2014 US Olympic Trials: Friday Event Schedule, TV Info, Preview and More

The 2014 Winter Olympics are just over a month away and that means it's crunch time for American athletes looking to potentially punch their ticket to Sochi, Russia.

Team USA's Olympic trials will continue on Friday from Utah with men's and women's events in long-track speedskating and continue through the weekend with several Nordic combined skiing events. 

Here's a complete look at Friday's event schedule and television coverage. 

Date	Sport	Events	Coverage Start Time (EST)	TV
Friday, Dec. 27	Speedskating (Long Track)	Men's 5,000m/Women's 3,000m	8 p.m.	NBCSN

What to Expect

The top American long-track speedskaters will be in Salt Lake City from Friday through New Year's Day as they look to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic roster and reach peak form ahead of February's Games.

Team trials will begin on Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. MST (5:30 p.m. EST) and continue into the evening as the men compete in the 5,000-meter event and women take part in the 3,000-meter competition. 

There are several stars sure to emerge from Friday's events, but here are some names viewers should watch for.

Patrick Meek is one of few men who specializes in the 5,000-meter event and believes he's best suited for long-distance races like this one, per TeamUSA.org:

"

I’ll be perfectly honest. I wish I was a 500-meter skater. I wish my race was 10 seconds long and I could be done. But my physiological makeup—my VO2 max, my hematocrit, my muscle twitch fibers—led me all the way to distance.

"

Emery Lehman is an up-and-coming athlete worth keeping an eye on as well. The 17-year-old Oak Park, Ill. native has gained invaluable experience of late, competing in the 2013 Senior World Single Distance Championships in Sochi and appearing in the 2012 Senior World Cup in the Netherlands as a 16-year-old.

Lehman also won gold in the 5,000 meters at the 2012 U.S. National Championships and owns the junior national record in the 10,000 meters. 

Joey Mantia is another men's athlete capable of earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic squad this winter. The Ocala, Fla. native finished 20th at the 2013 World All-Around Championships and has competed in events spanning from 500 meters to 10,000 meters in distance.

Viewers should also look out for female veteran Maria Lamb, who has competed in each of the past two Winter Olympics. The 27-year-old has experience in the women's 3,000 meters and won gold in the 5,000 meters at the 2010 U.S. National Championships. 

Petra Acker also projects to impress this weekend. The 20-year-old was the youngest athlete at the U.S. Olympic trials four years ago and still finished eighth in the women's 3,000-meter event.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.