Possible Nordique Combined Comeback?

Brian Schwartz's Nordique Combined team, which has fallen far back of the leaders, needs a big night to get back into contention. Golds from Canada women's hockey and South Korean figure skating could provide the team 75 points, and medals from USA freestyle skiing would help. Otherwise Schwartz's squad is finished.

11 AM & 3:30 PM PST - Ice Hockey
Ice hockey was covered in our medal round preview. Both women's games are important today, as the bronze medal game features our first and third place fantasy teams. Ellis Kunka, managing Cornballers (Finland) takes on John Binz's Da Nang Dynamos (Sweden). The gold medal game shapes up as a virtual elimination match between Brian Schwartz's Nordique Combined (Canada) and Paragons, managed by Dave Spence (USA). Both teams trail by nearly 100 points and need double gold in hockey to win the Fantasy Olympics.

5 PM PST - Figure Skating
The final figure skating medal is the women's individual, worth 25 points for gold. Ranking first after the short program is the favorite Yu-Na Kim (Brian Schwartz/Nordique Combined). Kim, the favorite going in and clearly the best skater during the free skate, leads by almost five points and will win gold unless she falls. She won't.

Japanese skater Mao Asada (Zach Chromiak/Banker's Club) had a very good short program and is in second, 2.5 points ahrad of the Canadian Joannie Rochette (Ellis Kunka/Cornballers). As I'm sure you know, Rochette's mother died yesterday and is on home ice, both advantages in the judging. Luckily I will not be watching so I don't have to hear NBC announcers imply that winning the bronze medal somewhat offsets her mother's death by saying that it doesn't.

Japan's Miki Ando is in fourth and the USA's Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu (Tim Lavoie/Fightin' Ovechkins) are in fifth and sixth. As always, nobody below that has a chance to pick up a medal.

6 PM PST - Freestyle Skiing
Freestyle skiing wraps up with the Men's Aerials. The only countries represented in the final are China, Canada, the USA, Switzerland and Belarus. The field is wide open after Belarus's Anton Kushnir (undrafted), aerials champion in four of six World Cups this year, fell in qualifying and did not advance.

My pick to win is Canada's Steve Omischl (Adam Claus/Ice Lugers). He took silver in the 2009 World Championships and has 40 top three finishes in his career. Take the home team in a judged sport.
Canadian Kyle Nissen is my choice for silver. He has only won two World Cup aerial golds in his career but is always near the top. Guangpu Qi of China (Ellis Kunka/Cornballers) has three World Cup silvers this year in aerials and is my pick for bronze.

The U.S. (Brian Schwartz/Nordique Combined) has a couple of veteran athletes, Ryan St. Onge and Jeret Speedy Peterson, but I don't expect either to medal.