Sochi 2014: The Countdown Series: Figure Skating Preview

Only five days remaining until the opening ceremonies (four until the first day of competition) at Sochi 2014. Up next on the countdown: figure skating preview.

Per ISU standards, 30 countries will have at least one skater in any of the five events of the figure skating at Sochi.

Historically speaking, the singles events have had some dominance. Three is the most number of gold medals won in the singles portion of figure skating in the Olympics. That number is shared by Gillis Grafstrom (Sweden) and Sonja Henie (Norway). Grafstrom won the men's singles three times: at Chamonix 1924, at St. Moritz 1928 and at Antwerp 1920 (summer games). Henie won the women's singles at St. Moritz 1928, Lake Placid 1932 and Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936.

The Soviets have had the most pairs wins ever with seven, including two each from two different pairings. Oleg Protopotov and Lyudmila Belousova won the pairs at Innsbruck 1964 and Grenoble 1968, while Aleksey Ulanov and Irina Rudnina won the pairs at Sapporo 1972 and Innsbruck 1976. The Soviets also tied the Russians with most wins in ice dancing with three gold medals each. The Soviets won with three different pairings, while the Russians got two of those wins from one pairing--Yevgeny Platov and Pasha Grishchuk--at both Lillehammer 1994 and Nagano 1998.

Grafstrom has the most individual gold among men skaters with three, while Henie and Rodnina have three each among women skaters.

New to the Olympics this year is the team trophy event, which is a combination of various events.

The Iceberg Skating Palace (pictured, above) is the venue for the figure skating at Sochi.

Up next: opening and closing ceremonies preview

Sochi 2014: The Countdown Series: Short Track Speed Skating Preview

In part two of my speed skating preview, here is what to expect in the short track speed skating at Sochi.

Per ISU's quota standards, 25 countries will have at least one or two women in at least one of the eight events. The event debuted at Albertville 1992.

As far as history, there have been multiple winners in the men's 500m, including Apolo Anton Ohno (United States), who won gold at Turin 2006. Kim Gi Hyun (Republic of Korea) is the only multiple winner of the 1000m, at both Albertville 1992 and Lillehammer 1994. Ohno is also one of three different winners of the 1500m, including Lee Jeong Su (Republic of Korea), who won that event at Vancouver 2010. Canada has won the 5000m relay three times, the most in that event, at Nagano 1998, Salt Lake City 2002 and again at Vancouver.

Cathy Turner (United States, Albertville and Lillehammer) and Wang Meng (China, Turin 2006 and Vancouver) are the only multiple winners of the women's 500m. Jeon I Gyeong (Republic of Korea, Albertville and Nagano) is the only multiple winner of the 1000m. In the 1500m, three different gold medalists, including Zhou Yang (China), who won at Vancouver. And the east Asian dominance in the women's short track just don't stop, as Republic of Korea has won the most times when it comes to the 3000m relay, as they won at Lillehammer, Nagano, Salt Lake City and Turin.

The Iceberg Skating Palace (pictured, above) is the venue for the short track speed skating at Sochi.

Up next: bobsleigh preview

Sochi 2014: The Countdown Series: Speed Skating Preview

15 days remaining until the opening ceremonies (14 until the first day of competition) at Sochi 2014. Up next on the countdown: speed skating preview.

With Sochi 2014 two weeks away, this is the first of two posts on the speed skating events at Sochi. The first part deals with the long track, the real speed skating. Per ISU's quota standards, 23 countries will have at least one spot in either the men's or women's events.

As far as history is concerned, there have been three two-time winners in the 500m in the men. Yevgeny Grishin won gold twice (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 and so did Squaw Valley 1960), Erhand Keller (Federal Republic of Germany, Grenoble 1968 and Sapporo 1972), as well as Uwe Jens Mey (German Democratic Republic, Calgary 1988 and Germany, Albertville 1992). American Shani Davis is the only two time gold medalist in the 1000m, as he is also the two time defending winner of that event at Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010. Grishin also won twice in the 1500m at Cortina d'Ampezzo and Squaw Valley. Two others won the men's 1500m twice: Clas Thunberg (Finland, Chamonix 1924 and St. Moritz 1928) and Johann Olav Koss (Norway, Albertville and Lilehammer 1994).

Two skaters have won the men's 5000m twice: Ivar Ballangrud (Norway, St. Moritz 1928 and Lake Placid 1932) and Tomas Gustafson (Norway, Sarajevo 1984 and Calgary). However, it is the men's 10,000m which has the most gold medalists, as there have been 21 different winners of that event, with Lee Seung Hyun (Republic of Korea) as the most recent at Vancouver. Canada and Italy are the only countries to win the 8 lap team pursuit for men, which debuted at Turin.

On the women's side, Bonnie Blair (United States) won the 500m three times, the most in that event at Calgary, Albertville and Lillehammer. Blair also won the 1000m twice (Albertville and Lillehammer). The same with Marianne Timmer (Netherlands), who won at Nagano 1998 and Salt Lake City 2002. Lidia Skoblikova (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) won the 1500m twice, at Squaw Valley as well as Innsbruck 1964). Skoblikova also won the 3000m twice, and again at Squaw Valley and Innsbruck 1964. Gunda Kleeman (Germany) tied Skoblikova as the all time winners of the 3000m, with wins at Albertville and Nagano.

Claudia Pechstein (Germany) won the 5000m three times, the most in that event, at Lillehammer, Nagano and Salt Lake City. In the 6 lap team pursuit for women, Germany has won both so far. Just like the men's 8 lap event, the women's 6 lap event also debuted at Turin.

At the individual front, when it comes to gold medals in speed skating, Thunberg and Eric Heiden (United States) have the most gold medals with five each on the men's side, while Skoblikova has six gold medals on the women's side, the most individual gold medals in speed skating in the Olympics, man or women.

The Adler Arena (pictured above) is the venue for the speed skating at Sochi.

Up next: short track speed skating preview