Jessica Diggins (L) crosses the finish line in the women's cross-country team sprint final at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championship on Feb. 26, 2017 in Lahti, Finland.
After a stunning Opening Ceremony in PyeongChang, the 2018 Olympic Winter Games truly get underway with the first medal events on Saturday, Feb. 10.
Here are three of the events you’ll want to be sure to watch:
1. Cross-Country Skiing – Women’s Skiathlon
Minnesotan Jessie Diggins leads a U.S. women’s team that is aiming to win its first Olympic medal in cross-country skiing. That effort begins in skiathlon, a race that involves 7.5 kilometers of classic skiing followed by 7.5 kilometers of skate skiing. In December 2017, Diggins earned Team USA’s first skiathlon world cup podium finish when she placed second, and teammate Liz Stephen added a second-place skiathlon finish of her own at a world cup stop this past April in PyeongChang.
When: 5:30 p.m. Korea/2:15 a.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
2. Biathlon – Women’s 7.5-Kilometer Sprint
Susan Dunklee knows a thing or two about firsts. She became the first U.S. woman to win an individual world championships medal in biathlon (a silver in 2017), and then became the first woman named to the 2018 U.S. Olympic Team. Now in PyeongChang, she’ll aim to become the first American to win an Olympic medal in biathlon. She has had three podium finishes in the sprint event.
When: 8:15 p.m. Korea/6:15 a.m. ET
3. Short Track Speedskating – Men’s 1,500-Meter
J.R. Celski is Team USA’s most decorated short track skater in Korea with three Olympic medals, and he has a history in this event. He won a bronze medal in this event in 2010 in Vancouver and finished just off the podium in fourth place in Sochi, but was on a world cup podium earlier this season.
When: 9:22 p.m. Korea/7:22 a.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
Medals Will Also Be Awarded In:
• Long Track Speedskating – Women’s 3,000-Meter (8 p.m. Korea/6 a.m. ET)
Raised in the Netherlands, where speedskating is king, Carlijn Schoutens came to the U.S. in 2014 and notched the top time at this year’s U.S. Olympic Trials.
• Ski Jumping – Men’s Normal Hill (9:35 p.m. Korea/7:35 a.m. ET)
If Kevin Bickner can at least maintain his qualifying position of 25th, he’d have the best finish by a U.S. man since 2002.
Chrös McDougall has covered the Olympic movement for TeamUSA.org since 2009 on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc. He is based in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Karen Price contributed to this report.
For live video and highlights, head to the networks of NBC and NBCOlympics.com.