Olympic Primer - August 5th
NBC puts out a daily press release noting the highlights of their television coverage for the next day. Given the difficulty sometimes in knowing what event is being televised when and where, we'll share that schedule from NBC with you the previous night so you can set your DVRs and plan accordingly. The schedule is sorted by network. Below NBC's press release we'll add the live times at the bottom for gold medal events you can catch online as well. All times are eastern.
One of the marquee events of the entire games, the men's 100 meter dash takes place tomorrow as well as Roger Federer playing Andy Murray for a gold medal at Wimbledon. In addition to the packed schedule tomorrow, NBC is airing a special at 7:00 PM ET in primetime as Bob Costas sits down with Michael Phelps after his Olympic career concluded Saturday.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 (Day 9)
NBC
6 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET
5 a.m. – 5 p.m. CT
4 a.m. – 4 p.m. MT
3 a.m. – 6 p.m. PT
Men’s Tennis – Gold Medal Final: Roger Federer(Switzerland) vs. Andy Murray (Great Britain) (LIVE)
Women’s Marathon (LIVE)
Beach Volleyball – Kessy/Ross (U.S.) vs. Slukova/Kolocova (Czech Republic) (LIVE)
Women’s Basketball – U.S. vs. China (LIVE)
Women’s Water Polo – U.S. vs. Italy (LIVE)
Women’s Volleyball – U.S. vs. Turkey (LIVE)
Cycling – Track Gold Medal Final
Equestrian – Team Jumping Gold Medal Final, Round 1
· LIVE coverage of the women’s marathon through the heart of London. Shalane Flanagan, the Beijing 10,000m bronze medalist, and Desiree Davila have medal potential, but the favorites will be Kenyan mom Edna Kiplagat and her countrywoman Mary Keitany. The sentimental favorite will be Great Britain’s Paula Radcliffe, the 38-year-old world record holder who would be a longshot to make the podium.
· LIVE coverage of the men’s tennis gold medal final from the grass courts of Wimbledon.
· LIVE coverage of the U.S. women’s basketball team against China. Led by former UConn stars Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore, the Americans are favored to win their fifth straight gold.
· LIVE coverage of the U.S. women’s water polo team in a must-win quarterfinal if they hope to advance to the medal round. The Americans have earned a medal at each of the three Olympics since women’s water polo made its Olympic debut in 2000, but have never won gold. They look to have their strongest team yet in London.
· LIVE coverage of the U.S. women’s volleyball team vs. Turkey. Led by Hugh McCutcheon, who coached the U.S. men to the Olympic title in 2008, the American women are favored to win their first Olympic gold.
· Plus, the gold medal final in track cycling’s ultimate test and new Olympic event, the men’s omnium, and equestrian’s team jumping competition.
7 p.m. – Midnight (ET/PT)
Gymnastics – Individual Event Gold Medal Finals
Men’s Floor Exercise
Men’s Pommel Horse
Women’s Vault
Track and Field – Gold Medal Finals
Men’s 100M
Women’s 400M
Women’s Triple Jump
Women’s Diving – Springboard Gold Medal Final
Beach Volleyball – May-Treanor/Walsh Jennings (U.S.) vs. Cicolari/Menegatti (Italy)
· Jamaica’s electrifying sprint king Usain Bolt, the fastest man in history, takes to the track for one of the marquee events of the entire Games: the men’s 100m final. In Beijing, a 21-year-old Bolt shocked the world – and blew away the field – in world record time. Now, the world’s top sprinters are gunning for him, including a pair of Americans: 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin and American record holder Tyson Gay. But Bolt’s biggest competition could come from his own training partner, Yohan Blake, who defeated him at Jamaica’s Trials by running the fastest time in the world since 2009. Meanwhile, in the 400m, former world champion Sanya Richards-Ross seeks her first individual Olympic gold in her signature event – a distinction that would help her keep pace with her husband Aaron Ross, who earlier this year won his second Super Bowl with the New York Giants. In the semifinals of the men’s 400m, Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt continues his attempt to become the only man besides Michael Johnson to successfully defend a 400m title, while collegiate standout Bryshon Nellum competes less than four years after being shot in both legs near the USC campus.
· The top gymnasts in the world return to North Greenwich Arena for the first day of individual event finals. In women’s vault, 16-year-old McKayla Maroney, the daughter of a former Purdue quarterback, was the 2011 world champion and is a heavy favorite for gold with her signature Amanar vault.
