2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championships: What to watch on Sunday

By OlympicTalkJan 9, 2022, 11:05 AM EST

Getty Images

The U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the last event to decide the Olympic team, concludes Sunday with the men’s free skate, live from Nashville on NBC, NBCOlympics.com and Peacock.

Nathan Chen, bidding for a sixth consecutive national title, leads after the short program, but it’s tight. Vincent Zhou, who handed Chen his lone defeat of this Olympic cycle back in October, is within striking distance.

The battle for the third and final Olympic men’s spot is in play, too. Ilia Malinin, 17 and the world’s top-ranked junior skater, outscored Jason Brown, the clear third U.S. man in this Olympic cycle, in the short and could steal a spot in Beijing.

Malinin has an arsenal of quadruple jumps, while Brown relies on his artistic scores and clean slate of triple jumps.

A selection committee meets after Sunday’s competition to determine the team, looking at skaters’ results dating back to the 2021 U.S. Championships.

Men’s Free Skate (2 p.m. ET) — STREAM LINK | LIVE RESULTS
Notable Skaters
Jason Brown — 3:04 p.m.
Vincent Zhou — 3:20 p.m.
Ilia Malinin — 3:28 p.m.
Nathan Chen — 3:35 p.m.

FIGURE SKATING NATIONALS: Broadcast Schedule | Full Results

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

Follow @nbcolympictalk

2023 French Open women’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkJun 4, 2023, 4:10 PM EDT

At the French Open, Iga Swiatek of Poland eyes a third title at Roland Garros and a fourth Grand Slam singles crown overall.

The tournament airs live on NBC Sports, Peacock and Tennis Channel through championship points in Paris.

Swiatek, the No. 1 seed from Poland, can join Serena Williams and Justine Henin as the lone women to win three or more French Opens since 2000.

Having turned 22 on Wednesday, she can become the youngest woman to win three French Opens since Monica Seles in 1992 and the youngest woman to win four Slams overall since Williams in 2002.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Men’s Draw

But Swiatek is not as dominant as in 2022, when she went 16-0 in the spring clay season during an overall 37-match win streak.

She retired from her last pre-French Open match with a right thigh injury and said it wasn’t serious. Before that, she lost the final of another clay-court tournament to Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, is her top remaining challenger in Paris.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula, the highest-seeded American man or woman, was eliminated in the third round. No. 4 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, who has three wins over Swiatek this year, withdrew before her third-round match due to illness.

No. 6 Coco Gauff, runner-up to Swiatek last year, is the top hope to become the first American to win a Grand Slam singles title since Sofia Kenin at the 2020 Australian Open. The 11-major drought is the longest for U.S. women since Seles won the 1996 Australian Open.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

Follow @nbcolympictalk

2023 French Open Women’s Singles Draw

2023 French Open men’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkJun 4, 2023, 3:10 PM EDT

Getty

The French Open men’s singles draw is missing injured 14-time champion Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2004, leaving the Coupe des Mousquetaires ripe for the taking.

The tournament airs live on NBC Sports, Peacock and Tennis Channel through championship points in Paris.

Novak Djokovic is not only bidding for a third crown at Roland Garros, but also to lift a 23rd Grand Slam singles trophy to break his tie with Nadal for the most in men’s history.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Women’s Draw

But the No. 1 seed is Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who won last year’s U.S. Open to become, at 19, the youngest man to win a major since Nadal’s first French Open title in 2005.

Now Alcaraz looks to become the second-youngest man to win at Roland Garros since 1989, after Nadal of course.

Alcaraz missed the Australian Open in January due to a right leg injury, but since went 30-3 with four titles. Notably, he has not faced Djokovic this year. They could meet in the semifinals.

Russian Daniil Medvedev, the No. 2 seed, was upset in the first round by 172nd-ranked Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild. It marked the first time a men’s top-two seed lost in the first round of any major since 2003 Wimbledon (Ivo Karlovic d. Lleyton Hewitt).

All of the American men lost before the fourth round. The last U.S. man to make the French Open quarterfinals was Andre Agassi in 2003.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

Follow @nbcolympictalk

More: Olympics

2023 French Open Women’s Singles Draw

More: Olympics

2023 French Open Men’s Singles Draw

More: Olympics