Olympic Figure Skating Schedule 2014: TV and Live Stream Info for Day 12
The ladies' short program is the lone figure skating event on the schedule for Wednesday's 2014 Winter Olympics action in Sochi, Russia.
Although there won't be any medals handed out on Day 12 for the competition, it will serve as a captivating precursor to the Thursday free program that will act as the finale at the Winter Games for figure skating. Thus, it's worth tuning in to see which skaters will separate themselves as true contenders for the podium.
Homeland 15-year-old Julia Lipnitskaia figures to be among the favorites, but a formidable American trio stands in her way in Gracie Gold, Ashley Wagner and Polina Edmunds, who is also just 15.
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That's not even to mention two other experienced contenders: Korean 2010 Olympic gold medalist Yuna Kim and Vancouver Games silver medalist Mao Asada of Japan. Kim sat out the team competition and will be making her 2014 Sochi debut.
Below is an overview of when the ladies' short program will get underway, when and where to catch it, along with analysis and a look at the latest buzz about the event's top competitors.
When: Wednesday, Feb. 19
Where: Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi, Russia
TV: NBC Sports Network from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST (h/t NBCOlympics.com)
Live Stream: NBCSports.com Live Extra
Will Lipnitskaia Continue to Embrace the Spotlight?
Perhaps the biggest individual story to emerge from the Winter Olympics, due to the popularity of figure skating and that she hails from Russia, Lipnitskaia has taken Sochi by storm.
Lipnitskaia finished first in the short program and in the free skate during the team competition, putting 20 points on the board as the Russians seized the gold medal in the inaugural event. To be such a strong contributor in the team atmosphere with many of her compatriots counting on her—not to mention the home crowd—made Lipnitskaia's prowess all the more impressive.
Nastia Liukin of NBC Sports weighed in on Lipnitskaia's greatness after the prodigy helped deliver the team gold for Russia:
Now, it will be interesting to see how Lipnitskaia handles the scrutiny when it's just her results that matter. The Olympics have been amazing for her so far, as they have marked her debut in senior competition.
Since she's had a number of days between the team event and Wednesday's short program, perhaps what Lipnitskaia has accomplished may sink in and could overwhelm her as she prepares to take the ice.
But it isn't likely, if the testimony of her first coach Elena Levkovets is any indication, per The Associated Press' Laura Mills:
"At the beginning ... there wasn't anything special there other than her bravery. She would stand up and fall down and stand up again, she didn't cry. She's had that serious face since she was a child...I think she gets a lot of it from her mother — the determination and the diligence. She always came to the rink like it was her job.
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Lipnitskaia has been unafraid of the grand stage all this time, and she appears to have a rather business-like approach to her time in the rink. This may be her first taste of figure skating at the senior level, yet she's proven she belongs.
It's a good bet that Lipnitskaia will at least position herself in the top three ahead of the free program to have a chance for a medal.
Yuna Kim Still Prohibitive Favorite for Gold
The reigning champion of this event is the favorite according to Oddschecker. In second is Liptnitskaia, whose performance at the Winter Games has been enough to overtake Asada as the No. 2 favorite (6-to-5) in oddsmakers' eyes.
Kim's game plan and expectations haven't changed, despite the history that's on the line for her to go back-to-back as an Olympic winner. She expressed that in comments to USA Today's Nancy Armour.
"It means a lot for me to take part in these Olympics," Kim said. "Not that I have to win twice...I'm not trying to do my best because it's the Olympics. I'm trying to do my best always."
Even with the ambitious plan to put all the focus on the last two days of figure skating rather than partake in the team competition, Kim does not feel any added heat—and maybe she shouldn't.
All indications are that Kim will be well prepared to crush it in Wednesday's free program. NBC Olympics web producer Nick McCarvel reported Tuesday that she nailed her triple-triple jump combination—something all three American competitors are planning:
That's going to be hard to top, but the USA is bringing some serious talent to the table. Read on to find out more about the challengers.
What to Expect From USA's Best
Gold is the odds-on favorite to fare best in the figure skating final, per Kaduk's report (16-to-1 odds). Only Lipnitskaia beat Gold in the team free program, so there's something for the 18-year-old to build on ahead of this medal competition.
Even though Wagner fell twice during her U.S. championships collapse, she still justified her controversial selection to the U.S. team with a solid fourth-place effort in the team short program. Wagner isn't quite up to Gold's level on a consistent basis, but she has the talent when her mental state is right to crack the podium.
The true wild card is the youngest competitor Edmunds who is making her first appearance at the international senior level. At those aforementioned U.S. championships, she thrived in the spotlight in finishing second to Gold—and ahead of Wagner.
Gauging Edmunds' realistic expectations is difficult, because she has yet to compete in Sochi and hasn't had to deal with the pressure.
But the good news is that Edmunds will encounter the least amount of scrutiny regardless. Between Wagner needing to prove herself again and Gold's status as the best American hope, Edmunds can go about her business and emerge as a surprise contender.
Gold has the best chance of adding to the USA's medal total, but count yours truly as a Wagner skeptic. Hopefully that's proven wrong. Edmunds faces less stigma, though, and she should post a better finish as a result.
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