Issue 7 DAY 4 Tuesday, February 16, 2010 POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE

Transcription

1 POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE

2 KINGS OF THE HILL Being rated king of the hill isn t a title that has members of the U.S. Snowboarding halfpipe teams shaking in their boots here at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. In fact, it s quite the opposite. Halfpipe coach Mike Jankowski believes that his teams reaction to being the favorites is why the members of his team are kings of the hill. We don t look at it as pressure, Jankowski said. We look at it as fitting into the pioneering spirit and desire to set the standard that is part of most Americans makeup. The United States has dominated the halfpipe competition since it joined the Olympic Winter program two Games ago in Salt Lake City. With hopes of generating new interest from a new audience, the snowboarding events were added. The snowboarding daredevils have met expectations with their fresh free spirit and enthusiastic exuberance that typifies their sport. Young hopefuls back home in the United States await their opportunities, bolstered by the success in international competition. Stepping up in Vancouver are Shaun White (Carlsbad, Calif.), Louie Vito (Sandy Utah), Scotty Lago (Seabrook, N.H.), and Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) in the men s field and Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, Colo.), Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow, Vt.), Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.), and Hannah Teter (Belmont, Vt.) in the women s field. Team members are handling the lead up to their Olympic competition differently. White, the strong individual favorite, isn t talking much before he competes. Vito is different. That s his (White s) style, Vito said. I like talking no matter what. Nothing bothers me a lot. Snowboarding is the passion of my life. We have unique team members with a wide variety of styles, Jankowski said. They know they re going to be judged on who had the strongest ride. Halfpipe is a rider-driven sport. Five judges rate each rider on overall impression and execution. I might unveil a couple of things on the run, White said in a press conference. I m putting all my energy into this trick - it has been my best friend and my worst enemy. I always throw in a little something extra. The halfpipe is a beast, he added. I mean these guys are out there trying to learn these tricks in the powder and doing it in a halfpipe is just different. With the power of the program in the United States, Jankowski stopped just short of saying his team members may have faced their toughest competition getting to Vancouver. So far their biggest challenge has been to make the team, Jankowski said. But in the Olympics the top riders internationally rise to the top. The depth of athletes in the U.S. program showed up in the handling of an injury to Danny Davis, who had to withdraw from the Olympics because of injury. The team s image as the favorite didn t suffer. White also could have been lost after striking the lip of the pipe with his head in an earlier competition. He barely missed a beat, showing the toughness of athletes in the program. Jankowski credits the support of several areas around the country with crucial aide in maintaining strong development of new athletes and techniques. He noted the New England area in general and the training facilities in Park City, Utah; Copper Mountain and Aspen Buttermilk in Colorado and Mammoth Mountain in California. In Jankowski s opinion, there s a key word trust in the resume of any successful snowboarder. You definitely have to have personal confidence to compete in our sport, Jankowski said. But you have to trust yourself, trust the coaches, and trust what goes on behind the scenes. Lago and Bretz are making their first appearances on the Olympic stage. It has been everything I have hoped for, Lago said. It is kind of cool to represent your country. It has been awesome. It has been kind of a crazy experience, Bretz said. I was definitely a long shot from where I was a year ago. It was a goal, but I have a lot yet to achieve.

