Sochi 2014: What to watch for on Day 12
Figure skating, hockey semifinals and all sorts of other fun events to follow on Day 12 of the Olympics. Here’s what to watch for on Monday.
Clive Mason
As the Winter Olympics head into the second week, the events gain more urgency by the day. Monday’s big competitions include the women’s hockey semifinal, the ice dance free skating contest and a handful of medal events in bobsled and skiing.
Here are the top events to watch on Day 12.
Women’s ice hockey
The semifinal round starts at 7:30 a.m. ET when the U.S. take on Sweden. The American team remains heavy medal favorites and had little trouble in the qualification rounds. Barring a surprise here, they should be through to the gold-medal round. Their Canadian neighbors will play Switzerland at midnight, potentially setting up a grudge match between the top North American teams.
Figure skating
Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White are one of the top ice dancing teams in the world, and they proved their mettle with an outstanding skate in the short program. Currently sitting in first place, they are looking to get their first gold medal in Monday’s free skate program. Their biggest competition is the Canadian pair Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, winners of the gold in Vancouver in 2010. Things begin at 10 a.m. live on NBCSN.
Bobsled
The two-man event concludes Monday with their final two runs. The Jamaicans were the feel-good story heading into these games, but they find themselves dead last after the first two runs. Steven Holcumb and Steve Langston are the top American contenders and are currently in third place, with Russians Alexander Zubkov and Alexey Voevoda leading the field. This event starts at 9:30 a.m.
Freestyle skiing
Come get your fill of athletes flipping themselves in the air with reckless abandon when the men’s aerials event starts at 8:45 a.m. Alexei Grishin won the gold in Vancouver and is looking to score another medal for Belarus. Team USA isn’t expected to be a factor in this event, with Mac Bohonnon being the lone American in the field.
Women’s curling
Monday is the final day of round-robin action for the women. With 10 teams competing and only four spots up for grabs in the semifinal, a lot of these teams are just playing out the string, but China-Switzerland has some intrigue with fourth place still undecided. That match starts at 10 a.m. If you’re wondering how the American team is doing, you’ll be much happier not knowing.
More on the Winter Olympics:
• Hockey: Men’s schedule | All 12 men’s rosters | USA roster analysis
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