Can Lizzy Yarnold emulate the success of Amy Williams four years ago in Vancouver and bring home skeleton gold for Great Britain on day seven of Sochi 2014?
This will be the burning question and both women will be hoping to be in a strong position going into today’s final two runs that will decide the medals.
Williams herself is now a BBC commentator and will be part of the team covering the events at the Sliding Center and will no doubt be a nervous spectator along with millions watching back home in the UK as news of medals comes in at around 5.00pm.
At Vancouver 2010, Williams rode a sled named ‘Arthur’ to a famous victory over Canada’s Mellisa Hollingsworth, who was the outright favourite for gold.
But this time around, the British duo of World Cup leader Yarnold and reigning world champion Shelley Rudman are favourites.
After a season of extraordinary success, can they deliver what could turn out Great Britain’s defining moment of the Games, and yet another skeleton medal to follow successes in the event at every Games since 2002?
In a change to the schedules, Yarnold’s potential golden moment will be broadcast to the nation on BBC One when the final run sets off from 4.30pm, though catch the third run on BBC Two from 3.40pm.
Elsewhere on a busy day at the Games, the alpine skiing action steps up a gear with the men’s super-combined competition.
Ted Ligety of the United States has endured a mixed season of results though 2013 world champion in the event will be one of the biggest threats for gold.
Croatian veteran Ivica Kostelic won one of his three Olympic silver medals in super-combined at Vancouver 2010 and this may be the all-rounder’s best chance to reach the top of an Olympic podium.
Another blue-riband Winter Olympics occasion takes place down in the Olympic Park as Canada’s Patrick Chan leads the field in the Men’s Free Skate, which will decide the medals in the competition.
Chan’s closest rivals may be Japanese duo Daisuke Takahashi and Yuzuru Hanyu, while Spain’s Javier Fernandez is also expected to be in the mix.
Kazakhstan’s Denis Ten, who controversially lost out to Chan for last year’s world title, sat out some of the current season but may yet push for a medal in Sochi.
Current Olympic champion Evan Lysacek gave up his injury-hit bid to reach Sochi late last year, having failed to produce a single competitive appearance since his victory in Vancouver.
Also in action on day seven will be Great Britain’s curling teams as the women face Japan and the men play Denmark, ice hockey group matches continue, while qualifying begins in the men’s large hill ski jumping competition.
You can access all the action from the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics across BBC TV, Red Button and radio, with up to six live streams available online, connected TVs, mobiles, tablets and the BBC Sport app.
SOTB’s TV viewing guide to Day 7 of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games below:
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DAY 7: FRIDAY 14th FEBRUARY
05:45 – 12:00 |
ALPINE SKIING, ICE HOCKEY & CURLING Presenter: Hazel Irvine |
The live action on day seven kicks off with the super combined in the men’s alpine skiing, an event that combines downhill and slalom.
In a change to the advertised schedule, BBC Two’s coverage starts at 5.45am due to the start of super-combined having been brought forward by an hour.
Bode Miller clinched his first Olympic gold in this event in Vancouver four years ago and, after overcoming serious injury problems, the American is appearing at his fifth Games.
But his thunder may be stolen by one of his own teammates, Ted Ligety, who is the reigning world champion.
There is also live curling as Great Britain’s women continue their Olympic campaign, and in men’s ice hockey, the Czech Republic face off against Latvia.
Coverage switches to BBC One at 12.00pm (see below).
.| 07:00 |
ALPINE SKIING – LIVE Men’s Super Combined (Downhill) |
| 08:30 | ICE HOCKEY – LIVE Czech Republic v Latvia (Men) |
| 10:00 |
CURLING – LIVE Great Britain v Japan (Women) |
| 11:45 | ALPINE SKIING – LIVE Men’s Super Combined (Slalom) |
12:00 – 13:00 |
ALPINE SKIING & CURLING Presenter: Jonathan Edwards |
Coverage continues over on BBC One from midday as Jonathan Edwards takes over presenting duties on the Olympic Park.
