17 Days: From Start to Finish

Friday

Opening ceremony: Dixie Chicks and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Sting and Yo-Yo Ma welcome athletes from more than 80 nations. Let the Games begin. But they’ve already begun with qualifying earlier in the day in ski jumping’s K-90.

Saturday

Figure skating: Russians challenged in pairs short program.

Speedskating: Dutch treat in the men’s 5,000.

Cross-country skiing: First gold medal of the Games goes to winner of women’s 15K freestyle.

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Sunday

Alpine skiing: No Herminator , but plenty of contenders in men’s downhill.

Snowboarding: Shred Bettys on the halfpipe.

Ski jumping: Alan Alborn is a rare U.S. contender in men’s K-90.

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Monday

Alpine skiing: Picabo Street’s last run.

Figure skating: Canadian pairs could end Russian dominance.

Luge: Germany’s Georg Hackl goes for fourth consecutive gold medal.

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Tuesday

Figure skating: Russians vs. Americans in men’s short program.

Ice hockey: U.S. women begin title defense vs. Germany.

Speedskating: Casey FitzRandolph a medal contender for U.S. in men’s 500.

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Feb. 13

Biathlon: In this sport, the women’s 7.5K and the men’s 10K are called sprints.

Alpine skiing: Norwegians may be 1-2 in men’s combined, but American Bode Miller could win a medal.

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Feb. 14

Figure skating: Russians Evgeny Plushenko or Alexei Yagudin figure to win men’s title, but three Americans are strong.

Alpine skiing: Croatia’s Janica Kostelic is one to watch in women’s combined.

Speedskating: Summer Games cyclist Chris Witty of U.S. crosses over in women’s 500.

Ice hockey: U.S. vs. China women makes for compelling soccer, not hockey.

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Feb. 15

Snowboarding: American Chris Klug, who had a liver transplant, goes for heroic gold in men’s parallel giant slalom.

Snowboarding: American Rosey Fletcher is optimistic in women’s parallel giant slalom.

Ice hockey: U.S. men begin play vs. Finland.

Ice hockey: Canada and Sweden men meet in rematch of dramatic 1994 final won by Swedes.

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Feb. 16

Ice hockey: U.S. men vs. Russia. The Cold War on ice.

Ice hockey: Finland is one of two women’s teams capable of challenging Americans.

Alpine skiing: Daron Rahlves of Truckee, Calif., is world champion in men’s super-G.

Short-track speedskating: Apolo Anton Ohno of U.S. is going for four golds, starting with men’s 1,000.

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Feb. 17

Bobsled: American Todd Hays has become a force in the men’s two-man.

Speedskating: Witty comes back in women’s 1,000.

Ice hockey: Sweden men vs. Czechs in game between last two gold medalists.

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Feb. 18

Freestyle skiing: Jacqui Cooper could become Australia’s first winter gold medalist, in aerials.

Figure skating: No Torvills or Deans in this ice dance final.

Ice hockey: U.S. men play an undetermined opponent; Russia meets Finland and Canada meets the Czech Republic.

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Feb. 19

Figure skating: Michelle Kwan resumes her quest for gold medal in women’s short program.

Freestyle skiing: American Eric Bergoust tries to defend gold medal in men’s aerials, challenged by compatriot Joe Pack.

Bobsled: Women in the sport make their Olympic debut.

Ice hockey: U.S. and Canada virtually certain to be in women’s semifinals.

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Feb. 20

Skeleton: You’ve got to see it to believe it.

Alpine skiing: American Kristina Koznick could challenge Kostelic in women’s slalom.

Short-track speedskating: Ohno or oh-yes in the men’s 1,500?

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Feb. 21

Figure skating: Women’s final is the Olympics’ main event.

Ice hockey: Major upset if Canada and U.S. aren’t in women’s final.

Alpine skiing: Austrians without Hermann Maier try to challenge Swiss in men’s giant slalom.

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Feb. 22

Ice hockey: Men’s semifinals, presumably filled with NHL stars.

Alpine skiing: Sweden’s Sonja Nef is favored in women’s giant slalom.

Feb. 23

Alpine skiing: An Austrian will win the men’s slalom. Which one?

Bobsled: Lange vs. Langen in duel between German four-man drivers.

Short-track speedskating: Ohno again in men’s 500.

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Feb. 24

Ice hockey: Men’s final.

Closing ceremony: Sun sets on Rice-Eccles Stadium and 2002 Winter Games.