Get Ready for the 1st Gold Medal of the Pyeongchang Olympics
The first medals of the games will be awarded in the women's skiathlon, a 15km cross-country race that's skied half in classical technique, half in freestyle
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The Olympic cauldron is lit, the opening ceremony is over and it's time for the athletes in Pyeongchang to officially go for gold.
While competition has been underway for a few days, Saturday brings the first medal events at the 2018 Winter Games: three in ski events and two in speedskating.
The first medals of the games will be awarded in the women's skiathlon, a 15km cross-country race that's skied half in classical technique, half in freestyle. Norwegian Marit Bjoergen is the woman to beat, having amassed 10 medals — six of them gold — over four Olympic games.
Jessie Diggins could be the United States' best chance to nab a medal in the event, which airs at 2:15 a.m. ET on Saturday in the U.S. It would be Team USA's first-ever women's Olympic medal in cross-country skiing.
It may look like they are just running across the snow in skis, but there’s a lot more to cross-country skiing. Watch Sadie Bjornsen and Jessie Digins explain their sport — using Legos.
The next medal event on the schedule is the women's 3,000-meter speedskating race at 6 a.m. ET. Canadian Ivanie leads the World Cup standings after five events this year, but Dutch skaters Ireen Wuest and Antoinette de Jong may be likeliest to top the podium. Carlijn Schoutens is the only American racing.
After that comes the women's biathlon 7.5km sprint at 6:15 a.m. ET, where Slovakian skier has the chance to win a third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the race that combines skiing and rifle shooting.
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The final two medal events of the day both air around 7:30 a.m. ET, and one will have the host nation rocking.
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Fireworks explode outside the stadium during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
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Kim Yu-na, South Korean Figure Skater lights the cauldron during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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The Olympic cauldron is lit during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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The Olympic torch ignites the cauldron for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games.
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The Olympic torch is carried to the cauldron during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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A general view of the South Korea and Olympic flags during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium in South Korea.
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The Olympic flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
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The South Korean delegation parades during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
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Perfomers during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Perfomers during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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A general view during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Musicicans, In-Kown Jeon, Eun-mi Lee, Hyun-woo Ha and Ji-yeong An perform during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Perfomers during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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The Unified Korea delegation parades during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
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A general view as performers entertain during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Perfomers during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Perfomers during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Vice President Mike Pence, bottom right, speaks with second lady Karen Pence at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics. Behind Pence are Kim Yong Nam, second from top right, president of the Presidium of North Korean Parliament, and Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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South Korean President Moon Jae (C) shakes hands North Korea's Kim Yo-jong (sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un) with during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium in South Korea.
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Members of Republic of Korea team during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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South Korean President Moon Jae-in, front left, first lady Kim Jung-sook, Kim Yong Nam, the 90-year-old president of the Presidium of the North's Parliament, second from left in the back, and Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong, right, wave when the combined team came in during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
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North Korea's Hwang Chung Gum and South Korea's Won Yun-jong walk onto the stage during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
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Flag bearers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada and teammates enter the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Flag bearer Pita Taufatofua of Tonga leads the team during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Flag bearer Tucker Murphy of Bermuda and teammates enter the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Athletes of the United States arrive during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
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Erin Hamlin carries the flag of the United States during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
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Vice President Mike Pence, bottom, watches the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. Seated behind Pence are Kim Yo Jong, top right, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of North Korean Parliament, second from right.
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Flag bearer Lucas Eguibar of Spain leads the team during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on February 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Flag bearer Lizzy Yarnold of Great Britain leads the team during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Flag bearer German Madrazo of Mexico and teammates enter the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Dancers perform during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Performers entertain the fans during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
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Fireworks explode outside the stadium during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
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Participants perform during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
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The South Korean flag is carried into the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, left, shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in as his wife Kim Jung-sook stands second from right near Kim Yo Jong, far right, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Kim Yong Nam, North Korea's nominal head of state, third from right, during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
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Performers make the Republic of Korea flag during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
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Dancers perform during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Dancers perform during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Actors perform during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
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Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
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Actors perform during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
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White Tiger & Five Kids perform during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Fireworks explode during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Fireworks explode during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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People arrive at the Olympic Stadium ahead of the opening ceremony at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
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Members of the North Korean delegation sit before the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
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Members of the North Korean delegation sit before the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
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Security personnel stand guard at the Pyeongchang Olympic Plaza ahead of the opening ceremony for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games in the Hoenggye-ri village area of Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, South Korea, on Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. South Korea will host the games this week in the alpine resort town of Pyeongchang with 2,925 registered athletes -- the largest number ever at an Olympic Winter Games -- from 92 national committees.
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Members of the North Korean cheering band wave ahead of the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
That's in short track speedskating, the whirlwind race that South Korea loves. There will be three rounds of racing in the men's 1,500-meter races Saturday, with the medal race beginning at 7:28 a.m. ET. (Women will take the ice, too — notably Team USA's Maame Biney and Lana Gehring — but their first medals are awarded Tuesday.)
The races can be unpredictable, but three South Koreans are thought to be the top contenders for gold in the 1,500: Hwang Dae-heon, Seo Yi-ra and Lim Hyo-jun. But Americans J.R. Celski, who won bronze in the event in 2010, and John-Henry-Krueger, both have a shot at the podium.
U.S. speedskater J.R. Celski hopes the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will bring better results for him and the U.S. team. After a disappointing performance in Sochi, Celski quit the sport but decided he wanted to come back to try to get better and have fun.
Finally, the men's individual normal hill ski jumping competition will conclude after the event kicks off at 7:35 a.m. ET. German Andreas Wellinger led the pack after qualifying and defending gold medalist Kamil Stoch, of Poland, is right behind him. The highest-ranking American is Kevin Bickner, who came out of the qualifying round in 25th place.
