It is like Dancing with the Stars on ice..
USA’s Meryl Davis & Charlie White and Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto, currently in third and fourth places, respectively, after the Compulsory Dance, will compete in the Original Dance competition, live in primetime. USA’s Bode Miller, the most decorated U.S. Alpine Skier in history, competes in the men’s alpine skiing giant slalom gold medal final with hopes of taking home his third medal of this Olympics. Also in primetime on NBC, women’s speed skating 1500m gold medal final, live, men’s skicross gold medal final and the two man bobsled gold medal final.
The ice dancers perform a crowd-pleasing original dance of their own creation LIVE to the rhythm of a “Folk or Country Dance.” Team USA has two of the top five couples in the world, with 2006 Olympic silver medalists Tanith Belbin (Detroit, Mich.) & Ben Agosto (Chicago, Ill) and fast-rising first-time Olympians Meryl Davis (West Bloomfield, Mich.) & Charlie White (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), who have won the last two national titles.
Men’s Alpine Skiing: Giant Slalom Gold Medal Final – Team USA can claim two medal threats in this event. Bode Miller (Franconia, N.H.) won silver in the giant slalom eight years ago in Salt Lake City and Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah) claimed bronze at the 2009 World Championships. Austrian favorite Benni Raich is so beloved in his hometown he has a 310-foot pedestrian suspension bridge named after him. The spot is popular for bungee jumping, one of Raich’s favorite pastimes. Another is winning ski races, and he may be the man to beat.
Women’s Speed Skating: 1500m Gold Medal Final – The host country boasts a deep and talented speed skating squad and this LIVE event could be one of Team Canada’s banner performances of the Games, with 34-year-old Kristina Groves, the returning silver medalist, and 24-year-old Christine Nesbitt as the clear favorites. Miami’s Jennifer Rodriguez, a 33-year old Cuban-American, won two bronze medals in Salt Lake City eight years ago, including in this event, and could be a dark horse in what is most likely her final Olympic Games.
Men’s Freestyle Skiing: Ski Cross Gold Medal Final – Four years ago when many compared it to NASCAR on snow, snowboard cross was a smashing success in its Olympic debut, thanks to its tight-corners racing which pits four athletes together on the same course at one time. Tonight, it’s the first Olympic competition in ski cross, the hot new event for Vancouver, and it’s even wilder than its snowboard cousin. Former Team USA alpine standouts Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, Calif.) and Casey Puckett (Aspen, Colo.) have found rejuvenation in ski cross, and are among the contenders in this event.
Bobsled: Two-Man Gold Medal Final – The bold bobsledders race for gold on the fastest track in the world. Former Utah National Guard member Steve Holcomb, who has emerged as one of the world’s best pilots since having eye surgery in 2008 to correct a degenerative disorder that left him nearly blind, competes as Team USA’s top driver and is a solid medal threat.