3 VANCOUVER FORECAST HIGH/LOW Feb. 16 AM Showers 49/37 F Feb. 17 Sunny 50/36 F Feb. 18 Sunny 51/37 F WHISTLER FORECAST HIGH/LOW Feb. 16 Rain/Snow 39/30 F Feb. 17 Partly Cloudy 44/28 F Feb. 18 Mostly Sunny 46/29 F QUOTEABLE It was my grandfather s service flag from World War II. I brought it, I boxed it, packed it. I carried it here myself. I told my dad I m going to need it at the finish line. -- Seth Wescott, Snowboardcross, on the flag he wore at the flower ceremony. It was a great day, a great race, overall. It really felt like the Olympics to me, right from the morning, through inspection, everyone, you could feel the nervous energy. -- Bode Miller, Alpine Skiing The thing about the Olympics is that the ice is always thes best ice you ll ever be on in your career. It s so smooth and it feels almost like floating on a cloud. There are no bumps, no chatter, it s like a dream. -- Zach Lund, Skeleton THE TWEET SPOT Tweets from the U.S. Olympic Team First day after the race. I can t believe its over. But I gave it 110 percent and had a blast! -- Tony Benshoof, Luge (@TonyBenshoof ) Day off today going to make some lemonade out of yesterdays lemon! -- Catherine Raney-Norman, Long Track Speedskating (@raneycat) Follow Team USA online at and on Twitter and Facebook. Receive breaking news via Twitter. On the Cover: Halfpipe Snowboarding Photos: Getty Images ALL THE RAGE While all Team USA athletes proudly wear red, white and blue, others sport a different hue altogether. Pink is the latest craze. From streaks in their hair, to splashes of it on their spandex uniforms, to their equipment, the flashy color has been gaining traction among women on Team USA, spreading itself across several sports. Freestyle skier and 2010 Olympic bronze medalist Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, Calif.) joined the colorful fray several years ago when she made changes to her hair. Originally a brunette, Bahrke switched to blonde for a change. It was the old saying, blondes have more fun, Bahrke, 29, said. But I didn t really like that. My hairdresser suggested purple. Then my fiancée said pink, and I loved it! My mom says I have to have it for the wedding. Bahrke s trademark locks have given her much admiration over the years. Everyone says it s so cool, she said. They say they can pick me out from across the room. But perhaps the most prominent pair has been bobsled teammates Elana Meyers (Douglasville, Ga.) and Erin Pac (Farmington, Conn.). With so many colors to choose from, you have to wonder -- why pink? For Meyers, the reason dates back to her childhood. When I was growing up, my mom assigned us colors so she could remember us, said the 25-year-old. I was pink, my younger sister was purple and my older sister was blue. It just kind of stuck. Pac s affection for the color also started at a young age. Growing up I always loved the color, Pac said. And I knew I wanted to incorporate it somehow into my first Olympics. According to Meyers, the streaks in her hair are actually red and blue, but they look pink to the eye. Pac s streaks are pink, and their sled is nicknamed Pinky. Because pink is not allowed as an official color on the duo s sled, they were forced to get creative. So they taped their breaks in pink. But for this team, the color is not necessarily a superstition. It s a style thing, Meyers said. We re trying to squeeze as much pink into the sled as possible. Meyers and Pac, who are competing in their first Olympic Games, even created their own Facebook page called Go Pink! Go Pac! The official website of Team Pac, women s bobsled. continued...

4 [The color] has nothing to do with performance, Pac said. You try to be yourself as much as possible. I just wanted to incorporate it somehow in my first Olympics. The fad has even sparked some betting between athletes and U.S. Ski Team staff. Ski and snowboard press officer Tom Kelly bet Bahrke that if she wins a medal at these Games, he would die his hair pink. But the color is not limited to Meyers, Pac and Bahrke. Cross-country skier Kikkan Randall (Anchorage, Alaska) and skeleton racer Noelle Pikus-Pace (Orem, Utah) both have pink styling in their hair. Pikus- Pace often wears pink spandex gear and her sled is the same color. Meyers and Pac start their Olympic campaign on Feb. 23. Erin Hamlin The modest, straight-forward plan she detailed, however, is backed by admitted excitement. I never in a million years imagined that I d be going to the Olympic Games as the reigning world champion. That s crazy. I guess I just kind of ride the wave and go with it. I just do my thing and it s worked well so far. We ll see where it takes me. After an appearance in Torino in 2006 that was somewhat of a surprise, even to her, Hamlin is confident that her return will be more successful. In 2006, I slid well at the right time, and I got that experience under my belt, which I think can really benefit me. Since then, I think I ve grown a lot as a slider. I thought this would be my first Games, but now that this is my second, I think I have a lot more to bring to the table, a lot more experience and just overall sliding ability then I did then. Hopefully, that helped my cause. When it comes to the Whistler course, an object that has been the focus of attention and change since the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili last week during a training run, Hamlin displays little concern. HAMLIN HOPES TO FLOURISH Every World Cup medal since 2001 and 11 consecutive World Championship titles since For the last two decades, the international women s singles luge field has been dominated by Germany. Not only was Italy s Gerda Weissensteiner the last non-german woman to win a World Championship title, no non-german had finished in the topthree since In February 2009, though, American Erin Hamlin (Remsen, N.Y.) broke that streak, sliding to a World Championship title in Lake Placid, N.Y. The 23-year-old now