The action includes the medals being decided in the men’s super combined alpine skiing event, and Great Britain’s women’s curling team are in action against Japan.
Coverage switches back to BBC Two at 1.00pm.
.| 12:00 |
ALPINE SKIING – Men’s Super Combined |
| CURLING – Great Britain v Japan (Women) |
13:00 – 15:30 |
ICE HOCKEY, FREESTYLE SKIING, SKELETON & CURLING Presenter: Jonathan Edwards |
The men’s Skeleton begins this afternoon with Kristan Bromley looking to end his long career with an Olympic medal, the only major honour to have so far eluded him.
Team-mate Dom Parsons has shown some impressive form on the World Cup circuit this season, and could be Team GB’s best hope of getting on the podium.
As a host competitor, Russia’s Alexander Tretiakov will have had plenty of practice on the Sochi track, so the current world champion could give the local crowd something to cheer about, while Latvia’s Martins Dukurs will also be among the favourites.
The women’s Aerials also takes place – Australia’s Lydia Lassila is the reigning champion but has taken some time out since Vancouver to have a child.
In her absence Xu Mengtao has been the standout performer and the Chinese skier should start as favourite.
There will also be live Curling as Great Britain’s men’s team take on Denmark, with skip David Murdoch hoping for a repeat of the 2010 Olympic group-stage meeting, where his side beat the Danes 9-6.
Also featured is the men’s ice hockey match between Sweden and Switzerland, along with updates from the women’s Biathlon 15km.
| 13:00 | ICE HOCKEY – Sweden v Switzerland |
| FREESTYLE SKIING & SKELETON – Regular updates |
| 15:00 | CURLING – LIVE Great Britain v Denmark (Men) |
| BIATHLON – Women’s 15km Final updates |
15:30 – 16:30 |
SKELETON Presenter: Clare Balding |
By the time the closing credits roll on BBC TV’s evening schedules from Sochi, Great Britain could well be celebrating another Olympic Skeleton champion.
World champion Shelley Rudman and rising star Lizzy Yarnold will both complete their final two runs in their quest to succeed Amy Williams as reigning Olympic champion – but they will face tough competition from the likes of Americans Noelle Pikus-Pace and Katie Uhlaender.
The third run of four will be shown live on BBC Two from 3.40pm, while the final run follows at 4.50pm, with coverage switching to BBC One at 5.15pm (see below).
.| 15:40 |
SKELETON – LIVE Women’s Skeleton – Run 3 |
| 16:30 | CURLING – LIVE Great Britain v Denmark (Men) |
| 17:00 | SKELETON – LIVE Women’s Skeleton – Final Run |
16:30-18:00 |
SKELETON Presenter: Clare Balding |
In a late change to the advertised schedule, the BBC has decided to switch the final run of the women’s skeleton to BBC One as it hopes to see Lizzy Yarnold crowned skeleton champion for Team GB.
The final run begins at 4.50pm on BBC Two with Yarnold’s slide for gold being shown live on BBC One from 5.15pm.
Coverage switches back to BBC Two at 8.00pm with men’s figure skating.
.| 17:15 | SKELETON – LIVE Women’s Final Run |
18:00-19:10 |
FIGURE SKATING Presenter: Clare Balding |
Coverage switched back to BBC Two for the rest of the evening as Clare Balding hosts live figure skating.
Down at the Iceberg Skating Palace, the medals will be decided in the men’s individual competition with Canadian Patrick Chan, who has won the last three world titles, looking for Olympic gold.
.| 18:00 | FIGURE SKATING – LIVE Men’s Free Program |
19:10 – 20:00 |
TODAY AT THE GAMES Presenter: Clare Balding |
Clare Balding introduces highlights of the day’s action from the Sochi Winter Olympics, which Team GB was hoping would bring medals.
Alongside the focus on the women’s skeleton events, featuring Lizzy Yarnold and Shelly Rudman, other action on day seven included the women’s Aerials, in which China’s reigning world champion Xu Mengtao is a strong contender to take gold.
