So far in these Pyeongchang Olympics, the United States snowboarders have led the way, netting four of America’s five gold medals. On Sunday, the skiers will try to catch up.
Two events could provide a medal haul for the U.S.: Men’s skiing slopesstyle and men’s giant slalom. The Americans combined for four medals in the two events in Sochi, including a slopestyle sweep.
Here are our 6 to Watch for the next 24 hours in Pyeongchang:
U.S. Goes for Repeat Sweep
Three Olympic medals have been awarded in the men’s skiing slopestyle event — and they all went to America.
The event debuted in Sochi four years ago, and Americans took all three medals. Now, they’re hoping for a repeat sweep.
Local
Gus Kenworthy, who won the silver medal four years ago, and Nick Goeppert, who won the bronze, lead the U.S. contingent this time. McRae Williams rounds out the team.
Norway’s Oystein Braaten is expected to provide the stiffest competition. He won both X Games titles last season.
Watch live on NBC’s primetime coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Watch the qualifying rounds on digital platforms at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday here.
Watch the elimination rounds on digital platforms at 11:15 p.m. ET on Saturday at http://stream.nbcolympics.com/freeskiing-mens-slopestyle-final?chrcontext=XXXX
Mr. GS Goes for Third Giant Slalom Gold
There’s a reason they call Ted Ligety Mr. GS. He won an Olympic gold medal in the giant slalom in Sochi four years ago, and has three world titles. Ligety also has an Olympic gold in men's combined, but if he’s going to wind up on the podium in Pyeongchang, it’s most likely to happen in giant slalom
Of course, Mr. GS won all those medals and titles before a bad crash in 2016. He was sidelined for over a year recovering from an injured knee and back surgery. Now, at age 33, he’s trying to show he’s still one of the world’s best.
So far in Pyeongchang, he finished fifth in the Alpine combined, and he skied off the course in the super G.
For Ligety to win gold, he’ll have to beat one his longtime rival and friend, Austria’s Marcel Hirscher. Hirscher won an unprecedented sixth straight overall World Cup title last season, and his 55th World Cup victory in the giant slalom in January. He won the first Olympic gold medal earlier this week, in the Alpine combined.
Watch live on NBC’s primetime coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET Saturday.
Watch the first run on digital platforms at 8:15 p.m. ET Saturday here.
Watch the second run on digital platforms at 11:45 p.m. ET Saturday here.
[[474332893, C]]
Bohonnon Hopes to Ride Hurricane to Gold
Mac Bohonnon wants to win a gold medal while paying tribute to a friend.
Bohonnon is an American expected to contend in the freestyle skiing aerials event — and he might break out a trick called “The Hurricane,” an homage to Jeret “Speedy” Peterson, who used the Hurricane in 2010 to win a silver medal in Vancouver.
The Hurricane is a trick that involves three flips with five twists, and three of the twists come in the middle flip. Peterson, who died in 2011 at the age of 29, is the only person to complete the trick in completion — but Bohonnon has been practicing it.
“It’s a scary trick,” Bohonnon told the Associated Press. “And Speedy came out and did this all the time, like it was nothing.”
John Lillis could contend for the U.S. He’s been inconsistent the last few years, but ended the 2016-27 season with a world title. A repeat performance would get him a gold medal.
China’s Qi Guangpu and Belarus’ Anton Kushnir are also expected to contend for a medal.
Watch the aerials final on digital platforms at 6 am ET Sunday morning here.
Bergsma Hopes to End Speedskating Struggles
A year ago, Heather Bergsma seemed destined to single-handedly end America’s speedskating struggles. She won 9 of 11 World Cup starts in the 1000m and 1500m distances, including world championships in both. She seemed a good bet to win multiple medals in Pyeongchang.
In the past year, though, she only won one World Cup race. And in her first two races in the Olympics, in the 1000m and 1500m, she finished in eighth place in both.
“I don’t feel quite as good as I did last year,” she told NBC Olympics. “I think it shows throughout the season.”
Now, if Bergsma is going to win a medal, she’ll have to do it in her weakest event, the 500m.
For the U.S., it’s more of the same: The Americans failed to win a speedskating medal in Sochi, and haven’t won one in Pyeongchang yet. Bergsma and teammate Brittany Bowe are America’s best bets in the 500m.
Watch the 500m race on digital platforms at 6:56 a.m. ET here.
Martin Fourcade Skis and Shoots for History
Most Americans haven’t heard of him, but Martin Fourcade is one of the most decorated athletes in French history. And if he wins the men’s 15km biathlon mass start, he can become France’s first four-time Olympic gold medalist.
Fourcade won the 12.5km pursuit event earlier this week. He also won two gold medals at the Sochi games in 2014.
Lowell Bailey is his top American competition, but Bailey isn’t expected to contend for a medal. Germany’s Simon Schempp and Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Boe are his biggest competition.
Watch the 15km mass start on digital platforms at 6:15 a.m. Sunday here.
Team USA Takes on Japan
Team USA will take on Japan in round-robin men's curling action tonight at 7 p.m. ET. Watch the action live on NBC 6 here.
