What to watch on Day -1 of Sochi Olympics

By Nick ZaccardiFeb 5, 2014, 2:55 PM EST

Here’s a look at the compelling events, athletes and storylines of the Sochi Olympics on Thursday, Feb. 6.

WHAT TO STAY UP LATE FOR …

Men’s snowboard slopestyle, 1 a.m. ET (qualifying)
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The first event of the Olympics lost its megastar Wednesday with the withdrawal of two-time halfpipe champion Shaun White. White cited injury risk in pulling out, drawing criticism from other medal contenders, but he wasn’t the only rider concerned with course conditions. He’s also focusing on winning the halfpipe Tuesday.

White would have had a tough time beating the Canadian trio of Mark McMorris, Max Parrot and Sebastien Toutant in slopestyle’s Olympic debut though. They’re all X Games champions and are heavily favored to advance from two qualifying runs into the semifinals and/or finals Saturday. The top three from each of two heats advance through to the final, and the next six from each heat go to the 12-man semifinals.

The Americans entered are Chas Guldemond, Sage Kotsenburg and Ryan Stassel.

Women’s snowboard slopestyle, 4 a.m. ET (qualifying)
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American Jamie Anderson will begin her quest toward a possible gold medal in women’s qualifying. She’s a better hope for gold than White was before pulling out of the men’s competition. Anderson won the 2012 and 2013 X Games and was upset at this year’s Aspen, Colo., event by Norwegian Silje Norendal.

Australian Olympic halfpipe champion Torah Bright is also competing here, the first of a planned three snowboarding events for her. The other Americans are Ty Walker, Karly Shorr and Jessika Jenson.

The women follow the same format as the men except their semifinals and finals are Sunday.

WHAT TO WAKE UP EARLY FOR ….

Women’s moguls, 9 a.m. ET (qualifying)
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Hannah Kearney begins her quest to become the first freestyle skier to win multiple Olympic gold medals. She’s fully expected to qualify into the 20-woman final Saturday.

Kearney’s biggest competition is a trio of Canadian sisters — Chloe, Justine and Maxime Dufour-Lapointe. The other Americans are Heidi Kloser, Heather McPhie and Eliza Outtrim.

Nothing can be taken for granted though. Kearney entered the 2006 Olympics as a medal hope and failed to advance out of qualifying.

WHAT YOU CAN’T MISS DURING THE DAY …

Figure skating, team event, 10:30 a.m. ET (men’s, pairs short programs)
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This is the marquee event of the first day of competition. Skating fans will get their first looks at Olympic gold-medal contenders Patrick Chan, Yuzuru Hanyu and Russian pair Tatyana Volozoshar and Maksim Trankov. Volozoshar and Trankov skate last, looking to bring the home crowd to their feet to complete the night.

The U.S. is represented by national champions Jeremy Abbott and Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir.

The top five of 10 teams after the women’s and ice dance short programs Saturday will qualify for the long program portions this weekend. The U.S., Canada and Russia are seen as medal favorites in this new Olympic event.

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World Athletics excludes transgender women, tightens DSD athlete restrictions, extends ban on Russia, Belarus

By OlympicTalkMar 23, 2023, 7:19 PM EDT

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World Athletics is excluding male-to-female transgender athletes from top-level international track and field and increasing restrictions for athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD).

Also Thursday, World Athletics lifted its ban on Russia’s track and field federation that dated to 2015 over doping violations, but Russia and Belarus athletes and officials remain banned due to the war in Ukraine. More on that here.

Regarding transgender athletes, the World Athletics council “decided to prioritize fairness and the integrity of the female competition before inclusion,” according to a press release.

The decision was made after a two-month consultation with national federations, athletes, coaches, the IOC and representatives from transgender and human rights groups.

“Decisions are always difficult when they involve conflicting needs and rights between different groups, but we continue to take the view that we must maintain fairness for female athletes above all other considerations,” World Athletics President Seb Coe said in the release. “We will be guided in this by the science around physical performance and male advantage which will inevitably develop over the coming years. As more evidence becomes available, we will review our position, but we believe the integrity of the female category in athletics is paramount.”

A working group, which will include a transgender athlete, will “further consider the issue of transgender inclusion” for 12 months.

There are no transgender athletes currently competing in top-level international track and field, according to World Athletics.

World Athletics also increased restrictions on DSD athletes.

Previously, DSD athletes were eligible to compete in women’s track and field events without having to suppress testosterone, except for running distances from the 400m through the mile. For 400m through the mile, athletes were eligible if their testosterone levels were capped at five nanomoles per liter. World Athletics said that no female athletes would have a level above the cap unless they had a DSD or a tumor.

