Hanging With Champions Patrick Kinas

This week, two-time Olympic Canadian speed skater Gilmore Junio joins us for an extended podcast that covers topics ranging from gaming to legos, hockey to short track.
But in 2014, one text message reshaped the Sochi Winter Olympic Games and Canadian speed skating history. Gilmore shares the story about giving up his spot to race in the 1000m Olympic race in Sochi to his fellow teammate, Denny Morrison. In what is widely understood to be one of the most gracious and selfless Olympic acts of our generation, Gilmore explains how it happened, why it happened, and how his life changed as a result. In a fairytale ending, Morrison went on to claim the silver medal for Team Canada in Gilmore's race.
We have plenty of fun with Gilmore as he sits in the hot seat for his Top 3, including Marvel characters & lego sets. Find out which Olympic champion Gilmore nominates to come on Hanging With Champions next in "Who's Next?"

This week, 2-time Russian short track speed skating Olympian Sofia Prosvirnova hangs with NBC Sports' Patrick Kinas to talk about a myriad of topics. At 16yo, Prosvirnova was one of the world's youngest Olympic competitors at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games in her home country.
Prosvirnova takes us on a journey from her childhood in Russia to her entry into sports as a figure skater, then a short-term detour as a synchronized figure skater before making transition to short track at 14, a sport she knew nothing about. Two years later, she would shockingly compete in the Olympics wearing the colors of her native country. Sofia also shares her divergent memories from Sochi to PyeongChang, representing Russia in 2014, but then a member of the Olympic Athletes from Russia delegation in 2018.
Sofia talks about her superhero mother and family, the odd story of how she came to train with US Speedskating in Utah, her photo op with Russia's President Vladimir Putin and how COVID-19 has impacted her preparation for a possible shortened season in early 2021.
Finally, hear who Sofia nominates as her Olympic choice to come on Hanging With Champions, along with her sitting in the hot seat to answer her Top 3: Bands, Worst Sports, Streaming Shows, Least Favorite Training Elements and Actors.

One of the most animated, amusing and talented Olympic Winter Games in the past generation, four-time Finnish Olympic speed skater Mika Poutala joins NBC Sports broadcaster Patrick Kinas.
Mika reminisces about his celebrated career, his unique on-ice character and his post-racing life after retiring from competition after the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games.
Stories range from his speed skating hero, US Olympic champion Joey Cheek, his meager childhood start in the sport and how his flattering nickname as the Finnish Clown originated. Poutala talks about a future in Finnish politics and his family, while suggesting a future guest in our game of Hanging With Champions Olympic podcast tag, and closes the podcast with answers in our Top 3 lightning round.

Two-time Austrian speed skater Vanessa Herzog joins NBC Sports broadcaster Patrick Kinas to discuss a myriad of topics.
At the age of just 25, Herzog is already a two-time Olympian, a single-distance World Champion… and the only speed skater who has- by claiming a European title - won the prize of… two alpacas!
Herzog discusses the state of the speed skating World Cup season amidst the ongoing global pandemic, what it's like to race the speed skating sprint queen Nao Kodaira from Japan, and the challenges and special moments of her husband's (and coach) recently revealed diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease.

In Part 2 of our podcast with Maame Biney, the Team USA Olympian short track speed skating star navigates us from qualifying at US Trials for her first Olympic Winter Games through her Olympic debut as an 18-year-old in PyeongChang. Biney also discusses the weight she felt from the nation & media's expectations and leaning on one of her mentors, legend Apolo Ohno on how to best deal with racing and the media.
Biney talks us through how she found her voice for racial & social justice causes, how long she plans on skating, her relationship status and closes with our rapid-fire Top 3 questions, including what TV show makes her cry.

In the 1st of a 2-part podcast featuring Team USA Olympic short track speed skater Maame Biney, NBC Sports & Olympic Channel broadcaster Patrick Kinas discusses the COVID-19 interrupted World Cup season for Biney and her teammates and how that has impacted their training for this season and the next Olympic cycle for the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games. Maame then tells her fascinating family story of coming to America after being born in Ghana, the roadside promotional sign that prompted her to try ice skating, culminating with her triumph a decade later at the US Olympic Trials to make Team USA as a teenager, heading to PyeongChang. There are plenty of moments where Biney puts on display her infectious laugh and ebullient personality that endear her to the world.