Bode Miller competes in the alpine skiing men's super-G at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Rosa Khutor Alpine Center on Feb. 16, 2014.
Olympic sports didn’t stop after Sochi. There’s a full plate of Olympic sports action this weekend, highlighted by world championships in cycling and the gymnastics American Cup. Plus, U.S. Olympians Bode Miller and John Shuster, fresh off their performances in Sochi, are already back in action as well. Check out this edition of the Team USA Weekend Preview for all the details.
ALPINE SKIING
FIS World Cup Alpine, men’s downhill and super-G, Feb. 27-March 2, Kvitfjell, Norway
Bode Miller, a five-time Olympian who won a bronze medal in the men’s super-G at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, and Andrew Weibrecht, who won silver in the super-G in Sochi, will be back on the slopes this weekend in Kvitfjell, Norway. World cup downhill runs will be held Friday and Saturday, followed by a super-G race Sunday.
Joining Miller and Weibrecht in Kvitfjell are Olympic teammates Marco Sullivan, Travis Ganong, Steven Nyman, Erik Fisher and Jared Goldberg.
TV: 1 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday, Universal Sports
Also in skiing:
FIS World Cup Alpine, women’s downhill and super combined, Feb. 27-March 2, Crans Montana, Switzerland
TV: 11 a.m. ET Saturday and Sunday, Universal Sports
FIS World Cup, men’s ski jumping, Feb. 28-March 2, Lahti, Finland
FIS World Cup, women’s ski jumping, March 1-2, Rasnov, Romania
FIS World Cup, Nordic combined, Feb. 28-March 1, Lahti, Finland
FIS World Cup, women’s and men’s cross-country, March 1-2, Lahti, Finland
FIS World Cup, women’s and men’s moguls and dual moguls, March 1-2, Inawashiro, Japan
FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships, Feb. 26-March 6, Jasna, Slovakia
CYCLING
UCI Track World Championships, Feb. 26-March 2, Cali, Colombia
Sarah Hammer, the 2013 world champion in individual pursuit and women’s omnium, heads an eight-member U.S. squad competing this week at the UCI Track World Championships.
Jennifer Valente, the national champion in the scratch race, began the worlds by finishing fourth in the women’s scratch race Wednesday.
Joining Hammer and Valente on the women’s squad are Kimberly Geist, Cari Higgins, Elizabeth Newell, Lauren Tamayo and Ruth Winder. Newell qualified for the team by finishing runner-up in the points race at the world cup in Manchester, England.
Jake Duehring, who is No. 12 in men’s omnium in the UCI World Cup rankings, is the only U.S. male on the world team.
Webcast: 6:30 p.m. ET Friday and Saturday; 3:30 p.m. Sunday, universalsports.com
Also in cycling:
USA Cycling US Cup Pro Series, Mellow Johnny’s Classic, March 1-2, Dripping Springs, Texas
GYMNASTICS
AT&T American Cup, March 1, Greensboro, N.C.
John Orozco and Sam Mikulak, both 2012 U.S. Olympians, will compete in the AT&T American Cup Saturday in Greensboro, N.C. The men’s portion of the event includes a nine-man field, including Olympians Sam Oldham and Daniel Purvis of Great Britain, and gymnasts from five other nations. Orozco was bronze medalist on the parallel bars at the 2013 world championships.
Elizabeth Price and Brenna Dowell will represent the United States in the women’s field. Price, an alternate at the London 2012 Olympic Games, is tied for the No. 1 ranking in the all-around world cup standings. Dowell was bronze medalist in the all-around and uneven bars at the 2013 U.S. championships.
Simone Biles, the 2013 all-around world champion, withdrew due to a shoulder injury.
TV: 1 p.m.-3 p.m. ET Saturday, NBC
Nastia Liukin Cup, Feb. 28, Greensboro, N.C.
