Event guide: From skiing to figure skating

Best of the rest: In a sport where youth rules, Gregor Schlierenzauer of Austria captured handfuls of World Cup victories before turning 20 last month. The wunderkind is a strong favorite on the normal hill. Switzerland's Simon Ammann, who won both individual events eight years ago in Salt Lake City, and Austrians Thomas Morgenstern and Wolfgang Loitzl also should press for spots on the podium.

Predictions

Normal hill: 1. Schlierenzauer, Austria; 2. Loitzl, Austria; 3. Ammann, Switzerland.

Large hill: 1. Ammann, Switzerland; 2. Schlierenzauer, Austria; 3. Morgenstern, Austria.

Team: 1. Austria; 2. Finland; 3. Switzerland.

- David Wharton

Snowboard

Cypress Mountain

SNOWBOARD CROSS

Feb. 15, 16

Best of U.S.: Funny how it works out, but Lindsey Jacobellis probably became more famous for not winning gold in 2006, crashing into the snow when she attempted a bit of show. Nate Holland and Seth Wescott went 1-2 at the recent Winter X Games in Aspen.

Best of the rest: Helene Olafsen put an early scare into Jacobellis at the X Games with a strong start, and Maelle Ricker, a native of West Vancouver, will be shouldering a bit of hometown pressure. On the men's side, Pierre Vaultier is the favorite.

Predictions

Men: 1. Holland, U.S.; 2. Vaultier, France; 3. Wescott, U.S.

Women: 1. Jacobellis, U.S.; 2. Ricker, Canada; 3. Olafsen, Norway.

HALFPIPE

Feb. 17-18

Best of U.S.: Two possible threats to defending gold medalist Shaun White were in hospitals in Salt Lake City in January. Kevin Pearce suffered a severe brain injury in training, and Danny Davis fractured his back and pelvis in a non-snowboarding accident. Louie Vito and Scott Lago, however, are capable of a podium finish. Gretchen Bleiler and Kelly Clark produced a riveting duel at the X Games, with Bleiler winning by 0.66.

Best of the rest: Iouri Podladtchikov, fondly and conveniently known as I-Pod, is considered the biggest international threat to White. There are question marks about Australia's Torah Bright, who suffered two concussions in Aspen in the days leading up to the X Games and withdrew from that competition.

Predictions

Men: 1. White, U.S.; 2. Podladtchikov, Switzerland; 3. Vito, U.S.

Women: Bleiler, U.S.; 2. Clark, U.S.; 3. Hannah Teter, U.S.

PARALLEL GIANT SLALOM

Feb. 26-27

Best of U.S.: One of the better stories on the men's side involves the resurgence of Chris Klug, who won a bronze medal in 2002, a mere 19 months after a liver transplant.

Best of the rest: Andreas Prommegger and Amelie Kober won the last major Olympic tuneup races on the World Cup circuit Saturday in Germany.

Predictions

Men: 1. Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada; 2. Prommegger, Austria; 3. Philipp Schoch, Switzerland.

Women: 1. Kober, Germany; 2. Fraenzi Maegert-Kohli, Switzerland; 3. Nicolien Sauerbreij, Netherlands.

- Lisa Dillman

Speedskating

Richmond Olympic Oval

Feb. 13-27

Best of the U.S.: Shani Davis is the name everyone will remember and is the favorite in the 1,000 and 1,500. In the 1,000 in 2006, Davis became the first African-American athlete to win gold in an individual Winter Games sport. He won the silver in the 1,500. Tucker Fredricks had podium finishes in the 500 in each of the World Cups he skated in 2009-10. Chad Hedrick and Trevor Marsciano lead the U.S. team pursuit squad, with Davis not participating. Three-time Olympian Jen Rodriguez will lead the U.S. women's team.

Best of the rest: Canada's Christine Nesbitt was the 2009 world champion and won the overall World Cup title in the 1,000. Germany's Monique Angermueller could make an impact in her Olympic debut. Canada's Denny Morrison set a world record in the 1,500 in 2008, since broken by Davis. Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic is the world record holder in the 5,000. Sven Kramer of the Netherlands is the world record holder in the 10,000. Kramer's countryman, Bob de Jong, is the defending Olympic champion.

Predictions

Men's 500: 1. Kyou-Hyuk Lee, South Korea; 2. Joji Kato, Japan; 3. Fredricks, U.S.

Women's 500: 1. Jenny Wolf, Germany; 2. Annette Gerritsen, Netherlands; 3. Wang Beixing, China.

Men's 1,000: 1. Davis, U.S.; 2 Mark Tuitert, Netherlands; 3. Kyou-Hyuk Lee, South Korea,

Women's 1,000: 1. Nesbitt, Canada; 2. Gerritsen, Netherlands; 3. Angermueller, Germany.

Men's 1,500: 1. Davis, U.S.; 2. Morrison, Canada; 3. Hedrick, U.S.

Women's 1,500: 1. Kristina Groves, Canada; 2. Nesbitt, Canada; 3. Ireen Wust, Netherlands.

Men's 10,000: 1. Kramer, Netherlands; 2. De Jong, Netherlands; 3. Havard Bokko, Norway.

Women's 5,000: 1. Sablikova, Czech Republic; 2. Groves, Canada; 3. Stephanie Beckert, Germany.

Men's team: 1. Canada; 2. Italy; 3. Netherlands.

Women's team: 1. Canada; 2. Netherlands; 3. Germany.

- Brian Hamilton

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