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Beijing Preview, Feb. 19: US has chance at a couple more medals

Team USA medals in women's bobsled are within reach and Mikaela Shiffrin has one more shot at a Beijing medal -- if the weather cooperates.

The United States has a chance to pick up a few more medals on Saturday -- the final competitive day of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. One of those could be the first of the Games for Mikaela Shiffrin.

Winds of 40 mph forced the postponement of the mixed team Alpine event, which was supposed to be seen in the U.S. on Friday. It's now scheduled to start at 8 p.m. EST Saturday and set to air live on USA Network, but expect to see highlights on NBC in primetime.

Athletes go head-to-head on parallel giant slalom courses during a series of heats, and each nation is represented by both women and men.

The team event would be Shiffrin’s sixth race of the Beijing Games. The two-time gold medalist at previous Olympics was named to the U.S. team event roster that was slated to face Slovakia in the opening round. 

Shiffrin has yet to win a medal in Beijing, going 0-for-5 in individual events and failing to finish three of them.

Elana Meyers Taylor on target for fifth Olympic medal

Elana Meyers Taylor is in third place, along with teammate Sylvia Hoffman, in two-woman bobsled as they head into Saturday's final two runs. Meyers Taylor could become just the sixth American to win five career Winter Olympic medals.

Afterward, Meyers Taylor will also be the U.S. flagbearer for the closing ceremony. She was supposed to do it for the Opening Ceremony, but had to sit it out in COVID-19 isolation.

Meyers Taylor already took silver in the monobob, finishing behind U.S. teammate Kaillie Humphries. Humphries and her partner, Kaysha Love, are fifth in the women’s bobsled after two runs. 

Germany could also continue its dominance in bobsled. After a history-making sweep of the podium in two-man, the Germans hold the top two spots in both the two-woman and four-man after the first half of competition.

The women's bobsled will be in the morning on USA Network. The final run of the four-man bobsled will be live on NBC in prime time, and an encore presentation of the women's event will be on NBC in prime time as well.

Pairs figure skating final

Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China set a world record with their short program, and they lead Russians Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov heading into the pairs' free skate. That will be live on USA Network at 6 a.m., and NBC will show it in prime time.

The two American couples are in sixth and seventh place.

The figure skating gala will be live on NBC's late-night coverage. American Vincent Zhou, who won silver in the team event but had to withdraw from the men's competition with COVID-19, is expected to participate.

Russia plays for hockey gold

The Russians are competing this year as Russian Olympic Committee because Russia's name and flag were banned as part of the fallout from the country’s doping scandal.

The Russians go for another hockey gold when they face Finland in the gold medal game, which is set to air live on USA Network at 11:10 p.m. The bronze medal game between Sweden and Slovakia is live on CNBC at 8 a.m.

Brits have chance at double gold in curling

Great Britain will play for the gold medal in men's and women's curling. The men face Sweden while the women face Japan.

There will also be the speedskating mass start for both men and women and a pair of long distance cross-country races.

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