This weekend on the Road to the Olympics: U.S. short track team to be decided at Olympic Trials – WDIV ClickOnDetroit

Athletes compete for spots on the U.S. short track team at Olympic Trials, Shaun White and Chloe Kim return to the halfpipe for Olympic qualifying events, Mikaela Shiffrin enters a super-G race, and the United States resumes its rivalry with Canada in women's hockey. Here's what's happening this weekend (December 17-19) on the road to the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The athletes who will represent the United States in short track speed skating at the 2022 Winter Games will be determined in Salt Lake City this weekend with a full three days of action at Olympic Trials. Five spots for female athletes and two for male athletes are on the line, with lots of youth in the chase. 21-year-old Maame Biney is the only athlete chasing a return to the Winter Olympics, with rising stars Kristen Santos and Brandon Kim in the mix for their first trip to the Games.

Ad

The competition gets underway Friday in primetime on NBCSN and concludes Sunday afternoon on NBC. For more on the U.S. Olympic Short Track Trials, read the preview.

All coveragestreams live on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app.

The Winter Dew Tour returns to Copper Mountain in Frisco, Colorado, after making its move there in 2020, and will once again host the worlds best park and pipe snowboarders. Its the penultimate of four U.S. Olympic team selection events in both the halfpipe and slopestyle/big air qualifying tracks, with only January's U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth remaining. U.S. riders can put themselves in better position for an Olympic team nomination by finishing on the podium in these selection events.Last years competition saw reigning Olympic championsRed GerardandJamie Andersonwin in slopestyle, and 2018 PyeongChang medalistsScotty JamesandLiu Jiayuwin the halfpipe events.

Ad

The snowboarding field includes all eight reigning Olympic, X Games and world champions in halfpipe and slopestyle:Chloe Kim, Anderson, New ZealanderZoi Sadowski-Synnott, JapansYuto Totsuka,Shaun White,Red Gerard,Marcus Klevelandof Norway andDusty Henricksen.

The Winter Dew Tour will also host halfpipe and slopestyle events for freeskiing. Its the third of six U.S. Olympic selection events for the halfpipe team and the penultimate of five for the slopestyle/big air team. U.S. skiers can put themselves in better position for an Olympic team nomination by finishing on the podium in these selection events. Last years competition saw CanadiansNoah BowmanandCassie Sharpewin the halfpipe event, andChristian NummedalandMathilde Gremaudtake the wins in slopestyle.

Ad

The freeski field includes six of the eight reigning Olympic, X Games and world champions in halfpipe and slopestyle: U.S.-bornEileen Guof China, New ZealanderNico Porteous,Nick Goepper,David Wise, Canada's Sharpe and SwissSarah Hoefflin.

The final speed races of 2021 take place in the French Alps with downhill on Saturday and super-G on Sunday. Current World Cup overall leader Mikaela Shiffrin will race the super-G event in hope of extending her streak of super-G podiums to three. Shiffrins U.S. teammate, Breezy Johnson, has a similar streak on the line in the downhill, though shell have to contend with Italys red-hot Sofia Goggia, winner of three of the five speed races this season.

The worlds top male ski racers head to Italy for a busy weekend. First, its speed events on the slopes of Val Gardena with super-G Friday and downhill Saturday, followed by giant slalom at nearby Alta Badia on Sunday. Marco Ottermatt is in search of an extension to his overall lead. The Swiss star is in the middle of a breakout season, having won half of all races to start the season. Ryan Cochran-Siegle and Travis Ganong represent Team USAs best chance at a podium in Italy.

Ad

The My Why Tour continues between the U.S. and Canadian national women's teams. Team Canada took Wednesday night's tilt by a score of 2-1 in overtime, but the Americans will have a chance to settle the score Friday night in St. Louis. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET. Thus far, Canada leads the series 3-2.

The U.S. and Canada will play once again Monday at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Monday, which will serve as the final stop in an American city for the My Why Tour.

A busy weekend approaches as the 2021-22 IBSF World Cup continues in Altenberg, Germany, where the Bobsled World Cup reaches its fifth stage and the Skeleton World Cup sees its third round of competition.

Germanys own Francesco Friedrich (partnering with Alexander Schuller) remains golden in both the two- and four-man events, just ahead of compatriot Johannes Lochner in the rankings. The two-woman race also features Germans in the top spots, with Laura Nolte leading Kim Kalicki. Nolte ranks right behind U.S. leader (and three-time Olympic medalist) Elana Meyers Taylor in the Womens Monobob World Series, with serious contender Kaillie Humphries who won her first race as a U.S. citizen earlier this month currently in fourth.

Ad

Last weekend, the Netherlands Kimberly Bos became the first Dutch athlete to win a World Cup gold medal in skeleton; she heads the standings. Two Germans, Christopher Grotheer and Axel Jungk, will fight for the top spot in the mens competition.

