U.S. Figure Skating Championships begin: PopWatch on Ice laces up!

Attention fellow figure skating fans who have not actually paid attention to the sport in four years: It’s time to start caring! The U.S. Figure Skating Championships — which help determine who represents the red, white, and blue (and spandex and sequins) in Vancouver — start today in Spokane, Washington. Those of you with the Universal Sports channel can check out its schedule here (you can catch the men’s and pairs short programs live tonight at 12:30 a.m. ET). For the rest of us, here’s NBC’s lineup:

This Saturday, 4:30-6 p.m. ET: Pairs Free Skate (Live), Pairs Short, Men’s Short

This Sunday, 4:30-6 p.m. ET: Men’s Free Skate (Live)

Saturday, Jan. 23, 3-6 p.m. ET: Free Dance (Live), Ladies Short

Saturday, Jan. 23, 9-11 p.m. ET/PT: Ladies Free Skate (Live)

Sunday, Jan. 24, 4-6 p.m. ET: Recap of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships

Sunday, Jan. 24, 9-11 p.m. ET/PT: Exhibition of Champions and announcement of U.S. Olympic Team

We just had our first official meeting of EW’s “Special” Olympics Team to discuss our figure skating coverage, aka PopWatch on Ice. (A logo is in the works. We’re in it to win it.) In the meantime, check back here on Monday when we’ll dissect the men’s and pairs competitions. Evan Lysacek (pictured, right) has decided to put the quad back into his free skate. Drama! And the best promotion for Sundance Channel’s new eight-part series Be Good Johnny Weir (premiering Monday at 10:30 p.m. ET) would be having Weir (pictured, left) make the team.

Photo credit: Junko Kimura/Getty Images (2)