CROSS-COUNTRY

MEN’S SPRINT

* Where: Pragelato.

* When: Feb. 22.

* Best of the U.S.: Andy Newell, Torin Koos and Chris Cook are the team’s best sprinters.

* Best of the rest: Tor Arne Hetland of Norway is the defending Olympic champion and favorite but could be pushed by several talented Swedes.

* U.S. chances to medal: Newell is a viable contender, having finished fourth in a pre-Olympic race at Oberstdorf, Germany, last month.

* Little-known fact: Sprinting is relatively new to the Olympics, having made its debut at Salt Lake City in 2002.

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MEN’S 15-KILOMETER CLASSIC

* Where: Pragelato.

* When: Feb. 17.

* Best of the U.S.: The American coaches will choose from among Kris Freeman, Lars Flora and other team members.

* Best of the rest: Jens Arne Svartedal of Norway ranks among the world’s best classic skiers. Look for Germany’s Tobias Angerer too.

* U.S. chances to medal: In 2003, Freeman won this event at the under-23 world championships, then finished fourth in the world championships.

* Little-known fact: Pragelato is similar to the course in Soldier Hollow, Utah. “The exact same altitude,” Freeman said. “The only difference is there’s more humidity in Pragelato.”

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MEN’S 30-KILOMETER PURSUIT

* Where: Pragelato.

* When: Feb. 12.

* Best of the U.S.: Despite being a diabetic, Freeman has established himself as a rising star. With strong finishes in World Cup races and a 15th in the pursuit at the 2002 Winter Games, he has the best results for a U.S. man since the Bill Koch era.

* Best of the rest: Probably a tossup among three Germans -- Axel Teichmann, Tobias Angerer and Rene Sommerfeldt.

* U.S. chances to medal: Freeman has a chance to sneak into the top three if he is healthy.

* Little-known fact: Freeman was diagnosed with diabetes in 2000 and must inject himself with insulin as many as 10 times a day.

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MEN’S 50-KILOMETER FREESTYLE

* Where: Pragelato.

* When: Feb. 26.

* Best of the U.S.: Carl Swenson finished fifth in this event at the 2003 world championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy.

* Best of the rest: A tossup among Vincent Vittoz of France, Rene Sommerfeldt of Germany and Pietro Piller Cottrer of Italy, racing before the home crowd.

* U.S. chances to medal: Swenson is a dark horse but knows this will be his last shot at an Olympic medal.

* Little-known fact: The 35-year-old Swenson, who is also a mountain bike racer, is pointing toward law school after retirement.

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MEN’S TEAM SPRINT

* Where: Pragelato

* When: Feb. 14

* Best of the U.S.: The American team features Andy Newell and Torin Koos, son of a former U.S. biathlete.

* Best of the rest: Norway, Germany and Sweden head a list of favorites.

* U.S. chances to medal: The 22-year-old Newell has gained valuable experience racing in packs. He and Koos finished in the top 20 in a World Cup sprint last March.

* Little-known fact: Last year, the U.S. team hired assistant coach Vidar Loefshus, who grew up in Norway, to focus on improving sprint times.

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MEN’S 4X10-KILOMETER RELAY

* Where: Pragelato.

* When: Feb. 19.

* Best of the U.S.: Freeman and Swenson are expected to lead the team.

* Best of the rest: The Norwegians are considered the front-runners in this event.

* U.S. chances to medal: The Americans were fifth in Salt Lake City, their best finish ever. They’ll have a tough time surpassing that.

* Little-known fact: Pragelato’s hilly terrain could be tough on longer races, but not as much a factor at these shorter intervals.

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WOMEN’S SPRINT

* Where: Pragelato.

* When: Feb. 22.

* Best of the U.S.: Kikkan Randall is probably the team’s best freestyle “skater” for this sprint.

* Best of the rest: Marit Bjoergen of Norway and Julija Tchepalova of Russia have a chance to show their toughness, racing in the pack.

* U.S. chances to medal: With talented racers such as Canada’s Beckie Scott also in contention, there won’t be much room on the podium.

* Little-known fact: Skiers start at intervals in the qualification round; the fastest 30 advance to the later rounds with their mass starts.

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WOMEN’S 10-KILOMETER CLASSIC

* Where: Pragelato.

* When: Feb. 16.

* Best of the U.S.: This will be Wendy Wagner’s second Olympics. American coaches might also turn to 21-year-olds Lindsay Williams and Lindsey Weier, who recently competed in the under-23 world championships.

* Best of the rest: Bjoergen has a realistic shot at medaling in six events.

* U.S. chances to medal: The Americans face a daunting task against the likes of Bjoergen, Germany’s Claudia Kuenzel and others.

* Little-known fact: “Classic” is the traditional slide-and-glide style of cross-country skiing. The newer “freestyle” uses a skating technique.

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WOMEN’S 15-KILOMETER PURSUIT

* Where: Pragelato.

* When: Feb. 12.

* Best of the U.S.: Wagner and Rebecca Dussault lead the U.S. team. Dussault is particularly strong at freestyle.

* Best of the rest: Tchepalova of Russia has four medals from previous Games. Canada’s Beckie Scott and Bjoergen could contend.

* U.S. chances to medal: Though Wagner is experienced, the American women do not have the international results to suggest a place on the podium.

* Little-known fact: In many events, the American coaches might wait until the last moment to choose their racers, gauging who is healthiest and skiing best.

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WOMEN’S 30-KILOMETER FREESTYLE

* Where: Pragelato.

* When: Feb. 24.

* Best of the U.S.: Sarah Konrad seems like the choice here. American coaches could give a start to Wagner in her last Olympics.

* Best of the rest: Tchepalova of Russia and Katerina Neumannova of the Czech Republic.

* U.S. chances to medal: None of the American women have the previous results to suggest a top-three finish.

* Little-known facts: The International Ski Federation mandates that cross-country courses be no higher than about 6,000 feet in elevation. Pragelato is near the maximum.

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WOMEN’S TEAM SPRINT

* Where: Pragelato.

* When: Feb. 14.

* Best of the U.S.: Probably some combination of Kikkan Randall, Rebecca Dussault and Lindsay Williams.

* Best of the rest: The Norwegian team of Bjoergen and Hilde G. Pedersen are reigning world champions. Russia, Sweden and Canada also look strong.

* U.S. chances to medal: There isn’t much room amid a tough field.

* Little-known fact: The type and amount of wax that racers put on their skis is critical. Choose wrong and, as former U.S. Olympian Nina Kemppel said, it’s like “running in high heels.”

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WOMEN’S 4X5-KILOMETER RELAY

* Where: Pragelato.

* When: Feb. 18.

* Best of the U.S.: The coaches will probably choose from among Wagner, Weier, Dussault and, perhaps, Konrad for the anchor leg.

* Best of the rest: Norway, Russia and Finland figure to vie for the gold. The Italians might get a boost from the crowd.

* U.S. chances to medal: With so many top teams in this event, slim.

* Little-known fact: Konrad will also represent the United States in the biathlon.

-- David Wharton