By Ryan
A big day of Winter Olympic action on NBC, highlighted by the afternoon hockey clash between the USA and Finland. In prime time on NBC, viewers will see the final two events of these Olympics for Apolo Ohno, the men’s 500 meter final and the 5,000 meter relay final. Also, Lindsey Vonn looks to add to her medal total in her final event of these Games, the women’s slalom. Here’s the complete listings and highlights of Friday’s Olympic action from NBC:
APOLO OHNO SKATES FOR GOLD IN TWO EVENTS LIVE ON DAY 15
USA vs. Finland & Canada vs. Slovakia in Men’s Hockey Semifinals Live
Lindsey Vonn Skies in Fifth and Final Event
VANCOUVER – February 25, 2010 – NBC’s Friday primetime coverage of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games begins tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET/PT. USA’s Apolo Ohno, the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian in history after earning his seventh medal in the 1000m, skates in his last two events of the Olympics. Ohno skates in the men’s 500m gold medal final and leads Team USA in men’s 5000 relay gold medal final, live. USA’s Lindsey Vonn skis for her third and final medal, already winning gold and bronze this Olympics, in the women’s slalom. Also in primetime, four-man bobsled competition with Team USA’s pilot Steve Holcomb, the 2009 World Champion, as the gold medal favorite.
The men’s ice hockey semifinal round heats up as Team USA takes on Finland live on NBC and on NBCOlympics.com. The second semifinal game is live on CNBC and NBCOlympics.com between Team Canada and Slovakia.
NBC LATENIGHT:
Late night coverage includes the women’s snowboard parallel giant slalom gold medal final.
CABLE:
Along with coverage of the men’s ice hockey semifinal game between Canada and Slovakia, CNBC has the women’s curling gold medal match, live. Live on USA Network is the women’s curling bronze medal match. Live on MSNBC are two speed skating pursuit events with the women’s quarterfinals and the men’s semifinals.
Highlights for Friday, February 26 include:
Friday, February 26 (DAY 15)
NBC
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Men’s Ice Hockey – Semifinal: USA vs. Finland (LIVE)
8:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Men’s Short Track – 500m Gold Medal Final (LIVE)
5000m Relay Gold Medal Final (LIVE)
Women’s Short Track – 1000m Gold Medal Final (LIVE)
Women’s Alpine Skiing – Slalom Gold Medal Final
Four Man Bobsled – Competition
12:05 a.m. – 1:30 a.m.
Women’s Snowboard – Parallel Giant Slalom Gold Medal Final
Men’s Biathlon – 4×7.5km Relay Gold Medal Final
Medals Plaza – Award Ceremonies
1:30 a.m. – 5:00 a.m.
Primetime Replay
Cable
USA
Noon – 3:00 p.m.
Women’s Curling – Bronze Medal Match (LIVE)
MSNBC
3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Men’s Speed Skating – Pursuit Semifinals (LIVE)
Women’s Speed Skating – Pursuit Quarterfinals (LIVE)
3:00 a.m. – 5:30 a.m.
Men’s Curling – Semifinal: Norway vs. Switzerland
CNBC
6:00 p.m. – Midnight
Women’s Curling – Gold Medal Final (LIVE)
Men’s Ice Hockey – Semifinal: Canada vs. Slovakia (LIVE)
NBC HIGHLIGHTS (Primetime):
Men’s Short Track: 500m and Relay Gold Medal Finals – It’s a LIVE double dose of Apolo Ohno (Seattle, Wash.), as the short track star attempts to sprint for gold in the frenetic 500m, defending his 2006 title when he skated what he’s called “the perfect race”. Ohno became the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian in history after earning his seventh medal in the 1000m on Saturday. Also LIVE, Ohno will try to lead Team USA to victory in the wildest event of the short track competition, the men’s relay.
Women’s Alpine Skiing: Slalom Gold Medal Final – Team USA’s superstar Lindsey Vonn (St. Paul, Minn.) makes her fifth and final Vancouver appearance in the slalom, an event where one of her best friends, German Maria Riesch, is one of the favorites for gold. Vonn and Riesch have spent the last several Christmases together with Riesch’s family in Germany. The Austrians are always tough in this two-run technical event as well.
Bobsled: Four Man Competition – Team USA’s Steve Holcomb (Park City, Utah) and his vaunted “Night Train” sled with its trademark matte black finish have made USA-1 a gold-medal favorite in the four-man competition. Holcomb has emerged as one of the world’s best since having eye surgery in 2008 to correct a degenerative disorder that left him nearly blind. The race for gold on the world’s fastest track begin today.
Women’s Short Track: 1000m Gold Medal Final – 21-year-old Katherine Reutter, a Champaign, Illinois native who attended the same high school as speed skating legend Bonnie Blair, routinely trains in front of a Chinese flag, motivation for her to topple the dominant short track stars from China. LIVE tonight she could be skating for gold in her favorite event.
