This year's Winter Olympic Games begin on February 12 and will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia; NBC holds near exclusive coverage of the games. See nbcolympics.com to see the event schedule.
1. Ski Cross
Making its Olympic debut this year, Ski Cross models Snowboard Cross in style and format. Athletes navigate a hazardous course containing sharp turns and jumps in an effort to reach the end of the course with the lowest possible time. With four riders on the course at one time for each heat, crashes are frequent and almost expected to alter the outcome of each competition, making it electrifying to watch. Close and surprise finishes are also commonplace due to the unpredictable nature of the sport. 36-year-old Daron Rahlves, a three-time Olympian as an alpine skier, will make the transition to ski cross to represent the United States alongside Casey Puckett.
2. Skeleton
Arguably the most hazardous snow-oriented sport, skeleton was developed in the small town of Saint Moritz, Switzerland. The Cresta Run, which hosts the Grand National Championships annually, was developed in Saint Moritz in 1884 and is 1,213 meters in length. The sport draws so much attention due to the awkward, prone position athletes assume on the sled, lying on their chest with their arms pressed against their sides and their head facing forward to survey the ice in front of them. The sled itself is often only as long as the athlete's torso, which forces them to extend their backs to keep their feet from touching the course since Olympic rules require that the sled must be steered only with movements of the athlete's body. A quality time from the start of a run, which includes a flat runway of 25 to 40 meters for the athletes to "push" their sled and pick up speed, to the finish is around one minute. Zach Lund and Katie Uhlaender will lead the way for Team USA.
3. Biathlon
Biathlon combines the two athletic disciplines of cross-country skiing and riflery. Athletes ski as quickly and as efficiently as possible across vast lengths of either level or slightly inclined ground. Throughout the event, athletes stop intermittently at shooting ranges and fire at a target in either a standing or prone position using .22 caliber rifles that they then carry strapped onto their back as they resume the course. The rules require that the athletes leave their skis on during the riflery phases of competition. The longest and most physically taxing biathlon event at this year's games is the men's individual competition, with a course that spans 20 kilometers. Living legend Norwegian Ole Einar Bjorndalen, who swept all four gold medals in Biathlon at the Salt Lake City Olympic games in 2002 and has more World Cup victories than any winter athlete, aims to cap off his legacy in winning fashion in Vancouver this year.
