2010 Olympic Figure Skating Schedule and List of American Skaters

While I do enjoy the Olympic skiing, speed skating, luging, bobsledding and other winter Olympic events, my heart is in the Figure Skating and Ice Dancing. For those of you of like mind, here is the Ice Dancing and Figure Skating schedule for the Olympics. Check your local listing for air times. Even though Vancouver is in the Pacific Time Zone, they are still presenting the events on a delay at prime time. See Ryan Christopher Devault's article on this subject, "NBC Attempts to Ruin 2010 Olympic Coverage for West Coast, Extends Big Middle Finger."

This site will provide the exact times, and the Universal Sports station's daytime highlights and analysis times and dates. The following list is the NBC Prime Time events:

February 15: Pairs Free Skating, Long Program, Medal Event
February 16: Men's Short Program
February 18: Men's Long Program Free Skating, Medal Event
February 19: Ice Dance - Compulsory Dance
February 21: Ice Dance - Original Dance
February 22: Ice Dance - Free Dance, Medal Event
February 23: Ladies Short Program
February 25: Ladies Free Skate - Medal Event
February 27: Figure Skating - Exhibition Gala

PAIRS FIGURE SKATING: If you missed the short program for the Pairs Skating Sunday night, you can see the results here. "China's Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo in First Place After Olympic Skating Pairs Short Program."

Two Florida-based teams are representing the United States. The Pairs Skating started on Sunday, with the best U.S. showing a tenth place for Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig, who won silver at the U.S. Nationals last month. Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett, who won gold at the U.S. Championships last month, finished fourteenth in the pairs short program.

MEN'S FIGURE SKATING: The Men's skating starts tomorrow. I don't know about you, but I watch the men's figure skating for the same reason I watch football -- those tight pants! Evan Lysacek, Jeremy Abbott and Johnny Weir are representing the U.S. in Men's Figure Skating.

The Russians have won the last five Olympic gold medals in men's figure skating, but that's not discouraging to the USA's Evan Lysacek, 2009 World Champion, and winner of the 2009 Grand Prix Final. He placed fourth in the 2006 Olympics, but in all fairness, he was suffering from the flu. He says "confidence" is his secret weapon, thinks he has a chance. Russian Evgeni Plushenko is his competition, but Plushenko is recovering from a knee injury, which could be a foot in the door for Lysacek.

Jeremy Abbott didn't even qualify for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, but in four short years, his determination to make the Olympics catapulted him to his present position as two-time U.S. champion, a first place in Skate Canada, and the winner of the 2008 Grand Prix.

Johnny Weir is just, well, fun to watch and a heck of a skater if he stays on his feet and doesn't get sloppy. The three-time American champion and a world bronze medallist, he placed third at last month's U.S. Nationals. Weir is outspoken to a fault, and describing him as flamboyant is an understatement. Weir, after landing a quad at practice recently, is considering putting a quadruple jump back into his free skate.

ICE DANCING: The U.S. has three talented teams this year. Reigning two-time U.S. champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White won every event they entered this season, claiming victory at the Grand Prix, Rostlecom Cup, Four Continents, and NHK Trophy. Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto are the 2006 Olympic silver medallists, and five-time U.S. Champions. They placed first in the Cup of China and Skate America, but were forced to withdraw from the Grand Prix final due to Belbin requiring emergency oral surgery. Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates won silver at the 2009 U.S. Championships, and bronze in this year's U.S. Championships, and won two silver medals in the Junior Grand Prix Finals. They placed fourth at Trophee Eric Bompard and fifth at Skate Canada.

LADIES FIGURE SKATING: The Ladies Skating, the most watched Olympic event, begins on February 23. So far, three Japanese skaters seem to lead the pack, but in ice skating, you never know. Here are the American entries.

Rachel Flatt is the new U.S. Ladies Champion. She is a two-time U.S. silver medallist and the 2008 World Junior champion. Flatt is a consistent skater and has a good chance for a medal, especially if any of the leaders falter. World Champion Yu-Na Kim is her competition, but Flatt beat her recently in the Cancer.Net Skate America competition. Mira Nagasu is the 2008 U.S. champion, and the silver medallist in the 2010 U.S. Championships. Nagasu is a two-time World Junior medallist, the 2007 U.S. junior champion and the 2007 Junior Grand Prix Final champion.

More Olympic Stories from this author:
China's Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo in First Place After Olympic Skating Pairs Short Program
U.S. Olympic Ice Skaters Tanith Belbin and Johnny Weir Sharing Olympic Village Quarters
The 2010 Winter Olympic Medals Design
Winter Olympians from Philadelphia Area
Philadelphia Area Olympic Ice Skaters
100,000 Condoms to be Distributed at 2010 Olympics in Vancouver

Sources: Skating Schedule; Lysacek confident; Five to Watch; Golden Skate Men's Preview; Golden Skate Ladies Preview; USFA.Org; Weir may do quad