February 8-25
Feb 11 Men’s downhill 3pm start No guts, no glory here. Absolute seat of the pants excitement. To whet the appetite check YouTube for the greatest of all downhill runs, the day in 1976 that Austrian legend Franz Klammer fled down the Innsbruck course to win gold. Watch for Beat Feuz, the Swiss who topped the World Cup standings, and Norwegian veteran Aksel Lund Svindal, two-time World Cup overall champion and Olympic Super G champion eight years ago, who go in the dominant pair. Feb 12 Women’s slopestyle snowboard final from 2pm American Jamie Anderson won the inaugural gold in this event in Sochi in 2014. She’s a multiple Winter Games champion and again favoured. New Zealand’s 16-year-old Zoi Sadowski-Synott, winner of a World Cup in the Czech Republic last year, is one to watch too. Feb 14 Women’s slalom final from 2.15pm Mikaela Shiffrin of Vail, Colorado, will defend her title, after becoming the youngest Winter Olympic slalom champion in history at 18 in Sochi. She has totally dominated this season’s World Cup, six firsts and a second. Seemingly unstoppable favourite. Keep an eye on New Zealand’s 16-year-old wunderkind Alice Robinson of Queenstown, still at high school, but a big talent, who has been compared to a Shiffrin in the making. Feb 16 Men’s skeleton from 1.30pm South Korean Yun Sung-bin is the overwhelming favourite in this head-first plunge down an ice tunnel. New Zealand’s England-based Rhys Thornbury is an outside chance to medal, having finished 14th on the World Cup circuit. Feb 17 Men’s ski jump large hill individual final from 1.30pm Think Eddie the Eagle Edwards. Watch them soar. Truly spectacular and a discipline which
American Mikaela Shiffrin became the youngest Winter Olympic slalom champion as an 18-year-old at Sochi.
needs serious stones. German Richard Freitag tops the World Cup standings with three wins and four seconds. Big chance for the gold. Feb 21 Speed skating, team pursuit from 1.13pm A frenetic battle for the medals where skaters race in teams of three. New Zealand’s trio Shane Dobbin, Reyon Kay and Peter Michael can go. They are tipped for silver by one European winter sports website. This is New Zealand’s first dip at the long track team pursuit. They have made four World Cup podiums and were second at the world champs, and are ranked second in this season’s World Cup. A big chance to medal. Feb 22 Men’s halfpipe ski finals from 11.30am Four New Zealanders line up, two sets of brothers — Byron and Beau-James Wells and brothers Miguel and Nico Porteous, the latter at 16 when the Games begin, and the youngest athlete to land a triple cork 1440. So there. Feb 23 Women’s figure skating final 2pm The world of Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill, for old readers; of Katarina Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi and Nancy Kerrigan for those of more recent vintage. Always a spectacle, and if you don’t know your Lutz from your Axel or your Flip, no problem. Just sit back and marvel at the grace and execution under severe pressure. Feb 25 Men’s ice hockey final 5.10pm Expect flying feet and pucks travelling at blinding speed. Canada have won three of the last four golds. They will be the tip to enhance their record. Feb 25 Four- man bobsled final from 1.30pm Didn’t happen in Sochi, but look for the Americans and Germans to dominate. Four guys sprinting hard to get the sled moving then climbing aboard for a wild ride. Remember Cool Runnings and the Jamaicans. Occasionally the sled tips on its side.