NBC HIGHLIGHTS (Daytime):
Men’s Ice Hockey: Semifinal- One team that will play for men’s hockey gold will be determined LIVE with coverage of the men’s semifinal round between Team USA and Finland. The winner of this game is only one win away from the coveted gold.
NBC HIGHLIGHTS (Latenight):
Women’s Snowboarding: Parallel Giant Slalom Gold Medal Final – Italian-American and aspiring singer Michelle Gorgone (Sudbury, Mass.) competes for Team USA in the parallel giant slalom event.
MNSBC HIGHLIGHTS:
Men’s and Women’s Speed Skating: Pursuit Quarterfinals and Semifinals – The fastest men and women on skates come together LIVE for speed skating’s team events, the men’s and women’s pursuits. Three skaters per team race in tandem in head-to-head raceoff rounds as they try to advance to the Gold Medal Final, which will ultimately determine which elite speed skating nation is the deepest and fastest in the world.
CNBC HIGHLIGHTS:
Men’s Ice Hockey and Women’s Curling: LIVE coverage of the second men’s ice hockey semifinal between Team Canada and Slovakia, with a berth in the Gold Medal Final at stake. Plus, make no mistake, the Canadians are curling-crazed, and the atmosphere should be phenomenal as the top two teams in the world clash for gold, LIVE.
Highlights for Saturday, February 27 include:
Saturday, February 27 (DAY 16)
NBC
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Women’s Cross Country – 30km Mass Start Gold Medal Final (LIVE)
Men’s and Women’s Speed Skating – Pursuit Gold Medal Finals (LIVE)
Men’s Snowboard – Parallel Giant Slalom Bronze Medal Runs
8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Figure Skating – Champions Gala
Men’s Alpine Skiing -Slalom Gold Medal Final
Men’s Snowboard – Parallel Giant Slalom Gold Medal Final
Four Man Bobsled – Gold Medal Final
1:02 a.m. – 4:00 a.m.
Primetime Replay
Cable
USA
Noon – 3:00 p.m.
Men’s Curling -Bronze Medal Match (LIVE)
CNBC
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Men’s Curling – Gold Medal Final (LIVE)
MSNBC
10:00 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.
Men’s Ice Hockey -Bronze Medal Game (LIVE)
3:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m.
Men’s Curling -Gold Medal Final
NBC HIGHLIGHTS (Primetime):
Figure Skating Champions Gala – Watch all your favorite Vancouver skaters showcase their skills in a spectacular encore performance, featuring the sport’s biggest names and newly crowned champions.
Men’s Alpine Skiing: Slalom Gold Medal Final – The last of 10 alpine events on the schedule, this two-run test of the world’s best technical skiers plays out on the slopes of majestic Whistler Mountain, with Team USA’s Bode Miller (Franconia, N.H.), who has won gold, silver and bronze this Olympics, and Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah) and the stars of European ski racing.
Men’s Snowboarding: Parallel Giant Slalom Gold Medal Final – The snowboarding competition concludes with the Gold Medal Final in men’s parallel giant slalom. Canada has two of the top athletes in the event and could put a exclamation point on the Games for the home fans if one of them can glide to gold here.
Bobsled: Four-Man Gold Medal Final -Team USA Steve Holcomb (Park City, Utah) and his vaunted “Night Train” sled with its trademark matte black finish have made USA-1 the team to beat in the Four-Man competition. Holcomb has emerged as one of the world’s best since having eye surgery in 2008 to correct a degenerative disorder that left him nearly blind. The race for gold on the world’s fastest track – where one curve has been deemed “50/50” by competitors in reference to the chances of making it through safely – concludes today.
NBC HIGHLIGHTS (Daytime):
Men’s and Women’s Speed Skating: Pursuit Gold Medal Finals – Team USA’s Chad Hedrick (Spring, Texas), who won bronze in the men’s 1000m and Trevor Marsicano (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) hope to lead the USA in speed skating’s team event, LIVE, as three men per team skate in tandem in a head-to-head showdown that will determine Olympic gold.
Men’s Snowboarding: Parallel Giant Slalom Bronze Medal Runs- The snowboarding competition concludes with the Gold Medal Final in men’s parallel giant slalom, but first the world’s elite must advance. Canada has three of the top athletes in the event and could put an exclamation point on the Games for the home fans if one of them can glide to gold in this event. Also featured are the bronze medal runs.
Women’s Cross-Country: Women’s 30 km Gold Medal Final – The Gold Medal Final race of the women’s cross-country competition is also the longest – 18 difficult miles of racing to determine Olympic gold, LIVE.
CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:
Men’s Ice Hockey and Curling: The men’s ice hockey bronze medal game is LIVE on MSNBC. On CNBC, LIVE coverage of the final contest of the men’s curling competition, the Gold Medal Final. A victory by the gold-medal favorite host country – skipped by Kevin Martin, the sport’s biggest star, who is nicknamed “Old Bear” – would create one of the most exciting and memorable moments of the Vancouver Games. Also in curling on USA Network, LIVE coverage of the bronze medal match.
