Screen Shots: Friday, August 9th, 2024

Welcome to Screen Shots! This is where I tell you what you should watch on TV. It’s going to be a very sports-centric list since that’s really the only thing we have left that you simply must watch live. Speaking of watching things, you should watch me on YouTube! Have your own suggestions? Shoot me an email at [email protected]!

The most polarizing topic in the track events is the new repechage round. This is the 2nd chance round for non-qualifiers to attempt to reach their event’s semifinal. The argument against it is that you are delaying the inevitable. Runners who advance were previously too slow, but now they move forward with additional wear and tear on their bodies from an extra race. However, I’m all for it. Do-or-die situations in athletics lead to spectacular competitions, and I just don’t care how it affects later rounds. I’m living in the now, baby! To the events!

Men's Swimming Marathon 10km (Medal event) at 1:30 a.m. ET on USA Network, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com

Why you should watch: Winner of the women’s event, Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands, also won gold at the Rio Olympics. To commemorate that victory, she named her dog Rio. Sadly, Rio the dog passed away in May. She dedicated this victory to Rio, pointing to a tattoo she got in his honor while standing on the podium. I read her Instagram post about his death, so now my dog will be getting unlimited treats for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, the male competitors’ dogs are healthy. 

Women's Basketball: United States vs. Australia Semifinal at 11:30 a.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com

Why you should watch: The only real drama in the US’ win against Nigeria was in the waning seconds when Kahleah Copper threw the ball at Ezinne Kalu for choosing to score rather than dribble out the clock. While I do like Copper’s feistiness, this is the dumbest unwritten rule in basketball. If a team wants to play all the way until the end, let them. It honestly doesn’t require anything of you. Let them score if you don’t want to risk injury by continuing to play. It’s such an arbitrary unwritten rule too. Why not start dribbling out the clock when you get ahead early and shaming the other team to do the same? Did I just invent a new, foolproof coaching strategy?

Team USA should be more concerned about how they start games as they’ve been a bit sluggish early on. Australia is talented enough to take advantage of that and force the US into a battle. The Opals’ roster features 6 WNBA players. Backup center Lauren Jackson is no longer in the WNBA and doesn’t figure to see a lot if any, action, but she is a 3x WNBA MVP. She has helped lead Australia to 3 silver medals, including way back in the 2000 Games in front of the home crowd. This is the 43-year-old’s 1st Olympic appearance since 2012 in London.

Men's Soccer: France vs. Spain Gold Medal Match at 12 p.m. ET on USA Network, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com

Why you should watch: I’m late making up this rule, but if the host country is playing for a gold medal then it’s an automatic watch. Also, the names you see for both squads will probably favor pretty heavily in future World Cups.

Women's Track & Field: Shot Put Final (Medal event) at 1:40 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com

Why you should watch: Here’s a picture of me, Coach Johnson, and American shot putter Raven Saunders after they surprised Coach at practice when they got back from the Rio Olympics. 

Men's Track & Field: 4 x 100m Relay Final (Medal event) at 1:45 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com

Why you should watch: As a reminder, track relays slap even more than swim relays. The ability to handle the baton exchanges is even more important than being fast. The Jamaican men continued their Olympic sprints nightmare by failing to qualify for this final due to some of the sloppiest baton exchanges you will see. If being fast was all that mattered, we wouldn’t need to watch because the United States can put together the fastest quartet in the world. Can they get the baton around?

Women's Field Hockey: Netherlands vs. China Gold Medal Match at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com

Why you should watch: David vs. Goliath! The Netherlands has won gold in 3 of the last 4 Olympics. They have asserted their dominance throughout this tournament, going undefeated in group play as they racked up a +14 goal differential in 5 games. That has continued in the elimination rounds as they’ve won their two matchups by a combined score of 6-1. 

China, on the other hand, has had to fight to be here. Literally! They overcame a losing record in group play to make it to the elimination rounds before sneaking past Australia 3-2 in the quarterfinals to set up a semifinal matchup with Belgium. A physical matchup with the 2nd-best team in this tournament went to a shootout where the Chinese women pulled off the upset. Can they do it again?

Women's Track & Field: 400m Final (Medal event) at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com

Why you should watch: Michael Johnson wasn’t the only athlete to pull off the elusive 200m/400m double at the 1996 Olympic Games. He was joined by France’s Marie-José Pérec, who also won gold in the 400m at the 1992 Olympics. This set up an attempt to become the 1st athlete to ever 3-peat in the 400m at the 2000 Games in Sydney, but Pérec fled Australia before the event. She was set for a showdown with Cathy Freeman. 