holds the hopes of the world s lugelovers who hope to see the colors of a new flag celebrated at 2010 s medal ceremony. After her four runs - two took place Monday and two will take place Tuesday - Hamlin will have either faded, becoming another sidenote to Germany s control of the sport, or flourished, gaining an impressive podium spot. If it s the latter, the American will become only the second non-german Olympic medalist since the 1994 Lillehammer Games. I personally don t think there s reason to fear it, she said. We ve all had training there, so we all know how to make it down. We all are experienced enough to drive a sled, even down tracks that are difficult. The reason we do this sport is to go fast. You ve got to have the extreme factor in there sometimes. It keeps it interesting. So while the non-german luge world roots on a rare outsider with a chance at a major international podium, Hamlin maintains her dark horse status. I haven t changed anything since I was the underdog in 2006, the unknown person that was coming in and wasn t supposed to be there. I go about things exactly the same way. Hamlin is joined by Julia Clukey (Augusta, Maine) and Megan Sweeney (Suffield, Conn.) for runs three and four at the Whistler Sliding Center on Tuesday. Clukey is known as a brilliant starter, having won the USA Luge annual start championship numerous times, as well as the International Start Championship in Meransen, Italy. However she, and the rest of the field, will have to negotiate a very sharp, slow speed left turn to start each run. The scenario has posed concern for many in the field. Sweeney qualified for the Olympic team in a race-off two months ago that included her younger sister, Emily. Little sister will be in the audience when competition resumes. Both Clukey and Sweeney are first-time Olympians. I m going to do my best to win a medal, but it ll come down to two days of racing, Hamlin said. Hopefully, things come together. We ll see what happens.

5 CURLING TEAMS BEGIN ACTION Curling action kicks off Tuesday at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in the Vancouver Olympic Center. Americans Debbie McCormick (Rio, Wis.) and John Shuster (Duluth, Minn.) are set to lead their teams in the opening round of play, which spans 11 days to determine the 2010 Olympic gold medalists. The first round of men s action begins at 9 a.m. with Shuster and teammates Jason Smith (Cape Coral, Fla.), Jeff Isaacson (Gilbert, Minn.), John Benton (St. Michael, Minn.) and Chris Plys (Duluth, Minn.) battling Andy Kapp s Germany rink. They ll also take the ice at 7 p.m. against last year s world bronze medalists from Norway, who are skipped by Thomas Ulsrud. Jamie Langenbrunner (Cloquet, Minn.), who also played in the 1998 Olympics, is team captain while Rafalski, Ryan Suter (Madison, Wis.), Dustin Brown (Ithaca, N.Y.) and Zach Parise (Prior Lake, Mich.) are alternate captains. Suter, whose father Bob was a member of the gold medal-winning 1980 team, enters the Games having worn the U.S. sweater for 58 international contests, most among players on this year s team while 12 members of this team were NHL first round draft picks, including number one overall picks Erik Johnson (Bloomington, Minn.; 2006 by St. Louis) and Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y.; 2007 by Chicago). Canada is the clear favorite heading into the Olympics with Russia right there with the Canadians, says U.S. general manager Brian Burke. That said, we came here to win the gold medal and that s what we ll set out to do starting on Tuesday. McCormick and teammates Allison Pottinger (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Nicole Joraanstad (Madison, Wis.), Natalie Nicholson (Bemidji, Minn.) and Tracy Sachtjen (Lodi, Wis.) begin play Tuesday afternoon against Japan s Moe Meguro rink, which finished seventh at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. Jamie Langenbrunner, Zach Parise WOMEN S HOCKEY FACES RUSSIA Coming off a 12-1 opening game win Sunday over China, the U.S. Olympic Women s Ice Hockey Team faces Russia at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday at UBC Thunderbird Arena. MEN S HOCKEY OPENS VS. SWITZERLAND The 2010 U.S. Olympic Men s Ice Hockey Team opens play Tuesday in the first game of the Olympic hockey tournament in Canada Hockey Place at noon against Switzerland. The U.S. is (w-l-t) all-time against Switzerland in Olympic play. The game can be seen live in the U.S. on MSNBC. In 20 previous Olympic tournaments, the U.S. Men s Team has captured two gold (1960 and 1980) medals, seven silver and one bronze. The U.S. tied Latvia 3-3 in the opening game of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. In 2002, the U.S. topped Finland 6-0 while in 1998, the first time NHL players participated in the Games, the U.S. fell to Sweden by a 4-2 count in the opener. Brian Rafalski (Dearborn, Mich.) and Chris Drury (Trumbull, Conn.) who were members of the 2002 and 2006 U.S. Men s Teams, are the 10th and 11th U.S. players to appear in three Olympic tournaments. Team USA, which matched the U.S. Olympic single game goalscoring record on Sunday, will be facing Russia for the first time in Olympic competition and enter the match with an all-time Olympic record of Russia also opened tournament play on Sunday, posting a 5-1 loss to Finland. Jenny Potter (Edina, Minn.) paced the U.S. team on Sunday with a U.S. Olympic-record five-point performance (3 goals, 2 assists) as she became the country s all-time leading scorer in Olympic Winter Games with 26 points (8 goals, 18 assists). Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.) also established a U.S. Olympic record with four assists in one game. Natalie Darwitz (Eagan, Minn.) paced the team with eight shots on goal as the U.S. outshot China by a 61-7 margin and improved their Olympic opening game record to , having outscored the four opponents by a combined 33-1.

