US Olympic Figure Skating 2018: Updated Prime-Time Schedule and Odds

Figure skating will once again be one of the biggest attractions at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, regularly featuring as one of the most alluring events in any edition of the Games.

Olympic figure skating combines furious speeds with titanic throws and the inevitable anticipation of watching a spill or two, all while those on the ice attempt to land massive jumps with as many rotations as possible in the air.

The action kicked off on Thursday, and Saturday will see the team events resume before coming to a climax in Sunday's Ice Dance Free Dance, which will see teams face off following the men's and ladies' singles, as well as a pair event.

Then it's the turn of those individual events to take the spotlight from Tuesday onwards, and all events kick off at or just after the Primetime slot of 8 p.m. ET (1 a.m. GMT).

Read on for a preview of the Olympic figure skating schedule, complete with a look at the overall medal table odds.

TV Info: NBC Universal (U.S.), BBC and Eurosport (UK)

Live Stream: NBC Olympics (U.S.), BBC iPlayer (UK), Eurosport Player (UK)

Here are the odds for the top nations that could win the most golds in total at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, courtesy of OddsShark:

Norway: 3-2

Germany: 8-5

United States: 5-1

Canada: 7-1

Netherlands: 16-1

South Korea: 28-1

Here's a look at the medal table standings approaching the end of the opening weekend:

Figure Staking Schedule (Start Time)

Saturday, Feb. 10 (8 p.m. ET/1 a.m. GMT on Sunday, Feb. 11)

Ice Dance Short Dance

Women's Single Short Program

Pairs Free Skating

Sunday, Feb. 11 (8 p.m. ET/1 a.m. GMT on Monday, Feb. 12)

Men's Single Free Skating

Women's Single Free Skating

Team Event Ice Dance Free Dance (Final)

Tuesday, Feb. 13 (8 p.m. ET/1 a.m. GMT on Wed., Feb. 14)

Pairs Short Program

Wednesday, Feb. 14 (8:30 p.m. ET/1:30 a.m. GMT on Thursday, Feb. 15)

Pairs Free Skating (Final)

Thursday, Feb. 15 (8 p.m. ET/1 a.m. GMT on Friday, Feb. 16)

Men's Single Short Program

Friday, Feb. 16 (8 p.m. ET/1 a.m. GMT on Saturday, Feb. 17)

Men's Single Free Skating (Final)

Sunday, Feb. 18 (8 p.m. ET/1 a.m. GMT on Monday, Feb. 19)

Ice Dance Short Dance

Monday, Feb. 19 (8 p.m. ET/1 a.m. GMT on Tuesday, Feb. 20)

Ice Dance Free Dance (Final)

Tuesday, Feb 20 (8 p.m. ET/1 a.m. GMT on Wednesday, Feb. 21)

Women's Single Short Program

Thursday, Feb 22 (8 p.m. ET/1 a.m. GMT on Friday, Feb. 23)

Women's Single Free Skating (Final)

Find a full schedule for the figure skating events at the 2018 Winter Olympics official website.

Preview

The landscape of Olympic figure skating has changed significantly since the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, with numerous winners and gold-medal pairs not present to defend their crowns in Pyeongchang.

Meryl Davis and Cheryl White won gold on behalf of the United States four years ago but have since taken their leave of competition, while Russians Tatiana Volosozhar and Maksim Trankov opted not to defend their pairs gold, per NBC's Nick Zaccardi.

Italy's Carolina Kostner could only muster a bronze-medal finish in the ladies' singles in Sochi, but she'll be looking to earn a higher finish in South Korea, making her 2018 debut on Saturday, per figure-skating star Johnny Weir:

Volosozhar and Trankov won't be the only Russian figure-skating champions missing from a title defence, either, as ladies' singles ace Adelina Sotnikova will be absent four years after topping the Sochi podium.

South Korean belle Yuna Kim won silver at the Games in 2014 but has since retired from the professional sport and will not compete this month, although she did have a big hand in the Olympics' beginning, via CBC:

In the men's field, American prodigy Nathan Chen has grabbed headlines. Much of the United States' hope for a medal in this event sits upon the 18-year-old phenomenon's shoulders.

Chen took part in the men's singles short program as part of the team event on Thursday and finished fourth, teasing big hopes of what's to come in the individual as photojournalist Kenny Holmes praised his work mentality:

Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu has chosen not to take part in the team event and will preserve himself for the individual after winning gold in Sochi, and his coach Brian Orser recently praised a star who at times looks acres ahead of the competition.

Per Jere Longman of the New York Times, he said: "Could he win without the big, giant tricks? Yes. But that’s not him. He’s willing to take the risk. He’s visualizing a greater win than last time. It wasn’t that magical moment you usually see at the Olympics."

The women's field looks to be open with the departure of several veterans and new faces emerging, while Chen sits at the head of the pack of young guns looking to dazzle in Pyeongchang.