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How To Watch Aspen's Four Athletes During Winter Olympics

Leary O'Gorman

Figure skater Jeremy Abbott, 28, began skating at the Aspen Ice Garden when he was two years old. Later, his family moved to Colorado Springs so he could train. This season is the four-time national champion’s last. In January, he set a record high score at the U.S. Championships in Boston. This will be Abbott’s second time at an Olympics. He told Aspen Public Radio in December that his broad range of abilities gives him an edge. “I can do the tricks and I can skate, I have great skating skills and artistry and well-choreographed programs. For me, the biggest obstacle is just bringing it all together.”

SOCHI TIME: February 6th at 7:30 pm, February 13th at 10:00 am and February 14th at 7:00 pm

NBC PRIMETIME (Mountain Time): February 6th at 7:00 pm, February 13th at 7:00 pm and February 14th at 7:00 pm

FOLLOW ABBOTT: Twitter - @jeremyabbottpcf; website - http://figureskatersonline.com/jeremyabbott/site/

Credit USSA

Aspen’s Simi Hamilton, 26, is one of the fastest cross country ski sprinters in the country. He was on skis in Aspen at age two and began competing with the local ski club at 13. In December 2013, Hamilton made history. He became the first American to win a World Cup race since Bill Koch’s victory in 1983. This will be Hamilton’s second Olympics and he told Aspen Public Radio in November, the U.S. cross country team is stronger than ever. “For a sport that’s been, for so long, dominated by Norwegians, the Swedes, the Russians, the Finns and the Germans, all of a sudden we’re mentioned in the same breath. It’s pretty cool and we’re very proud of that shift.”

SOCHI TIME: February 11th at 5:30 pm and February 19th at 4:15 pm

NBC DAYTIME (Mountain Time): February 11th at 2:00 pm and February 19th at 2:00 pm

FOLLOW HAMILTON: Twitter - @simihamilton; website - http://simihamilton.com/

Simi Hamilton's family is doing an exclusive from the Olympics blog for Aspen Public Radio. You can read it here: http://aspenpublicradio.org/term/ruthie-brown

Credit usskiteam.com

Noah Hoffman, 24, is the top distance racer in the United States in cross country skiing. His family moved to Aspen when he was a third grader and in middle school, he got into cross country skiing. This is Hoffman’s first Olympics. He’s going into the Games after a surprising season. At the season’s opening World Cup race series in November, he finished in the top ten. He did well at another World Cup race in Italy in late December. Hoffman’s longtime coach, John Callahan saysHoffman’s biggest strength is, “what we call the big engine, the big motor. He’s a hill climber. And, so his strength is the long distance races.”

SOCHI TIME: February 9th at 2:00 pm, February 14th at 2:00 pm, February 16th at 2:00 pm and February 23rd at 11:00 am

NBC DAYTIME (Mountain Time): February 9th at 1:00 pm, February 14th at 3:00 am (NBC Sports ch 220), February 16th at 2:00 pm and February 23rd at 1:00 pm

FOLLOW HOFFMAN: Blog – noahhoffman.com; Facebook – Noah Hoffman

Credit ESPN

Freeskiier TorinYater-Wallace, 18, is ushering in a new Olympic discipline, Ski Halfpipe. The youngest of our local athletes has been a standout ever since he began training with the local ski club in grade school. He’s medaled at the Winter X Games six times and he’s had five World Cup podium finishes. He’s recovering from injuries suffered early in the 2013/2014 season but, he says he’s feeling good about the Olympics. “I’m not really feeling any pain in the ribs. I’ve been doing physical therapy and working with doctors to get back to my fullest potential, and I’m feeling confident about it.”

SOCHI TIME: February 18th at 9:30 pm

NBC PRIMETIME (Mountain Time): February 18th at 7:00 pm

FOLLOW YATER-WALLACE: Twitter - @torinwallace; Facebook – Torin Yater-Wallace