GANGNEUNG, South Korea — Figure skaters, like Broadway actors, are accustomed to giving matinee and evening performances. Breakfast performances, not so much.
But with a 14-hour time difference between the site of the Winter Olympics and the East Coast of the United States, skating usually begins here daily at 10 a.m., to accommodate NBC’s live broadcast to a prime-time audience at 8 p.m.
NBC’s strategy was rewarded on Monday with North American dominance in the team skating competition. Canada took gold and the United States bronze, with Russia winning silver.
Skating’s timetable switch from evening to morning has forced competitors to reassess their sleeping and training habits.