5 things to watch at the Winter Games Monday

Athletes will use rifles, stones, skis and blades Monday in their quest for Olympic glory. Here are five things to look for on the fifth day of the Sochi Winter Olympics:

Biathlon

Keep an eye on Norway's Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, the Michael Phelps of the Winter Games.

He competes in the biathlon, in which cross country skiers pause at appointed spots to shoot rifles at targets. The sport has origins in the hunting practices of northern Europeans.

Bjoerndalen, 40, became the oldest individual gold medalist in Winter Games history on Saturday by winning the men's biathlon 10km sprint. He tied cross country skier Bjorn Daehlie of Norway for a record 12 Olympic Winter medals.

He could become the outright record-holder if he wins a 13th medal Monday in the men's12.5-km pursuit.

Who else to watch: Dominik Landertinger of Austria and Jaroslav Soukup of Czech Republic have the second and third starting positions behind Bjoerndalen. Emil Hegle Svendsen of Norway has won world titles in all the biathlon events.

Curling

For people who don't know anything about winter sports, curling is a hoot. It's a lot like shuffleboard on ice, relying on strategy more than strength or quickness. Two teams of four players each slide heavy polished stones across the ice toward a circular target. Points are scored by placing stones closest to the center of the target.

The U.S. men will compete against Norway. The United States won bronze at the 2006 games but finished poorly in 2010. Team members John Shuster and Jeff Isaacson competed in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Games for the United States.
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