The top Junior Olympic women gymnasts in the nation will compete Friday night in the fifth annual Nastia Liukin Cup at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Qualification for the event consisted of 20 events held in 14 states. The event is named after Nastia Liukin, the all-around gold medalist at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
TV: 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday, Universal Sports
CURLING
USA Curling National Championships, March 1-7, Philadelphia
Ten men’s and 10 women’s teams begin round-robin play Saturday in the USA Curling National Championships at IceWorks Skating Complex in Philadelphia.
The winning teams will represent the United States at the world championships in March at different venues. Beijing will be host to the men’s worlds while St. John, New Brunswick, will host the women.
The men’s field includes teams skipped by three-time Olympian John Shuster, seven-time national champion Pete Fenson and five-time national champ Paul Pustovar. Allison Pottinger, a two-time Olympian and 10-time U.S. champion, headlines the women’s tournament. Erika Brown, skip of the 2014 U.S. Olympic team, chose not to compete.
World Junior Championships, Feb. 26-March 5, Flims, Switzerland
The U.S. junior men’s team will play six matches this weekend and the women will play five in the round-robin portion of the World Junior Championships in Flims, Switzerland. The playoff rounds begin Monday, leading up to Wednesday’s medal round.
The U.S. women’s squad, led by three-time world junior team member Cory Christensen, split its first two matches Wednesday, defeating Korea and losing to Switzerland. The men, skipped by Jake Vukich, began the tournament with a 6-2 loss to host Switzerland.
WRESTLING
Klippan Lady Open, Feb. 28-March 2, Klippan, Sweden
Randi Miller, a bronze medalist at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and Kelsey Campbell, a London 2012 Olympian, are among 20 U.S. women’s freestyle wrestlers competing in the Klippan Lady Open.
Miller will compete at the 69-kilogram class and Campbell is at 58-kg. The U.S. roster also includes three-time world medalist Adeline Gray, two time world bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe and 2012 world silver medalist Helen Maroulis.
Medved International, March 1-2, Minsk, Belarus
Five past NCAA wrestling champions, including two-time champ Matt McDonough of the University of Iowa, will compete at the Medved International in Minsk, Belarus. Fourteen men’s freestyle wrestlers are on the U.S. roster.
ARCHERY
World Archery Indoor Championships, Feb. 25-March 2, Nimes, France
Top-ranked Erika Jones began the World Archery Indoor Championships this week by setting a world record with a score of 595 in women’s compound qualifications. It broke a 13-year-old record held by Christie Colin of the United States. Jones is unbeaten this season on the indoor archery circuit.
Two-time Olympian Brady Ellison clinched a No. 7 seed in the individual men’s recurve. Ellison, three-time Olympian Vic Wunderle and Jeremiah Cusick combined for a sixth-place spot in team qualifying.
The tournament continues through Sunday in individual and team compound and recurve disciplines in both senior and junior divisions.
BIATHLON
IBU Junior World Championships, Feb. 28-March 3, Presque Isle, Maine
Sean Doherty, the second-youngest Olympian in U.S Biathlon history at age 18, will be back in action this weekend at the IBU Junior World Championships. Competition begins Friday in Presque Isle, Maine. Doherty helped the U.S. men’s relay team finish 16th in the 4x7.5-kilometer race at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
FENCING
World Cup, men’s foil, March 1, St. Petersburg, Russia
The U.S. Men’s Foil Team will go after its ninth consecutive podium finish in team competition Saturday at a world cup in St. Petersburg, Russia. Alexander Massialas, Race Imboden, Miles Chamley-Watson and Gerek Meinhardt combined for a team bronze medal last week at the world cup in La Coruna, Spain.
Also in fencing:
World Cup, women’s epée, Feb. 28, Saint-Maur, France
World Cup, women’s saber, Feb. 28, Bolzano, Italy
MODERN PENTATHLON
World Cup, Feb. 25-March 2, Acapulco, Mexico
The final round in the women’s portion of the season-opening world cup in modern pentathlon will be held Friday, and the men’s final will be Saturday in Acapulco, Mexico. Gracie Kittle of the United States had the best swimming time in women’s qualification Wednesday.
