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UPDATED: THE MEN SKATE FOR GOLD & SNOWBOARD CROSS MAKES ITS OLYMPIC DEBUT ON THURSDAY ON NBC
THE MEN SKATE FOR GOLD & SNOWBOARD CROSS MAKES ITS OLYMPIC DEBUT ON THURSDAY, DAY 7 OF THE TORINO GAMES
"We're Going to See One of the Best and Deepest Men's Competitions That I've Seen in a Long Time."-Button
TORINO, Italy -- February 15, 2006 -- The men's figure skating medals are decided Thursday on NBC's continuing coverage of the Torino Olympics on NBC, USA Network, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC HD and Universal HD. NBC's Thursday primetime coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/PT as American Johnny Weir skates for gold against Russia's Yevgeny Plushenko, the leader after the short program, and the U.S.'s Seth Wescott competes in snowboard cross, which is makes its Olympic debut in Torino.
"We're going to see one of the best and deepest men's competitions that I've seen in a long time. Look particularly for the jumping ability of Yevgeny Plushenko (Russia,) the dance ability of Evan Lysacek (U.S.,) the smoothness of Johnny Weir (U.S.,) the absolute skater's skater quality of Matt Savoie (U.S.,) the magnificent spins of Stephane Lambiel (Switzerland,) and the movie star good looks of Brian Joubert (France.) It's going to be one heck of a good competition," said NBC's skating analyst Dick Button.
As snowboard cross makes its Olympic debut, the Americans are the favorites in both the women's and men's competitions. NBC's snowboarding analyst Todd Richards said, "Coming into Torino, Seth Wescott's and Lindsey Jacobellis's chances in this course are great because it has very freestyle oriented features found mostly in terrain park environments. Wescott and Jacobellis both have halfpipe and great freeride skills and this will give them the advantage over the others who concentrate only on racing."
Highlights for Thursday, Feb. 16, 2006, include:
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16
NBC
4:00 p.m.�5:00 p.m.
Cross Country�Women's 10km Gold Medal Final
Nordic Combined�Team Gold Medal Final:
Ski Jumping: Large Hill Team Jumping
Cross Country: Team 4x5km Relay
8:00 p.m.�Midnight
Figure Skating�Men's Free Skate Gold Medal Final
Snowboarding-Men's Snowboard Cross Gold Medal Final
Skeleton�Women's Gold Medal Final
12:35 a.m.�2:00 a.m.
The Olympic Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Figure Skating�Men's Free Skate Analysis
Speed Skating�Men's and Women's Team Pursuit Gold Medal Finals
Medals Plaza�Awards Ceremonies
2:00 a.m.�5:00 a.m.
Primetime Replay
USA
6:00 a.m.�11:00 a.m.
Biathlon�Women's 7.5km Sprint Gold Medal Final (LIVE)
Snowboarding�Men's Snowboard Cross Competition
Curling�Men: USA vs. Sweden (LIVE)
3:00 p.m.�6:00 p.m.
Hockey�Men: USA vs. Kazakhstan (LIVE)
6:00 p.m.�7:00 p.m.
Olympic Ice
MSNBC
6:00 a.m.�4:30 p.m.
Hockey�Men: Finland vs. Italy (LIVE)
Men: Czech Republic vs. Switzerland (LIVE)
Men: Sweden vs. Russia (LIVE)
Men: Slovakia vs. Latvia (LIVE)
Men: Canada vs. Germany (LIVE)
CNBC
5:00 p.m.�8:00 p.m.
Curling�Women: USA vs. Sweden
UNIVERSAL HD
6:00 a.m.�1:30 p.m.
Hockey�Men: Finland vs. Italy (LIVE)
Men: Czech Republic vs. Switzerland (LIVE)
Men: Sweden vs. Russia (LIVE)
Men: Slovakia vs. Latvia (LIVE)
3:00 p.m.�6:00 p.m.
Hockey�Men: USA vs. Kazakhstan (LIVE)
6:00 p.m.�7:00 p.m.
Olympic Ice
NBC HIGHLIGHTS (Primetime):
He has the look. He has the style. He has the jumps. Russia's three-time figure skating world champion Yevgeny Plushenko has everything--except Olympic gold (he earned a silver medal in Salt Lake.) He's favored to win tonight, but his American challengers include three-time National Champion Johnny Weir (Newark, Del.), 2005 World bronze medalist Evan Lysacek (Naperville, Ill.), and Cornell law-student-to-be Matt Savoie (Peoria, Ill.), who qualified for his first Olympic team at age 25.
Snowboard Cross, the newest snowboarding event on the Olympic program, attracts the sport's thrill-seekers in a physical, all-out four-man race. Imagine BMX racing on snow, with competitors navigating bumps, jumps and turns down a slick mountainside, struggling for position as they drive toward the finish. The reigning world champion and Torino favorite is Maine's Seth Wescott, who spends part of his off-season in search of towering Alaskan peaks never before touched by ski or snowboard.
