Team GB's Richard Shoebridge on Twitter:, external "It's final Friday and guess what... @Jonnyboy77 and @Elise_Christie are in the SEMI-FINALS!!! Come on @TeamGB!!"

Team GB's Shelley Rudman ‏on Twitter:, external "Come on Jon & Elise!!!"

Image source, Shelley Rudman

Lizzy Yarnold is part of huge crew of Team GB athletes cheering on Eley and Christie. The first men's semi will feature five racers after JR Celski of the USA was reinstated by the judges.

Gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold on Twitter:, external "Really enjoying supporting the team at the coastal cluster today. I'm at the speed skating now, very impressed by Jon Eley and Elise Christie."

Image source, AP

Mikaela Shiffrin, 18, becomes the youngest winner of an Olympic slalom event with victory in the women's competition.

The American, who is also the world champion, made an early mistake during her second run on the Rosa Khutor course, but recovered brilliantly to post a combined time of one minute 44.54 seconds.

Marlies Schild took silver, while fellow Austrian Kathrin Zettel claimed bronze.

Wilf O’Reilly
Former Olympic short track speed skater on BBC TV

"It's Jon Eley's third Games. There's no pressure on him whatsoever. He capitalised on a mistake in the race and qualified very comfortably. Who knows, maybe Jon Eley can come away with a medal.

"Both will be sharpening their skates, keeping their legs warm on an exercise bike, listening to music and staying relaxed. Elise is at the peak performance of our life."

The men's 500m semi-finals will precede the women's 1,000m. Jon Eley is in the second race, scheduled for 17:16 GMT. Elise Christie is in the second women's semi, at 17:26.

Neil Watters:, external "Speed skating - carnage, speed, crashes - love it"

Robert Harrison:, external "Watching the speed skating. Good luck to Elise Christie today. The sport that truly is living on the edge."

Laura Donaldson:, external "The speed skating isn't half nerve-wracking to watch! Come on Elise".

Image source, Getty Images

There's a humdinger of a contest just getting under way at the Bolshoy Ice Dome. It's the second men's ice hockey semi-final between Canada and the USA. Canada won the women's contest yesterday, so can the US men exact revenge and win back Barack Obama's crate of beer? Who will face Sweden in the final? Watch it live here now.

And what a story it would be if Elise Christie could win a medal. The 23-year-old has suffered online abuse and twice been disqualified so far at the Winter Olympics, but the 1,000m is her favourite - and final - event.

Austria's Kathrin Zettel, who won world silver in 2011, posts the fastest combined time to take the lead in the women's slalom. The conditions are getting more difficult out there. USA's first run leader Mikaela Shiffrin, 18, goes last after recording the fastest time in the first run.

Sophie:, external "Yes! Well done Elise Christie, great race to get 1st place! Come on!"

Jane Ireland:, external "Elise Christie really doesn't make it easy for us to watch".

Ryan Munson:, external "Elise Christie reminds me of the GB cycling team. So much confidence and bags of acceleration to call upon. Class performance."

So two Brits are through to the semi-finals of the short track speed skating. If either of them get a medal, this will be Great Britain's most successful Winter Olympics ever. Don't go anywhere because both Eley and Christie will be racing again within the next half hour.

Hugh Porter
BBC short track and speed skating commentator

"Well I think we can draw from that race that Christie has put the disappointment of the last two results behind her."

Christie bides her time but turns on the after-burners on the last lap to come round the outside and take first. French skater Veronique Pierron crashes and burns.

Image source, Getty Images

The tension mounts after two false starts. But we get away third time ... and it's almost disaster for Christie as she crashes and almost tumbles at the first corner. Can she peg this back?

So, can Elise Christie match Eley and skate through to the semi-finals of the women's 1,000m? She's up now in the first quarter-final.

Hugh Porter
BBC short track and speed skating commentator

"He holds his own there. Tucked in second place and held his position. Tremendous skating from Jon Eley, the 29-year-old team GB flag bearer."

Wilf O’Reilly
Former Olympic short track speed skater on BBC TV

Image source, Getty Images

"That was a superb skate from Jon, very controlled, superb skating. This is his third Olympic games and he really showed his colours there."

Brilliant from Eley. He slots in to the slipstream of Russia's Victor An and holds off a challenge from Korea's Han-Bin Lee and Olivier Jean of Canada to take second place and book a place in the semi-finals.