SOCCER
Women’s U-23 Six Nations Tournament, March 1-6, La Manga, Spain
The U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team will face Japan on Saturday in the Six Nations Tournament in La Manga, Spain. The match is one of three the squad will play. Following the Japan game, the United States will play Sweden Monday and Norway Wednesday.
The 20-member team consists of young professional and top collegiate players, including six pro rookies. Leading the way are 2013 NWSL Rookie of the Year Erika Tymrak of FC Kansas City, Jennifer Hoy of the Chicago Red Stars and Meleana Shim of Portland Thorns FC. Tymrak has three international caps with the U.S. Senior National Team.
FIGURE SKATING
U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, Feb. 26-March 1, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Nearly 2,000 skaters representing 93 teams are competing in eight divisions at the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Haydenettes are defending champions on the senior level.
The national championships will determine the U.S. team selections for the 2014 World Synchronized Skating Championships, which are scheduled for April in Italy.
EQUESTRIAN
Nations Cup, CSIO Wellington, Feb. 26-March 2, Wellington, Fla.
London 2012 Olympians McLain Ward and Beezie Madden, in addition to Laura Kraut and Brianne Goutal, will compete Friday in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in Wellington, Fla. The event is part of the CSIO Wellington competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Club.
The FEI Young Riders Nation Cup and the FEI Junior Riders Nations Cup will be held Saturday at International Arena.
SHOOTING
USA Shooting Pistol Selection Match, Feb. 25-March 3, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Emil Milev, a five-time Olympian, came close to breaking a world record in rapid fire Wednesday at the USA Shooting Pistol Selection Match in Colorado Springs, Colo. He hit 33 of 40 targets, setting a national record and putting him on the U.S. world cup team. The world record is 34 hits.
Also landing spots on the world cup team were Keith Sanderson, a two-time Olympian, and Brad Balsley. Sandra Uptagrafft, a 2012 Olympian, Teresa Meyer Chambers and Lydia Paterson made the women’s team in air pistol.
The top three athletes in each of five pistol events will clinch berths in World Cup USA, which begins March 27 in Ft. Benning, Ga. Results at the selection match are the first half of a process that will determine roster spots for the 2014 ISSF World Championships. Remaining competition includes women’s sport pistol and men’s air pistol Friday, and men’s free pistol Sunday and Monday.
SPEEDSKATING
American Cup Final, Feb. 28-March 2, Milwaukee
Long-track racing will take place Friday through Sunday in the US Speedskating American Cup Final. Competition will be held at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee.
TRIATHLON
PATCO Sprint Triathlon Pan American Cup, March 1, Clermont, Fla.
Olympians Sarah Haskins and Jarrod Shoemaker are among the U.S. elite athletes who’ll compete Saturday in the PATCO Sprint Triathlon Pan American Cup. The race at Lake Louisa State Park in Florida consists of a 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike segment and 5-kilometer run.
Haskins is returning to the event after missing the 2013 race due to childbirth. She placed third in 2012. Other top elite women include Kaitlin Donner, who finished third in 2013; Tamara Gorman, a winner at the 2013 ITU Junior World Championships; and Michelle Mehnert, 2013 collegiate national champion.
Shoemaker, who lives and trains in Clermont, is seeking his fourth consecutive podium finish in the elite men’s race. He finished third in 2013. Other top elite men include Kaleb VanOrt, who finished eighth last year; William Huffman, who had two podium finishes in 2013 Pan American events; and 2012 Olympians Crisanto Grajales of Mexico and Carlos Javier Quinchara Forero of Colombia.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Arnold Weightlifting Championships, March 1, Columbus, Ohio
Trials sessions for international competitions will be held Saturday as a part of the Arnold Weightlifting Championships in Columbus, Ohio. The team trials sessions, for both males and females, are U.S. qualification events for the 2014 Pan American Championships, Junior Pan American Championships, Pan American Youth Championships, Junior World Championships and Youth Olympic Games.
Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Paul D. Bowker is a freelance contributor for TeamUSA.org.