What’s on Today
Primetime: The last night of gymnastics (really)
The final night of gymnastics features Simone Biles and Aly Raisman’s last chances at a medal in the women’s floor exercises. Plus, the men’s parallel bars and men’s high bar.
NBC will also feature live coverage of Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross’ beach volleyball match against a Brazilian team for a spot in the gold medal match.
In track and field there’s the men’s high jump, the women’s 1500 and the men’s 110-meter hurdles.
Daytime
Highlights on NBCSN include the women’s basketball quarterfinal game against Japan live at 2:45 p.m. Plus, Germany vs. Canada in the women’s soccer semifinals at noon. Other events include the men’s open water 10K swim, synchronized swimming and boxing and wrestling gold medal matches.
What Happened Yesterday
Ouch.
Bahamian sprinter Shaunae Miller edged out the U.S.’ Allyson Felix for the gold medal in the women’s 400 meter race. But it was the “how” that had everyone talking: Miller dove (or fell, depending on your perspective) across the finish line to win in a photo finish. It doesn’t look painful but those rubber tracks hurt. Today spent a lot of time dissecting the result.
Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down
Simone Biles was like that old children’s toy the Weeble Wobble, but unfortunately a bobble on the balance beam cost her the gold medal as she took the bronze instead. Teammate Laurie Hernandez won the silver.
Citizenship for sale
Ruth Jebet won Bahrain’s first Olympic medal by getting the gold in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, leading to predictable handwringing about countries “buying” Olympic athletes (Jebet is originally from Kenya).
Elsewhere
Gymnast Gabby Douglas has come under a lot of criticism on social media for supposedly being unpatriotic and unsupportive of her teammates. Now Leslie Jones, herself the victim of cyber-bullying, is one of the many people coming to Douglas’ defense (confirming that Jones is a national treasure). Swimmer Fu Yuanhui broke a taboo by talking about her period and became a social media star. And the great photo of sprinter Usain Bolt almost didn’t happen.
Sports Illustrated explains five reasons why so many athletes are setting records (and no, drugs is not one of them).
And Katie Ledecky once got Michael Phelps’s autograph:
.@katieledecky, @MichaelPhelps re-create famous autograph photo 10 years later! https://t.co/YmAPkmK0s5 #RioTODAY pic.twitter.com/SSanpCM6Yt
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) August 15, 2016
