Here’s a look at the compelling events, athletes and storylines of the Sochi Olympics on Monday, Feb. 10. A complete list of every Monday event can be found here.
WHAT TO STAY UP LATE FOR ...
Women’s super combined, 2 a.m./6 a.m. ET -- CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE EVENT LIVE
American Julia Mancuso is the 2010 Olympic silver medalist in this race that adds together the times from one downhill run and one slalom run. She hasn’t finished better than seventh in any World Cup race this season, but she’s come up big at major events without much run-up fanfare before.
The clear favorite is German Maria Hoefl-Riesch, the reigning Olympic and world champion. Also watch out for reigning World Cup overall champion Tina Maze as well Canadian Marie-Michele Gagnon. Gagnon looks to win her nation’s first Alpine medal since 1994.
Short track speed skating, men’s 1500m, 4:45 a.m. ET -- CLICK HERE TO WATCH EVENT LIVE
Short track debuts with heats, semifinals and finals of the longest individual distance on the program. In 2010, this was the race where two South Koreans wiped out on the final turn, and Apolo Ohno and J.R. Celski skated past for silver and bronze.
Ohno is of course retired, but Celski is back and a medal contender again. The 23-year-old won a 1500m World Cup event in Kolomna, Russia, in November. He’ll face a tough road to the final with three South Koreans, Russian Viktor Ahn (formerly Ahn Hyun-Soo of South Korea) and Canadian Charles Hamelin also in the field.
WHAT TO WAKE UP EARLY FOR ....
Speed skating, men’s 500m, 8 a.m. ET -- CLICK HERE TO WATCH EVENT LIVE
South Korean Mo Tae-Bum looks to repeat as champion in the shortest distance in speed skating. The medal picture is fairly open though, given seven men have won World Cup 500m races this season and only one captured more than one.
The powerful Dutch send twins Michel and Ronald Mulder (Michel is the 2014 World Sprint Champion). The U.S. has Tucker Fredricks and Mitchell Whitmore, who are seventh and 10th in the World Cup standings.
WHAT YOU CAN’T MISS DURING THE DAY ...
Luge, women’s singles runs 1 and 2, 9:45 a.m. ET -- CLICK HERE TO WATCH EVENT LIVE
This is Germany’s event. They’ve won the last four Olympic women’s luge titles and routinely dominate World Cups and World Championships. Natalie Geisenberger, the 2010 Olympic bronze medalist, looks primed to march halfway to gold of the four-run competition Monday night.
2010 Olympic champion Tatjana Huefner and two-time World Championships medalist Anke Wischnewski round out the German contingent seeking a sweep.
Canadian Alex Gough and Russian Tatyana Ivanova are the best non-German hopes. The U.S., yet to win an Olympic singles luge medal, sends 2009 world champion Erin Hamlin, the last World Cup race winner, Kate Hansen, and rising 19-year-old Summer Britcher.
Biathlon, men’s 12.5km pursuit, 10 a.m. ET -- CLICK HERE TO WATCH EVENT LIVE
Biathlon is not normally a must-see event in the U.S., but history is at stake here. Norway’s Ole Einar Bjoerndalen will go off first in the pursuit, which essentially gives head starts based on finishes from the 10km sprint Saturday.
Bjoerndalen, 40, won the sprint to tie retired countryman and cross-country skier Bjorn Daehlie for the most career Winter Olympic medals. He now seeks record-breaking No. 13. Even if he doesn’t get it Monday, he has two relays upcoming where Norway is favored for gold.
Tim Burke leads the U.S. contingent, starting 19th and 50 seconds behind Bjoerndalen. No American has won an Olympic biathlon medal.
Men’s curling, U.S.-Norway, 10 a.m. ET -- CLICK HERE TO WATCH EVENT LIVE
If you’re going to watch one Olympic curling match, it might as well be this one. The U.S. men will need to pull off upsets to contend for a medal in Sochi. Defeating Norway in their opener would certainly qualify.
The Norwegians are the reigning Olympic and world silver medalists. They are better known for their outrageous pants, though they’ve displayed an even more interesting look in practice here.
Men’s moguls final, 1 p.m. ET -- CLICK HERE TO WATCH EVENT LIVE
Canada could go one-two in moguls under the lights for the second time in three nights at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park. Mikael Kingsbury looked strong at this time last year, winning the world championship, but 2010 Olympic champion Alexandre Bilodeau has won the last three World Cup events.
Bilodeau is trying to become the first freestyle skier to win two Olympic gold medals. Hannah Kearney missed her shot at that feat two nights ago, when sisters Justine and Chloe Dufour-Lapointe took gold and silver.
The top U.S. hopes on Monday are 2009 world champion Patrick Deneen and Bradley Wilson, whose brother competed in Vancouver.