Ollie Williams
BBC Sport at the Bolshoy Ice Dome in Sochi

"Empty seats all over the Bolshoy Ice Dome for the opening contest of the men's ice hockey tournament at Sochi 2014, but this is being compensated for by cranking the bass to 11 on the venue PA system. The dome is rocking, albeit with not-that-many fans here to enjoy it.

"That said, crowds should (hopefully) build. Game number one is the Czech Republic against Sweden, with Sweden one of the teams fancied to have a shot at a medal at the business end of this tournament."

British skip Dave Murdoch looks almost sleepy as he rests his head on the end of his broom. You'd never get that from women's skip Eve Muirhead - she's all business. Having said that, this contest hasn't been generous with the excitement.

Image source, PA

There was no score in the seventh end, so Switzerland retain the hammer in the eighth. Are we set for a final crescendo? There's been little action so far.

The mass medals ceremony, where eight golds won over the past couple of days, is just beginning in the Olympic Park. Is it a good idea to have these ceremonies together? I can't decide.

Image source, Getty Images

Jason Mohammad
BBC Sport reporter in Sochi

"What a brilliant Olympic champion: Stefan Groothuis of the Netherlands was genuinely surprised that BBC Sport wanted a TV interview with him! Says they're going to party big time. Can I get an invite?"

But, back to events of today and, more specifically, curling. While we have been concentrating on the cuddly danger of doubles luge, Great Britain have extended their lead over Switzerland to 3-1. We're in the seventh end and Switzerland, with red shirts and red stones, have the hammer.

The luge relay, by the way, is a four-person team of one woman, one man and one doubles pair, going in that order. When an athlete crosses the finish line, they flip a touchpad which triggers the start gate for the next competitor. It sounds like something from It's A Knockout On Ice. Wonderful.

Paul Dickenson
BBC Sport commentator

"That is absolutely superb. That is a winners' run from Tobias Arlt and Tobias Wendl. The German nation have been superb at this sport. There is no doubt who the best lugers in the world are."

Imagine how Germany could dominate the luge relay tomorrow? Whether it's man, woman, or man-on-man, the Germans dominate feet-first sliding. The Austrian Linger brothers took doubles silver, with Latvians Andris and Juris Sics winning bronze.

Image source, Getty Images

Austrian threepeat? Forget about it. It's Germany who rule luge. Tobias Arlt and Tobias Wendl win by a massive margin - 0.522 seconds - meaning Germany take a third luge gold after success in the individual men's and women's.

Austrian brothers Andreas and Wolfgang Linger - winners in both 2006 and 2010 - take the lead with only one pair to go. They are guaranteed a silver medal.

Nearly disaster for the Austrian pairing of Peter Penz and Georg Fischler. They are all over the place and are lucky not to crash. They were third after the first run and their medal hopes have disappeared.

Angelene Ayers, external: Watching the men's double luge final, complete nutters hurling down the track at 87mph.

Rob Wickings, external: Double Luge: rocketing down an ice chute at 80mph while sitting in another man's lap. Utter, wondrous lunacy.

Image source, AFP

The final of the pairs free figure skating has just begun, with Russian duo Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov looking to make it a second pairs gold for the hosts nation. You can watch live coverage at the top of this page.

Latvian brothers Andris Sics and Juris Sics won a silver in this event in Vancouver four years ago and they could be set for another medal here.

They have the best aggregate time so far, with four more pairings to go, including the reigning Olympic champions Andreas and Wolfgang Linger of Austria, and German world champions Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt.

In the man-on-man pile-up that is doubles luge, teams that get into a spot of bother often see the top man stick out a leg, either into the air or on to the ice. Now, if you're the bottom man, I doubt you can see where you are going. You're only sign that you could be about to come a cropper would be the movement of your mate's lycra leg. Terrifying.

Still quite cagey in the Ice Cube, as Switzerland pull one back on Britain in the fifth and final end of the first half. Not much to match the drama of the women this morning just yet.

We are now into the business end of the competition as the top eight pairings from the first run are about to go in their second run. Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt of Germany were the leaders after the first run.

Anna Thompson
BBC Sport in Sochi

"No sooner have the Netherlands won two more speed skating medals and the Dutch broadcaster is sticking up the achievement on their door in the International Broadcast Centre, which has become a great tradition at Olympic Games."

I'm hearing that South Gloucestershire council will be asking the Royal Mail to paint a postbox bronze in Downend to mark Jenny Jones's achievement of winning snowoard slopestyle bronze.

Jones is from Downend, they haven't just picked a random area in Gloucestershire that she's never visited.