Figure skating's showdown around the corner

Kim Yu-na of South Korea attends a training session before the women's short program final during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Russia, Feb 19, 2014. [Photo/icpress.cn]

Yuna predicted the early start time, away from her biggest rivals, would be relaxing.

"I want to be perfect on that day," she said. "I really want the event to start."

For the women who took part in the team competition, the week-and-a-half between programs allowed them to recover mentally and physically. The men had a much shorter turnaround, and that may help to explain their sloppy free skates.

No such problems for the women. Lipnitskaia headed to Moscow in the interim. The Japanese skaters went to Armenia, the Americans to Austria.

Two-time US champion Ashley Wagner said the long break and the relocation made the team and individual competitions feel as though they're part of completely different events, so she's confident there won't be any lingering effects.

The Americans aren't favored to make the podium, and if none of them do after Thursday's free skate, it would be the first time since 1936 that no US man or woman won a medal in singles.

Reigning national champion Gracie Gold listed all the pressures weighing on the top contenders. The American women don't want to be shut out for the second straight Olympics. Kim is seeking to become only the third woman to win back-to-back figure skating golds, joining Katarina Witt and Sonja Henie.

Asada is looking for her first gold after settling for a distant second in 2010. And Lipnitskaia has the host country's hopes riding on her slim shoulders.

"Everyone has a different bag of expectations they carry," Gold said.

The whirlwind of an Olympics wears down any skater, Gold said. The champion is usually the one who grits it out the best.

Russia wins second gold in figure skating	Japanese favorite Asada to make another try on 3A	3-year-old Russian strives for figure skating dream