Not only did Freeman win silver at the 1996 Olympics, but she also claimed the World Championship in 1997 and 1999. In addition to being wildly talented, Freeman is also an Aboriginal Australian. Her star power was such that she was chosen to light the torch to begin the Games. And, according to Pérec, her fellow Australians were not about to see her lose in front of them. Pérec alleges that she was harassed and threatened during her time in Sydney to the point that she feared for her safety. She fled to Singapore. The Australian hotel where she had been staying released a statement saying they found no evidence supporting her claims.

Freeman won gold in the 400m, famously carrying both an Australian flag and an Aboriginal flag during her victory lap. Pérec never raced again. She, along with judoka Teddy Riner, lit the torch to begin the 2024 Olympic Games. 

Men's Track & Field: Triple Jump Final (Medal event) at 2:10 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com

Why you should watch: People who know way more than I do are having a hard time picking between Spain’s Jordan Díaz Fortun and reigning gold medalist Pedro Pichardo of Portugal. Both jumpers are originally from Cuba and actually represented their country at international events before defecting. They just had a showdown in June that ended with both of them becoming the only men to clear 18m (~59 feet) in 2024. 

Women's Track & Field: 10,000m Final (Medal event) at 2:55 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com

Why you should watch: There was all kinds of drama in the women’s 5000m when Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay tussled with Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon with two laps to go. The altercation led to Kipyegon being stripped of her silver medal before that ruling was overturned and she was reinstated. The bronze medalist in that race, Sifan Hassan, slammed Tsegay afterward, essentially calling her a dirty runner. Hassan would know, as a bump from Tsegay at the 2023 World Championships in the 10,000m sent Hassan to the ground 20m from the finish line. Tsegay remained upright and took home the gold. To add even more fuel to this rivalry, Hassan represents the Netherlands but is originally from Ethiopia as well. 

While you’re keeping an eye on all of that, also be on the lookout for Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet. She avoided the kerfuffle in the 5000m and breezed her way to a gold medal. Heading into the Olympics, many thought her best event was the 10,000m. Look to see if she can complete the double or if Hassan, who pulled the double off in Tokyo, can defend her 10,000m crown! 

Women's Basketball: France vs. Belgium Semifinal at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com

Why you should watch: Neighboring countries that are talented and evenly matched playing in front of one country’s home crowd in the biggest international sporting competition in the world.

B-Girls Break Dancing Gold Medal Battle at 3:23 p.m. ET on E!, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com

Why you should watch: I will be stunned if Nick Cannon isn’t hosting.

Men's Track & Field: 400m Hurdles Final (Medal event) at 3:45 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com

Why you should watch: If I had done a preview of the Tokyo Olympics, I could have just copied and pasted it. The top 4 from that race return with the podium combining for 24 of the 25 fastest times ever. Norway’s Karsten Warholm looks to defend his Olympic title. He set the world record, becoming the only man to run sub-46, to win that gold medal. He’s had an absolute stranglehold on this event for what must feel like forever to his competitors. In addition to his Olympic gold, he’s also won 3 World Championships. 

Rai Benjamin of the United States owns the 2nd fastest time ever. Unfortunately, that came in Warholm’s Olympic gold medal-winning race. He took the world lead for the year to qualify for the Olympics, and looks to carry that momentum to finally get past Warholm. 

Then there’s the youngest of the bunch, Alison dos Santos. He took advantage of Warholm’s only down year in 2022 to claim the gold medal at the World Championships. In an event that favors taller sprinters, dos Santos is still a giant at 6’7”. And, in an Olympic Games full of incredible stories, his is near the top of the list. At 10 months old, he accidentally flipped a pan of hot oil on himself. He suffered third-degree burns and was hospitalized for 4 months. The extensive scarring from his accident played a role in his extreme shyness as a child. His family got him into judo to help bring him out of his shell. He loved judo, but it became too expensive for him to pursue. He was forced to switch to track and field, and here we are. 

Women's Beach Volleyball Gold Medal Match: 4:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com

Why you should watch: At the time of this being posted, we don’t know who will be in this match but tune in to remember all the good times we had watching Kerri Walsh and Misty May rule the beach volleyball world.  

Happy Watching!