Olympics: What to Watch on Day 6 --- Men's Short Skate; U.S. Women Try to End Long Track Drought

Day 6 of the Winter Olympics on Thursday features the men's figure skating short program and the American women's best chance at ending a lengthy medal dry spell in speed skating. Here's what you should watch (all times ET).

The 411 on the 12 new Winter Olympic events

All events are live-streamed at NBCOlympics.com. Thursday's tape-delayed daytime coverage (3 p.m., NBC) includes biathlon and luge. Tape-delayed prime-time coverage (8 p.m., NBC) includes freestyle skiing, speed skating, figure skating and skeleton.
Figure skating, men's short skate
When: 10 a.m. on NBC Sports (live); 8 p.m. on NBC (tape delay)Three-time reigning world champion Patrick Chan begins his quest to give Canada its first men's Olympic figure skating gold medalist. Jump master Yuzuru Hanyu, who won the men's short skate in the team competition, will look to do the same for Japan, while American Jeremy Abbott will seek redemption after falling twice in the team event. But all eyes in Russia will be on injury-ridden 2006 champ Evgeni Plushenko, who revealed that he felt a pinch in his spine during his team event free skate.

Olympic stars to watch

Speed skating, women's 1,000 meters
When: 9 a.m. (live); 8 p.m. on NBC (tape delay)2013 world sprint champ Heather Richardson, the World Cup leader, and 1,000-meter world record holder Brittany Rowe will try to end a 12-year medal drought for American female long-track speed skaters. They'll contend with Russia's Olga Fatkulina, the reigning world single distance champ, and the always potent Dutch.Freestyle skiing, men's slopestyle
When: 4:30 a.m. (live); 8 p.m. on NBC (tape delay)The Canucks have swept the freestyle skiing gold medals so far, but their border neighbors have the top-flight (no pun intended) crew in this new event, led by Nick Goepper, the two-time reigning Winter X Games champ, and Bobby Brown (not that one), who was the first skier to win two golds at a Winter X Games in 2010. Other podium contenders include X Games bronze medalist Brit James Woods (not that one either), who suffered a hip injury in training this week. Qualifications start at 1:15 a.m.

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Other medal rounds- cross-country, women's 10-kilometer classic (5 a.m.)- short track, women's 500 meters (7:09 a.m.)- biathlon, men's 20-kilometer individual (9 a.m.)- luge, team relay (11:15 a.m.)