Olympic Primer - August 3rd
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.
Friday's highlights include Federer v Del Potro and Murray v Djokovic in the men's tennis semis as well as the Bryans and Williams in the doubles semis at Wimbledon. The women's soccer quarterfinals sees the USA facing New Zealand. Michael Phelps does battle once again with South African Chad Le Clos in the 100 fly after Le Clos' amazing 200 fly win. And if that wasn't enough, gold medals are up for grabs in eight sports including archery, fencing, and badminton and the track & field competition gets underway. Whew.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 3 (Day 7)
NBC
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (9 a.m. CT/PT)
Swimming – Qualifying Heats
Track and Field –
Women’s 10,000M Gold Medal Final (LIVE)
Qualifying Heats
Beach Volleyball –
Women’s – Kessy/Ross (U.S.) vs. Zuhn/Zumkehr (Switzerland) (LIVE)
Men’s – Rogers/Dalhausser (U.S.) vs. TBA (LIVE)
Women’s Water Polo – U.S. vs. China (LIVE)
Rowing – Gold Medal Final
Cycling – Track Gold Medal Final
Key qualifying heats in swimming, including the men’s and women’s 4x100 medley relays, both events that the U.S. has a good chance to win. LIVE (ET/CT) coverage of track and field’s women’s 10,000 meters. Sensational Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot looks to add her first Olympic title a year after winning both the 5000m and 10,000m at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea. Plus, important qualifying rounds in other track and field events, including the women’s 400m, featuring American Sanya Richards-Ross.
LIVE (ET/CT) coverage of the U.S. women’s water polo team vs. China. 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. Plus, LIVE (ET/CT) coverage of beach volleyball’s crucial elimination rounds from historic Horse Guards Parade. Also, Olympic gold is on the line in rowing from Eton Dorney.
8 p.m. – Midnight (ET/PT)
Swimming – Gold Medal Finals
Men’s 100M Butterfly
Men’s 50M Freestyle
Women’s 200M Backstroke
Women’s 800M Freestyle
Track and Field – Men’s Shot Put Gold Medal Final
Women’s Diving – Springboard Qualifying
Women’s Volleyball – U.S. vs. Serbia
Men’s Gymnastics – Trampoline Gold Medal Final
Michael Phelps hits the water for his final individual race – the 100m butterfly, which he memorable won in Beijing over Serbia’s Milorad Cavic by just .01 seconds – a margin undetectable to the naked eye. Colorado phenom Missy Franklin is a heavy favorite in the 200m backstroke and figures to threaten the world record. While another teenager, Bethesda, Maryland native Katie Ledecky, who at 15 is the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic swim team, swims in the 800m freestyle, in which Great Britain’s reigning Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington is the favorite. The night also includes the men’s 50m freestyle. Known as the “splash and dash,” the fastest event in swimming is notoriously hard to predict, but Auburn-trained Brazilian Cesar Cielo has done his best to take the mystery out of the results, winning this event in Beijing as well as at the two world championships since. Chasing him will be 2008 relay gold medalist Cullen Jones and Anthony Ervin, the 2000 co-gold medalist in this event who remarkably returned to the top of the sport after a nearly decade-long absence.
On the first night of track and field, the U.S. has three strong medal contenders in the men’s shot put in Reese Hoffa, Christian Cantwell and Ryan Whiting– all of whom own world championship titles. Hoffa, who can solve a Rubik’s Cube in under a minute, posted the world’s best throw at the Olympic Trials.
In women’s volleyball, Team USA, which faces an up-and-coming Serbia squad tonight, is favored for its first ever Olympic gold medal. It would be the second in a row for the team’s head coach Hugh McCutcheon, who coached the U.S. men to the Olympic title in 2008.
12:35 a.m. – 1:35 a.m. (ET/PT)
Track and Field – Qualifying Rounds
Cycling – Track Gold Medal Finals
At the Olympic Stadium in London, track and field’s finest look to advance toward gold medal finals.
NBC SPORTS NETWORK
4 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Women’s Soccer – Quarterfinals
Sweden vs. France (LIVE)
U.S. vs. New Zealand (LIVE)
Brazil vs. Japan (LIVE)
Great Britain vs. Canada (LIVE)
Women’s Basketball – U.S. vs. Czech Republic (LIVE)
Beach Volleyball –
Women’s – Goller/Ludwig (Germany) vs. Holtwick/Semmler (Germany) (LIVE)
Men’s – Fijalek/Prudel (Poland) vs. Heyer/Chevalier (Switzerland)
Women’s Volleyball –
Brazil vs. China (LIVE)
Japan vs. Russia
Boxing – Elimination Bouts
Men’s Archery – Individual Gold Medal Final
Men’s Shooting – Rapid Fire Pistol
Men’s Weightlifting – 85KG Gold Medal Final
NBC SPORTS NETWORK HIGHLIGHTS
In archery, Glendale, Arizona outdoorsman Brady Ellison is the favorite to win the first U.S. gold medal in this event since 1996. Plus, LIVE coverage of beach volleyball’s crucial elimination rounds from historic Horse Guards Parade. Also, Olympic gold is on the line in rowing from Eton Dorney.
BRAVO
7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Tennis – Singles and Mixed Doubles Semifinals (LIVE)
BRAVO HIGHLIGHTS
Live tennis coverage continues from the historic grass courts of Wimbledon, with the semifinals in men’s singles, women’s singles and mixed doubles.
MSNBC
9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Men’s Gymnastics – Trampoline Qualifying (LIVE)
Women’s Water Polo – Qualifying Round
Russia vs. Australia (LIVE)
Spain vs. Hungary
Women’s Handball – Russia vs. Brazil (LIVE)
Equestrian – Dressage Qualifying
Badminton –
Mixed Doubles Gold Medal Final
Table Tennis – U.S. vs. Japan
Beach Volleyball –
Men’s – Herrera/Gavira (Spain) vs. Cunha/Ricardo (Brazil) (LIVE)
Women’s – Schwaiger/Schwaiger (Austria) vs. Vasina/Vozakova (Russia) (LIVE)
MSNBC HIGHLIGHTS
A wide array of events includes live coverage of men’s trampoline qualifying, featuring New Jersey native Steven Gluckstein, who edged his brother Jeffrey for the American spot in London. Plus, LIVE coverage of beach volleyball’s crucial elimination rounds from historic Horse Guards Parade. Also, Olympic gold is on the line in rowing from Eton Dorney.
CNBC
5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Boxing – Elimination Bouts
CNBC HIGHLIGHTS
Two of the best U.S. hopes for boxing medals, flyweight Rau’shee Warren and welterweight Errol Spence, Jr., compete in the round of 16.
4:30 AM - Rowing: M4x, M2-, M1x, W2x
6:55 AM - Shooting: Men's 50m rifle
9:00 AM - Archery: Men's Individual
9:00 AM - Judo: Women's +78kg, Men's +100kg
9:25 AM - Shooting: Men's 25m rapid fire pistol
9:30 AM - Badminton: Men's Singles, Mixed Doubles
1:00 PM - Fencing: Men's Sabre
2:00 PM - Track & Field: Men's shot put, Women's 10,000m
2:30 PM - Swimming: Women's 200 back, Men's 100 back, Men's 100 fly, Men's 50 free, Women's 800 free
