Silver went to Austria, who came in 38.6 seconds behind. Bronze went to Russia who finished a close .2 seconds behind Austria. The US team finished a tepid 13^th.

Men’s Giant Slalom, even though I already know something that I didn’t want to know. Ugh. It’s really difficult to avoid spoilers. Anyway, men’s giant slalom provides another golden opportunity for Ted Ligety and Bode Miller.

Ladies figure skating short program. American women are kind of a long shot here, but they’ve defied that label before in the Olympics. Of course, this year there are only two women representing the United States in figure skating in Vancouver: Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu. Dominant skaters World Champion Kim Yu-Na, of South Korea, and 2008 World title-holder Mao Asada, of Japan, should provide an exciting show.

I’m torn on women’s ski cross. I find it to be a theoretically exciting sport, but I have a hard time not having an American to cheer for. We’ll see whether it holds my attention.

I’m going to have to see if Nordic Combined Team Large Hill is on television, since it looks like the United States has a shot at a medal. Really. Two medals in Nordic Combined in one Olympics. Wow.

I will probably skip the women’s biathlon relay. Again, exciting in theory. Hard to see the Americans get trounced.

I may also skip men’s speedskating 10,000m. That’s a lot of skating in circles. Maybe if I were from the Netherlands and cheering for national hero Sven Kramer. The power company in the Netherlands is even offering a discount for every medal he wins. I’d definitely watch with more enthusiasm if it was going to save me about $70 per year. On the other hand, Americans Jonathan Kuck and Ryan Bedford are not expected to medal.

The ever present hockey and curling will probably also be skipped, even though I do generally enjoy curling. There are only so many hours in the day.

Women’s bobsled has two runs today, but I’ll probably wait until the medal rounds tomorrow to take a look at that.

 Magdalena Neuner of Germany won the women’s 12.5km mass start, giving her a second gold medal.  She already had gold for the 10km pursuit and silver in 7.5km biathlon.  Though shaky shooting in prone position put her at 17^th at one point, she pushed ahead and finished in 35 minutes, 19.6 seconds. Olga Zaitseva of Russia took silver 5.5 seconds later, and Simone Hauswald, also from Germany, placed bronze. No US biathletes qualified for the mass start which is limited to 30 competitors.

In alpine skiing, you can watch Men’s Super Combined, which combines one downhill run with one slalom run. American Ted Ligety is the defending Olympic champion, but look for Americans Bode Miller and Andrew Weibrecht to give him a run for his money.

Biathlon will award medals for a men’s and women’s mass start event today.

Two man bobsled wraps up today. Team U.S. 1 was in a good position going into today’s runs.

Men’s ski cross runs qualifying and final rounds today. If you like snowboard cross, you’re going to love this new event. Former Alpine skiers Casey Puckett and Daron Rahlves lead the Americans. You may recognize both these names as Rahlves represented the United States at the Olympics three times in alpine racing, and Puckett was a four time Olympian in the alpine disciplines.

The women’s speedskating 1500m will be raced today, as well.

In addition to medal rounds, you can check out curling and hockey (yes, I know some of you have had enough of curling and hockey). Or if you want something a bit lighter, ice dancers will be performing their free dance today.

The gold medal makes Norway the first country reach the 100 medal mark and they didn’t stop there.

Norway has become quite the biathlon powerhouse.  In the men’s 20km individual both gold and silver went to the country. Emil Hegle Svendsen came in at 48:22.5 and Ole Einer Bjorndalen close by at 48:32.  The big news here is that there was actually a tie for silver.  Sergey Novikov of Belarus also came in at exactly 48:32, so no bronze was awarded. 

US hopeful Tim Burke finished a disappointing 41st place, missing 5 targets. He doesn’t feel he is skiing well right now and has already predicted a bad showing for the mass start. Well, there’s always 2014!

Women’s Super Combined— potentially more medals for Julia Mancuso and Lindsey Vonn.

Biathlon— Could there be a medal for American Tim Burke? Will Norway be happier with their results today?

Men’s Figure Skating—Who’s getting the gold? Evan Lysacek, Evgeni Plushenko, or someone else entirely?

Snowboarding— More halfpipe today. It’s the women’s turn. Will the American women exceed the American men’s medal count from last night?

Hockey— The men and the women compete today. The men take on Norway. The women take on Finland.

