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How to watch the Boston Marathon

By Nick ZaccardiApr 10, 2018, 12:27 PM EST

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The 122nd Boston Marathon airs live on NBCSN and streams commercial free for NBC Sports Gold “Track and Field Pass” subscribers on Monday at 8:30 a.m. ET.

A preview show airs Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA.

NBCSN and Olympic Channel coverage also streams on NBCSports.com/live and the NBC Sports app for subscribers. Olympic Channel coverage also streams on OlympicChannel.com and the Olympic Channel app for subscribers.

Monday’s race start times (ET)
9:02 a.m. – Wheelchair Men
9:04 a.m. – Wheelchair Women
9:32 a.m. – Elite Women
10 a.m. – Wave #1 + Elite Men

U.S. runners could sweep the women’s and men’s titles for the first time in 35 years.

Boston area native Shalane Flanagan headlines a deep U.S. women’s contingent, five months after notching her first major marathon title in New York City. The 36-year-old, four-time Olympian has a best finish of fourth in three Boston starts.

She’s joined by Jordan Hasay (third in Boston last year in her marathon debut), Desi Linden (second, fourth and fourth in past Boston Marathons) and Molly Huddle (third in her only previous marathon in New York City in 2016).

The last U.S. female runner to win Boston was Lisa Rainsberger in 1985.

The U.S. men are not as deep as the women but are strong at the top with Galen Rupp, the 2016 Olympic marathon bronze medalist and 2012 Olympic 10,000m silver medalist. Rupp, 31, has finished in the top three of all four of his marathons, each one faster than his last, including a runner-up in his Boston debut last year.

Abdi Abdirahman and Dathan Ritzenhein, who have seven Olympics between them, are also trying to become the first U.S. man to win Boston since Meb Keflezighi in 2014. Keflezighi, who retired from elite marathoning last year, is running in a non-competitive capacity on Monday.

The international fields are led by 2017 champions Edna Kiplagat and Geoffrey Kirui, both Kenyans.

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MORE: U.S. elite field for Boston Marathon

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Nathan Chen prepared to capture third national title

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By Rachel LutzJan 15, 2019, 1:52 PM EST

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Nathan Chen called into his media teleconference from the rink last week, still on his winter break between his freshman semesters at Yale University.

The signal wasn’t great inside, he said, and it momentarily spared him from answering a direct question about his GPA his first semester as a college student.

Back on the call, the reigning world champion admitted, “I’m not gonna say the exact number, but there are some A’s and B’s sprinkled in.

“Really no complaints. I got pretty good grades. I’m pretty happy with that.”

His skating report card from the fall reads equally as impressively. Chen won the title at Skate America to open the season, followed by a come-from-behind win at Grand Prix France. To cap it all off, he won a second-consecutive Grand Prix Final title.

All this while the 2018 Olympic team event bronze medalist is across the country from his longtime coach Rafael Arutunian and trying out telecoaching for the first time.

Back in California between semesters, Chen said Raf has asked him to stay full-time.

“Since the past two weeks that I’ve been here, literally every day he’s been like, ‘you gotta come back! You gotta come back! There’s so much that you can learn at the rink. I respect what your decision is at Yale but it’s been so great having you here.’ He really wishes that I could stay here full time but at the same time, I already started this path and I don’t really want to pull out just yet.”

As for his second semester in college, Chen is signed up for about 10 courses and will have about two weeks at the beginning of term to add and drop courses. He’ll be in classes – he’s not exactly sure which, though – for a week before attempting to notch his third-straight U.S. national title.

“I selected a bunch of courses, probably selected like 10 different courses. I’ll go in and the first week I will see which courses I like, which courses I don’t like.”

Competing during the spring semester might be harder. February’s Four Continents Championships, this year to be held in Anaheim, Calif., aren’t during a scheduled academic break. Conveniently, world championships are scheduled during Yale’s spring break.

“I’m not sure yet [if he’ll compete there if named to the team],” he said. “That’s still TBD. I would love to since it’s in California, and it’s a great event. We’ll see.”

But for now, competing well in Detroit is the next step.

“I have to skate as well as I can and regardless of the external things,” he said when asked if coming in as the reigning world champion or as the favorite affects him. “Just focus on all the things that I can do right now in training to make sure that I do the best I can in competition.”

The men’s short program is Jan. 26 followed by the free skate on Jan. 27.

MORE: Adam Rippon’s new year’s resolutions

As a reminder, you can watch the U.S. Championships live and on-demand with the ‘Figure Skating Pass’ on NBC Sports Gold. Go to NBCsports.com/gold/figure-skating to sign up for access to every ISU Grand Prix and championship event, as well as domestic U.S. Figure Skating events throughout the season. NBC Sports Gold gives subscribers an unprecedented level of access on more platforms and devices than ever before.

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Mikaela Shiffrin wins Kronplatz giant slalom for her 10th win of the season

By Alex AzziJan 15, 2019, 11:43 AM EST

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Mikaela Shiffrin won the women’s giant slalom at the World Cup stop in Kronplatz, Italy, on Tuesday, marking her 10th victory of the 2018-19 season and 53rd World Cup win of her career. Shiffrin, the 2018 Olympic giant slalom gold medalist, led France’s Tessa Worley by 1.39 seconds after the first run. Although Worley outpaced Shiffrin in the second run, Shiffrin’s massive first-run margin allowed her to win the two-run event by 1.21 seconds. Italy’s Marta Bassino placed third. Full results are here.

Shiffrin entered Kronplatz ranked third in the World Cup giant slalom standings, but moves into first place with the win. The 23-year-old also leads the overall World Cup leader board, as well as the slalom and super-G discipline standings. Shiffrin has won seven World Cup globes in her career (two overall, five slalom).

Shiffrin has already broken multiple records this season, including becoming the youngest skier to win 50 World Cup races, and there are still more records within striking distance. Shiffrin could break the record for most World Cup wins in a single seasons; the current record (14) was set by Switzerland’s Vreni Schneider in 1988-89.

The next stop for the women’s World Cup is this weekend in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, with two downhills scheduled for Friday and Saturday, and a super-G slated for Sunday. Shiffrin plans to skip the downhills, but enter the super-G. Lindsey Vonn, who missed the start of the season with a knee injury, is expected to make her return to competition in Friday’s downhill.

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