PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — Don’t let the Monday blues get you down — the Olympics are going strong in Pyeongchang. Here are some things to watch for to take your mind off the weekday grind. All times Mountain:
SNOWBOARDING
The women will hit the halfpipe at 6 p.m. with the gold medal final run scheduled for 7 p.m.
The heavy favorite is Korean-American Chloe Kim, who couldn’t compete in Sochi because she was too young. Just 17, she is the only X Games athlete to win three gold medals before the age of 16. Teammate Maddie Mastro also is only 17.
They will be joined by veteran Kelly Clark, who is the most decorated Olympic snowboarder ever. At 34, she is competing in her fifth games. She just squeaked into the final, placing 11th of only 12 spots.
Watch for the way the riders execute tricks, including rotations and grabs, while they propel themselves up off the 22-foot-high halfpipe wall. Judging is subjective, based on height, technique and degree of difficulty. There are six judges and the highest and lowest scores are dropped. Ranking is based on the highest score after two rides.
FREESTYLE SKIING
The men hit the mogul hill looking for gold at 6:10 a.m. (Click here to see how Boulder’s Casey Andringa fared.) Mogul skiing is judged on style and skill as well as speed. Skiers use the bumps to make sharp turns while keeping to a fall line. Watch for flips, grabs or rotations in their two jumps off the “air bumps” on the slope.
CURLING
The first-ever medal in mixed doubles will be awarded after the 5 p.m. bronze-medal match.
ALPINE SKIING
Alpine fans may finally get a taste of Olympic racing when the men hit the hill for the downhill portion of the combined starting at 7:30 p.m. Medals in that event will be awarded after the slalom portion, which is set to start at 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Unfortunately for U.S. fans, Mikaela Shiffrin and the rest of the women were prevented from racing Monday because of high winds. The giant slalom has been rescheduled for Wednesday. Shiffrin will now make her Pyeongchang debut on Tuesday in the slalom, in which she is the defending Olympic champion.
