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3 to Watch: Team Figure Skating, Slopestyle Unpredictability and Skiing for Speed

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Day 1 of competition begins today! Here are some of the highlights to look out for: 

1. Team Figure Skating: #ShibSibs and Bradie Tennell Take to the Ice

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Maia and Alex Shibutani and Olympic first-timer Bradie Tennell will be skating when team competition resumes.

The #ShibSibs, as they’re known, will perform in the ice dance, while Tennell will appear in the women’s short program.

The team event consists of a men’s skater, a woman’s skater, a pair of ice dancers and pairs skaters.

The Americans are second behind behind Canada after the pairs and men’s short programs. Team USA’s Nathan Chen had a disappointing night in his debut when he fell on a triple axel attempt during the men’s short program in the figure skating team event.

>> UPDATE: Team USA Currently in Third, Advance to Free Skate [FULL STORY]

Maia and Alex Shibutani shined and newcomer Bradie Tennell set a season best Saturday night, which helped advance Team USA to the team event finals for figure skating.

The #ShibSibs were smooth and frenetic in their nearly three-minute ice dance routine that had the arena rocking, especially for the final minute’s nonstop Latin steps.

Their second-place finish, along with Tennell’s fifth place performance, gave the U.S. a third-place finish overall. Team USA, behind Canada and OAR, will be compete Sunday night for a shot at the gold.

2. Slopestoyle: Unique Course Spells Unpredictability

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Canadians and Norwegians enter the slopestyle competition the strongest in the field but one young American could bring an upset: 17-year-old Red Gerard. Gerard was the only American to make the final in Saturday’s qualifying round. He’s known for being a creative rider.

Gerard is going up against Mark McMorris, the snowboarder who has dominated the event, and other favorites: McMorris’s teammate, Max Parrot, and Marcus Kleveland of Norway. McMorris, the bronze medalist at the 2014 Olympic Games, has won a slopestyle medal at every X Games Aspen since 2011, but he was badly injured last year after crashing into a tree while snowboarding.

When slopestyle made its debut at the last Olympics, riders from Canada, Norway and the United States each won a medal. U.S. medalist Sage Kotsenburg has since retired and the U.S. are considered the underdogs in Pyeongchang.

The course is one of the most unique designs ever seen.

>> UPDATE:  Gerard Takes Gold for US in Men’s Slopestyle [FULL STORY]

Seventeen-year-old American Red Gerard won gold in the men’s slopestyle event Sunday morning, giving the United States its first media in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. 

Gerard managed to thwart the Canadians and Norwegians who entered event as the strongest in the field. Canadian Mark McMorris, the snowboarder who has dominated the event, took bronze.

3. UPDATED: Men’s Downhill Skiing: Postponed Due to High Wind Conditions

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Tom Pennington/Getty Images
Men’s Downhill Postponed Due to High Wind Conditions
The first Alpine skiing event of the 2018 Pyeonchang Olympics, men’s downhill, was postponed Sunday morning due to high winds. Gusts of up to 50 mph were predicted for the event's would-be start at 11 a.m. local time. Wind speeds were strong enough to close the only gondola lift carrying racers and officials up the mountain. The event has not yet been rescheduled. 
Norway’s formidable “Attacking Vikings” were expected to try to wrest the downhill gold from the defending champion, Austria’s Mattias Mayer. Among the Norwegians to watch: Kjetil Jansrud, the 2014 Olympic bronze medalist, who had the fastest time at this year’s Olympic test event, and Aksel Lund Svindal, the 2010 Olympic silver medalist and fourth-place finisher in Sochi, who is second in the World Cup standings. Alpine skiing might be an individual sport but the Norwegians take it on as a team.
Mayer is trying to become the first man to defend his gold downhill medal.
Team USA has only one man in the top 20 of the World Cup standings. Bryce Bennett, who is ranked 18th, had the seventh-fastest time in Wednesday’s Olympic downhill training run.  

The first Alpine skiing event of the 2018 Pyeonchang Olympics, men’s downhill, was postponed Sunday morning due to high winds. Gusts of up to 50 mph were predicted for the event's would-be start at 11 a.m. local time. Wind speeds were strong enough to close the only gondola lift carrying racers and officials up the mountain. The event has not yet been rescheduled. 

Norway’s formidable “Attacking Vikings” were expected to try to wrest the downhill gold from the defending champion, Austria’s Mattias Mayer. Among the Norwegians to watch: Kjetil Jansrud, the 2014 Olympic bronze medalist, who had the fastest time at this year’s Olympic test event, and Aksel Lund Svindal, the 2010 Olympic silver medalist and fourth-place finisher in Sochi, who is second in the World Cup standings. Alpine skiing might be an individual sport but the Norwegians take it on as a team.

Mayer is trying to become the first man to defend his gold downhill medal.Team USA has only one man in the top 20 of the World Cup standings. Bryce Bennett, who is ranked 18th, had the seventh-fastest time in Wednesday’s Olympic downhill training run.  

And the Gold Goes to…

Join in the excitement of Gold Medal competition. Here’s a quick run-down of upcoming events.

Men’s Biathlon 10 Kilometer Sprint: Watch NBCSN coverage beginning at 2 a.m. PT or on digital platforms Sunday at 3:15 a.m. PT

Men’s Skiathlon: Watch on digital platforms Saturday at 10:15 p.m. PT.

Women’s Freestyle Skiing Moguls: Watch on digital platforms Sunday at 4 a.m. PT.

Men’s Singles Luge: Watch on digital platforms Sunday at 3 a.m. PT

Men’s Speed Skating 5,000 Meters: Watch on digital platforms Sunday at 11 p.m. PT.

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