Winter Olympics & Six Nations Events We’re Watching at the Pub

PyeongChang 2018 kicks off on 9 February and runs until 25 February. The Six Nations is already underway, finishing 18 March. 

Here’s round up of the games we’re gearing up for….

Winter Olympics & Six Nations Events We’re Watching at the Pub

Figure Skating, Gold Medal Events

12 February: Team Ice Dance Free Dance at 3:20 GMT; 15 February: Pair Free Skating at 1:30 GMT; 17 February: Men Single Free Skating at 1:00 GMT; 20 February: Ice Free Dance at 1:00 GMT; 23 February: Ladies Single Free Skating at 1:00 GMT.

The feats performed on ice at the Olympics are one thing, but the leaps and bounds that many skaters take in order to arrive to the opening ceremony is a whole other sport. Gabrielle Daleman, may literally have skated throughout her life, but figuratively, she has not simply been skating through life. The 20-year-old will be competing at these winter games after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst from her abdomen last year, after which she took off only half the recommended time. Daleman has overcome bullying elicited by a learning disability as well as an eating disorder.

‘Not only athletes but a lot of women and a lot of people do struggle with most of the stuff I was struggling with and I still do on a day-to-day basis. I shouldn’t be ashamed to tell people what I’ve been through and what I’m going through because it’s life and it brought me to where and who I am today.’

 

Curling, Gold Medal Events

13 February: Mixed Doubles Gold Medal Game at 11:05 GMT; 24 February: Men Gold Medal Game at 6:35 GMT; 25 February: Women Gold Medal Game at 0:05 GMT.

You may notice some rather becoming argyle trousers on the Norwegian curling team this year, a staple kit item following the flurry of attention that these uniforms received at Vancouver 2010. The outrageously patterned trousers were a back-up plan to a wardrobe malfunction right before the winter games four years ago. The pied pants gained the Norwegian curling team over 500,000 social media followers and caused the makers, LoudMouth Golf, to promptly sell out.

‘We hadn’t received our official uniforms,’ recalls Ulsrud. ‘So Christopher [Svae], one of my team-mates, decided to buy the famous harlequin trousers on the internet. We tried them on before the 2010 Games and wore them to training. People liked them and so we decided to wear them in the competition.’ – Thomas Ulsrud, Captain

 

Alpine Skiing, Gold Medal Events

11 February: Men’s Downhill at 2:00 GMT; 12 February: Ladies’ Giant Slalom at 4:45 GMT; 13 February: Men’s Alpine Combined at 6:00 GMT; 14 February: Ladies’ Slalom at 4:45 GMT; 15 February: Men’s Super-G at 2:00 GMT; 17 February: Ladies’ Super-G at 2:00 GMT; 18 February: Men’s Giant Slalom at 4:45 GMT; 21 February: Ladies’ Downhill at 2:00 GMT; 22 February: Men’s Slalom at 4:45 GMT; 23 February: Ladies’ Alpine Combined at 5:30 GMT; 24 February: Alpine Team Event at 3:34 GMT.

Keep an eye out for Madagascar’s alpine skier Mialitiana Clerc, who is the first Malagasy woman to ever compete at the Winter Olympics. This year, she’s the only athlete from her country at the games. Unlike many people from Madagascar, Clerc is an old pro with snow, but the temperatures of PyeongChang have been a surprise to her. ‘It’s really cold, and I’m trying to get used to it,’ she said.

 

Freestyle Skiing, Gold Medal Events

11 February: Ladies’ Moguls at 13:10 GMT; 12 February: Men’s Moguls at 13:10 GMT; 16 February: Ladies’ Ski Slopestyle at 4:56 GMT; 18 February: Men’s Ski Slopestyle at 5:11 GMT and Men’s Aerials at 11:52 GMT; 20 February: Ladies’ Ski Halfpipe at 2:18 GMT; 21 February: Men’s Ski Cross at 5:35 GMT; 22 February: Men’s Ski Halfpipe at 3:22 GMT; 23 February: Ladies’ Ski Cross at 5:35 GMT.

McRae Williams was the freestyle skiier crowned world champion at the end of the pre-Olympic season. It just so happens that the athlete’s best friend, Joss Christensen, is also his biggest rival. The two Utah natives have been friends since childhood, and although Christensen won ski slopestyle gold four years ago, this year, McRae is the favourite for the title.

‘It’s a crazy situation that makes every day both intense and interesting, whatever happens. But he’s also my biggest rival because we’re capable of the same things and our records are similar. As friends, we want each other to succeed, but at the same time we’re competitors because every day we have to improve in order to beat each other.’ – McRae Williams

 

Snowboard, Gold Medal Events

11 February: Men’s Slopestyle at 2:04 GMT; 12 February: Ladies’ Slopestyle at 2:06 GMT; 13 February: Ladies’ Halfpipe at 2:00 GMT; 14 February: Men’s Halfpipe at 2:30 GMT; 15 February: Men’s Snowboard Cross at 5:45 GMT; 16 February: Ladies’ Snowboard Cross at 3:56 GT; 23 February: Ladies’ Big Air at 1:30 GMT; 24 February: Men’s Big Air at 11:00 GMT, Ladies’ Parallel Giant Slalom at 4:00 GMT and Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom at 4:07 GMT.

A handful of events will be debuting for the very first time this year at PyeongChang, and Big Air is among them. Athletes perform a series of tricks after launching off of a gigantic ramp, which in the case of PyeongChang, is the largest in the world with 49 metres from beginning to end in height and a slope angle of 40 degrees at it’s steepest. A competitive line up of athletes will be competing as Big Air has already been a FIS World Championship event since 2003.

For more listings, information and stories visit olympic.org.

Six Nations Rugby Matches this February

10 February, Round 2

Mens: Ireland v Italy at 14:15 GMT and England v Wales at 16:45 GMT.

Womens: England v Wales at 12:15 GMT and Scotland v France at 19:05 GMT.

11 February, Round 2

Mens: Scotland v France at 15:00 GMT.

Womens: Ireland v Italy at 13:00 GMT.

The Best Pubs with Rooms in England

23 February, Round 3

Mens: France v Italy at 20:00 GMT.

Womens: Scotland v England at 19:05 GMT.

24 February, Round 3

Mens: Ireland v Wales at 14:15 GMT and Scotland v England at 16:45 GMT.

Womens: France v Italy at 21:00 GMT

25 February, Round 3

Womens: Ireland v Wales at 15:00 GMT.

Visit Six Nations Rugby for details.

For a less stressful viewing experience, how about London’s best exhibitions this month?