7 to Watch: Skating, Early Starts and 'Born to Bump'

For the first full day of competition after the Opening Ceremony, here’s what you need to watch. 1. Ramona Native Takes to the IceU.S. pair Alexa Scimeca Knierim, 26, and Chris Knierim, 30, captured hearts around the world with their kiss following Thursday’s performance. On Saturday, the two-time U.S. National Pairs Champions (2015 and 2018) and 3-time World Championship competitors will perform again.The couple lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado but Chris grew up in Escondido and Ramona in San Diego County. He still has many friends and family in his hometown, and still loves the beach and In N’ Out Burger.NBC 7 spoke with Chris back in November. He recounted the days when, at the age of 12, he would leave middle school early to practice figure skating at the San Diego Ice Arena. He would avoid telling his friends about his newfound passion, fearing they might make fun of him. Today, he’s a confident athlete and should be after the couple’s performance on the ice Thursday.Watch the couple compete again Saturday as their event is broadcast live on NBC 7 at 5 p.m. PT, or on digital platforms at this link.2. #ShibSibs Maia and Alex Shibutani, Bradie Tennell, Take to the IceMaia and Alex Shibutani and Olympic first-timer Bradie Tennell will be skating when team competition resumes.The #ShibSibs, as they’re known, will perform in the ice dance, while Tennell will appear in the women’s short program.The team event consists of a men’s skater, a woman’s skater, a pair of ice dancers and pairs skaters.3. Early Starts for Figure SkatersFigure skating fans were shocked when U.S. men’s figure skater Nathen Chen tumbled in competition on Thursday.Chen had a disappointing night in his debut when he fell on a triple axel attempt during the men’s short program in the figure skating team event.It appears the timing of the competition is causing issues with some of the skaters.With a 14-hour time difference to the East Coast, the decision was made to conduct figure skating competitions in the morning, allowing them to be televised live in prime time to an American audience.That should be great for American fans, who won’t have to avoid the news or social media platforms and run the risk of spoiling a tape-delayed event.It’s not so great for the skaters.Competition is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. local time, so that means athletes are setting their alarm clocks and coffeemakers for 5 a.m. That gives them about an hour to wipe the sleep from their eyes, get dressed and board the bus to the arena for 7 a.m. practice.Watch the competition Saturday night to see how Team USA adjusts to the schedule. Watch NBC 7’s live coverage at 5 p.m. PT or on digital platforms at this link.4. Team USA’s Red Girard, 17, Has Electric FinishTeam USA’s Red Gerard put down one of the most creative and exciting runs of the day in snowboard slopestyle qualifying. He finished third in his heat with an 82.55 and qualified for the final.Known for being a creative rider, Gerard is going up against Mark McMorris, the snowboarder who has dominated the event, and other favorites: McMorris’s teammate, Max Parrot, and Marcus Kleveland of Norway.McMorris, the bronze medalist at the 2014 Olympic Games, has won a slopestyle medal at every X Games Aspen since 2011, but he was badly injured last year after crashing into a tree while snowboarding.Gerard and the U.S. team are considered the underdogs in Pyeongchang as they attempt to medal on one of the most uniquely designed courses in event history.Watch the gold medal event live on NBCSN at 5 p.m. PT or on digital platforms at this link.5. US Women’s Hockey Face Finland in First Olympic MatchMuch of the attention has been on the unified Korean women’s team, but the U.S. women’s hockey team plays its first game against Finland.The American team famously include twins Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando. American women have not won Olympic gold since 1998 and have a tough job ahead. Canada has taken home four straight gold medals.Watch live on NBCSN at 11:40 p.m. PT Saturday or on digital platforms at  this link.6. ‘Born to Bump’, 21-Year-Old Jaelin Kauf Has Hopes to MedalIn the midst of what’s shaping up to be a possible breakout season, Jaelin Kauf has become one of the U.S. moguls team’s top hopes for a medal in PyeongChang.Kauf’s speed has been setting her apart from the competition. At each of the first three stops of the 2017/18 World Cup season, she posted the fastest run of the super final.Born into a family of skiers, you could say she was born to medal in the event. Her mother and father each won multiple titles on the World Pro Moguls Tour. Now the family has traveled from Wyoming to cheer on Jaelin.When she’s not on the slopes, the 21-year-old Olympian spends her time surfing, wakeboarding and mountain biking.The women’s freestyle skiing event takes place at 4 a.m. PT Sunday. Watch the competition at this link.7. And the Gold Goes to…Join in the excitement of the day’s Gold Medal competition. Here’s a quick run-down of the day’s other events.Men’s Biathlon 10 Kilometer Sprint: Watch NBCSN coverage beginning at 2 a.m. PT or on digital platforms Sunday at 3:15 a.m. PT at this link.Men’s Skiathlon: Watch on digital platforms Saturday at 10:15 p.m. PT at this link.Men’s Singles Luge: Watch on digital platforms Sunday at 3 a.m. PT at this link.Men’s Speed Skating 5,000 Meters: Watch on digital platforms Saturday at 11 p.m. PT at this link.Photo Credit: Getty Images/NBC This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
Source: NBC San Diego