Yahoo Sports The Paris Summer Olympics: 10 Moments to Watch For
The Olympics are a time for impressive firsts.
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The Paris Games will make history from the start when the Opening Ceremony begins with 10,500 athletes boarding boats for the Parade of Nations down the River Seine. (What could possibly go wrong?!)
While we wait for that stunning spectacle — airing live this Friday, July 26, on NBC at 1:30 pm/12:30c and repeating at 7:30 pm, hosted by Mike Tirico, Kelly Clarkson, and Peyton Manning — here are 10 more reasons you’ll want to tune in before the Olympic flame is extinguished August 11.
Note: Peacock streams every event live and offers full-event replays. (View full primetime schedule and find out how to stream!)
A VIRTUAL HOP-ON/HOP-OFF TOUR OF PARIS
Just to name a few of the noteworthy venues, temporary outdoor arenas have been built in front of the Eiffel Tower for beach volleyball and in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles for equestrian and modern pentathlon. The Place de La Concorde has been transformed to host skateboarding, 3X3 basketball, BMX freestyle, and the new Olympic sport breaking (aka breakdancing). The Grand Palais will be the home of fencing and taekwondo.
WATCH: Beach volleyball, equestrian, fencing, and skateboarding begin Saturday, July 27; 3×3 basketball and BMX freestyle on Tuesday, July 30; taekwondo on Wednesday, Aug. 7; modern pentathlon on Thursday, Aug. 8; and Breaking on Friday, Aug. 9. (Check NBCOlympics.com’s schedule and filter by date and/or sport for times and networks.)
SIMONE BILES COMPLETES HER COMEBACK
Since withdrawing from the bulk of the Tokyo Games to focus on her mental health — a journey documented in the Netflix docuseries Simone Biles Rising — the women’s gymnastics GOAT has returned to form with all-around titles at the 2023 World and 2024 U.S. Championships. In Paris, she leads a squad that includes reigning Olympic all-around champ Suni Lee (who’s battled back herself, from two forms of kidney disease), fellow veterans Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey, and 16-year-old newcomer Hezly Rivera.
WATCH: Sunday, July 28, at 5:40 am/4:40c on E! and 6 am on NBC for team qualifying; Tuesday, July 30, at noon on NBC for team finals. (Full gymnastics schedule)
STEPHEN NEDOROSCIK HAS ONE JOB TO DO
The U.S. men haven’t won an Olympic team gymnastics medal since 2008, thanks largely to mistakes on the universally dreaded pommel horse. Naming Nedoroscik, a specialist who competes on just that apparatus, to the five-man roster was a carefully calculated decision: His high scoring potential in the team final, when three athletes mount the horse and all three scores must count, gives USA (with Brody Malone, Frederick Richard, Asher Hong and Paul Juda) the best shot at the podium.
WATCH: Saturday, July 27, at 5 am/4c ET on E! and 5:50 am on NBC for team qualifying; Monday, July 29, at 11:30 am on NBC for team finals. (Full gymnastics schedule)
ALCARAZ AND NADAL FORM A DREAM TEAM
Vamos! Tennis fans are rightfully giddy thinking about Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal partnering to play doubles at Roland Garros — the clay courts where, as solo acts, 21-year-old Alcaraz hoisted his first French Open trophy last month and 38-year-old Nadal, his idol, is king with a record 14 titles. They’ll be sliding and smiling, making amazing shots and perhaps a few bloopers: Nadal has a doubles background that includes gold at Rio 2016, while Alcaraz is a novice.
WATCH: Order of play is announced the evening before matches. The first round of men’s doubles begins Saturday, July 27. (Full tennis schedule)
THE U.S.-AUSTRALIA POOL RIVALRY IS ALIVE AND WELL
Expect to hear a lot of “We need more cowbell” in reference to USA Swimming’s motivational instrument of choice. The familiar clash with Australia for most golds and overall medal tally heats up immediately: Among the first finals are the men’s and women’s 4 x 100m relays (favoring the Americans and the Aussies, respectively) and the women’s 400m freestyle, which features Aussie world record holder Ariarne Titmus vs. Katie Ledecky. It’s the last time Ledecky will be the underdog; her dominance in the 800m and 1,500m free remains legendary.
WATCH: Saturday, July 27, at 2:30 pm/1:30c on NBC for those first medal races. (Full swimming schedule)
TOM DALEY STILL KNITS
The popular British diver, whose poolside hobby in Tokyo made almost as many headlines as his men’s synchronized 10m platform gold and 10m bronze, has qualified for his fifth Olympics. In Paris, Daley will only compete in synchro (with new partner Noah Williams), giving him even more time to knit in the stands as he supports Team GB.
WATCH: Monday, July 29, at 5 am/4c on E! for the men’s 10m platform synchro final. Daley sightings could begin, however, as early as Saturday, July 27, when the diving events start. (Full diving schedule)
RICHARDSON AND LYLES FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED
When it comes to track, we love the prolonged drama of the hurdles, steeplechase, middle-distances and relays (falls! trips! tangles! drops!). But the 100m dash is still the marquee event. Sha’Carri Richardson, who missed Tokyo while serving a heartbreaking one-month THC suspension, looks to end the Jamaican domination and give the U.S. its first women’s gold since 1996. Noah Lyles is the favorite in the men’s 200m but believes he can also be the first American in 20 years to earn the title of Fastest Man in the World.
WATCH: Saturday, Aug. 3, at roughly 3:20 pm/2:20c on NBC for the Women’s 100m final and Sunday, Aug. 4 at 3:50 pm on NBC for the men’s 100m final. (Full track & field schedule)
USA BASKETBALL SHOOTS FOR THE RECORD BOOKS
The U.S. women eye an eighth-straight gold medal, which, according to Olympics.com, would break the record for most consecutive golds in any team sport. If they succeed, Diana Taurasi will become the first athlete to ever earn six team golds. A fifth-straight title on the men’s side would make Kevin Durant the first man to win four golds in a team sport. He’ll have the assistance of USA Opening Ceremony flagbearer LeBron James, who’s playing in his fourth games, and Stephen Curry, who’s making his Olympic debut at 36.
WATCH: The men open against Serbia on Sunday, July 28, at 11:15 am/10:15c on NBC; the women tip-off against Japan on Monday, July 29, at 3 pm on USA Network. (Full basketball schedule)
USA SOCCER MAY (OR MAY NOT) BREAK YOUR HEART AGAIN
The U.S. men have qualified for the Olympics for the first time since 2008 (well done), but the always competitive U.S. women face higher expectations. Can first-time Olympian Sophia Smith help bring home the team’s first gold since 2012 (after silver in London and bronze in Tokyo), not to mention redemption from a Round of 16 exit in last year’s FIFA World Cup?
WATCH: Wednesday, July 24, at 3 pm/2c on USA Network for the men’s opening Group A match against favorites France; Thursday, July 25, at 3 pm on USA Network for the women’s Group C starter against Zambia. (Full soccer schedule)
SNOOP AND JOST PROVIDE UPDATES
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update anchorman Colin Jost will be in Tahiti helping to cover surfing with athlete interviews and wave previews (tough gig!). Snoop, on the other hand, will be a fixture on “Primetime in Paris,” NBC’s reimagined nightly program hosted by Mike Tirico, which spotlights each day’s most compelling stories and medal performances. He’ll report on the events he’s attended and the people (and Crip-walking horses) he’s met along the way.
WATCH: Saturday, July 27, at 8 pm/7c on NBC for the debut of “Primetime in Paris”; surfing is slated to start Saturday, July 27 at 1 pm on Peacock, weather dependent. (Full surfing schedule)
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