Olympic Figure Skating 2014: How to Watch Every Event in Sochi
How popular is figure skating in America? According to poll results published by The Associated Press (h/t FoxNews.com), it's the most popular sport of the Winter Olympics among Americans. According to the poll, 24 percent of the people surveyed tabbed figure skating as their favorite sport.
With that said, there's no doubt the information below carries some value for fans in the states. Behold, the complete schedule for men's, ladies' and pairs' programs.
| Date | Event | Start (EST) | TV |
| Thurs., Feb. 6 | Team: Men's Short Program, Pairs Short Program | 10:30 a.m. | NBC |
| Sat., Feb. 8 | Team: Ice SP, Ladies' SP, Pairs' Full Program | 9:30 a.m. | NBC Sports Network |
| Sun., Feb. 9 | Team: Men's FP, Ladies' FP, Ice FP | 10 a.m. | NBC and NBCSN |
| Wed., Feb. 12 | Pairs FP | 10:45 a.m. | NBCSN |
| Thurs., Feb. 13 | Men's SP | 10 a.m. | NBCSN |
| Fri., Feb. 14 | Men's FP | 10 a.m. | NBCSN |
| Sun., Feb. 16 | Ice SD | 10 a.m. | NBCSN |
| Wed., Feb. 19 | Ladies' SP | 10 a.m. | NBCSN |
| Thurs., Feb. 20 | Ladies' FP | 10 a.m. | NBCSN |
| Sat., Feb. 22 | Gala Exhibition | 11:30 a.m. | NBCSN |
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Most-Compelling Storylines
Gracie Gold's Quest For Gold
At just 18 years old, Gracie Gold has been adorned as the face of the 2014 Sochi Games for the United States. After winning the United States Championships in Boston, her popularity has skyrocketed.
Gold has graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, and she is America's most realistic hope to medal in figure skating. It won't be easy as Barry Wilner of The Norwich Bulletin points out:
"Gold won her first national championship in January in Boston with two superb programs. Working with Frank Carroll, who coached Evan Lysacek to the men’s title four years ago, Gold has improved exponentially this season."
"She will need to continue that rapid growth at the games, because defending champion Kim Yu-Na and silver medalist Mao Asada are imposing opponents."
The enormity of the moment and opportunity seems to be settling in on Gold. She told Filip Bondy of The New York Daily News:
"I’m packing this weekend suitcases to go to the Olympics — it’s unreal. To walk in the opening ceremonies, I don’t think my heart could be bigger. The closer we get to Sochi, the more and more I want to be going for a medal. I think it’s a realistic goal, and we’ll see what happens.
"
If she can step up and perform well, she'll carve a niche in the minds of millions of Americans.
Can Yuna Kim Prove Why She's the Favorite?
The fiercest competition Gold will face in the Olympics will come from South Korea's Yuna Kim. Coming into the Sochi Games, she is the overwhelming favorite in the short program and overall. Kim won Olympic gold in figure skating at the Vancouver 2010 Games, and she won the gold medal at the World Championships in Los Angeles in 2013.
At 23 years old, Kim has the experience and the talent to make it an uphill battle for any competitor who opposes her.
If she wins gold in Sochi, she'll be the first woman to ever win back-to-back gold medals at the Olympics in figure skating. There's a lot of pressure there for Kim, but she's attempting to keep a level head. Per Channel NewsAsia, Kim said:
"Many people talk about winning two straight gold medals, but I'm not focusing on defending the title. I just hope to do everything I've prepared to do. As long as I can do that, I think the results will follow and I should be able to end my career without regrets.
"
She is planning to retire after the Sochi Games, but she'd love to take one more piece of gold before she stops competing.
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