Speed skating— The women take on the 1000m. Don’t expect the same medal count for the American women as the American men.

Skeleton— Competition starts today for the men and women. Americans stand a much better chance at medaling here than in the luge.

Curling— both the men and women take on Denmark today. You can catch this live if you have CNBC. No, really, live coverage of an event.

That’s it. Check back throughout the afternoon and evening for coverage of events.

Anyway, today’s women’s race was really exciting. I find the “chase ‘em down” variety of biathlon a lot more exciting than the “race the clock” variety. And since biathlon and cross country are the main things on during the day and some of the only things broadcast in their entirety and live, I guess I’ll have to learn to love them.

Magdalena Neuner of Germany won gold. Silver went to Anastazia Kuzmina of Slovakia, and Marie Laure Brunet of France won the bronze. American Sarah Studebaker finished 46th. Considering she wasn’t even expected to qualify for pursuit, that’s a pretty good accomplishment.

In men’s biathlon, there was a mistake with the start. Bjoern Ferry of Sweden won gold, followed by Christoph Sumann of Austria and France’s Vincent Jay, who started the day in first place. Ultimately, this race boiled down to who shot better. American Jeremy Teela was in the hunt for a while, but finished 24th. Lowell Bailey finished 36th. Tim Burke finished 46th.

Today was supposed to be Super Combined in men’s downhill, but due to poor weather conditions (blowing now and low visibility), that event has been pushed to Friday. At this rate, Alpine skiing will finish up sometime in March or April.

Presumably, the snow won’t stop biathlon (it’s still on the schedule, as of this writing). For today’s women’s 10 km pursuit and men’s 12.5 km pursuit, the athletes qualify by placing in the top 60 in a sprint competition. No American women are expected to qualify. For the men, Tim Burke and Lowell Bailey stand a decent chance of qualifying, even though this is not the best event for either of them.

CURLING Curling, a favorite in the Manty household, starts today. The American men are scheduled for two matches vs. Germany and Norway, and the American women are scheduled for one match vs. Japan. The American men won bronze in Torino. Will they be able to match or better that in Vancouver?

Men’s figure skating starts tonight with the short program. All three of the American men are strong contenders for a medal. Evan Lysacek is the reigning world champion and finished fourth in Torino after battling the flu. Jeremy Abbott is a relative newcomer but has won two U.S. titles. And then there’s Johnny Weir. Hopefully, the only drama surrounding his performances will be the performances, themselves. American men haven’t won gold since Brian Boitano in 1988. They’re hoping to change that this year.

Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams will be competing today. The men will be taking on Switzerland. The women will be playing Russia.

Women’s luge will be awarding a medal today. Americans Erin Hamlin and Julia Clukey are currently in 15th and 16th place after two runs—long shots for a medal but not out of contention. American Megan Sweeney is currently in 27th.

More snowboard cross today, as Lindsey Jacobellis tries to win the gold that eluded her in Turin, when she fell practically at the finish line. She is joined on the team by Olympic newcomers Callan Chythlook-Sifsof and Faye Gulini.

Finally, women’s speed skating races the 500m— hopefully with fewer problems with the ice than the men experienced yesterday. Elli Ochowicz, Jennifer Rodriguez, Heather Richardson and Lauren Cholewinski represent the United States. None are favorites to medal.

France’s Vincent Jay won the gold, his first Olympic title, so congratulations on that. It’s always great to see someone who’s never won before pull off a gold medal. In second was Norway’s Emil Hegle Svendsen. And Joakov Fak, of Croatia, won that country’s first medal of the Games, taking home the bronze.

American Jeremy Teela finished 9th, and American Lowell Bailey finished 36th.

Here are my favorites for the day— figure skating pairs short program and men’s moguls.

In pairs figure skating, Americans face an uphill battle. The last figure skating pairs medal was a bronze in 1988, and the U.S. has never won a gold. The Russians have won every gold in this event since 1964. 1964, folks! So, maybe we should just cheer for anyone but the Russians. But if you want to cheer for the Americans, you have two pairs to choose from: Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett; or Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig. Caydee and Jeremy are the national champs, and Amanda and Mark were the runners up.