*Delayed broadcast

At the Luge World Cups fifth stage in Igls, Austria, it will be difficult to top the drama on display last weekend: Mens singles saw Austrias Wolfgang Kindl and Germanys Max Langenhan share gold in a stunning 1:47.977. Germanys two-time Olympic medalist, and current World Cup leader, Johannes Ludwig finished third.

Mens doubles, meanwhile, saw its fourth different winner of the season as Austrias Thomas Steu and Lorenz Koller gold medalists at 2021 World Championships beat Germanys top-ranked, 2018 Olympic bronze medal-winning duo of Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken. Latvian brothers Andris and Juris Sics fell to second in the standings.

Ad

Womens singles will also see a tight battle between Austria and Germany. Austrias Madeleine Egle took gold last weekend over Germanys top-ranked Julia Taubitz, leaving each athlete with two race wins this season. Who will come out ahead in Igls and, two months from now, at the 2022 Winter Olympics?

The United States best hope for the World Cup, and possibly the upcoming Games, lies in the team relay division. Ashley Farquharson, Tucker West, and Chris Mazdzer/Jayson Terdiman earned silver at the first event in Yanqing, China, and currently place fourth in the rankings.

The third of eight 2021-22 FIS Snowboard CrossWorld Cups takes place at Cervinia ski resort in Breuil-Cervinia, Italy, at the foot of iconic Alps peak Matterhorn. In last weeks stop at Montafon in Austria, the mens and womens winners were Great BritainsCharlotte Bankesand this years world silver medalistAlessandro Haemmerle. For the latter, it was his second win of the season, staying perfect. AmericanNick Baumgartnersits in second on the mens points list behind Haemmerle, who leads along with Bankes. ItaliansMichela MoioliandLorenzo Sommarivawon last years edition of the World Cup on home slopes.Eva Samkova, who injured both her legs in a mixed-team event crash at Montafon, wont be competing.

Ad

The third of six 2021-22 Snowboard World Cups with parallel giant slalom competition takes place at Cortina d'Ampezzo ski resort in Italy, a past and future Olympic Games host. In last weeks opener at Lake Bannoye, 2018 Olympic silver medalistLee Sang-Hoof South Korea and RussianSofiya Nadyrshinawon the PGS events, whileAndreas PrommeggerandJulie Zoggtook the non-Olympic parallel slalom contests. On Thursday, less than 30 miles from Cortina at Carezza in Val d'Ega,Stefan BaumeisterandDaniela Ulbingwere the PGS victors, with Ulbing defeating Czech two-sport athleteEster Ledeckain the big final.

The third of eight moguls stops on the World Cup circuit takes place at Alpe dHuez in France, and also serves as the second of five that include competition in dual moguls, a non-Olympic event. Last weeks moguls contests at Idre Fjall in Sweden saw Japanese wins on both sides fromIkuma HorishimaandAnri Kawamura, and before that, at the Ruka opener, victories from CanadianMikael Kingsburyand AmericanOlivia Giaccio.

Ad

The ski cross World Cup circuits next stop is in Innichen, Italy, wrapping this seasons Cross Alps Tour with a pair of podium chances.David MobaergandMarielle Thompsonwon Tuesday's competition at Arosa in Switzerland. Prior to that, in last weeks double contest at Val Thorens in France, reigning world championSandra Naeslundclaimed her second and third wins of the season, whileTerence TchiknavorianandAlex Fivatook the titles on the mens side.

The fourth World Cup stop of the season and last before the start of the Tour de Ski section beginning Dec. 28 takes place in Dresden, Germany, with individual sprints in freestyle technique, as well as contests in team sprint.Maja Dahlqvistof Sweden has won the last three women's sprints on the circuit, the first of which was in classical, while NorwaysJohannes Hoesflot Klaebohas won the last two mens sprints, though he wasn't expected to compete in Dresden. AmericansJessie DigginsandRosie Brennanboth seek their second World Cup wins in the individual event. It wasnt immediately clear Thursday who would be on the team sprint pairing, but the U.S. was expected to enter.

Ad

The third Biathlon World Cup stop takes place at Le Grand-Bornands Sylvie Becaert stadium in the Annecy Mountains of the French Alps with sprints, pursuits and mass starts. PyeongChang 7.5km sprint silver medalistMarte Olsbu Roeiselandof Norway won the event Thursday to kick off competition. The mens 10km sprint was scheduled for Friday GermanJohannes Kuehnclaimed the events most recent race on the circuit last week in Hochfilzen, Austria. Roeiseland and French favoriteQuentin Fillon Mailletwere the last pursuit victors, also in Hochfilzen, and the mass starts mark the opening races for those events of the season.

The United States has already locked up qualification spots for mixed doubles, as well and men's and women's team curling. However, several more spots are up for grabs at the final Olympic Qualification Event in the Netherlands. The latest teams to qualify for the Olympics will be decided Friday and Saturday when the playoff sessions commence.

Go here to read the rest:

This weekend on the Road to the Olympics: U.S. short track team to be decided at Olympic Trials - WDIV ClickOnDetroit