Make wishtv.com your home page

The Latest: All eyes on N. Koreans in pairs figure skating

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) The Latest on the Pyeongchang Olympics (all times local):

10:50 a.m.

The figure skating program at the Pyeongchang Olympics has resumed with the short program for the pairs competition, where the German pair of Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot are the favorites.

There will probably be just as many eyes on the North Koreans.

Security was a bit tighter at Gangneung Ice Arena on Wednesday than it was for the team event, most likely because of the presence of Ryom Tae Ok and Ju Sink. They were a strong third at last month’s Four Continents and placed 15th at last year’s world championships.

And yes, the North Korean cheerleaders are in attendance.

Other favorites include Russian pair Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, two-time world champs Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada, and Chinese pair Sui Wenjin and Han Cong.

10:35 a.m.

Mikaela Shiffrin’s debut at the Pyeongchang Olympics is in a holding pattern with a third delay to the women’s slalom start.

Strong winds, and now some steady falling snow, have put the race at risk on the Rainbow course at Yongpyong.

The opening run is now scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m. South Korea time on Wednesday (9:45 p.m. on the U.S. East Coast,) after two previous delays of 15 minutes from the original 10:15 a.m. start. The second leg could then start at 2:45 p.m.

Shiffrin, the defending champion, is due to wear the No. 3 starting bib in an 83-racer lineup.

9:45 a.m.

Katie Couric has apologized for saying that the Dutch are so successful in speed skating because skates have been used as a form of transportation when canals freeze in the Netherlands.

Her remark during the Olympics’ opening ceremony invited some Dutch mockery on social media from people who said the information was outdated. The Netherlands embassy to the United States invited Couric to visit the country to see all of the innovative ways the Dutch get around.

Couric late Monday tweeted her apologies for being on thin ice with her comments.

The veteran anchor said she was trying to salute the country’s historic passion for the sport, but it didn’t come out that way.

9:05 a.m.

The favorite in the men’s halfpipe is Shaun White.

The bookmakers at BetDSI Sportsbook have made White a better than even-money favorite to win his third gold medal. The American is listed at minus-125, meaning bettors would have to wager $125 to win $100 on a White victory.

He is followed by Australia’s Scotty James, at 3-1 ($100 to win $300), and Japan’s Ayumu Hirano, at 7-2 ($100 to win $350).

Hirano is coming off a Winter X Games title in which he became the first man to repeat 1440-degree flips on the halfpipe. White skipped the X Games, but scored a 100 on a run in an Olympic qualifier last month. James has been among the most technically perfect riders this season and finished a close second to Hirano and White at those earlier events.

More AP Olympic coverage: https://wintergames.ap.org