Olympic Update: Lillis Advances to Medal Round
ALPINE
Vonn Sixth as Ledecky Stuns Super-G Favorites
One mistake cost Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) a shot at another Olympic medal. But it was one fast snowboarder who took a second Olympic super-G gold away from Austria’s Anna Veith.
Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic, the World Cup overall snowboard parallel giant slalom leader and the odds-on favorite for Olympic gold in PGS, came out of the 26th start position to win the super-G gold medal, and pick up her first-ever alpine skiing podium finish Saturday at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre Saturday. Veith, the defending Olympic super-G gold medalist took the silver, and Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein won the bronze, her first Olympic medal.
After an hour's delay due to high winds, Vonn, running bullet with bib 1, was well on her way to laying down a medal-contending run until she came in wide on the third to final gate, scrubbing precious speed before crossing the line.
“I thought running bib 1 was either going to be really great or really bad, and it didn’t quite turn out the way I’d hoped,” Vonn said. "I left it all out on the hill … I just made one mistake, and that cost me a medal. It’s ski racing, and that’s why it’s so difficult to win at the Olympics because literally, anything can happen.”
Downhill training starts Sunday leading up to Wednesday's Olympic downhill where Vonn will look to repeat her 2010 gold. … READ MORE / RESULTS
Ligety To Lead Team USA in Giant Slalom Sunday
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah) competes in his marque event, giant slalom, Sunday at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre. Ligety, the defending Olympic giant slalom gold medalist will be joined by Team USA teammates by Tommy Ford (Bend, Ore.), Tim Jitloff (Reno, Nev.) and Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.). First run is scheduled for 10:14 a.m. KT / 8:15 p.m. EST Saturday. Second run starts at 1:45 p.m. KT / 11:45 p.m. EST Saturday.
START LIST
Men’s giant slalom
FREESKIING
Voisin Fourth, Logan 10th in Slopestyle
Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.) returned to the Olympics, finishing fourth, and Devin Logan (Mount Snow, Vt.) was 10th in slopestyle freeskiing Saturday at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
“I had an injury four years ago and wasn’t able to compete at Sochi, that day four years ago I told myself I would do whatever it takes to get back to the 2018 games and here I am," Voisin said. "It was a rollercoaster over the last four years with a lot of ups and downs. I have to find the positive in every situation and it's a win in itself to just drop in at my first Olympics.”On her final run, Switzerland's Sarah Hoefflin moved past her teammate Mathilde Gremaud to claim the gold medal, as Gremaud won the silver medal.
Voisin briefly moved into medal contention on her third run, but was surpassed by Great Britain's Isabel Atkin, who won the bronze medal. … READ MORE / RESULTS
Men’s Slopestyle Sunday
Team USA’s Gus Kenworthy (Telluride, Colo.) and Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.), both medalists from the 2014 Games, along with Alex Hall (Salt Lake City) and McRae Williams (Park City, Utah) compete in the men's slopestyle freeskiing at Phoenix Snow Park Sunday with the qualifying rounds at 10:00 a.m. KT / 8:00 p.m. EST Saturday. The finals begin at 1:15 p.m. KT / 11:15 p.m. EST Saturday.
START LIST
Men’s slopestyle qualifying
FREESTYLE
Lillis Advances to Medal Round
Jonathan Lillis (Pittsford, N.Y.) posted the highest score in qualifying for the final in men's aerials Saturday evening at the Phoenix Snow Park. Lillis scored 127.44 on his back full-double full-full in the first qualifying run led the field, 0.74 points ahead of China's Qi Guangpu.
“These big contests are when I seem to jump the best,” said Lillis. “I won World Championships last year, and I just wanted to keep that momentum going.”
Lillis will be the only American in Sunday's final after Mac Bohonnon (Madison, Conn.) and Eric Loughran (Pelham, N.H.) were unable to advance. Bohonnon's 112.39 ranked 17th among the competitors in the second qualification run, while Loughran was 25th with an 86.28.
The final is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 18 at 8:00 p.m. KT / 6:00 a.m. EST.
