4 to Watch: Figure Skating With the ‘Shib Sibs,' World's Fastest Skiers and Local Snowboard Hero Highlight Day 1 of Pyeongchang Olympic Games
Day 1 in Pyeongchang features the first women's snowboarding action, the fastest skiers in the world and more team figure skating competition
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Snowboarding superstar Julia Marino, a hometown hero from Westport, Connecticut, looks to qualify for her signature event as the first medals are awarded in men's snowboarding. From the world's fastest skiers vying for gold in Alpine skiing men's downhill to more highly anticipated team figure skating events, there was no shortage of must-see action on Day 1 of the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.
Without further ado, here are our four to Watch on Day 1:
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Mikaela Shiffrin in action during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Giant Slalom on Dec. 19, 2017 in Courchevel, France. Shiffrin, a winter Olympics contender from the United States, beat out France's Tessa Worley for the World Cup in giant slalom.
1. #ShibSibs Maia and Alex Shibutani, Bradie Tennell, Take to the Ice
Maia and Alex Shibutani and Olympic first-timer Bradie Tennell took to the ice as team competition resumed. The #ShibSibs, as they’re known, performed in the ice dance, while Tennell appeared in the women’s short program. The team event consisted of a men’s skater, a woman’s skater, a pair of ice dancers and pairs skaters.
The Shibutanis finished in second after Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir from Canada. Canada is leading the rest of the field in the short dance phase with 27 points. Team USA and Russia are in second and third place, earning 23 points and 21 points, respectively.
The Americans are second behind behind Canada after the pairs and men’s short programs. Team USA’s Nathan 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.
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Maia Shibutani, 23, was born in New York City on July 20, 1994. Her brother was born three years earlier in Boston. Together, the tandem known as the "Shib Sibs" have taken over the ice dance world. And they'll look to extend their reign in Pyeongchang.
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The siblings started off as individual skaters, but became an official duo in 2004. Maia started skating at age 4, her brother at age 7. According to NBCOlympics.com, their first coach called them "Mac and Cheese."
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The Shibutanis are two-time U.S. National champions and finished ninth in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. They've won a medal at every national championship at the senior level since 2011.
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Pyeongchang will be their second Olympic Games. Their music this season has included a Perez Prado medley for the short dance and Coldplay's "Paradise" for free dance, according to NBCOlympics.com.
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The siblings train in Canton, Michigan. In the lead-up to the 2014 Sochi Olympics, training partners included Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who would become the ice dance champions of those Olympic Winter Games. They've also trained with champs Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada.
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Maia and Alex are often called the "Shib Sibs" -- a combination of their last name and the word "siblings."
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The siblings launched a YouTube channel in 2012 to chronicle their ice dance journey. It covers their travels, competitions and everyday life so their fans can be a part of it all.
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Maia Shibutani is 5 feet 3 inches tall and 112 pounds. Her brother is 6 feet tall and 160 pounds.
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Maia Shibutani once wanted to be a chef and is still interested in cooking, according to NBCOlympics.com. Her brother is a self-described foodie, too, but he's also interested in all Boston professional sports.
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The best advice the siblings ever received was, "Love what you do," according to NBCOlympics.com.
2. World's Fastest Skiers Vie for Gold in Men's Downhill (Postponed)
Strong wind has forced the Pyeongchang Olympic men's downhill to be postponed. The first race of the 11-event Alpine program was scheduled for Sunday (Saturday night in New York). But three hours before it was supposed to start, race organizers said the downhill would be moved to a different day. When the race is rescheduled, five men from Team USA will vie for gold in the crowded field -- Wiley Maple, Thomas Biesemeyer, Steven Nyman, Jared Goldberg and Bryce Bennett. Bennett is the top-ranked American (18) based on 2017-18 World Cup season. He and his U.S. colleagues will be chasing first-ranked Swede Beat Fuez (World Cup), but no doubt keep an eye on Austria's Matthias Mayer, who took the gold in Sochi.
How to Watch: The men's downhill has been postponed to Feb. 14 at 9 p.m. EST and the men's super-G will be held Feb. 15 at 9 p.m. EST.
Gerard managed to thwart the Canadians and Norwegians who entered the event as the strongest in the field. Canadians Max Parrott and Mark McMorris took silver and bronze, respectively.
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The Westport, Connecticut, native has become one of the premiere names to watch during the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
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Marino turns head for her innovative snowboarding techniques, but she didn't start out with that sport. According to NBCOlympics.com, Marino initially liked skiing and started that at age 3. When she was 12, she lost one of her skis in the woods and the rest is history.
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It's her first Olympics, but she's no stranger to the podium. Marino became the first woman to land a double in the slopestyle competition in the 2016 Corona World Championships of Snowboarding. She was a gold medalist in the 2017 X Games Aspen.
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Marino will participate in the slopestyle and big air competitions in Pyeongchang.
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She likes to draw in her spare time and also enjoys drawing tattoo designs for her friends, though she doesn't have any herself, according to NBCOlympics.com.
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Marino also likes to skateboard.
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She was born on Sept. 11, 1997 and will be 21 years old this year.
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She is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 125 pounds.
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According to NBCOlympics.com, Marino is known mostly for her "continued innovation." Don't miss her in the slopestyle and big air competitions.
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FYI, Marino is 4-for-4 in collecting medals at the X Games, a major event, so definitely don't miss her on the slopes of South Korea.
The women's snowboard slopestyle event qualifiers were canceled Sunday morning due to wind conditions in Pyeongchang, advancing all 28 athletes to the final round.
Local snowboard star Julia Marino, who hails from Westport, Connecticut, looks to qualify in her signature slopestyle event in Pyeongchang. One of the key names to watch in these Winter Olympic Games, Marino turns heads for her innovative snowboarding techniques, but didn't start out in that sport. According to NBCOlympics.com, Marino initially liked skiing and started that at age 3. When she was 12, she lost one of her skis in the woods and the rest is history.
It's her first Olympics, but she's no stranger to the podium. Marino became the first woman to land a double in the slopestyle competition in the 2016 Corona World Championships of Snowboarding. She was a gold medalist in the 2017 X Games Aspen and Saturday night's qualification round in the slopestyle is her first step to adding an Olympic medal to her trophy case.
How to Watch: The women's slopestyle has been postponed until 8 p.m. EST on Sunday.
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PARK CITY, UT - SEPTEMBER 27: Freestyle Skier Morgan Schild poses for a portrait during the Team USA Media Summit ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games on September 27, 2017 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Lowell Bailey
nSport: BiathlonnHometown: Lake PlacidnAge: 36
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