Winter Olympics: what to watch/stream

By OlympicTalkFeb 16, 2018, 12:15 PM EST

Getty Images

Lindsey Vonn takes center stage tonight in NBC’s primetime coverage. The two-time Olympic gold medalist could not attend the Sochi Games because she re-injured her knee. In what will likely be her final Olympic Games, Vonn’s been on the comeback trail ever since her devastating injury several years ago.

The men’s singles figure skating program concludes tonight. After Nathan Chen’s disappointing performance on Friday night, the U.S.’s slim chances of medaling fall on the shoulders of Adam Rippon.

Alpine Skiing

It’s been a comeback several years in the making now for Vonn, whose career has been set back a couple times because of injury. Vonn won her 80th race not too long ago, and is coming into the Olympics full of confidence. The American teased that her victory is just a sign of things to come, wanting to save her best for the Olympics. She’ll get her chance to do so tonight on NBC’s prime time coverage.

Women’s Super-G Stream Live Here 8:00p.m. EST / 5:00p.m. PST

Figure Skating

The chances of an American standing on the podium are slim entering the men’s free skate program tonight. Rippon currently sits seventh after the short program, whereas Chen and Vincent Zhou find themselves even lower on the table. 2014 Olympic Champion Yuzuru Hanyu posted the best score of Friday night and is in control to win his second straight Olympic gold medal.

Men’s Free Skate Stream Live Here 8:00p.m. EST / 5:00p.m. PST

Hockey

The Canadian men’s hockey team looked strong on Thursday, coasting past Switzerland in their opener. They next face a difficult opponent in the Czech Republic, who overcame a difficult challenge from South Korea.

While the men are still in the preliminary stages of the tournament, the knock-out rounds begin for the women. Olympic Athletes from Russia and Switzerladn will be facing off in the first quarterfinals. Switzerland went undefeated in their group whilst OAR suffered from being paired in the same group as Canada, the USA, and Finland.

Men’s Tournament

CAN vs. CZE Stream Live Here 10:10p.m. EST / 7:10p.m. PST

Women’s Tournament

OAR vs. SUI Stream Live Here 10:10p.m. EST / 7:10p.m. PST

Freestyle Skiing

A broken ankle all but ended Maggie Voisin’s medal hopes in 2014. This year, the American is healthy and ready to put Sochi behind her. Voisin won gold in the X Games last month, and will be coming into PyeongChang with a lot of confidence. She will be joined by countrywoman Devin Logan.

Full women’s freeski slopestyle preview here

Women’s Freeski Slopestyle Qual. Stream Live Here 8:00p.m. EST / 5:00p.m. PST

Women’s Freeski Slopestyle Final Stream Live Here 11:00p.m. EST / 8:00p.m. PST

Chloe Kim, Elana Meyers Taylor among Olympians to join presidential sports council

By OlympicTalkMar 24, 2023, 11:33 AM EDT

Getty

Chloe Kim and Elana Meyers Taylor are among the Olympic and Paralympic medalists set to join the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, & Nutrition.

President Joe Biden intends to appoint the snowboarder Kim, bobsledder Meyers Taylor, retired Olympic medalists Chaunté Lowe (track and field) and Tamika Catchings (basketball) and Paralympic medalist Melissa Stockwell (triathlon) to the council, among other athletes and people in the health and fitness fields, it was announced Friday.

Stephen and Ayesha Curry are also on the list.

The council “aims to promote healthy, accessible eating and physical activity for all Americans, regardless of background or ability.”

Last year, Biden appointed basketball gold medalist Elena Delle Donne a co-chair of the council.

Kim, the two-time reigning Olympic halfpipe champion, sat out this past season but is expected to return to competition for a third Olympic run in 2026.

Meyers Taylor, the most decorated U.S. Olympic bobsledder in history with medals in all five of her Olympic events, sat out this past season due to pregnancy. She took her first bobsled run in 13 months this past week in Lake Placid, New York.

There is a long history of Olympians and Paralympians serving on the council, which was created in 1956.

In 2017, Barack Obama appointed medalists including gymnast Gabby Douglas, soccer player Carli Lloyd and fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad.

Others to previously be on the council include sprinter Allyson Felix, figure skater Michelle Kwan and swimmer and triathlete Brad Snyder.

