Category Archives: Olympics

Alpine Skiing, Olympics, Sochi 2014

Sochi 2014 – USA Gold Medal Winner #7 – Ted Ligety

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Of the first six gold medals won by the US, only one was awarded to someone who had medaled in the Olympics before (Meryl Davis and Charlie White: bronze in the team event here in Sochi, silver in Vancouver in the ice dance). The story for most of the winners has been about someone finally making it big on the biggest stage in the world.

That doesn’t really apply to Ted Ligety. Yes it’d been a long time since he was on top, but this was the 2006 Olympic gold medalist in the combined event. He also went and won the super-G, the combined, and the giant slalom in the last World Championships.

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Daily Previews, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Nordic Combined, Olympics, Sochi 2014

February 20th – Sochi 2014 – Daily Preview

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What’s on tap today? Just four disciplines and competition in five events with five gold medals up for grabs.

In today: nordic combined. Out today: Alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country, snowboarding, and speed skating.

All times below are ET.

Figure Skating

Events: All three US ladies had strong short programs. Now they are all in the top seven but all quite a bit behind the top three and probably needing help to reach the medal stand. The free skate begins at 10 AM but Polina Edmunds, seventh in the short program, will be the first American at 17th, fifth in group three. That should be about 12:42 PM.

In the final group going 22nd overall and fourth in the group will be Gracie Gold. Gold is in fourth heading into the free skate and will know if there is room for her to jump onto the medal stand. She will skate at about 1:30 PM. She’ll be followed immediately by Ashley Wagner who is in sixth and will skate at about 1:38 PM.

This is the final event for figure skating in Sochi. There will be a gala still to come on Saturday but that is just for entertainment purposes.

When:

  • *Ladies’ free skate – 10 AM
    • Polina Edmunds – Approx. 12:42 PM
    • Gracie Gold – Approx 1:30 PM
    • Ashley Wagner – Approx 1:38 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 10 AM-2 PM ET and included in NBC’s primetime coverage from 8-11:30 PM ET.

Continue reading February 20th – Sochi 2014 – Daily Preview →

Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Cross-Country Skiing, Daily Olympic Reviews, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Olympics, Snowboarding, Sochi 2014, Speed Skating

February 19th – Sochi 2014 – Daily Review

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The US won gold on Monday. The US won gold on Tuesday. The US won gold AGAIN on Thursday! It’s been a nice start to the final week of the Olympics for the US.

Alpine Skiing

Events:

  • *Men’s Giant Slalom Run 1
  • *Men’s Giant Slalom Run 2

Ted Ligety was the first American to go in the first run and made his mark with a 1:21.08 that would stand as the best run and was nearly a full second faster than anyone else. Bode Miller went next but couldn’t come close to matching Ligety’s time with a 1:23.64 that placed him just 26th. Tim Jitloff was the second best American with a 21st place, 1:23.23 run. Jared Goldberg was the final American and he placed 27th in 1:23.66.

In run two Goldberg went first for the US and put up a fantastic time of 1:23.82. That ended up being the sixth fastest second run and he finished 19th in a time of 2:47.48. Miller was next for the US and wasn’t as quick as his 1:24.18 was only 13th fastest in the second runs. Miller finished in 20th for the US with a total time of 2:47.82.  Jitloff had a really nice run as well with a eight place second run of 1:23.90 that moved him into 15th overall with a 2:47.13.

When it came time for Ligety’s final run he knew he wouldn’t even need to be nearly the best as his margin gave him some breathing room. When he got to the finish he was only 14th fastest in the second runs but the 1:24.21 was fast enough as his overall time of 2:45.29 gave him the gold by a 0.48 second margin.

Results Summarized:

  • Bode Miller – Finished 20th with a time of 2:47.82. Was 26th in the first run with a 1:23.64 and 13th fastest in the second run with a 1:24.18.
  • Jared Goldberg – Finished 19th with a time of 2:45.29. Was 27th in the first run with a 1:23.66 and 6th fastest in the second run with a 1:23.82.
  • Tim Jitloff – Finished 15th with a time of 2:47.13. Was 21st in the first run with a 1:23.23 and 8th fastest in the second run with a 1:23.90.
  • Ted Ligety – Won the gold medal with a time of 2:45.29. Was fastest in the first run with a 1:21.08 and 14th fastest in the second run with a 1:24.21.


