7:45 AM – Ladies’ 500m Race 1 of 2
*9:34 AM – Ladies’ 500m Race 2 of 2

Wednesday, February 12th
*9 AM – Men’s 1000m

Thursday, February 13th
*9 AM – Ladies’ 1000m

Saturday, February 15th
*8:30 AM – Men’s 1500m

Sunday, February 16th
*9 AM – Ladies’ 1500m

Tuesday, February 18th
*8 AM – Men’s 10000m

Wednesday, February 19th
*8:30 AM – Ladies’ 5000m

Friday, February 21st
8:30 AM – Men’s Team Pursuit Quarterfinals
9:23 AM – Ladies’ Team Pursuit Quarterfinals
10:12 AM – Men’s Team Pursuit Semifinals

Saturday, February 22nd
8:30 AM – Ladies’ Team Pursuit Semifinals
*8:51 AM – Men’s Team Pursuit Finals
*9:14 AM – Ladies’ Team Pursuit Finals

US Team’s Recent World Championship History

The latest Speed Skating world championship, the 2013 World Single Distance Speed Skating Championship, was held in Sochi in March 2013.

Mitchell Whitmore and Tucker Fredricks both competed for the US in the men’s 500m event. They finished the first race in 24th and 22nd and then went 23rd and 24th in the second race to finish 23rd and 24th in the 24 athlete field.

In the 1000m event Shani Davis, Mitchell Whitmore, and Brian Hansen all competed. Whitmore, who isn’t going to be competing in the 1000m in the Olympics, wound up 22nd while Brian Hansen was ninth and within 0.77 seconds of the winner. Shani Davis nearly took home the gold but came up 0.16 seconds short and won the bronze.

In the 1500m event three Americans who will be competing in the Olympics, Shani Davis, Brian Hansen, and Jonathan Kuck, all took part. Kuck was the furthest away from the top in 22nd while Brian Hansen came very close to a bronze. Hansen finished in fourth 0.43 seconds away from a medal. Shani Davis again came up just short, this time 0.51 seconds, and took home a silver.

Jonathan Kuck and Emery Lehman both took part in the 5000m for the US. Kuck was the top American in the field with a 12th place finish while Lehman ended up 20th.

Kuck also took part in the 10000m event, though he won’t be racing that event in the Olympics. Kuck ended up 12th out of 14 competitors.

On the women’s side Heather Richardson, Brittany Bowe, and Lauren Cholewinski were all part of the 500m event. Cholewinski (20th) and Bowe (14th) were out of medal contention after race one while Richardson’s sixth place finish left her in the mix. Cholewinski finished race two in 22nd and split the difference to finish 21st overall while Bowe was 14th again and ended up 14th. Richardson had a slower time in race two on the inside track and was tenth in race two. That left her in 8th place overall.

Heather Richardson improved on that finish in the 1000m event where she ended up eight while Anna Ringsred, who won’t compete in the 1000m at the Olympics, ended up in 21st. The big story though was Brittany Bowe who was impressive for the US taking home the bronze and finishing 0.43 seconds away from the winner.

Anna Ringsred, who will be competing for the US in only the 3000m event in the Olympics, was the only US athlete in the 1500m event where she finished last in the 18 athlete field.

Maria Lamb competed for the US in the 5000m event and ended up 11th but just eight seconds behind fourth place.

US Olympic History

In Salt Lake City US took home eight speed skating medals. It was their largest haul since 1980. They nearly matched that in Turin when they took home seven medals, their third most all-time. Vancouver didn’t go quite as well as the US took home just four medals but when you consider the US never won more than three from 1984 through 1998 it’s not so bad!

In the men’s 500m event the US has taken home 16 medals and won golds in 2002 in 2006, but they didn’t finish in the top ten in Vancouver with Tucker Fredricks the top American in 12th.

The 1000m event has been an US specialty with half of the ten gold medals going to the US. Shani Davis is the two-time defending champion in this event, the US has won multiple medals in back-to-back Olympics and the US has now medaled in three straight Olympics.

After only winning three medals in the first 18 1500m Olympic events the US has now won four medals in the last three Olympics and has won silver or better in all three. Shani Davis is the two-time defending silver medalist.

The 5000m event has been another tough one for the US before a silver in Salt Lake City and a gold in Turin. In Vancouver three Americans were in the top 15, but none finished higher than 11th (Chad Hedrick).

A similar story can be told of the 10000m event where the US has only medaled once since 1980, a silver by Chad Hedrick in Turin. Vancouver’s best was Jonathan Kuck who finished eighth.

Team pursuit has only been held twice and the US got their first medal, a silver, in Vancouver. Two of the members of that team, Brian Hansen and Jonathan Kuck, are back in Sochi.

On the women’s side the US medaled ten times in the first ten 500m events including half of the gold medals. Since Bonnie Blair won her 3rd gold in a row in 1994 the US has been held off the medal stand altogether. Heather Richardson came close in 2010 with a sixth place finish and will look to get a medal this time.

The US medaled in the 1000m event in nine of the ten Olympics from 1968 to 2002. Since then, nothing. In Vancouver Jennifer Rodriguez was the closest to getting there with a seventh place finish.

After a medal drought from 1976 to 1998 in the 1500m event the US had bronze medalists in Nagano and Salt Lake City. Since then though, again no medals for the US. No US athletes were in the top 15 in Vancouver with Heather Richardson the closest in 16th.

The 3000m event has only seen US medalists twice and the most recent was Beth Heiden in 1980. Nancy Swider-Peltz, Jr. came closest in Vancouver with a ninth place finish but the US is still staring at a 34 year medal drought in this event.

The 5000m event has been held seven times but the US has never medaled. Jilleanne Rookard was the top US athlete in Vancouver finishing in 8th.

The team pursuit event has been held twice with no medals so far for the US. In 2010 the US reached the semifinals before two straight losses left them in 4th. Jilleanne Rookard is the only member of this team back for 2014.