6 BIATHLON MEN & WOMEN IN PURSUIT IN WHISTLER Team USA is looking forward to fair conditions at Tuesday s 12.5k pursuit. Jeremy Teela (Heber City, Utah) finished ninth in the sprint and will begin his race just 1:13.9 minutes after the first starter in the pursuit, France s Vincent Jay. Lowell Bailey (Lake Placid, N.Y.) will try to get closer to the top after a time gap of 2:18.8. Tim Burke (Paul Smiths, N.Y.) will start +2:47 minutes behind the Frenchman, Jay Hakkinen (Kasilof, Alaska) 54th, +3:09.6 minutes. Most likely, sprint silver medalist Emil Hegle Svendsen from Norway is poised for gold. Jen Rodriguez SPRINT LADIES PREPARE FOR 500 Following Monday s men s 500m races, Tuesday will be the U.S. ladies turn to take the ice in 500m long track speedskating. Returning Olympians Jen Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.) and Elli Ochowicz (Palo Alto, Calif.) will be competing alongside new U.S. Olympians Heather Richardson (High Point, N.C.) and Lauren Cholewinski (York, S.C.). In World Cup rankings, Ochowicz earned a 12th place spot, the highest of the American women. Richardson sits in 15th, Cholewinski in 32nd and Rodriguez in 40th. Coming from an inline background, Richardson first stepped on the ice in 2007, immediately making her first World Cup team. Her Olympic debut in the ladies 500m is four years sooner than she thought it would be. Her original goal was to make the 2014 Olympic team. She is learning to put the Games in perspective with help from Olympic veterans on the team. The ladies 500m event begins Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Richmond Olympic Oval. ALPINE MEN BACK ON THE HILL The U.S. men will compete in the super combined beginning with the downhill at 10 a.m. and concluding with the 1:30 p.m. slalom. American starters are Bode Miller (Franconia, N.H.), who captured bronze in the downhill on Monday, Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, N.Y.), Will Brandenburg (Spokane, Wash.) and reigning Olympic combined medalist Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah). At the women s race Sara Studebaker (Boise, Idaho) will be the only one to represent the U.S. in the 10k pursuit as the other women did not manage to post a result in the top 60. Studebaker, who is more relaxed after her first Olympic race will most likely move up some spots if she manages to stay steady at the shooting range. The favorite for the women s race is Germany s Magdalena Neuner who will start just 1.5 seconds behind Slovakian Sprint winner Anastasia Kuzmina. SNOWBOARDCROSS LADIES TAKE THEIR TURN FOR MEDALS Ladies snowboardcross will take place Tuesday at Cypress Mountain. The U.S. team is led by Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.), who claimed silver in the event at its Olympic debut at the 2006 Games in Torino. The U.S. team will also feature Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City, Utah) and Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (Girdwood, Alaska.). Going into these Games, Jacobellis has won the SBX event at the last three X Games. She has a record of six X Games gold medals and was the SBX world champion in 2005 and The competition begins at 10:00 am with qualification. Quarterfinals get underway at 12:15 pm, semifinals start at 12:29 pm and the final is scheduled to take place at 12:40 p.m. Lindsey Jacobellis, Faye Gulini I feel strong, Miller said. As I ve said it before, coming into here, I m fit, I m still getting stronger, I feel motivated. And like I said, you can always count on me making mistakes and pushing hard. But I ve raced a lot of races since the last time I was in these big races and was really excited and fired up.