Continue reading February 19th – Sochi 2014 – Daily Review →

Freestyle Skiing, Olympics, Sochi 2014

Sochi 2014 – USA Gold Medal Winner #6 – David Wise

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This was the first time we’d ever seen the halfpipe competition in freestyle skiing as part of the Olympics and so no one has ever had a chance to ride the pipe on skis to such attention before. David Wise is the first ever gold medalist in the freestyle skiing halfpipe.

Wise is an interesting story. He’s just 23 years old but already married with a daughter, perhaps not what you think of when you see someone drop into a halfpipe. His gold medal in Sochi was no surprise at all. This is the defending world champion in the halfpipe and he’s won the X-Games superpipe golds in three straight years as well.

Still it’s unlikely the attention those accomplishments brought him, especially in the mainstream press, will be anything like what he’ll see after Sochi.

You can give Wise a follow on twitter @mrDavidWise and follow his career on his website, david-wise.com. From everything we’ve seen from him so far he’s a classic American success story. A family man who is on the top of his career at the moment as well.

Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Cross-Country Skiing, Daily Previews, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Olympics, Snowboarding, Sochi 2014, Speed Skating

February 19th – Sochi 2014 – Daily Preview

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What’s on tap today? Lots of changes in what you’ll see! Eight disciplines and competition in nine events with seven gold medals up for grabs.

In today: Cross-country skiing, figure skating, and ice hockey. Out today: Freestyle skiing, nordic combined, and short track speed skating.

All times below are ET.

Alpine Skiing

Events: Four American men are in the field of 109 for the first run of the giant slalom at 2 AM. Ted Ligety goes first for the US, seventh overall with Bode Miller going 16th. The final two Americans are Tim Jitloff who goes 22nd and Jared Goldberg who goes 40th. The second run will be held at 5:30 AM with the two times combined for the final standings. In the second run the top 30 times will go first in reverse order of the standings, so we’ll know the winner before the final 70+ skiers have gone.

When:

  • Men’s Giant Slalom Run 1 – 2 AM
  • *Men’s Giant Slalom Run 2 – 5:30 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 alpine skiing will be included in NBC’s evening coverage from 8-11:30 PM ET.

Continue reading February 19th – Sochi 2014 – Daily Preview →

Figure Skating, Olympics, Sochi 2014

Sochi 2014 – USA Gold Medal Winners #5 – Meryl Davis and Charlie White

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For the first time when it comes time to talk about a gold medalist for the US in Sochi we aren’t talking about someone in a halfpipe or on a slopestyle course. We’re talking figure skating! Meryl Davis and Charlie White entered Sochi as the defending World Champions so there is no surprise around the world that they are now the gold medalists.

Still their story of being paired up 17 years ago and becoming gold medalists in a sport that the United States has never done much in is pretty incredible. I’ve watched figure skating in the Olympics for years and never was ice dancing something relevant to an American crowd, that just wasn’t the kind of skating the US was good at.

They have dominated ice dancing in the United States for years now, they are the six-time defending champions, and their last four world championship appearances have resulted in two golds and two silvers. They won silver in 2010 at the Olympics but now they are gold medalists.

The scores of Davis and White: 78.89 in the short dance, 116.63 in the free dance, and 195.52 in the total score, were all world records in the newer scoring system.

The gold medal in the Olympics will only propel Davis and White’s popularity to a new level in the US and at 26 and 27 their story would appear to be far from over.

Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Daily Olympic Reviews, Freestyle Skiing, Nordic Combined, Olympics, Short Track Speed Skating, Snowboarding, Sochi 2014, Speed Skating

February 18th – Sochi 2014 – Daily Review

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Tuesday saw another gold medal for the US as the US had a number of really good performances. Disciplines are wrapping up as we head into the final few days of the Olympics and people make their final appearance in Sochi.

Alpine Skiing

Events:

  • Women’s Giant Slalom Run 1
  • *Women’s Giant Slalom Run 2

The first competitor up for the US was Mikaela Shiffrin and she put up a great run of 1:18.79 that was only fourth best at the time. It would have staying power though and ended up fifth best in run one. Julia Mancuso was next and after chasing the pace in the first half of the hill she got off course and missed a gate to take a DNF. Later on Megan McJames finished in 1:22.77, 32nd, and Resi Stiegler finished in 1:22.69, 31st. 

