Story highlights
Bode Miller of Team USA is considered a gold medal favorite in men's downhill
American Jamie Anderson and Austrian Anna Grasse will face off in women's slopestyle
Switzerland's Dario Cologna and Norway's Petter Northug will fight it out in the skiathlon
With such events as men’s downhill and women’s slopestyle, Sunday’s competition at the Sochi Winter Games may best described by the Olympic motto: Faster, higher, stronger.
Here are five things to watch:
Men’s downhill finals
America’s Bode Miller, who may be the old man on the mountain at age 36, is looking to become king of the hill, er, downhill during Sunday’s Olympic finals.
He’s laid down some of the fiercest and fastest training runs in the lead-up to what is widely considered one of Alpine skiing’s marquee events, and nobody doubts he will push it to the limit to add a gold medal to his previous Winter Games haul of one gold, three silvers and a bronze.
As those who follow the sport know, it only takes one bobble, one skid, one miscalculation on the 2.2-mile course at Rosa Khutor, and it could be all over.
Miller’s competitors in the downhill aren’t going to just let him walk away with a medal, he’s going to have to fight for it among a fast field.
Who to watch:
Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway, who took silver in the men’s downhill and the gold in the super-G during the Vancouver Games in 2010. He put up the second-fastest time on Saturday’s training run behind Miller, according to Bleacher Report.
Switzerland’s Didier Defago, who took the gold in the event in Vancouver, and Austria’s Matthais Mayer, whose training run Friday on the course eclipsed Miller, also are likely to be in the medal hunt.
Women’s slopestyle finals
At age 23, Jamie Anderson of the United States is considered one of the pioneers of women’s snowboard slopestyle. (Think downhill obstacle course with rails and jumps.)
So perhaps it is fitting that she is one of the odds-on favorites to medal in the event, making its Olympic debut at the Sochi Games.
But don’t count out Austria’s Anna Gasser, who qualified for the event semifinal and final with the highest-scoring run. Anderson finished second.
As Sage Kotsenburg of Team USA proved Saturday by winning an unexpected gold medal in men’s slopestyle, anything is possible.
Who else to watch:
Australia’s Torah Bright, the 2010 Olympic gold medalist in the halfpipe, is a force to be reckoned with after putting in a solid qualifying run.
Figure skating team finals
It’s the final day of the Olympic debut of the team figure skating competition, and the field of 10 has been narrowed down to five teams.
Here’s what to know: Russia, Canada, the United States, Italy and Japan are vying for medals.
So how do they do that?
On Sunday, the teams will put forward skaters to compete in the men’s, women’s and ice dancing free programs. In armchair Olympic-speak, that means the long programs.
The team with the highest overall score wins the gold, second highest gets the silver, third highest. … You get the idea. No? Tune in to watch it.
Men’s skiathlon 30k finals
Ski-what-a-thon? Skiathlon, or in everyday language competitive cross-country skiing.
Think of it this way. It’s a 30-kilometer race where skiers switch out their classic cross country skis after 15 kilometers to skating skis, where they ski for another 15 kilometers.
Switzerland’s Dario Cologna, a dominant force in the sport, is considered the favorite going into the race.
Who else to watch:
Petter Northug of Norway, who won two gold medals in Vancouver in 2010, is known for his sprint finishes, and Martin Johnsrud Sundby of Norway, who finished second at last year’s World Championship Skiathlon, are expected to be in the hunt for medals.
Men’s individual normal hill ski jumping finals
Ski jumping seems like an adrenaline junkie’s dream, strapping on a pair of skis, flying down a ramp and launching into the air.
And it’s pretty cool to watch, too.
If the qualifying rounds are any indication, the finals on Sunday should not disappoint.
Poland’s Kamil Stoch, the reigning World Cup champion, is the favorite.
Who else to watch:
Simon Ammann of Switzerland, who is trying to win a fifth Olympic gold, Germany’s Severin Freund and Austria’s Gregor Schlierenzauer are also contenders.