Winter Olympics 2014: What to watch today, 8 February
From "the most dangerous sport in the Winter Olympics" to the first ever team dance competition, here's your guide to today's events in Sochi
Snowboarding: Men's Slopestyle 8:45am BBC2
Slopestyle snowboarding is a new event for this year’s Games, and a must-watch for adrenaline junkies. There are two sections: three rails followed by three jumps. The rails are like metal handrails and competitors spin up onto them, grind down the rails and then do huge spinning tricks over the jumps. It’s a better reflection of the kind of stuff boarders do every day on the mountains and snowparks.
This will be a titanic battle between the Canadians and Norwegians; the undoubted favourite is Canadian Mark McMorris. But don’t forget our two big British hopes: I’m tipping Billy Morgan (main picture and right) to win a medal, while Yorkshire boy Jamie Nicholls is arguably the world’s best rail rider. All he needs to do is put his jumps together. Ed Leigh
Figure Skating: Team Ice Dance 5:10pm BBC2
This is the first time a team event has been included, with both men and women competing in the same line-up.
The world’s top ten teams, including Great Britain, have been invited to take part. There are still questions over the new format, but the action will play out over singles, pairs and ice dance. Nevertheless, it will be fascinating to see how the big medal contenders — especially the Russians — adapt to a team environment. Robin Cousins
More like this
Men's Luge 5:10pm BBC2
The feet-first hurtle down an icy track at speeds of over 85mph is often referred to as the most dangerous sport in the Winter Olympics. That reputation was grimly confirmed when Georgian 21-year-old Nodar Kumaritashvili died in a practice run for the 2010 Games. It remains the sternest test of an athlete’s nerve and technique, two attributes reigning Olympic champion Felix Loch of Germany has in spades. James Gill
Medals today
Speed Skating: Men's 5,000m; Snowboarding: Men's Slopestyle; Biathlon: Men's 10km Sprint; Cross Country Skiing: Women's Skiathlon; Freestyle Skiing: Women's Moguls
For more recommendations, guides to the events and profiles of the Brits to watch, download the Radio Times Discovery TV App.