Starting March 31, all women’s events will have a stricter limit of two and a half nanomoles per liter.

World Athletics said it made the decision based on “more than 10 years of research and evidence of the physical advantages that DSD athletes bring to the female category.”

All DSD athletes who have been competing outside of the 400m through the mile must suppress their testosterone levels below two and a half nanomoles per liter for six months before being eligible to compete again. This makes them ineligible to compete through the world championships in August, but they can come back and qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Testosterone must be suppressed for two years for events from 400m through the mile and for DSD athletes who have not already been competing.

Notable athletes who previously said they were affected by the DSD rules include South African Caster Semenya, the Olympic 800m champion in 2012 and 2016 who moved up to the 5000m rather than suppress testosterone to remain in the 800m. Semenya, 32, was eliminated in the 5000m heats at last summer’s world championships.

Also Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi, who took 2016 Olympic 800m silver behind Semenya and also moved up to longer-distance events. She won the 2021 Diamond League 5000m title and missed last year’s worlds due to a foot injury.

Christine Mboma of Namibia took silver in the Tokyo Olympic 200m after being ruled ineligible to race the 400m due to the testosterone cap. Mboma, 19, missed last year’s worlds after tearing a thigh muscle.

Niger’s Aminatou Seyni finished fourth in the 200m at last year’s worlds after dropping down from the 400m due to the rule.

Athlete Ally, a nonprofit LGBTQ athletic advocacy group, called the new policies discriminatory.

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2023 World Figure Skating Championships TV, live stream schedule

By OlympicTalkMar 23, 2023, 2:30 PM EDT

The world figure skating championships from Saitama, Japan, air live on USA Network and Peacock this week.

The U.S. has medal contenders in all four disciplines, one year after winning a medal in all four events for the first time since 1967 (note Russia’s ban, and China sent no skaters).

In the pairs’ event that starts Tuesday night (U.S. time), Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier can become the first U.S. duo to win multiple world titles, one year after becoming the first American pair to take gold since 1979.

They rank second in the world this season behind Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, last year’s silver medalists who look to earn Japan’s first pairs’ world title.

Japan has the world’s top two women’s singles skaters in reigning world champion Kaori Sakamoto and Grand Prix Final winner Mai Mihara.

Isabeau Levito, a 16-year-old American who won last year’s world junior title, ranks fourth in the field by best score this season. She can become the youngest world medalist since 2014.

Ilia Malinin, an 18-year-old American who this season became the first skater to land a quadruple Axel, is seeded second in the men’s field behind Shoma Uno, the reigning world champion from Japan.

In ice dance, Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates posted the world’s top score this season at last month’s Four Continents Championships in Colorado Springs. After 12 seasons together, their goal is to win their first world title after silver in 2015, bronze in 2016 and bronze in 2022.

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2023 World Figure Skating Championships Broadcast Schedule

Day	Competition	Time (ET)	Network
Tuesday	Pairs’ Short	10 p.m.-2 a.m.	Peacock \| LIVE STREAM \| Skate Order
Wednesday	Women’s Short	2:45-8 a.m.	Peacock \| LIVE STREAM \| Skate Order
	Women’s Short	6-8 a.m.	USA \| LIVE STREAM \| Peacock
	Pairs’ Free	10 p.m.-2 a.m.	Peacock \| LIVE STREAM \| Skate Order
Thursday	Men’s Short	2:45-8 a.m.	Peacock \| LIVE STREAM \| Skate Order
	Men’s Short	6-8 a.m.	USA \| LIVE STREAM \| Peacock
	Pairs’ Free	8-10 a.m.*	USA \| STREAM LINK
	Rhythm Dance	10 p.m.-3:30 a.m.	Peacock \| LIVE STREAM \| Skate Order
Friday	Women’s Free	4:15-8:30 a.m.	Peacock \| LIVE STREAM \| Skate Order
	Women’s Free	6:30-8:30 a.m.	USA \| LIVE STREAM \| Peacock
	Free Dance	11:30 p.m.-3 a.m.	Peacock \| LIVE STREAM
Saturday	Men’s Free	4:15-8:30 a.m.	Peacock \| LIVE STREAM \| Skate Order
	Men’s Free	6:30-8:30 a.m.	USA \| LIVE STREAM \| Peacock
	Highlights	8-10 p.m.*	NBC \| STREAM LINK

*Delayed broadcast.

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