7 BREAKING NEWS As part of the USOC s exclusive coverage of Team USA throughout the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, there are two options to receive Breaking News alerts from the USOC -- via and/or by following us on Twitter The USOC s Breaking News Bureau keeps the media and the U.S. delegation up to the moment with breaking news about U.S. athletes and team results, advisories and updates. The Bureau editor sends s to members of the media and delegation staff on breaking news and advisories. Visit the USA Media Services office to sign up to receive the Breaking News alerts during the Games. VISITNG USA HOUSE The USA House in Vancouver will have a limited media services operation. Journalists interested in gaining access and/ or setting up interviews at Vancouver USA House should request a media day pass 24 hours in advance by sending an to: usahousemedia@usoc.org. The facility will have a small workroom and will provide some interview opportunities with U.S. athletes and officials. In addition, USA House will be an evening stop in the Managing Victory tour for U.S. medal-winning athletes. Due to size constraints, USA House in Whistler is not open to the press. USOC PRESSBOX Visit the USOC media website, www. usocpressbox.org, for up-to-date and daily coverage of Team USA. Available on the site: headshots of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team, releases, media annoucements, press conference transcripts, bios, athlete Tweets and more. MEDIA ZONE PRESS CONFERENCE SCHEDULE VANCOUVER Date Sport Time Room February 18 Ski Cross 13:00 Saturna February 22 Snowboard PGS TBD TBD February 27 USA Wrap-up 10:00 Gabriola TEAMUSASHOP.COM Support Team USA and dress like an Olympian. Visit TeamUSAShop.org to purchase the same gear the athletes will be wearing in Vancouver from the Parade apparel (Opening and Closing Ceremonies) to the Medal Stand. Fans can also purchase the popular Olympic trading pins, as well as Team USA fan gear. SUPPORT A SPORT For the first time, fans and donors have been empowered to choose which National Governing Body (NGB) to support. This not only provides supporters a more direct link to seeing the impact of their donation, but it also forges a greater connection between donors and Olympic athletes and hopefuls. Each and every day, NGBs work to promote and develop sport within the United States. This includes supporting athletes at all levels, from grassroots to Olympic and Paralympic by providing opportunities to compete and helping them to reach their potential, achieve their dreams and represent their country. BLAIR MURAL IMAGE UNVEILING As a part of a 17-day living art exhibit, Bonnie Blair, a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, will join representatives from Allstate to help unveil her image on The Allstate Hall of Fame Tribute at the USA House in downtown Vancouver. WHO: Gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic speedskater Bonnie Blair; Allstate senior marketing manager Karen Uhler; world-renowned artist Tracy Lee Stum WHERE: USA House; 1022 Seymour (at the corner of Nelson); Yaletown Area WHEN: Feb. 16; 11:00 a.m. CONTACT: Allstate: Caitlin Morse, , Caitlin.morse@allstate.com. Taylor (onsite in Vancouver): Kristin Adams, , kadams@taylorpr.com. THIS DAY IN OLYMPIC HISTORY February 16, 1984 Heavy favorite Scott Hamilton, who upon entering the Sarajevo Olympic Winter Games had won 16 straight tournaments, captures Olympic gold in men s figure stating despite being disappointed in his performance. Sentenced to ski camp in his youth after being convicted of stealing a car, Bill Johnson becomes the first American man to win downhill alpine skiing gold. February 16, 2006 Seth Wescott rides to the top of the podium in Torino for the first Winter Olympic gold medal awarded in snowboardcross competition.