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| 04:55 | CURLING | LIVE Canada v Norway (Men) |
| 08:00 | ICE HOCKEY | LIVE Men’s Group C – CZE v LAT |
| 10:30-13:00 | CURLING | LIVE Great Britain v Japan (Women) |
| 13:45 | FREESTYLE SKIING | LIVE Women’s Ariels Qualification |
| 15:00 | CURLING | LIVE Great Britain v Denmark (Men) |
| 18:00 | FREESTYLE SKIING | LIVE Women’s Ariels Final |
| 18:25-19:30 | ICE HOCKEY | LIVE Men’s Group B – Canada v Austria |
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| 06:50-08:35 | ALPINE SKIING |
LIVE Men’s Super-Combined (Downhill) |
| 10:00 | CROSS COUNTRY |
LIVE Men’s 15km Classic |
| 11:45 | ALPINE SKIING | LIVE Men’s Super-Combined (Slalom) |
| 12:30 | SKELETON |
LIVE Men’s Runs 1 & 2 |
| 15:00-19:30 | FIGURE SKATING | LIVE Men’s Free Program |
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Alongside BBC TV’s main coverage on BBC Two, Winter Olympics fans have the chance to become their own TV directors and choose which event they want to watch at the touch of a button.
Full uninterrupted coverage of each individual session and event at the Sochi Games can be accessed in a number of ways.
Selected events can be found via the BBC’s two Red Button streams on TV – available via Freeview, Freesat, BT Vision, Sky, Virgin Media and YouView – by simply pressing the red button on your remote control (see Red Button 1/2 listings above).
All six live streams, featuring access to every Sochi 2014 event, will be made available via the BBC Sport website on all devices.
These streams can also be accessed through the BBC’s Connected Red Button service on TVs via Virgin Media TiVo and Sony Freeview Smart TVs and via the BBC Sport app for connected TVs.
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Men’s Super Combined – DownhillLIVE: 6.50am-8.35am BBC Red Button 2 Men’s Super Combined – Slalom*
LIVE: 11.45am-12.30pm BBC Red Button 2
Women’s 15km Individual*
Amanda Lightfoot
LIVE: 2.00pm-4.20pm BBC Sport Online
Men’s 15km Classic*
Andrew Musgrave / Callum Smith / Andrew Young
LIVE: 10.00am-11.45am BBC Red Button 2
Canada v NorwayMen’s Round Robin LIVE: 4.55am-8.00am BBC Red Button 1 Great Britain v Japan
Women’s Round Robin
Skip: Eve Muirhead
LIVE: 10.30am-1.00pm BBC Red Button 1
Great Britain v DenmarkMen’s Round Robin
Skip: David Murdoch
LIVE: 3.00pm-6.00pm BBC Red Button 1
CLICK HERE for full Curling match schedule
Men’s Free Skate
LIVE: 3.00pm-7.30pm BBC Red Button 2
Women’s Ariels Qualification
LIVE: 1.45pm-3.00pm BBC Red Button 1
Women’s Ariels Finals*
LIVE: 6.00pm-6.25pm BBC Red Button 1
Czech Republic v LatviaWomen’s Group C LIVE: 8.00am-10.30am BBC Red Button 1
Sweden v Switzerland
Women’s Group C LIVE: 12.30pm-3.00pm BBC Sport Online
Norway v Finland
Men’s Group B LIVE: 5.00pm-7.30pm BBC Sport Online Canada v Austria
Men’s Group B LIVE: 6.25pm-7.30pm BBC Red Button 1
12:30 Men’s Heat 1
14:00 Men’s Heat 2
Kristan Bromley / Dom Parsons
LIVE: 12.30pm-3.00pm BBC Red Button 2
15:40 Women’s Heat 316:50 Women’s Heat 4
Shelley Rudman / Lizzy Yarnold
LIVE: 3.40pm-5.40pm BBC Sport Online
Men’s Large Hill Individual Qualification RoundLIVE: 5.30pm-6.35pm BBC Sport Online All timings/channels listed above subject to change. *denotes event finals.