Members serve for two years and can be reappointed.

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

Follow @nbcolympictalk

Kaori Sakamoto wins figure skating worlds; top American places fourth

By OlympicTalkMar 24, 2023, 9:00 AM EDT

Kaori Sakamoto overcame a late error in her free skate to become the first Japanese figure skater to win back-to-back world titles and the oldest women’s world champion since 2014.

Sakamoto, 22, totaled 224.61 points on home ice in Saitama to prevail by 3.67 over Lee Hae-In of South Korea in the closest women’s finish at worlds since 2011.

Belgium’s Loena Hendrickx took bronze, edging 16-year-old American Isabeau Levito for a medal by 2.77 points.

Sakamoto is the oldest women’s singles world champion since Mao Asada (2014), who is now the only Japanese skater with more world titles than Sakamoto.

She appeared en route to an easier victory until singling a planned triple flip late in her free skate, which put the gold in doubt. She can be thankful for pulling off the second jump of that planned combination — a triple toe loop — and her 5.62-point lead from Wednesday’s short program.

“I feel so pathetic and thought, what was all that hard work I put into my training?” Sakamoto said of her mistake, according to the International Skating Union (ISU). “But I was able to refocus and do my best till the end.

“Because I have this feeling of regret at the biggest event of the season, I want to make sure I don’t have this feeling next season. So I want to practice even harder, and I want to make sure to do clean, perfect performances at every competition.”

Lee, who had the top free skate, became the second South Korean to win a world medal in any discipline after six-time medalist Yuna Kim.

Hendrickx followed her silver from last year, when she became the first Belgian women’s singles skater to win a world medal.

FIGURE SKATING WORLDS: Results | Broadcast Schedule

Levito, last year’s world junior champion, had a chance to become the youngest senior world medalist since 2014.

After a solid short program, she fell on her opening triple Lutz in the free skate and left points on the table by performing two jump combinations rather than three. The Lutz was planned to be the first half of a combination with a triple loop.

“I am severely disappointed because I’ve been nailing my Lutz-loop for a really long time, and this is the first time I’ve messed it up in a while, and of course it had to be when it actually counted,” Levito said, according to the ISU. “But I’m pretty happy with myself for just trying to move past it and focusing on making the most out of the rest of the program.”

Levito entered worlds ranked fourth in the field by best score this season. She matched the best finish for a U.S. woman in her senior global championships debut (Olympics and worlds) since Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan took silver and bronze at the 1991 Worlds. Sasha Cohen, to whom Levito is often compared, also placed fourth in her Olympic and world debuts in 2002.

“I feel very proud for myself and grateful for my coaching team for helping me get this far so far in my skating career, and I’m just very proud to be where I am,” Levito said on USA Network.

American Amber Glenn was 12th in her world debut. Two-time U.S. champion Bradie Tennell was 15th. They had been 10th and eighth, respectively, in the short program.

The U.S. qualified two women’s spots for next year’s worlds rather than the maximum three because the top two Americans’ results added up to more than 13 (Levito’s fourth plus Glenn’s 12th equaled 16). The U.S. was in position to qualify three spots after the short program.

Glenn said after the short program that she had a very difficult two weeks before worlds, including “out-of-nowhere accidents and coincidences that could have prevented me from being here,” and boot problems that affected her triple Axel. She attempted a triple Axel in the free skate, spinning out of an under-rotated, two-footed landing.

Tennell, who went 19 months between competitions due to foot and ankle injuries in 2021 and 2022, had several jumping errors in the free skate.

“This season has been like one thing after another,” said the 25-year-old Tennell, who plans to compete through the 2026 Winter Games. “I’m really excited to get back and work on some stuff for the new season.”

Earlier, Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates topped the rhythm dance, starting their bid for a first world title in their 12th season together and after three prior world silver or bronze medals.

“We skated as best we possibly could today,” Bates said, according to the ISU, after they tallied the world’s top score this season.

Meryl Davis and Charlie White are the lone U.S. ice dancers to win a world title, doing so in 2011 and 2013.

Worlds continue Friday night (U.S. time) with the free dance, followed Saturday morning with the men’s free skate, live on Peacock and USA Network.

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

Follow @nbcolympictalk

More: Olympics

More: Olympics