Olympic Speedskating Schedule 2018: TV, Live-Stream Info for Women's 5,000m

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Germany's Claudia Pechstein is among the skaters expected to be in the final reckoning for a medal when the women's 5,000-meter speedskating gets underway at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Friday.

Carlijn Schoutens and Mia Manganello will represent Team USA, while Jelena Peeters will skate for Belgium as part of a talented field at the Gangneung Oval.

Here is the updated medal tracker:

Here are the schedule and viewing details:

Date: Friday, February 16

Time: 11 a.m. GMT, 6 a.m. ET

TV Info: Eurosport 1, BBC One, NBCSN (replay)

Live Stream: Eurosport Player, BBC iPlayer, NBC Sports App

Pechstein is attempting to win a medal at 45, having set the Olympic record back in 2011. She'll hope for a better time of it than the one she experienced in Sochi four years ago, when she could only finish fifth.

Improving won't be easy given the quality of the field around Pechstein, including the presence of Martina Sablikova, who won gold for the Czech Republic at the 2014 Sochi Games.

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Sablikova is the strongest contender for gold.Jens Meyer/Associated Press

Sablikova still holds the world record over this distance, so she'll be the one to watch once the race gets going. She was joined on the podium four years ago by Ireen Wust and Carien Kleibeuker of the Netherlands.

Wust took silver, while Kleibeuker claimed bronze, but neither is competing this time. Instead, the Netherlands' hopes rest on Esmee Visser and Annouk van der Weijden.

Canada also has a strong case for a medal, thanks to the presence of Ivanie Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann. Blondin has dealt with disappointment at these Games already, finishing sixth in the women's 3,000-meter event.

She said nerves had gotten the better of her, per Rob Longley of the National Post: "I was trying to (tell) myself all day to not stress out and not be nervous, but you can't really control those things. I was nervous all day. In World Cups, I've learned to really decompress and not stress out about them too much. Here at the Games, it's something different."

Blondin will be Canada's best hope.ROBERTO SCHMIDT/Getty Images

Handling the nerves and being able to rebound from a tough start is vital for the long-track races, so Blondin's temperament will be tested again.

Sablikova is the skater to beat, but she's surrounded by some quality competitors sure to make this one of the best races in the speedskating event.