If the men’s moguls is anywhere as exciting as the women’s, it should be on the must see list. I don’t always watch the preliminary rounds, but I’ll definitely be tuned in to the finals. The U.S. has four men in the moguls competition: Patrick Deneen, Michael Morse, Nate Roberts, and Bryon Wilson. All of them are Olympic rookies, but Patrick is the current world champion. The Americans come in with heavy expectations on their backs. The U.S. has only failed to medal in moguls once— in 1994. You’ll definitely want to take a look, not only to see medals won this year but to see the future of the U.S. mogul team in this young group.

As I mentioned yesterday, biathlon is not always my favorite sport. Sure, there’s skiing and guns combined, but that’s a lot more exciting on paper than when actually watching. It doesn’t help that the U.S. has never medaled in this event. In fact, the highest any American biathlete has ever placed in the Olympics is 19th, and that was all the way back in 1980. But today’s event is worth a look. The U.S. has an actual contender in Tim Burke, who was the leader of the World Cup this year. Check out the 10 km sprint today to see if history is made.

Nordic Combined might be worth watching. Nordic Combined combines ski jumping with cross country skiing. (Now, if it was like biathlon, but combined ski jumping with shooting— simultaneously— THAT would be a sport definitely worth watching.) No American has ever won a medal in Nordic Combined (which has a new name and a new format in this year’s Olympics), but this year the American team boasts three World Champions: Todd Lodwick (defending World Champion), Johnny Spillane and Bill Demong. So, perhaps we’ll see history made there, as well.

Other events being contested today are Women’s Hockey, Luge and Women’s Speed Skating. Women’s Hockey is an early round with the U.S. taking on China. Luge will award its first medals, but Americans are not expected to see a medal. If the U.S. does medal, it will probably be Tony Benshoof who missed a bronze by less than a second four years ago. Women’s speed skaters will determine the medal for the 3000m race. No America has ever won gold in this race, but that’s not expected to change this year. Three Americans are competing: Catherine Raney Norman (the best hope for a medal), Nancy Swider-Peltz Jr. and Jilleanne Rookard.

So, that’s the rundown for today. What will you be watching?

Women’s Biathlon 7.5km Sprint was today. The winners were Anastazia Kuzmina, of Slovakia; Magdalena Neuner, of Germany; and Marie Dorin, of France. Frankly, this is a sport that I find interesting in theory, but when I actually watch it, it’s not all that exciting. I’m sure this is because I just don’t know enough about it.

Another sport that I have a hard time getting into is the Individual Normal Hill Ski Jumping. I have to admit after ski jumping on Wii Fit, I do have somewhat of a greater appreciation. Today’s event saw the following winners: Simon Ammann, of Switzerland; Adam Malysz, of Poland; and Austria’s Gregor Schlierenzauer.

It wasn’t a medal game, but I just have to mention that the Canadian women beat Slovakia in hockey EIGHTEEN to nothing! Don’t they have some sort of mercy/pull the plug rule? Maybe they should!

Biathlon didn’t start as a sport. It was more practical than that, providing a way for northern European hunters to provide food for their families for the past four thousand years. Later, sometime in the mid-16th century, Scandinavian countries began to put their armies on skis.

So, what is Olympic biathlon?

Each event consists of a cross-country ski race. Along the race route, there are shooting stops, the number of which vary by competition. Half of the shooting stops are standing and half are lying down.

At each stop, competitors have five bullets and five targets (50 m away) to hit. Time or distance is added based on how the athlete performs in the shooting.

The Vancouver biathlon events will be held at Whistler and will consist of the following events:

Men’s 4×7.5 km Relay
Women’s 4×6 km Relay
Men’s 10 km Sprint
Women’s 7.5 km Sprint
Men’s 12.5 km Pursuit
Women’s 10 km Pursuit
Men’s 15 km Mass Start
Women’s 12.5 km Mass Start
Men’s 20 km Individual
Women’s 15 km Individual

One big change for the U.S. in this year’s Olympic biathlon competition is that there is a chance for a medal. The current leader in the World Cup points standing is American Tim Burke. That puts him in an excellent position, going into the Olympics to medal in one of his events.

This is one of the most recent interviews with Tim, where he talks about taking the yellow bib (the point leader designation):

The U.S. Biathlon Association just named the Olympic team that will compete at the Vancouver Olympics in February, 2010. The men’s team is led by Tim Burke, the United States’ best chance for their first ever medal in biathlon. Joining him on the team are former Olympians Jay Hakkinen, Jeremy Teela, and Lowell Bailey. Also joining the team will be Olympic newcomer Wynn Roberts.

