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Redemption may be the order of the day in Pyeongchang for the ninth day of competition in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Figure skater Nathan Chen will try to overcome a disappointing start at the games, snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis works to show she's worthy of a gold, and two local skeleton riders look to come from behind and to hopefully medal in their sport.
And then there's Mikaela Shiffrin, who after an explosive first day, will continue her quest to rack up as many gold medals as possible while in South Korea.
Here's five events that you'll want to keep your eye on over the next 24 hours:
Mikaela Shiffrin Goes for 2nd Gold in Two Days
Four years ago, at age 18, Mikaela Shiffrin became the youngest-ever Olympic slalom champion. Now, she hopes to become the first person to win the event at two consecutive Olympics.
The windy, wintry weather has forced Shiffrin to wait a few extra days to ski her signature event. Now, the event is scheduled for Friday morning (Thursday night in the U.S.).
Shiffrin looks make the slalom her second gold in two days — she ended up on top in the giant slalom after two electric runs Thursday morning (Wednesday night in the U.S.). Racing on back-to-back days shouldn’t be a problem for her — World Cup races are often held on consecutive days.
Shiffrin is one of the Winter Olympics' marquee athletes, and fans have waited anxiously for this race. The slalom is her specialty: Last year, she became the first woman to win three consecutive slalom world titles in 78 years.
Watch Shiffrin’s first run during NBC’s primetime coverage beginning at 8 p.m. Thursday, or on digital platforms here.
Watch Shiffrin’s second run during NBC’s Prime Plus coverage beginning at 12:05 a.m. Friday morning, or live on digital platforms beginning at 11:45 p.m. Thursday night here.
Figure Skater Nathan Chen Hopes to Put Disappointing Debut Behind Him and Adam Rippon Goes for Gold
Nathan Chen had an Olympic inaugural to forget when he fell during a triple axel in the men’s short program of the team event, but now he has a shot at redemption.
During that first skate, the superstar known as the Quad King missed a planned triple toe loop at the end of his quadruple flip and turned his quadruple toe loop into a double. Then he fell. He later said he thought he was a little too excited, though skaters have complained about the early ice-skating schedule.
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Despite the struggles, Chen’s score was good enough for fourth place on a day when many of the men fell, and the team eventually won a bronze medal. On Friday, the 18-year-old skates his short program as he begins his quest for an individual Olympic medal, and he’s still a gold medal favorite.
Chen will compete after fellow U.S. skater Adam Rippon skates. The Clark's Summit, Pennsylvania, native helped Team USA secure a bronze during the team program earlier in the games.
By the way, we spoke with Yelena Sergeeva, one of Rippon's first skating coaches, about how he trained in and around Philadelphia as a kid.
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Also set to skate are the three competitors who placed ahead of Chen in the earlier short program: Japan’s Shoma Uno, Canada’s Patrick Chan and Israel’s Alexei Bychenko.
Watch live during NBC10’s primetime coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET Thursday, or on digital platforms here.
Skeleton Riders with Local Connections Try to Medal at the Sliding Center
Men's skeleton bounded down the ice chute in typical heartpounding fashion on Wednesday night with South Korean Sung-Bin Yun dominating the course.
But there are two Olympians with local connections who are hoping to stand on the medal podium when the second half of the competition ends.
Matt Antoine, a graduate of California University of Pennsylvania, won a bronze in Sochi. Now, he's pushing for a better standing in Pyeongchang. He had a pair of respectable runs Wednesday night leaving him in 11th place — the highest among Team USA.
Meanwhile, Vineland, New Jersey native Anthony Watson is going for a medal on behalf of his birth nation, Jamaica. The Philadelphia Eagles fan had a tough go in the half landing in 29th place out of 30. Could he come up with an upset? We'll have to see Thursday night.
Watch the final runs during NBC10’s primetime coverage Thursday, or on digital platforms here at 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday.
Will Lindsey Jacobellis Live Up to Her Talent?
Lindsey Jacobellis has been a favorite in the snowboard cross at every Winter Olympics since the sport was introduced in 2006, but she has won only one medal: a silver at the 2006 Turin Games. That year, she had a huge lead when she tried a flashy move and fell, and settled for silver. She was eliminated in 2010 and 2014 when she crashed.
Will this be the year she takes a gold?
"I think I've been more forgiving of myself, moving on from mistakes I've made or losses I've had, and instead of holding on to it, what I did in the past, now letting that go and using it as a tool to apply towards my next race," Jacobellis told NBC San Diego last year.
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She'll be going up against fellow Team USA snowboarder Meghan Tierney. The 21-year-old was born in Long Branch, New Jersey.
Watch live during NBC’s primetime coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET Thursday, or on digital platforms beginning at 10:15 pm E.T. here.
"All-or-nothing" Aerial Skier Ashley Caldwell Goes for Triples
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Aerial skier Ashley Caldwell is the current world champion, and though she has struggled for most of the past year, she should contend for a gold medal.
Her ability to land triples makes her stand out. Her biggest trick to date: a quadruple-twisting triple backflip.
She finished second in the World Cup rankings in 2015 and won the World Cup title in 2016, and then won the gold medal at the 2017 world championships in March. But she’s struggled since, and finished 2017 ranked 10th in the world.
Watch the aerials live at 6 a.m. Friday morning on digital platforms here.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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