2014 Winter Olympics skiing schedule: Every day should be Super-G day
Super combined bronze medalist Julia Mancuso goes for another medal for the Americans in the Super-G, plus other action on the slopes.
Nathan Bilow-USA TODAY Sports
Here’s all the things on skis for Saturday. All times Eastern.
Alpine Skiing
2 a.m.: Women’s Super-G
The lone event in Saturday’s alpine action is a doozy: the women’s Super-G. American Julia Mancuso earned bronze in the super combined on Monday; she’s likely the United States’ best shot at medaling. She’ll face challenges from dual gold medalists in the downhill Dominique Gisin of Switzerland and Tina Maze of Slovenia. Then, of course, there’s super combined gold medalist Maria Hoefl-Riesch, who already has three golds to her name in her career. The Super-G is one of the most intense, wildest races in all of the Olympics, so do not miss this event.
Cross-Country
5 a.m.: Women’s 4 x 5 km relay
Cross-country skiing is typically a dominant area for the Norwegians -- Norway’s at 103 medals and counting, including seven (with three golds) in this Olympiad before Saturday’s action -- but the Americans might surprise and take home the United States’ first medal in the sport since Bill Koch took silver in the men’s 30 km in Innsbruck in 1976. That remains the only American medal in cross-country, and that was 38 damn years ago. It’s time. The Christian Science Monitor has a great article about the United States’ women’s team, led by Kikkan Randall; a great showing and medal here would go a long way in affirming America’s place next to the Nordic powerhouses and Russia in this sport.
Ski Jumping
12:30 p.m.: Men’s large hill individual, first round
1:35 p.m.: Men’s large hill individual, final round
The ski jump’s third of four sets of medals will be awarded Saturday as individual large hill action gets underway. Among prequalifiers, Austria’s Thomas Diethart managed a qualifying-round high 131 meters on his jump (and into a relatively significant breeze, no less), while Anders Bardal of Norway clocked in at 130.5. Elsewhere, Michael Hayboeck (also of Austria) led all judged qualifiers with a score of 124.8, including 131 meters into the wind on his own jump, so despite not being in the prequalifiers (the top 10 in the world coming into the Olympics), he may be a factor come medal time.
And just so we’re clear, 131 meters is 430 feet, or nearly 1/12th of a mile. That’s how far these dudes are flying.
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