Olympic Primer - July 31st
NBC puts out a daily 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 with you the previous night so you can set your DVRs and plan accordingly. The schedule is sorted by network and we'll also add some key times at the bottom for gold medal events you can catch live online as well. All times are eastern.
TUESDAY, JULY 31 (Day 4)
NBC
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (9 a.m. CT/PT)
Swimming – Qualifying Heats
Men’s Beach Volleyball – Rogers/Dalhausser (U.S.) vs. Herrera/Gavira (Spain) (LIVE)
Men’s Volleyball – U.S. vs. Germany (LIVE)
Men’s Water Polo – U.S. vs. Romania (LIVE)
Men’s Canoeing – Whitewater, C-1 Gold Medal Final (LIVE)
Rowing – Semifinals
· Qualifying in swimming’s 4x200m freestyle relay, an event in which the United States, led by Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte is the gold medal favorite.
· LIVE (ET/CT) coverage of the U.S. men’s volleyball team against Germany. The American men won their first Olympic gold in 20 years in Beijing and have been surging recently as they look to repeat as Olympic champions.
· LIVE (ET/CT) coverage of the U.S. men’s water polo team against Romania. The U.S. men earned a surprise silver in Beijing, but are focused on gold in London. Led by captain Tony Azevedo, the team sacrificed hundreds of thousands of dollars collectively by not playing professionally overseas this year to train together for the Olympics.
· Plus, LIVE (ET/CT) coverage of beach volleyball, always one of the most electric sports of the Games, from the heart of ceremonial London, at Horse Guards Parade. Americans Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser are the defending Olympic champions. And LIVE coverage of the always unpredictable whitewater canoeing, with Olympic medals on the line. Also, the rowing competition becomes more pressure-packed, with semifinals from prestigious Eton Dorney.
8 p.m. – Midnight (ET/PT)
Women’s Gymnastics – Team Gold Medal Final
Swimming – Gold Medal Finals
Men’s 200M Butterfly
Men’s 4 x 200M Freestyle Relay
Women’s 200M Freestyle
Women’s 200M Individual Medley
Women’s Diving – Synchronized Platform Gold Medal Final
· Gymnastics takes center stage as the reigning world champion U.S. women seek their first Olympic crown since the “Magnificent Seven” struck gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Michigan’sJordyn Wieber, the 2011 world all-around champion, and Gabby Douglas, who trained for the Games alongside four-time Beijing medalist Shawn Johnson, lead an American team of Olympic newcomers that is favored for gold over rivals Russia, Romania and China.
· Michael Phelps has his busiest night of the Games. First, he will swim for what is expected to be his third straight 200m butterfly gold medal – which could also give him 19 career medals, setting a new record. Less than an hour later, Phelps will be back in the pool for the 4x200m freestyle relay. This time, he teams up with Ryan Lochte on a U.S. squad that is favored for gold – which could give Phelps career medal No. 20. In the women’s 200m freestyle, 17-year-old phenom Missy Franklin and Allison Schmitt, who took the year off from the University Georgia to train alongside Phelps under coach Bob Bowman, will challenge Italy’s Federica Pellegrini, who has dominated the event by winning two world titles and setting a world record since she won gold in Beijing.
· What’s harder than diving from 33 feet in the air with perfect form? Doing it in perfect sync with the person next to you. That’s the challenge for the divers in the women’s synchronized platform competition. Another challenge: topping China, which has won gold all three times the event has been contested.
12:35 a.m. – 1:35 a.m. (ET/PT)
Swimming – Semifinals
Women’s Beach Volleyball – Kessy/Ross (U.S.) vs. Van Iersel/Keizer (Netherlands)
· Coverage includes beach volleyball from historic Horse Guards Parade and also semifinal action from the pool at the Olympic Aquatics Centre, as top swimmers try to qualify for Wednesday’s finals.
NBC SPORTS NETWORK
4 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Men’s Basketball – (LIVE)
U.S. vs. Tunisia (LIVE)
China vs. Russia (LIVE)
France vs. Argentina (LIVE)
Women’s Soccer – U.S. vs. North Korea (LIVE)
Equestrian – Eventing, Team Jumping Gold Medal Final (LIVE)
Individual Jumping Gold Medal Final (LIVE)
Beach Volleyball
Men’s – Alison/Emanuel (Brazil) vs. Heuscher/Bellaguarda (Switzerland)
Women’s – Talita/Antonelli (Brazil) vs. Goller/Ludwig (Germany)
Men’s Water Polo – Hungary vs. Montenegro (LIVE)
Men’s Volleyball – Brazil vs. Russia
Men’s Fencing – Individual Gold Medal Final
NBC SPORTS NETWORK HIGHLIGHTS
· The U.S. men’s basketball team, led by LeBron James andKobe Bryant, is back in action with its second game of the Olympic tournament, against Tunisia. Also live on the network, the U.S. women’s soccer team faces North Korea.
BRAVO
7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Tennis – (LIVE)
Singles Early Rounds
Doubles Quarterfinals
BRAVO HIGHLIGHTS
· The men’s and women’s singles and doubles tennis competitions continue with live coverage from the historic grass courts of Wimbledon.
MSNBC
9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Men’s Shooting – Skeet Gold Medal Final (LIVE)
Women’s Field Hockey – U.S. vs. Argentina (LIVE)
Women’s Soccer – Qualifying Round (LIVE)
Canada vs. Sweden (LIVE)
France vs. Colombia (LIVE)
Great Britain vs. Brazil (LIVE)
Weightlifting – Gold Medal Finals
Women’s Table Tennis – Semifinal
Archery – Individual Elimination Round
Badminton – Qualifying Round
MSNBC HIGHLIGHTS
· The U.S. women’s field hockey team has a rematch with Argentina, the world power it upset in the final of the 2011 Pan American Games to qualify for London. Plus live women’s soccer.
CNBC
5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Boxing – Elimination Bouts
CNBC HIGHLIGHTS
· Jamel Herring, a 26-year-old Marine who served two tours in Iraq, begins his Olympic run on the fourth day of boxing coverage.
5:30 AM - Equestrian: Team & Individual Eventing Jumping Final
8:30 AM - Canoeing: Men's C-1
8:55 AM - Shooting: Men's Skeet
9:00 AM - Judo: Women's 63kg, Men's 81kg
10:00 AM - Diving: Women's 10m Synchronized Platform
10:30 AM - Weightlifting: Women's 63kg
11:26 AM - Gymnastics: Women's Team Final
1:00 PM - Fencing: Men's Individual Foll
2:00 PM - Weightlifting: Men's 69kg
2:30 PM - Swimming: W 200 free, M 200 fly, W 200 IM, M 4x200 free relay