START LIST
Men’s aerials finals
CROSS COUNTRY
Olympic-Best Relay Finish For Team USA
Team USA finished fifth, in the 4x5k relay Saturday evening at the Alpensia Cross Country Skiing Centre at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
“That was our best Olympic finish ever,” said Kikkan Randall (Anchorage, Alaska), who along with her teammates Sophie Caldwell (Peru, Vt.), Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash) and Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) finished 1:20.5 off the gold medal time of Team Norway. “While we tend to be really focused on the medals because we know deep in our hearts that it is possible, it’s amazing to put together four strong legs and to get that best ever result.”
Sweden took the silver medal, hitting the line exactly two seconds behind Norway, while the Olympic Athletes from Russia earned the bronze medal. ...READ MORE / RESULTS
Men’s 4x10K relay Sunday
The men compete in the 4x10k team relay Sunday at the Alpensia Cross Country Skiing Centre at 3:15 p.m. KT / 1:15 a.m. EST. Starting for Team USA are Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, Vt.), Reese Hanneman (Anchorage, Alaska), Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska), and Noah Hoffman (Aspen, Colo.).
START LIST
Men’s 4x10k relay
SKI JUMPING
Bickner Soars to 20th
Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, Ill.) soared to the best Team USA ski jumping performance since the 2002 Olympics, finishing 20th in the large hill competition Saturday night at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre. Bickner had been 18th in the normal hill round earlier in the week.
“My goal coming into the season was to be in the top 20 at the Olympics,” said Bickner. “I was expecting a better result on the large hill so that surprised me a bit. But unlike the normal hill (where he was 18th), I was able to put together two really consistent jumps together and shows the level I’m at right now.”
Bickner flew 129.5 and 124.0 meters. Poland's Kamil Stoch took gold.
Team USA will wrap up the Olympic ski jumping program on Monday night with the four-man team competition.
RESULTS
Men’s HS140 finals
HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST.
SATURDAY, FEB. 17
NBC
3:00-6:00 p.m. - Men's freestyle aerials, women's 4x5k relay.
8:00-11:00 p.m. - Men's giant slalom first run (live), men's ski jumping large hill
11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. - Men's giant slalom second run (live), men's slopestyle skiing finals
NBCSN
1:30-5:30 p.m. - Men's large hill ski jumping
7:00-10:10 p.m.- Men's slopestyle skiing (live)
Olympic Channel: Home Of Team USA
12:00-12:30 p.m. - Winter Olympics Daily with Jimmy Roberts
NBCOlympics.com - Live Streaming
8:00-10:05 p.m. - Men's slopestyle skiing qualifying (Sunday)
8:15-10:20 p.m. - Men's giant slalom first run (Sunday)
11:15 p.m.-12:50 a.m. - Men's slopestyle skiing finals (Sunday)
11:45 p.m.-1:45 a.m. - Men's giant slalom second run (Sunday)
SUNDAY, FEB. 18
NBC
3:00-6:00 p.m. - Men's freestyle aerials finals
7:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. - Women's halfpipe skiing (live), men's 4x10k cross country relay
12:35-2:00 a.m. - Women's big air snowboarding
NBCSN
10:15 a.m.-1:00 p.m. - Men's freestyle aerials finals
1:00-5:00 p.m. - Men's 4x10k cross country relay
NBCOlympics.com - Live Streaming
1:15-3:10 a.m. - Men's 4x10k relay
6:00-7:10 a.m. - Men's aerials finals
7:30-10:25 p.m. - Women's big air snowboarding qualifying (Monday)
8:00-9:25 p.m. - Women's halfpipe skiing qualifying (Monday)
MONDAY, FEB. 19
NBC
3:00-5:00 p.m. - Men's large hill team ski jumping finals
8:00-11:30 p.m.- Women's halfpipe skiing finals (live)
12:05-1:00 a.m. - Men's halfpipe skiing qualifying (live)
NBCSN
7:10-11:00 a.m. - Men's large hill team ski jumping final
Olympic Channel: Home Of Team USA
5:00-7:00 a.m. - Medal Ceremony (live)
12:00-12:30 p.m. - Winter Olympics Daily with Jimmy Roberts
NBCOlympics.com - Live Streaming
7:30-9:15 a.m. - Men's large hill team ski jumping
8:30-9:55 p.m. - Women's halfpipe skiing finals (Tuesday)
11:00 p.m.-12:45 a.m. - Men's halfpipe skiing qualifying (Tuesday)