It’s the final night of swimming for these Games and it is sure to be one to remember!
Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, is back in the pool for one final swim (he is retiring after these Games), leading Team USA in the medley relay, which the Americans have won every time they’ve raced. Phelps will round out his Olympic career by swimming the butterfly leg of the relay, serving as a rather fitting bookend to his Olympic career that began 12 years ago in Sydney when he swam the 200m butterfly as a 15-year-old.
The Men’s Swim Team will also go through the 1500m, an incredible event where swimmers will swim nearly a full mile in pursuit of Olympic gold.
It’s also going to be an exciting night for the women swimming, as well. 17-year-old phenom Missy Franklin is back in the pool and expected to anchor the women’s medley relay, an event the Americans are strongly favored to overtake 2008 Olympic champion Australia in and win gold.
The Women’s Springboard Diving will also add a good deal of hype to the night. After finishing fourth-place at last year’s world championships, Chicago’s Christina Loukas is looking to reach the Olympic podium. Cassidy Krug also has a big night ahead of her. After quitting diving for a year after failing for a second time to make an Olympic team in 2008, Cassidy, 27, is diving better than ever before. Can she prove herself once and for all?
And as our time in the pool comes to a close, our time on the London track at the Olympic Stadium only continues to heat up as the USA-Jamaica sprint rivalry continues. In the women’s 100m, LA native Carmelita Jeter, a first-time Olympian at 32, will face a strong challenge from a formidable Jamaican trio as she tries to continue her reigning world championship and title of second-fastest woman ever over 100m.
Also on the track, Beijing silver medalist Hyleas Fountain, who grew up idolizing the great Jackie Joyner-Kersee, is looking to upgrade to gold in her second Olympics in the heptathlon.
Will Team USA be able to add even more medals to our rising count? Tune in and find out!
Tonight’s Primetime Programming on NBC:
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 (Day 8)
8 p.m. – Midnight (ET/PT)
Swimming – Gold Medal Finals
Men’s and Women’s 4 x 100M Medley Relays
Men’s 1500M Freestyle
Women’s 50M Freestyle
Track and Field – Gold Medal Finals
Men’s Long Jump
Women’s 100M
Beach Volleyball – Elimination Round
Women’s Diving – Springboard Semifinals
Posted in NBC, Olympics, TV
By Allison
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