Watch the 2014 Winter Olympics to Catch ALL the Action!

2014 is a year that will be highlighted by some very big and highly anticipated sporting spectacles. The 2014 Winter Olympic Games, which will be staged in Sochi, Russia, is one of the events that will attract the most attention from sports enthusiasts around the world. You can always expect very intense competition when national pride is on the line, particularly when the United States and Russia (formerly part of the Soviet Union) are among the main competitors. However, the inherently friendly nature of Olympic competition should ensure that nothing overshadows the outstanding performances of the thousands of athletes who are expected to compete between February 6 and 23. As always, there are a number of very interesting storylines heading into the event. These storylines have produced many compelling reasons for you to watch the Sochi Olympics. Here’s a look at five of them:

 

To see if the US can top the medal table

The US is always one of the top contenders to head the medal table at the Winter Olympic Games. At the last edition of the event in Vancouver, Team USA finished with the most total medals – 37. However, host Canada finished atop the medal table by virtue of winning the most gold medals (14). (The US managed to mine nine golds.) This time round, the US will send one of the largest athlete contingents to the Games. On paper, this should give them as good a chance as any to finish on top of the medal table when all is said and done. However, you can again expect a strong challenge to come from the Canadians, host Russia, Germany, and traditional powerhouse Norway.    

 

To see if the US can win the men’s hockey gold

There are few events at the Winter Olympics that generate as much interest as ice hockey. Men’s ice hockey, in particular, is a premier event. The US men will be seeking to win their first Olympic gold medal in the sport since 1980. The country’s storied triumph on that occasion was highlighted by what became widely known as the “Miracle on Ice”, which saw a team of mainly college kids beat the all-powerful Soviet Union for the gold. The Soviet Union is no more and the Cold War era tensions that made that win so special for Americans have largely dissipated. However, eight-time Olympic champion Canada is starting to reestablish itself as the type of dominant force that the Soviet Union was between 1964 and 1980. Their team features a galaxy of National Hockey League (NHL) stars – including the Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby, who is widely regarded as the best player in the world. Other potent threats to the US’ chances of winning could come from Russia and Sweden.       

 

To see if the US can win the women’s hockey gold

The US won the inaugural women’s Olympic ice hockey tournament in 1998. On that occasion, they got the better of Canada, defeating their friendly northern neighbor 3-1 in the gold medal game. However, in the ensuing three Olympic tournaments, the Canadian women have skated away with the gold medals. On two of those occasions, the US women were the ones on the wrong end of the result in the gold medal contest. The traditionally heated rivalry between the US and Canada has lost none of its intensity heading into Sochi. A recent Olympic warm-up series between the two nations saw the Americans getting the better of their Canadian arch rivals in four out of the six engagements. The duo has been placed in the same group – Group A – for the tournament. If both make it to the final, you’ll get to enjoy two matchups between the world’s two best teams.

     

US Women’s Hockey Team

 

To see how successfully Williams and Jones will transition

When bobsledders Lauryn Williams and Lolo Jones eventually make their debuts in Sochi, they’ll have the unique distinction of being among a handful of athletes to appear at both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games. Williams represented the United States in the 100-metre event at the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Summer Olympics. She won an individual silver medal in 2004 and sprint relay (4×100-metre) gold in 2012. Meanwhile, Jones represented the US in the 100-metre hurdles event at the 2008 and 2012 editions of the Games. In what reads like a storyline straight out of Cool Runnings, both will be looking to use the speed and power that made them formidable on the track to get their respective sleds hurtling down the track and ahead of the pack.     

 

To see who’ll win the men’s singles figure skating gold

There are very few sports more readily associated with the Winter Olympics than figure skating. This is one of the reasons why the men’s singles figure skating event will be one of the most watched in Sochi. The other significant reason is the presence of the charismatic Russian competitor Evgeni Plushenko. The 31-year old Plushenko, who is a three-time former Olympic medalist, is likely to be the most recognizable face at the 2014 Games. In the absence of American defending champ Evan Lysacek, he’s also likely to start as the favorite to win his second gold medal in the event. It’ll be interesting to see if either reigning national champion Jeremy Abbott or runner-up Jason Brown will be able to get in the gold medal mix.   

 

Where and when to watch

The NBC network will provide extensive coverage of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Approximately 539 hours of action is scheduled to air on NBC, NBCSN, MSNBC, CNBC, and USA Network. A further 1,000 hours of coverage is slated to be streamed online at NBCOlympics.com.  

Watch the 2014 Winter Olympics to Catch ALL the Action!