Winter Olympics 2014: Sochi briefing

Flying Tomato red-hot favourite for gold

It’s back to the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park for the biggest name on the slopes. Shaun White pulled out of the slopestyle to ensure he is in prime condition to become the first snowboarder to win three Olympic golds. The American – known as the Flying Tomato – is favourite to win the half-pipe, as he did in Turin and Vancouver. Heats begin at 10am, the final is at 5.30pm.

Best of the rest: Iraschko-Stolz can make political point with gold

The women’s ski jump makes its debut and is forecast to come down to a jump-off between Sara Takanashi, a Japanese schoolgirl, and Daniela Iraschko-Stolz, the Austrian who has dominated in practice. She married her female partner last year and had talked of making a point about Russia’s anti-gay laws during the Games but has since reined back: “I think everything is being blown up bigger than it is,” she said.

Star of the day: Summerhayes uses skis in trying to match Jones

Katie Summerhayes is the next of Britain’s “Fridge Kids” in action and she could take the nation’s fascination with skiing and snowboarding to a new level. The 18-year-old goes in the freestyle skiing slopestyle – the same as Jenny Jones’ event but on skis rather than a board. Summerhayes starts in the heats at 6am. The final is at 9am.

Quote of the day:

"We feared that a little bit. There are not enough people. You have seen the stadiums are not filled." IOC member Gerhard Heiberg on empty seats at Sochi

Britwatch

A busy day. Aside from Katie Summerhayes, Ben Kilner and Dom Harrington go against Shaun White in the snowboard half-pipe. The men’s and women’s curlers play Germany and the US respectively. Stacey Kemp and David King are in action in figure skating’s short pairs programme. Up at the Laura Centre the Musgraves, brother and sister Andrew and Posy, are in cross-country action. Racing alongside Musgrave will be Andrew Young and Callum Smith – all four Britons skied together as children in Huntly, in the North-east of Scotland. Musgrave, who won the sprint at the Norwegian championships, is aiming for at least a place in the semi-finals.

TODAY

9am (GMT):

WOMEN’S SKI SLOPESTYLE FINAL

11am:

GB v Germany men’s curling

5.30pm:

men’s half-pipe slopestyle final

TOMORROW

7Am:

Women’s alpine skiing super combined

10am:

GB v Canada women’s curling