early starts are needed because of 12 men 's and women 's medal events added since the 2010 vancouver olympics .
1 of 14 full screen autoplay close skip ad × athletes to watch for the 2014 winter olympics view photos as the sochi games get underway , the u.s. team will feature fresh faces and seasoned veterans .
( photo : dita alangkara , ap ) story highlights russian deputy prime minister dmitry kozak said safety concerns in sochi had been exaggerated kozak said " the level of threat in sochi is no worse than in new york , washington or boston " kozak said there was no reason to believe there were new threats in sochi sochi , russia – russian deputy prime minister dmitry kozak said thursday the concern over a terrorist attack on the new zealand 's rebecca torr takes a jump during the women 's snowboard slopestyle qualifying at the rosa khutor extreme park ahead of the 2014 winter olympics , thursday , feb. 6 , 2014 , in krasnaya polyana , ... ( associated press ) new zealand 's rebecca torr takes a jump during the women 's snowboard slopestyle qualifying at the rosa khutor extreme park ahead of the 2014 winter olympics , thursday , feb. 6 , 2014 , in krasnaya polyana , ... ( associated press ) sochi , russia ( ap ) — fast five , thursday edition : things you 'll want to know about the 2014 winter olympics .
men 's slopestyle and women 's moguls close the olympics is off and running , but we ' ve been hearing more about the hotel issues than the sporting events so far .
men 's snowboard slopestyle qualifying runs — without american star shaun white , who withdrew wednesday — got underway thursday 10 a.m. ( 0600 gmt ) at x - treme park in the mountains above sochi .
the russian government says it 's doing all it can to ensure safety , and on thursday a deputy prime minister
mikaela shiffrin , alpine skiing mikaela shiffrin , 18 , looks to be the heir apparent to lindsey vonn , who is will this olympics .
( usa today , usa now ) an armed russian security guard stands at the ski resort rosa khutor , where the snow and sliding sports venues for the 2014 winter olympics are located , on tuesday .
( ap photo ivan sekretarev ) ( associated press ) sochi , russia ( ap ) — competition at the sochi olympics has begun , 32 hours before the opening ceremony .