Tonight in the skeleton final, 15 women will rocket down the track, headfirst and facedown, with their chins just inches off the ice at nearly 80 mph in search of gold. Watch for Katie Uhlaender (Breckenridge, Colo.), daughter of former major leaguer Ted Uhlaender.
NBC HIGHLIGHTS (Daytime):
Four years ago, Todd Lodwick (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) nearly led Team USA to its first-ever Olympic medal in nordic combined, finishing fourth--just out of the medals--in this, the team event. Lodwick is back in Torino, having refocused his efforts toward ending this medal drought.
NBC HIGHLIGHTS (Latenight):
Tune in for exclusive analysis of the men's figure skating competition, which concludes tonight, and see if the favorite, Russia's dynamic three-time world champion Yevgeny Plushenko, claimed the one prize that has eluded him--Olympic gold.
Tonight at the speed skating oval, the sport's latest addition to the Olympic program--the men's and women's team pursuit events features three skaters per team skating in tandem in a head-to-head showdown that will determine Olympic gold.
USA HIGHLIGHTS:
The LIVE hockey marathon continues with Mike Modano (Livonia, Mich.) and the U.S. men's team on the ice against Kazakhstan. Team USA earned silver in Salt Lake City and is looking to stand one step higher on the Torino medal podium.
Also, world champion Seth Wescott of Maine races to advance toward the medal round in the Olympic debut of snowboarding's newest Olympic event--snowboard cross--a physical, all-out four-man race.
Highlights for Friday, Feb. 17, 2006, include:
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17
NBC
4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Cross Country-Men's 15km Gold Medal Final
8:00 p.m.-11:30 p.m.
Figure Skating-Ice Dancing Competition
Snowboarding-Women's Snowboard Cross Gold Medal Final
Alpine Skiing-Women's Combined (Downhill & Slalom) Gold Medal Final
Skeleton-Men's Gold Medal Final
Ski Jumping-K125-Large Hill Individual Competition
12:05 a.m.-1:30 a.m.
The Olympic Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Medals Plaza-Awards Ceremonies
1:30 a.m.-5:00 a.m.
Primetime Replay
USA
4:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Curling-Men's Match
Women USA vs. Russia - (LIVE)
Hockey-USA Women's Semifinal (LIVE)
Bobsled-Two Man Final Training Runs
6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Olympic Ice
MSNBC
3:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Hockey-Women's Semifinal (LIVE)
CNBC
5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Curling-Men: USA vs. Switzerland
UNIVERSAL HD
11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Hockey-USA Women's Semifinal (LIVE)
3:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Hockey-Women's Semifinal (LIVE)
6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Olympic Ice
NBC HIGHLIGHTS (Primetime):
The figure skating competition continues with the elegance and artistry of ice dancing, the event that was immortalized with Torvill and Dean's Bolero. The top USA duo, Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto (Canton, Mich.,) won the silver medal at the 2005 World Championships and could become the first Americans to win a medal in this event since 1976. Belbin, who was born in Canada and did not expect to be able to represent the U.S. in 2006, became an American citizen on December 31, just 41 days before the Opening Ceremony.
One downhill dash and two slalom runs will determine who wins gold in the women's combined. Alpine queens Janica Kostelic (Croatia) and Anja Paerson (Sweden) are the favorites, but keep an eye on Minnesota native Lindsey Kildow, who is expected to compete despite having been hospitalized earlier in the week after a scary crash during her downhill training run.
World champion Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.,) introduced to America as the featured star of VISA's Torino Winter Games ad campaign, looks to make history tonight by winning the first ever gold medal in women's snowboard cross--in a head-to-head four-woman race down a course filled with bumps and jumps. Imagine BMX racing on snow, with competitors navigating bumps, jumps and turns down a slick mountainside, struggling for position as they drive toward the finish.
It's the men's turn to navigate the Olympic skeleton track's tricky turns headfirst and face down at high speeds for gold. The USA has medal possibilities in this wide-open event, including Pennsylvania's Eric Bernotas, who gave up his job as a stone mason to pursue the sport four years ago.
Ski Jumping moves to the K125-large hill, where skiers reach speeds near 60 mph and can soar more than 400-feet, think of flying through both goal posts on a football field. Janne Ahonen is the latest "Flying Finn" and the reigning world champion in this event.
NBC HIGHLIGHTS (Daytime):
The world's best men's cross-country skiers, arguably the fittest athletes in the world, contest this draining, 15km (9.3 miles) race through the hills over Pragelato.
NBC HIGHLIGHTS (Latenight):
Medals and music from the Medals Plaza in downtown Torino.
USA HIGHLIGHTS:
The women's hockey tournament takes center ice with LIVE coverage of both semifinals. The reigning world champion USA squad and defending gold medalist Canada are expected to take the final step toward another gold medal showdown.
Listings subject to change, please check NBCOlympics.com for updates.
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