SOCHI, RUSSIA – Fifteen U.S. athletes will compete at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Feb. 6-23, in Sochi, Russia. Figure skating competition begins Thursday, Feb. 6, with the team event pairs and men’s short programs. 

Team USA will be led into Sochi by reigning ice dance World champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White. The reigning Olympic silver medalists are joined by Olympic veterans Jeremy Abbott and Evan Bates. 

The networks of NBC and NBCOlympics.com will broadcast live, tape delayed and primetime coverage of all 11 days of figure skating competition.

Team USA’s first opportunity to medal will come in the inaugural Olympic Figure Skating Team Event. Each member of the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team is eligible to compete in the team event. Each team will consist of one woman, one man, one pairs team and one ice dance team to be selected from athletes who have qualified in their individual disciplines. Each nation, however, will be allowed to make up to two exchanges after the short program/dance. The team event will consist of the 10 best national teams from NOCs/ISU members. The five teams with the highest number of points after the short program/dance will qualify for the free skate/dance. In the team event, athletes will receive points based on their finishes in each segment of competition. The team with the most aggregate points through eight segments of competition will win. 

U.S. Figure Skating confirmed today the athletes/teams that will represent Team USA in the team event short programs in pairs and men’s. They are Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir (pairs) and Jeremy Abbott (men). Future entries will be confirmed as follows:

Short program/dance – ladies and ice dance – 10:00 a.m., Friday, Feb. 7

Free skate – pairs – 9:40 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8

Free skate/dance – ladies, men, ice dance – 10 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 9