The women making up the team are Haley Johnson, Sara Studebaker, Lanny Barnes, and Laura Spector.

1. The opening ceremonies

No matter who you are, or where the Olympics are located, deep in your heart you know there’s nothing more stirring than the opening ceremonies.  China’s summer extravaganza set the bar pretty high for Canada, but you can bet your back bacon they’re going to put their all into it.

2. Women’s hockey

1998 saw the debut of women’s hockey at the Olympics.  Since then, there hasn’t been much excitement about it in the US.  But this year, Team USA is a frontrunner for gold.  Canada has been dominating this season, but coach Mark Johnson has high hopes for his team.  Can Olympic gold do for women’s hockey what it did for women’s soccer?  It’s doubtful there will be a “Brandy Chastain moment” with all that gear, but perhaps the men out there will take notice anyway.

 3. Biathlon

Hugely popular in Europe but largely ignored in the US, biathletes have struggled to get funding and training until this year.  When the sport was finally noticed by a prosperous contributor money was finally available to get things going.  The big standout for the US will be Tim Burke, who won both silver and bronze medals at the World Cup in Ostersund.  This could be a great beginning for an under appreciated sport.

4. Stephen Colbert

When Deutsche Bank went belly-up and their $300,000 pledge for the US speed skating team went with it, Colbert stepped up to the plate.  It took less than a month for the “Colbert Nation” to replace the funds.  There’s sure to be a lot of Colbert’s scathing satire surrounding the games.  Like him or not, the comedian has the audience and the pull to make things happen.
 
5. Team USA-1 four-man bobsled

Steve Holcomb has been piloting the “Night Train” with his teammates Justin Olsen, Steve Mesler and Curt Tomasevicz with incredible results.  Three gold medals in World Cup events this season puts them at the top of their game.  It’s even more amazing when you consider Holcomb nearly quit bobsledding because of eye problems.  Surgery in 2008 restored his vision and renewed his love of the sport.

6. Skier/snowboarder antics

Though Bode Miller recently sprained his ankle, he’ll probably still make the games.  And you can be sure he and the other downhill skiers will be as crazy as ever. Add in the new addition of extreme sports inspired skicross to the mix and you’ve got a recipe for a speed-induced adrenaline rush madness that only the boys and girls who haunt the slopes can produce.  If only we could all be there for the after-party.

7. Shani Davis and Apolo Ohno

On December 11^th, Davis broke his own world record for the 1500m by coming in at 1:41.04, besting his previous record of 1:41.80.  In long track, Davis is hands-down the man to beat.  Ohno, who at 27 is the elder statesman of the short track, is competing in his third Olympics in 2010.  He’ll be pushing to beat Eric Heiden’s record of seven medals won in winter Olympics.  But he’d better watch out, JR Celski is a young man moving up in the ranks, and one of the few who could give Ohno a run for his money.

8. Kim Yu-Na

The South Korean figure skater is the undeniable favorite for gold in 2010.  Her signature triple-triple exhibits an intense athleticism coupled with a grace that brings audiences to their feet.  At Skate America in Lake Placid, NY she broke the scoring record for short program, earning a 76.28.  While the Olympics brings out the patriot in most of us, sometimes you just need to sit back and appreciate poetry in motion.

9. Ice Dancing

The possibilities are wide open for ice dancing this year.  While US couple Meryl Davis and Charlie White won gold at the Grand Prix Final, it by no means places them above the rest of the competitors.  Two favored teams missed this season making it difficult to judge who will come out on top in 2010.  Everyone is sure to be giving it their all in Vancouver.  It will be exciting to watch the heavy competition among the couples.

10. Skeleton

After a 54-year absence, skeleton returned to the winter Olympics in 2002 and included both men and women.  Named because the new metal sled used in 1892 looked like a skeleton; it’s tough to deny the thrills caused by people sliding head first down a track at 80 mph.  Look for the return of Noelle Pikus-Pace, the first US woman to win the World Cup in 2005.  She’s back from taking the 2007-2008 seasons off to have a child, but is shaping up to be a big threat in Vancouver.

Canada is putting its best foot forward to make this a great winter Olympics.  Take the time to watch a variety of sports.  You never know, you could become the newest curling fanatic, or find out you really enjoy moguls over downhill.  Bundle up, grab a hot toddy, and enjoy the best athletes the world has to offer in winter sports.