2014 US Olympic Trials: Jan 3 Event Schedule, TV Info, Preview and More

Apolo Anton Ohno isn't returning to the ice, and 24-year-old Katherine Reutter has hung up her blades as well.

With two of the biggest names in U.S. speedskating gone—along with the 10 Olympic medals they had combined to bring home—several young standouts will be forced to step up in the Olympic trials before travelling to Sochi in February.

The journey for emerging stars like J.R. Celski and Jessica Smith will officially begin on Friday as the U.S. Olympic trials turn to short track speedskating. The short track races will finish out the Olympic trials until they end on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.

Here is the important viewing information for Friday's event and full breakdown.

Viewing Info

What: Men’s/Women’s 1,500-meter short track speedskating trials

Where: Utah Olympic Oval, Kearns, Utah

When: Friday, Jan. 3, at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: NBC Sports Network

Live Stream: NBC Sports Extra

Date	Sport	Event	TV	Time
Friday, Jan. 3	Short Track Speedskating	Men’s/Women’s 1500m	NBCSN	8 p.m. EST

Analyzing the 1,500-Meter Short Track Race

Speedskating has long been one of the most illustrious events in the Winter Olympics. With the U.S. having quite a bit of recent success, the expectations are high for this crop heading into Sochi. Unfortunately, this group lacks experience on the biggest stage without names like Ohno and Reutter.

Whether it's the men's or the women's short track speedskating trials, both sides have a lot to prove before the 2014 Winter Olympics officially begin.

Men's Short Track

Mike Stobe/Getty Images

When it comes to U.S. short track speedskaters, the first name to mention is J.R. Celski. The 23-year-old is the current world-record holder in the 500-meters with a time of 39.937 in the first World Cup of last season on Oct. 21, 2012.

Celski is the only member of the US men's short track team with an individual Olympic medal, which came in the 1,500-meter race in 2010 in Vancouver. Celski won the 2012 overall title at the U.S. Senior Short Track Speedskating National Championships in December.

After a gruesome injury just before the 2010 Olympics, Celski was still able to put on a good showing. This time around, he is fully healthy and looking to take gold in Sochi, but will have to start in the Olympic trials.

Outside of Celski, two up-and-comers John-Henry Krueger, 18, and Eddy Alvarez, 23, also won World Cup medals this season. The two Olympic rookies will be competition for Celski in the trials and could compete in Sochi for a spot on the podium.

Women's Short Track

George Frey/Getty Images

While the outlook for the men's side still looks bright with Celski and others, the women's side looks extremely thin without Reutter. The loss of Ohno may appear to be the bigger storyline, but Reutter's success at the 2010 Winter Olympics will be tough to replicate by this year's crop.

In the 2010 Winter Olympics, Jessica Smith was an alternate. In 2014, she is expected to be a leader heading into Sochi. In fact, Smith told Joe Paisley of The Gazette that she still uses that failure as a motivator to qualify for this year's Winter Olympics:

"

Everyone told me when I was younger to just enjoy the experience but I was a 12-year-old beating 17-year-olds to make the (inline) national team. I won gold at Pan Ams and worlds and had done everything I wanted in inline. Not making the (Vancouver) Olympic team was my first setback. I decided then that I would use that as motivation for the next four years.

"

Smith has emerged as a much stronger skater than she was in 2010 and now ranks 13th in the world in the 1,500-meter event, which makes her the top U.S. skater in the event. The 20-year-old is also the top U.S. speedskater in the 500-meter event, but is 21st overall in the world. Emily Scott is looking to make her first Olympic team and ranks 15th in the world in the 1,000-meters.

Expectations for both of these women will be high, but they are not the only ones with hopes of making the team. With two former Olympians in Alyson Dudek and Lana Gehring also competing, the competition for Smith and Scott to just make the team will be tough.

Without a relay team qualifying for this year's Olympics, there will only be three spots available for each of the women competing. For a women's team that has failed to bring home a World Cup medal since February 2012, the pressure officially begins on Friday.

All stats and information via TeamUSA.org and NBCSports.com.