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3 to Watch: U.S. Goes for Repeat Sweep in Slopestyle Skiing, Ligety Goes for Third Giant Slalom Gold and More

NBC's primetime coverage begins at 5 p.m. on the West Coast

Tune in to for NBC's LIVE primetime coverage of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics beginning at 5 p.m. on the West Coast. Not near a TV? You can also catch it on your phone or computer right here.

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Chicago Police Department

So far in these Pyeongchang Olympics, the United States snowboarders have led the way, netting four of America’s five gold medals. On Saturday, the skiers will try to catch up.

Two events could provide a medal haul for the U.S.: Men’s skiing slopesstyle and men’s giant slalom. The Americans combined for four medals in the two events in Sochi, including a slopestyle sweep.

Here are our 3 to Watch for the next 24 hours in Pyeongchang: 

1. U.S. Goes for Repeat Sweep

UPDATE: Event results here

Three Olympic medals have been awarded in the men’s skiing slopestyle event — and they all went to America.

The event debuted in Sochi four years ago, and Americans took all three medals. Now, they’re hoping for a repeat sweep.

Gus Kenworthy, who won the silver medal four years ago, and Nick Goepper, who won the bronze, lead the U.S. contingent this time. McRae Williams rounds out the team.

Norway’s Oystein Braaten is expected to provide the stiffest competition. He won both X Games titles last season.

How to Watch: Tune in live to NBC’s primetime coverage beginning at 5 p.m. PT on Saturday. Watch the qualifying rounds on digital platforms at 5 p.m. PT on Saturday. Watch the elimination rounds on digital platforms at 8:15 p.m. PT on Saturday.

2. Mr. GS Goes for Third Giant Slalom Gold

UPDATE: Event results here

There’s a reason they call Ted Ligety Mr. GS. He won an Olympic gold medal in the giant slalom in Sochi four years ago, and has three world titles. Ligety also has an Olympic gold in men's combined, but if he’s going to wind up on the podium in Pyeongchang, it’s most likely to happen in giant slalom.

Of course, Mr. GS won all those medals and titles before a bad crash in 2016. He was sidelined for over a year recovering from an injured knee and back surgery. Now, at age 33, he’s trying to show he’s still one of the world’s best.

So far in Pyeongchang, he finished fifth in the Alpine combined, and he skied off the course in the super G.

For Ligety to win gold, he’ll have to beat one his longtime rival and friend, Austria’s Marcel Hirscher. Hirscher won an unprecedented sixth straight overall World Cup title last season, and his 55th World Cup victory in the giant slalom in January. He won the first Olympic gold medal earlier this week, in the Alpine combined.

How to Watch: Tune in live to NBC’s primetime coverage beginning at 5 p.m. PT Saturday. Watch the first run on digital platforms at 5:15 p.m. PT Saturday. Watch the second run on digital platforms at 8:45 p.m. PT Saturday.

3. Bohonnon Hopes to Ride Hurricane to Gold

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Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

Mac Bohonnon wants to win a gold medal while paying tribute to a friend.

Bohonnon is an American expected to contend in the freestyle skiing aerials event — and he might break out a trick called “The Hurricane,” an homage to Jeret “Speedy” Peterson, who used the Hurricane in 2010 to win a silver medal in Vancouver.

The Hurricane is a trick that involves three flips with five twists, and three of the twists come in the middle flip. Peterson, who died in 2011 at the age of 29, is the only person to complete the trick in completion — but Bohonnon has been practicing it.

"It’s a scary trick," Bohonnon told the Associated Press. "And Speedy came out and did this all the time, like it was nothing."

John Lillis could contend for the U.S. He’s been inconsistent the last few years, but ended the 2016-27 season with a world title. A repeat performance would get him a gold medal.

China’s Qi Guangpu and Belarus' Anton Kushnir are also expected to contend for a medal.

How to Watch: See the aerials final on digital platforms at 3 am PT Sunday morning.

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