The second run began with the first 30 in reverse order so Shiffrin was the first one to go for the US after 25 skiers. Shiffirn put up a good 1:18.58 run, sixth best of the second runs, and stayed in fifth with a 2:37.37, half a second off the lead. After the top 30 had gone McJames finished in 1:21.60, 30th best of the second heats, and her total time of 2:44.37 was 30th best. Stiegler went 29th best in run two with a 1:21.38 and she finished 29th overall with a 2:44.07.

Results Summarized:

  • Julia Mancuso – DNF on run one.
  • Megan McJames – Finished 30th with a time of 2:44.37. Was 32nd in run one with a 1:22.77 and 30th in run two with a 1:21.60.
  • Resi Stiegler – Finished 29th with a time of 2:44.07. Was 31st in run one with a 1:22.69 and 29th in run two with a 1:21.38.
  • Mikaela Shiffrin – Finished 5th with a time of 2:37.37. Was 5th in run one with a 1:18.79 and 6th in run two with a 1:18.58.

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Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Daily Previews, Freestyle Skiing, Nordic Combined, Olympics, Short Track Speed Skating, Snowboarding, Sochi 2014, Speed Skating

February 18th – Sochi 2014 – Daily Preview

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What’s on tap today? Lots of changes in what you’ll see! Eight disciplines and competition in nine events with six gold medals up for grabs. Of course that is all assuming there are no weather issues today…

In today: Alpine skiing, nordic combined, short track speed skating, and speed skating. Out today: curling (done at the Olympics for the US), figure skating, ice hockey, and ski jumping (done at the Olympics).

All times below are ET.

Alpine Skiing

Events: Four American women are in the field of 90 for the giant slalom at 12:30 AM. Mikaela Shiffrin goes first for the US, sixth overall with Julia Mancuso going 17th. The final two Americans are Megan McJames who goes 33rd and Resi Stiegler who goes 41st. The second run will be held at 4 AM with the two times combined for the final standings.

When:

  • Women’s Giant Slalom Run 1 – 12:30 AM
  • *Women’s Giant Slalom Run 2 – 4 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 alpine skiing will be included in NBC’s evening coverage from 8-11:30 PM ET.

Continue reading February 18th – Sochi 2014 – Daily Preview →

Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Curling, Daily Olympic Reviews, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Olympics, Ski Jumping, Snowboarding, Sochi 2014

February 17th – Sochi 2014 – Daily Review

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On Monday the US grabbed their first gold since Thursday and had a couple of historic firsts. Several events got canceled due to the weather and the US hockey team won a medal, we just won’t know which one until Thursday.

Biathlon

Events:

  • *Men’s mass start 15 km
  • *Women’s mass start 12.5 km

The men’s 15km mass-start was supposed to be Sunday. Then it got postponed until Monday. Then it was rescheduled, and now it’s been postponed again… to Tuesday. Fog in the area was just too dense to hold the event. Hopefully things will work better on Tuesday at 5:30 AM ET.

The women’s 12.5km mass start did happen with the only American in the field, Susan Dunklee. Dunklee had a great start and was in sixth heading into the second round of shooting but missed one target in each of the final three rounds of shooting. Despite a great effort in the skiing she couldn’t overcome the shooting woes and finished 12th in 36:57.9, 1:32.3 behind the winner.

Results Summarized:

  • Susan Dunklee – She finished in 12th with a time of 36:57.9, 1:32.3 behind the winner, after missing 3 targets.

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Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Curling, Daily Previews, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Olympics, Ski Jumping, Snowboarding, Sochi 2014

February 17th – Sochi 2014 – Daily Preview

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What’s on tap today? Eight disciplines and competition in nine events with six gold medals up for grabs. In today: Freestyle skiing and ski jumping. Out today: Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and speed skating.

All times below are ET.

Biathlon

Events: The men’s 15km mass-start will begin at 1 AM. The 30-man field will include only two Americans, Lowell Bailey and Tim Burke as they have the final chance to earn an individual medal for the US men in Sochi.

The women’s 12.5km mass start at 10 AM also features 30 in the field. The only American is Susan Dunklee.

When:

  • *Men’s 15km mass start – 1 AM
  • Women’s mass-start 12.5 km – 10 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 men’s biathlon will be included in coverage on NBCSN from 3-7 AM ET and in NBC’s daytime coverage from 3-5 PM ET. The women’s biathlon will be included in coverage on NBCSN from 1:30-3 PM ET.

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