8 2010 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES SCHEDULE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 TIME SPORT EVENT VENUE 9:00 Curling Men s Round Robin Session 1 Vancouver Olympic Center United States vs Germany U.S. Athletes: John Benton, Jeff Isaacson, Chris Plys, John Shuster, Jason Smith 10:00 Alpine Skiing Men s Super Combined Downhill Whistler Creekside U.S. Athletes: Will Brandenburg, Erik Fisher, Ted Ligety, Bode Miller, Andrew Weibrecht 10:00 Snowboard Ladies Snowboardcross Qualification Cypress Mountain U.S. Athletes: Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, Faye Gulini, Lindsey Jacobellis 10:30 Biathlon Women s 10 km Pursuit Whistler Olympic Park U.S. Athlete: Sara Studebaker 12:00 Ice Hockey Men s Preliminary Round - Group A Game 1: United States vs Switzerland Canada Hockey Place U.S. Athletes: David Backes, Dustin Brown, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Tim Gleason, Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson, Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler, Phil Kessel, Jamie Langenbrunner, Ryan Malone, Ryan Miller, Brooks Orpik, Zach Parise, Joe Pavelski, Jonathan Quick, Brian Rafalski, Bobby Ryan, Paul Stastny, Ryan Suter, Tim Thomas, Ryan Whitney 12:15 Snowboard Ladies Snowboardcross Quarterfinals Cypress Mountain Qualifiers TBD (U.S. Athletes: Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, Faye Gulini, Lindsey Jacobellis) 12:29 Snowboard Ladies Snowboardcross Semifinals Cypress Mountain Qualifiers TBD (U.S. Athletes: Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, Faye Gulini, Lindsey Jacobellis) 12:40 Snowboard Ladies Snowboardcross Finals Cypress Mountain Qualifiers TBD (U.S. Athletes: Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, Faye Gulini, Lindsey Jacobellis) 12:45 Biathlon Men s 12.5 km Pursuit Whistler Olympic Park U.S. Athletes: Lowell Bailey, Tim Burke, Jay Hakkinen, Jeremy Teela 13:00 Luge Women s Singles Run 3 Whistler Sliding Center U.S. Athletes: Julia Clukey, Erin Hamlin, Megan Sweeney 13:00 LT Speedskating Ladies 500 m Race 1 of 2 Richmond Olympic Oval U.S. Athletes: Jen Rodriguez, Elli Ochowicz, Heather Richardson, Lauren Cholewinski 13:30 Alpine Skiing Men s Super Combined Slalom Whistler Creekside U.S. Athletes: Jimmy Cochran, Nolan Kasper, Ted Ligety, Bode Miller 14:00 Curling Women s Round Robin Session 1 Vancouver Olympic Center United States vs Japan U.S. Athletes: Nicole Joraanstad, Debbie McCormick, Natalie Nicholson, Allison Pottinger, Tracy Sachtjen 14:30 Ice Hockey Women s Preliminary Round - Group B Game 7: Russian Federation vs United States UBC Thunderbird Arena U.S. Athletes: Kacey Bellamy, Caitlin Cahow, Lisa Chesson, Julie Chu, Natalie Darwitz, Meghan Duggan, Molly Engstrom, Hilary Knight, Jocelyne Lamoureux, Monique Lamoureux, Erika Lawler, Gigi Marvin, Brianne McLaughlin, Jenny Potter, Kelli Stack, Angela Ruggiero, Molly Schaus, Karen Thatcher, Jessie Vetter, Kerry Weiland, Jinelle Zaugg-Siergiej 14:50* Luge Women s Singles Run 4 Whistler Sliding Center U.S. Athletes: Julia Clukey, Erin Hamlin, Megan Sweeney 14:52 LT Speedskating Ladies 500 m Race 2 of 2 Richmond Olympic Oval U.S. Athletes: Jen Rodriguez, Elli Ochowicz, Heather Richardson, Lauren Cholewinski 16:15 Figure Skating Men Short Program Pacific Coliseum U.S. Athletes: Jeremy Abbott, Evan Lysacek, Johnny Weir 19:00 Curling Men s Round Robin Session 2 Vancouver Olympic Center United States vs Norway U.S. Athletes: John Benton, Jeff Isaacson, Chris Plys, John Shuster, Jason Smith (PPD) - Postponed; bold denotes medal round; *estimated start time VICTORY CEREMONIES SCHEDULE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 19:00 BC Place Ladies Snowboardcross Men s 500m Speedskating Men s Showboardcross 19:00 Whistler Plaza Men s 12.5k Pursuit Biathlon Men s Super Combined Skiing Women s 10km Pursuit Biathlon Women s Singles Luge WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17 7 p.m. BC Place Ladies 500m speedskating 7 p.m. Whistler Plaza Ladies Downhill Ladies Cross-Country Individual Sprint Men s Cross-Country Individual Sprint