WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND:
We’re entering the final weekend of the Olympics and that means you’re thinking one of two things:
1. Oh no! The Olympics are ending! The long, four-year wait for more gymnastics excitement begins.
2. Finally, the Olympics are over! If I have to sit through another week of beach volleyball and diving, I’m going to go crazy.
Along with the conclusion of track and field and, yes, diving, the next few days offer the finales of the team sports tournaments.
The United States is in contention for a gold medal in many of them.
In prime time Friday, NBC will show a handful of track and field finals from the Bird’s Nest.
The headliner is the men’s 4×100-meter relay, in which Jamaican sprint prodigy Usain Bolt will hustle for his third gold medal of the Games.
After the disqualification of the U.S. squad in the prelims, Jamaica becomes an overwhelming favorite to win. Jamaica probably will utilize Bolt, with his 200-meter skills, on the turn-heavy third leg, and give anchor duty to former world-record holder Asafa Powell.
Speaking of world records, the United States’ mark in this event — established during the 1992 Barcelona Games, thanks to Carl Lewis’ blistering anchor leg — will come under fire.
The Jamaican squad is also the team to beat in the women’s 4×100. The Jamaican roster is comprised of the three medalists in the 100 meters and the gold medalist in the 200. And there is no American team to challenge them, because the USA women were DQ’ed for dropping the baton in the heats.
If the Jamaicans are expected to sweep both 4×100 relays, the Americans are the pick in both 4×400 relays, which conduct heats Friday and finals Saturday night. On the men’s side, Team USA has LaShawn Merritt, Jeremy Wariner, and David Neville, who swept the medals in the 400. And the women’s squad is led by Sanya Richards, seeking redemption after a disappointing third-place finish in the 400.
American Bryan Clay seeks the title of world’s greatest athlete as the men’s decathlon wraps up Friday. Clay finished second in 2004 to Czech world-record holder Roman Sebrle, who is lurking as the second half of the 10-event test is contested on the track and the field. No American has won the decathlon since Dan O’Brien in 1996.
Medals also are up for grabs in the women’s 5000, the women’s long jump, and the men’s pole vault.
Don’t fear, diving lovers, there’s still the men’s platform, which has its early rounds Friday on NBC then the finals Saturday night.
China has won every diving gold so far and it would be unwise to bet against Zhou Luxin in this one. American youngsters David Boudia and Thomas Finchum are spoiling for medals.
Find your favorite sports below in our handy guide to the medal rounds:
Baseball: After winning its last round-robin game to earn the third seed in the medal round, the U.S. dropped its semifinal, 10-2, against surprise second seed Cuba, which has won three of the four Olympics gold medals in history. Davey Johnson’s boys play Japan for the bronze Friday.
Basketball: The Redeem Team did not play its best ball but still eased past Argentina, 101-81, in the semifinals. The U.S. team started the game on a 21-4 run and the Argentinians, though they trimmed the lead to six just before the half, never seriously threatened down the stretch. The tournament’s leading scorer, Argentina’s Manu Ginobili, was on the bench after re-injuring his ankle. Coach K’s squad will play Spain,
91-86 winners over Lithuania, in the final late Saturday night (NBC, 2:30 a.m. Sunday). The Americans beat up on Spain by 37 points when they met in pool play.
The U.S. women play Australia in the gold-medal game Saturday morning (NBC, 10 a.m.). The Americans are the double-digit favorites after dispatching Russia in the semis, but the Australians are the clear world’s No. 2 and they’ll be no pushovers.
Field Hockey: The Netherlands beat China to claim women’s field hockey gold. Hurray! Spain and Germany play in the men’s final Saturday morning (MSNBC, 8 a.m.).
Soccer: Brazil claimed the men’s soccer bronze medal with a 3-0 victory over Belgium. Argentina and Nigeria take the pitch to play for gold at midnight Friday/Saturday on CNBC.
Volleyball: Both U.S teams are in the gold-medal matches. The American women play Brazil in the finals on tape delay during NBC’s 10 a.m. show Saturday. And the American men, who are undefeated in the Olympics, also play Brazil for the top spot on the medal stand on Sunday night (NBC, 7 p.m.). The team has emerged from the shadow cast by the attack on coach Hugh McCutcheon’s in-laws in the early days of the tournament.
They prevailed over Russia in a tough five-setter in the semis.
Water Polo: U.S. topped Serbia, 10-5, in its semifinal. It’ll face Hungary for the gold on Sunday afternoon on NBC.