· In the final round of women’s springboard diving, Chicago’sChristina Loukas is looking to upgrade her fourth-place finish at last year’s world championships and reach the Olympic podium. While former Stanford star Cassidy Krug, who quit diving for a year after failing in her second attempt to make an Olympic team in 2008, defeated Loukas at Trials and, at 27, is diving better than ever before.
· On the sand at majestic Horse Guards Parade, beach volleyball enters the quarterfinals, where a single loss means the end of an Olympic run. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings are eyeing a golden three-peat after sweeping the competition in Athens and Beijing.
12:35 a.m. – 1:35 a.m. (ET/PT)
Track and Field – Gold Medal Finals
Men’s Badminton – Singles Gold Medal Final
· Track and field’s top men go for the gold in the steeplechase, a nearly-two-mile run over barriers and water jumps, as well as the hammer throw.
NBC SPORTS NETWORK
4 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Women’s Basketball – France vs. Russia (LIVE)
Tennis – Gold Medal Finals
Women’s Doubles Gold Medal Final: Serena and Venus Williams (U.S.) vs. Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka (Czech Republic) (LIVE)
Mixed Doubles Gold Medal Final: Andy Murray and Laura Robson (Great Britain) vs. Max Mirnyi and Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) (LIVE)
Beach Volleyball – Larissa/Juliana (Brazil) vs. Goller/Ludwig (Germany) (LIVE)
Women’s Weightlifting – Super Heavyweight Gold Medal Final (LIVE)
Women’s Volleyball – Qualifying Round
China vs. South Korea
Italy vs. Russia
Cycling – Track Events (LIVE)
Synchronized Swimming – Duet Qualifying
Men’s Shooting – Pistol Gold Medal Final
NBC SPORTS NETWORK HIGHLIGHTS
· LIVE coverage of the mixed and women’s doubles gold medal finals from the storied grass courts of Wimbledon highlights the day, complemented by LIVE coverage of quarterfinals in beach volleyball from historic Horse Guards Parade. Plus, weightlifterHolley Mangold, sister of the New York Jets’ Nick Mangoldcompetes in the super heavyweight gold medal final. Also finals in men’s badminton.
MSNBC
7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Women’s Water Polo – Quarterfinals
Hungary vs. Russia (LIVE)
China vs. Australia (LIVE)
Men’s Tennis – Singles Bronze Medal: Djokovic (Serbia) vs. Del Potro (Argentina) (LIVE)
Beach Volleyball – Zhang/Xue (China) vs. Schwaiger/SChwaiger (Austria) (LIVE)
Wrestling – Greco Roman Gold Medal Finals
Men’s Field Hockey – Great Britain vs. Australia (LIVE)
Men’s Table Tennis – Team Quarterfinals
Women’s Handball – Norway vs. Spain (LIVE)
Fencing – Men’s Team Foil Quarterfinal: U.S. vs. France
Badminton –
Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Final
Men’s Doubles Bronze Match
MSNBC HIGHLIGHTS
· LIVE coverage of the action-packed, fast-paced quarterfinals in women’s water polo, with the winners guaranteed to play for a medal. Plus gold medal finals in wrestling.
CNBC
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Women’s Boxing –Elimination Bouts (LIVE)
3:30 p.m. – 5:30p.m.
Men’s Boxing – Quarterfinals (LIVE)
CNBC HIGHLIGHTS
· The inaugural Olympic women’s boxing tournament kicks off with all three weight classes and the Americans have potential contenders in each: at flyweight, Houston native and first generation Mexican-American Marlen Esparza; at lightweight, 2010 world bronze medalist Queen Underwood, and at middleweight, 17-year-old high school junior Claressa Shields. The London Games marks the first time that women will compete in every Olympic sport. On the men’s side, heavyweight MichaelHunter hopes to follow in the footsteps of his late father, who was a talented professional heavyweight contender in the 90s.
6:00 AM - Track: Women's Marathon
7:00 AM - Sailing: Star, Finn
7:00 AM - Tennis: Women's/Mixed Doubles, Men's Singles (Federer v Murray)
7:25 AM - Shooting: Men's 50m Pistol
8:00 AM - Badminton: Men's Singles & Doubles
9:00 AM - Gymnastics: Men's Floor, Women's Vault, Men's Pommel Horse
1:00 PM - Fencing: Men's Team Foll
1:45 PM - Wrestling: Men's 55kg & 74kg Greco-Roman
1:50 PM - Track: Men's 100m Final, Women's 400m
2:00 PM - Diving: Women's 3m Springboard
2:25 PM - Track & Field: Women's Triple Jump
3:10 PM - Track & Field: Men's Hammer Throw
